Are you struggling deciding between the M8 and Nikon D3?

Are you struggling deciding between the M8 and Nikon D3?

  • Leica M8

    Votes: 157 49.2%

  • Nikon D3

    Votes: 123 38.6%

  • Both, you silly goose (bad GAS attack!)

    Votes: 39 12.2%
  • Total voters
    319
I own a D3

I own a D3

Tuolumne said:
If money were no issue (and they are about the same price), which would you buy:

Nikon D3 or Leica M8?

/T
Click to expand...
I just bought a Nikon D3, problem is I already have a wide and expensive lens park. If I had the cash to buy an M8 and a couple of new lens I would not hesitate a second.

Sergio
 
I'm not struggling between the two since I am done with SLRs. I am struggling between an M8 and whatever the next version will be. But since we won't see that until sometime next year at the earliest it looks like I will bite the bullet...
 
I have been thinking about a D300 now (I am the OP), but I have been using my D200 and have decided I like it well enough for what I use it for (nature and events). And, of course, I have my beloved R-D1 for when I get dRF cravings, which is almost every day.

I have been shooting more film lately: Mamiya 7, Nikon FM3a (an SLR but not an evil one, IMHO), and various M-film bodies (M4, M5, and LHSA MP3). You know what I discovered? I really like film, especially since I've made peace with scanning. Now I am thinking about getting an 80mm lens for the Mamiya 7 and an M7. Don't ask me why I need an M7. I don't know. Just want an AE Leica I guess. :eek:

/T
 
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I have an M8. So I voted for that. I bought mine back when they were $4,700. I want to get cheap DSLR like the D200 or 40D and just a single 17-50 f2.8 lens for the few times that an SLR would ideal. But those times are few and far between for me to justify investing in a whole kit. As it is I barely use my M8. I just don't like digital.
 
If money were not an issue, I'd pay my back support

If money were not an issue, I'd pay my back support

and buy a new battery for my Oly 35RC.
 
Neither. I don't have the money.

But if I had money, I would send my Nikon SLRs (F2 photomic, F2A, FM, FM2n) for CLA; buy a CLA'd Zorki 1 and get myself a darkroom. These SLRs have served me well for years, they deserve some loving care. I will continue to use my DSLR as well.
 
D3 low light work and the best viewfinder ever, full frame no cropping factor. I would get the 100mm Zeiss Arri based Makro Plannar, the 24-70mm and the 200mm f2.0 and 1.7x tele converter. Two SB600 flashes too.
 
M8 because I have four Leica lenses, they are old but work on the M8; but if I was going with a non-Leica digital I'd go Hassleblad.
 
Those two cameras are a waste of money if you don't actually need them. Even if I had the money, I wouldn't buy, because I don't need them for my photography. My D40 is more than enough (and easier to use and carry) for anything digital I do (family snaps ... and auction pix of film cameras!).

I would be first in the queue for a digital Olympus Trip 35 though, regardless of my need for one! :D
 
Boy. Trick question. If you could afford only one, you would have to choose the camera that best fit your shooting style. The D3 and M8 are very different beasts. I am on a trip now and brought along both cameras. M8 with 75/2, 50 1.4 Asph, 35 Biogon, 24/2.8 Asph and CV 15/4.5 (most used lenses so far: 35, 15). D3 with 24/2, 50/1.4 and 85/1.4 (most used lens so far: 24). M8 is less intimidating, D3 is the current low-light king. In practice, though, M8's ISO 3200 files are usable and D3 is quite large/heavy. I am glad that I brought along both cameras. I knocked the M8's RF out of adjustment and had to do a field-fix with a No.2 allen wrench (which I had to track down in an unfamilliar country). OTOH, I could do the adjustment, which would have been impossible if something had gone wrong with the D3 . . . I have been backing up images to a laptop and a stand-alone JOBO hard-drive. Images from both cameras have been very satisfactory in terms of IQ. End product will be a set of 11x14 prints (and jpgs for flckr).

Boy, uploading to flickr or another online site is humbling with data from either camera. You are throwing away 95% of your 101000010001 ones and zeros to meet the size requirements for the site. D'oh, should've bought a K10D . . .! Nah, only kidding.

Ben
 
My crisis was between the Zeiss Ikon and the Nikon D300. I have both and regret it. Which one will go? the D300. Just not for me. I will be sailing it with the Nikon 18-200 VR lens and memory (4and 2 gig Extreme IV) with Sb400 flash and a bunch of other stuff for $2000. I have taken about 400 shots.
 
toyotadesigner said:
I wrote Mega Pixels, not megabytes. A scan of a 6x9 cm slide turns into an image with 12.900 x 8.600 pixels minimum.

Using JPEG @ 24bit color depth the file size is some 40 megabytes.
Using TIFF @ 24bit color depth the file size is some 350 megabytes.
Using TIFF @ 48bit color depth the file size is some 700 megabytes.

I can print this image without upsampling @ 300 ppi at 43 x 29 inches or 110 cm x 73 centimeters, @ 150 ppi at 86x58 inches or 220 x 146 cm and you still can stick your nose very close to it to see all details.

No sharpening, no other manipulation before printing, all sharpening settings of the RIP turned off.

Of course I can scan the image @ 8.000 ppi with an Imacon or drum scanner and get even more detail, but that's a completely different story.

Now look into your EXIF data. Chances are high that your digi cam comes with a resolution of 72 ppi or 96 ppi internally.

No doubt your image is beautiful - as long as you can't compare it side by side to a 6x9 scan and crop.

Below is the original on top, a 100% crop at the bottom. The100% crop is 32 cm or 12.6 inch wide... The orange rectangle marks the crop.

6x9res01.jpg
Click to expand...

geez:eek: What kind of computer do you need to run these?
A 350mb file opens p-shop at what, 2 gigs RAM?
The largest print I ever worked on was 5 feet by 9 feet file, 250 mb file: PS was running at 1.5 gigs RAM for that one! and the printer (EPSON plotter, 720 I think?) took all night to print at the office.
 
M8. I dont think I can ever go back to a DSLR. Not my style /size /complexity /weight/ array of useless buttons /features /did I say size?:)
 
I have an M8 and I am going to pick up Akiva's D300 kit for those times an M8 is not right. Selling off my Canon kit to do it. Any takers?
 
If I had to choose it would be the M8 as I have a fair number of LTM and (old) Leica Lenses, plus I am a canon shooter and have some nice L glass.

The D3 looks like an awesome camera though.

I'm actually quite happy with my M6 and 'blad though
 
"Which would you buy if you could only afford one?" should read "Which would you buy if you could afford one?".

I can't but I'd love a D3!
 
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