But, what are you doing now?

[Bill Pierce]

I thought the M9 thread driven by Harry's thoughts was remarkable. But it brings up the question, "But, what are you doing now, M8 users?"

Even when SLR's essentially took over 35mm photography, the Leica persevered because of its small size, quiet operation, its ability to accurately focus high speed wide angles and normals in dim and low contrast light and its unique "see beyond the frame lines and see it all sharp" viewfinder.

Today's M8 is a little bigger and noisier. It's high ISO performance lags well behind the Nikon and Canon competition. The original frame lines were simply inaccurate for the shooting that occurred at mid and distant distances. And the price....

What are you doing to compensate for these issues in your photography? What problems are you finding effect you the most and how are you solving specific problems? And, if you are an old time M user, does this involve turning to other digital cameras than the M8?

 

[Roger Hicks]

What am I doing?

Taking pictures.

And no, I don't want another digital camera than an M8 (or better still M8.2, which may be bigger than a film M but sounds even quieter in 'discreet' mode).

And yes, I'm still using an MP (and M4-P, and M2...)

Cheers,

R.

 

[Silva Lining]

I'm currently in a quandary as to whether to invest in an M8.2 to bring all my Leica lenses into the digital age or whether to upgrade by EOS 40d to a 5D mark II.

I'd dearly love to buy an M8.2, but it is an awful lot of cash, more importantly all my Leica lenses are at least 20 if not 30,40 or 50+ years old. I know I would start to yearn for new Leica lenses, which would make an expensive camera prohibitive. I love the form factor of my M6, M3 and IIIg though, and whilst I know the M8.2 is a great camera, to buy it would be a decision of the heart, not the head.

The 5D Mark II is an option as I have some nice Canon L lenses which give me great IQ with the 40d (and 20d before) The Canon is the 'sensible' option from my POV, a head decision . But it doesn't have the portability, the feel, or the descreetness of the M format...

I've been looking at the Panasonic G1 with a M adapter as an alternative to satisfy my digital Leica urge, however the 2x form factor puts me off a bit...

So, as an 'old time' Leica user, I don't know what I will do just yet!! The third way of course is to be happy and continue, as I did this weekend just past, to go out with the 40d, 35/1.4L & 85/1.2L M6 , Planar 50/2 and Canon 35/1.5 - not a bad kit to be content with....

 

[Harry Lime]

Shooting a personal project with my analog M bodies and old Nikon F.
I'm thinking about looking for a good deal on a used Imacon.

I also have a D700 and it's one heck of a camera. I would probably own a digital M, if it cost as much as the Nikon or a Canon 5D-II. But to be honest I only use digital when I must. I don't know. I'm only in my mid 30's and make my living in the field of digital image manipulation, but I just prefer film for my own work. Flaws, quirks and all.

Hell, I've even been eyeing the occasional Speed Graphic sitting in the window of my local store...

 

[Bill Pierce]

M8.2, which may be bigger than a film M but sounds even quieter in 'discreet' mode.

Roger -

Good point!

Bill

 

[Bill Pierce]

Hell, I've even been eyeing the occasional Speed Graphic sitting in the window of my local store...

Harry -

I'm still using my Speed Graphic, albeit, often with some Zeiss lenses that don't usually end up on a Graphic and will never couple to the rangefinder.

Bill

 

[drewbarb]

This afternoon, I shot some pictures of my neighbor's dog. They've had her and loved since she was a pup, and now she's getting on in years; we want to be sure there are plenty of good shots of her before she goes. I spent an hour playing with her in their back yard and the alley between our houses, in lovely late-winter, early afternoon sun. I used a Bessa T with a CV 21mm Skopar and a Nikon FM2 with a 180mm f2,8 lens mounted. I exposed most of a roll of FP4 film at EI 80 in each camera. I'll process it in a few minutes.

As another answer to this question, I have a Nikon D200, which I use for commercial work and tasks where digital shooting will be an advantage (where I may not care about keeping fine copies of the images long term, but need them quickly). Otherwise, I shoot film, with a whole range of cameras.

 

[colker]

i am going back to film. A digital camera costing in the 3+ grand is absurd when digital is about constant obsolescence.

 

[Tuolumne]

I used to use the Epson R-D1, instead of the M8, now I use the Lumix G1 alot. The CV 15mm f4.5 is one hell of a shooter on it in daylight. Set to hyperfocal distance at f8 it's basically point and shoot all day long. It's not even too shabby for available light at ISO1600. I was looking at some scenics taken with the G1, though, and comparing them to 35mm chromes. The chromes still win handily, but I'm a sucker for the immediacy of digital.

/T

 

[johnastovall]

Shooting my M8 and loving it. I have a Canon 5D but only use it for paid assignment where I may need zooms.

I've found the M8 has gotten me back to getting and shooting older Leica and not Leica lenses for they way they draw.

I think the so called problems of the M8's have been highly over rated by people who would rather talk about cameras than create photographs.

 

[jke]

I took the money that I was going to spend on a digital camera body and bought a Nikon Super Coolscan 9000. I figured if I had $XX,XXX.XX invested in Leica film equipment, my investment should be in making sure I can use it until the last drop of film is gone. I don't shoot for a living, so I don't need turn-around speed on image production. I have readily available commercial developing resources (I live in NYC) for all formats and space to develop B&W film myself, so that isn't a limitation. Traveling is the only time I think about a digital camera, and that's just because the anxiety associated with airport xray devices on film (particularly in the 3rd world.) But I haven't honestly had any problems as long as I have stuck to 100-200ISO film (with the occasional push to 400ISO.) I'm shooting a Leica for city and scenery (no sports or journalism,) so 100-200ISO is just fine for nearly everything. And I carry a little Lumix P&S for when it is not.

