Switching to RangerFinders

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crumpledhero

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I've been a DSLR user for some time now and of late have been finding reasons to lighten my load during travel. Hence I have been asking myself if I should change the way I shoot and try out the M8.2 instead.
I'm into portraits and currently own the Nikon D3 and Hasselblad 503CW+CFV.
Can you please tell me if there are any vast differences in this mode compared to the SLR?
Are there any particular lens you would recommend for portaiture?
 
For portraits I love my Jupiter-3 and pre-war uncoated 9cm Elmar.
The Jupiter-9 should also be great for it. Just make sure you find a good one.

Cheers,
Uwe
 
Full Frame next?

Full Frame next?

Thanks to the both of you for your input. I managed to try out the M8.2 earlier today and like the feel of the camera though not quite sure about the manual focussing. The salesman said its a matter of getting used to. I'm too reliant on auto focus, I guess. There's also been talk about Leica going into full frame next. Wonder if there's any truth to it or merely speculation, as usual. If so, I'd rather wait. Perhaps get a 2nd hand M8 to get the hang of it.
 
Your budget and equipment seems to be on the high side 😀
No worries even if Leica comes up with a FF though, because i doubt it'll be near the current M8 price and it'll be a true luxury alike to that of owning a mediumformat back. Market won't be big, and you can expect to sell your M8 with ease even if it does appear. The RD-1 is still very much popular among RF users, so there should be no problem with the M8's resale.

The voigtlander 12mm and 15mm is superb, especially so with the 15mm. Distortion is barely there, something to do with the flange distance between RF and it's lens beign the advantage compared to an SLR's. System wise, RFs have been known to offer optically better lenses compared to SLR's, more compact, and more often faster apertures for good lowlight work.

The salesman is probably right that it's a matter of getting used to, and it's not that difficult to focus on an RF either. I used to think this way - No matter what they say about how backwards RF technology is, i have almost never heard an RF user complain about focusing being difficult, both newbies and experts. Some say they can't get used to it, but then again we have RF users who can't get used to operating an SLR system either. There's a reason why we're all still using RFs. So if thousands and thousands worldwide can shoot on RFs, enjoy the experience and still produce great photos, why can't i too?

Hope that helps 🙂
You can talk to some of our own resident users at clubsnap too!
 
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The RF lenses are the finest photo lenses ever made, but the optical quality advantage diminishes with the FL, as the retrofocus designs no longer apply beyond 60-70mm. For portraiture you can get a host of great 50mm lenses, as well as some remarkable 75-90mm, however, because of the way you focus with a rf, you have to privilege lenses that let you focus precisely on your subject without recomposing. This should be much easier with a 50mm than 90 mm. All in all for portraiture, a D700 and the Zeiss Planar 85/1.4 or Makro Planar 100/2 are going to deliver the same optical performance as the top RF lenses at a lower cost and you will be able to frame and focus more accurately.

Here's an example of what a nice sensor can do coupled with the Planar 85/1.4 ZF

1380687896_be8e5a5a39_b.jpg
 
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And here's an example of what an even nicer sensor :angel::angel::angel: can to coupled with the pre-war uncoated 9cm Elmar:

ania_l1060703_s.jpg


Cheers,
Uwe
 
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crumpledhero said:
I managed to try out the M8.2 earlier today and like the feel of the camera though not quite sure about the manual focussing. The salesman said its a matter of getting used to. I'm too reliant on auto focus, I guess.
Click to expand...

crumpledhero said:
I'm into portraits and currently own the Nikon D3 and Hasselblad 503CW+CFV.
Click to expand...

Isn't the 503CW manual focus? To me the rangefinder is more positive than manual SLR focusing.


Are there any particular lens you would recommend for portaiture?
Click to expand...

Whatever focal length you use on your cameras now, you can figure what the closest equivalent would be for the M8.


There's also been talk about Leica going into full frame next. Wonder if there's any truth to it or merely speculation, as usual. If so, I'd rather wait. Perhaps get a 2nd hand M8 to get the hang of it.
Click to expand...

Regardless of the future, it's the future. Right now, in the present, used M8s are fairly reasonable, can be upgraded and gain additional year of warranty, and make spectacular images. I just bought myself a 5D, for less than half what it cost a few months ago. Yes it's a generation behind. It makes spectacular images. I'll get a 5D-II when the 5D-III is here. I bought a new M8 in the beginning because there wasn't any prior generation I was happy with. Tried an Epson but didn't care for it.
 
All i can add is that after buying the M8 I have never looked back. I've still got a Canon 1DS and lots of 'L' Glass, but it's the Leica that does it for me these days and has done since I got it well over a year ago.

I have the Noctilux - 35mm pre asph summilux and an old the 50mm summicron. I swear that the 50mm Summicron was made in heaven; it draws images that are quite remarkable in detail.
 
For head and shoulders, my favorite portrait lens is a 105 DC on my D2x. But I use my M8 in the field because of the size and weight. I use a 90 Elmatit M on the M8. The lens is as sharp or sharper than the DC and much smaller and lighter. Using a 1.33 magnifier on the viewfinder helps as does framing tight.

I find the 75 framelines too hard to see so I skip that focal length and favor of the 50 when shooting waist up portraits. I currently use an old cron but since its getting softer every year, I'll will replace that lens with a 50 lux one day.

My 2 cents: keep the blad and Nikon for studio work and get the Leica for field and travel. An M8 with a 28/50/90 plus a few batteries and cards will weigh less than your Nikon with a lens.

Tom

www.kauaisprintmaker.com
 
Thanks a lot for all your suggestions. I finally bought the M8.2 today with the 35mm f2.5.
Gosh, its so light and small compared to what I've been carrying around.
Can't wait to get started.
 
You will not regret

You will not regret

I bought an M8 new and 28 cron new from the UK in very late Jan 09. Decision point was the low pounds exchange rate and the 650 pounds rebate.

I regretted initially as a DSLR (my Canon 1dmk2 and 24-70, 70-200 f2.8L) system can shoot everything and anything, focus closer, focus faster, longer and more varied focal lengths and at higher ISOs.

I was at the brink of wanting to sell off the M8 and 28 cron when I made a trip to Tianjin, Beijing, China on a business trip. In between meetings, and lunch breaks, my boss and I would walk the streets and see things. Imagine if I had lugged a DSLR and 24-70?? Paparazzi?

What would my boss think? Was I in China on a working business trip or photography?

The M8 and 28 cron and a loaned Canon 50 f1.4RF did the trick for me. It was more discreet, small, light and though the system uses manual focussing, I learnt to work around it and shoot the stuff the RF system was set out to shoot best - street. It was great returing with images I would otherwise have never shot (looks silly to lug a DSLR system and wearing business suits). The photos may not be the best or even deemed good by many here who are great photographers but I am happy. It shot me stuff that I would have shot with the 1dmk2 as well. I loved the weight and surprsingly, I learnt to frame stuff and work around the limitations with just a 28mm. I controlled the situation instead of vice versa and wanting wider and wider with the DSLR.

The conclusion? It's a keeper. The DSLR system may go, instead.

3341260403_31e0a95644.jpg


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3343607063_092006fcc7.jpg


3342098936_a90277622d.jpg

ss
 
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Imagine...having to focus yourself...and confirming focus yourself...that's the beauty of rangefinder photography is that you need to think and be a bit more calculated. But isn't that what photography was all about before the digital auto-focus era that we are currently in? Most of us are fortunate enough to be in a position to own one or more of these rangefinder bodies and what's even more amazing is the vast choices in lens optics from the latest and fastest designs to vintage lenses made decades ago. Each with their own characteristics much like the owners that choose to use them. I hate the attention that is made each time I draw my DSLR to my eye and appreciate the lack of attention when I shoot any of my M-body cameras and the small non descript bags that I can haul my equipment around in.
 
LeicaMSeattle said:
Imagine...having to focus yourself...and confirming focus yourself...that's the beauty of rangefinder photography is that you need to think and be a bit more calculated. But isn't that what photography was all about before the digital auto-focus era that we are currently in? Most of us are fortunate enough to be in a position to own one or more of these rangefinder bodies and what's even more amazing is the vast choices in lens optics from the latest and fastest designs to vintage lenses made decades ago. Each with their own characteristics much like the owners that choose to use them. I hate the attention that is made each time I draw my DSLR to my eye and appreciate the lack of attention when I shoot any of my M-body cameras and the small non descript bags that I can haul my equipment around in.
Click to expand...

The main weaknesses of the M -

1) shallow DOF at f1.4, f1.2 - you can only focus in the centre and recompose to apply the 1/3 rule. With the DSLR, you can choose the autofocus point. We all know for very shallow DOF, focussing in the centre and recomposing would not get you sharp images at the intended focus point you wanted in a shot.

2) use of circular polarizers. It's not even TTL.
 
portrait lens for the m8

portrait lens for the m8

I think with the M8 the 50mm focal length is probably the most comfortable for environmental portraits. The frame is large enough for precision focusing though you get a bit more background. If you prefer tight head-shot portraits, you might want to go for the 75 or 90 focal length. Just scan your files and see what FL you tend to shoot with when using your D3.

I personally enjoy shooting portraits with my 50 summilux pre ASPH when I want to tell a story and the 90 Elmarit-M when I want to focus on the face and gestures. The unique signature of the 50 lux pre ASPH is highly favored by many Leicaphiles. It is one of the classics. The newer 50 lux ASPH is also superb lens--but has a different look, much more modern.
 
I agree that the pre asph 50mm lux is a good portrait lens or even better yet is the Noctilux. The 75 lux is also good but smaller FOV. All three have creamy background wide open.
 
crumpledhero said:
Thanks to the both of you for your input. I managed to try out the M8.2 earlier today and like the feel of the camera though not quite sure about the manual focussing. The salesman said its a matter of getting used to. I'm too reliant on auto focus, I guess. There's also been talk about Leica going into full frame next. Wonder if there's any truth to it or merely speculation, as usual. If so, I'd rather wait. Perhaps get a 2nd hand M8 to get the hang of it.
Click to expand...

Leica will go full frame. But you've got a minimum of years before it happens. Not months, or seasons. But years. Think about that.

Shooting with a rangefinder, while on the surface seems that it's only a matter of adjustment, it's a lot of little things that really hang you up.
 
Too late now Mike. I've just fallen head over heels with this baby. I can't agree more with
Northern Lights about looking like a Paparazzi most of the time with my D3. Love your first 2 shots. So its decision time for me now. Its between the 50 or 75. Any particular Aperature recommended?
Again, thanks to all who have helped me with this decision. I'm truly grateful.
 
I'd suggest you buy a 50 lux from the UK before the end of this month.

I have a 75 cron and love it. The 75 lux is the mythical-favored lens on RFF, but I prefer the 75 cron, partly cuz it is much easier to use and feels really good. Still, after looking at your photos, I think you'd like the 50 lux better on your M8.2 with the 28 cron.

I'm very tempted to buy a cron 28, too. Like your shots with this lens and would like to hear more. I love my Biogon since I use the M8 principally for colour, but sometimes would really like f/2.
 
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