The 9000 is the best digital camera I've ever had, because it works perfectly with all the lenses AND camera bodies I have!

 

[Keith]

My M8 virtually only gets used for the odd paid gig I get photographing gallery openings for a local technical arts college ... they prefer not to have anyone using flash at these things and have commented to me that they approve of the discretion of the M8 ... in other words it doesn't startle the patrons or make them spill their shiraz!

To be honest if it wasn't for these occasional paid outings I couldn't see a reason to keep it ... not that it would be worth much second hand. It's never become a camera that I pick up and go and shoot purely for the pleasure of it ... I'm too hooked into film for that to happen!

 

[tmfabian]

I go out and make me some photographs. I use my m8 and m7 together quite happily. I get 2 EFL's out of each lens, I get film backups to my digital and digital backups to my film.

I just have to mention though that the m8's high ISO capability is nowhere near as poor as so many people make it out to be (there I said it...not gonna go on a tirade about this topic again.)

The only problems i've had with the m8 are some issues with button and switch placement and movement.

I would have loved it if they had released firmware to allow you to set the self timer to 0 second delay so that i don't have to keep a little rubber nubby thing stuck to the camera to keep the on/off switch from sliding over to self timer.

I also would have been far happier if the buttons on the back were recessed so that I could remove my mountain of gaffer tape i built up to recess the buttons myself.

other than that, i think it's a fine tool, not perfected yet, but a fine and capable tool.

 

[Harry Lime]

Harry -

I'm still using my Speed Graphic, albeit, often with some Zeiss lenses that don't usually end up on a Graphic and will never couple to the rangefinder.
Bill

That's great, Bill.

I keep looking at a post war Speed Graphic 4x5. There's really nothing that looks like a big neg, with some older single coated lenses.

Just need to come up with a good project to justify putting the money out...

 

[Al Kaplan]

I'm still film based, 3 M bodies, a CL, and a Bessa L with lenses from 15 to 135mm. I got rid of nearly everything else. My remaining "SLR" is a Visoflex II with a 65 and a 400, and I can use my 90 and 135 lens heads with it. I still have a Rolleiflex T and a Minolta Autocord. The Hasselblad and 4 X 5 kits are gone. My venture into the world of pixels started a few months ago when my ladyfriend dragged me kicking and screaming to buy an HP combination scanner/printer. All I need to do is scan a print and and move the crop lines to the edges of the image. Auto color balance, nice neutral whites and greys, and I can post to the web. I have no plans to buy a digital camera.

 

[Bill Pierce]

That's great, Bill.

I keep looking at a post war Speed Graphic 4x5. There's really nothing that looks like a big neg, with some older single coated lenses.

Just need to come up with a good project to justify putting the money out...

My son also uses a Speed Graphic. A lot of his 3/4 length portraits that appeared in the Sunday Times Mag were taken with the Graphic that he (here comes the "eat your heart out" bit) picked up at a yard sale in Tennessee for $25 along with a lot of holders, a flash gun and a first edition of the Family of Man. It was all in a box marked "photo stuff."

 

[Bill Pierce]

I just have to mention though that the m8's high ISO capability is nowhere near as poor as so many people make it out to be (there I said it...not gonna go on a tirade about this topic again.)

Tom -

My answer to high speed with the M8 is to not use any smoothing or programs that soften the noise and to convert to black-and-white where its appearance is not unlike film grain. That - and to expose for the highlights and let the shadows drop out in contrasty situations. All in all, if you play around with it, you come up with images that are somewhat like the pushed films of yesteryear.

Bill

 

[35mmdelux]

The M Leica is a staple here as it has been for many years. I'm shooting more often with a Makina Plaubel 67. Nice 6x7 images (Makina); its Nikon 80mm/2.8 lens renders differently than what I am accustomed to with my Hasselblad and Leica glass. Less contrasty perhaps. Also shooting with the Hasselblad 501CM more. MF produces some remarkable high quality images.

Gear aside, I am trying to learn to shoot just plain life; either something that catches my fancy or special light.

Regards,

Paul

 

[noimmunity]

My first Leica

My first Leica

I only just jumped on to the M8 bandwagon after the deal at Robert White put a new one within reach. I had had an R-D1 before that I sold, principally because I always preferred film. Yet I never owned a Leica before this. Ironically, this probably helps me accept the M8 for what it is, rather than what it is not.

I did think about a D700, but I'm invested in M lenses and changing systems would be too costly, plus I'm positively sure I wouldn't bond with carrying/using it in the same way. The G1 is a fun toy for pure gear lust, but the crop factor plus elimination of the RF made it a much lower priority for me.

Preliminary impressions.

IQ: The M8 has a quality in color that I like very much, one that certainly doesn't replace film, but holds its own or surpasses film for what it is. I'll have to see about B&W.

Ergonomics: I do a lot of shooting, candid portraits, at very close to minimum distance, so the framelines actually often work for me, and in any case, on my ZI, I regularly use a lens (75/2) for which there are no frames. I've done some boring practice drills to get the hang of visualizing in advance. The shutter sound isn't a problem in metropolitan Asia, so far. The power on switch should have been revamped as Tom mentioned above, and there should be a way to change the values of the hard buttons so that one (delete?) could be user-dedicated to exp comp. The overall handling and form factor is highly agreeable.

Pedagogic: digital's instant results help me improve some of my photographic skills (while arguably stunting others).

I will use the M8, as I did the R-D1, in concert with a film RF (the ZI). Two lenses/two bodies/two formats/four focal lengths...it's pretty cool.

Yes, I too want a Coolscan 5000 for my film cameras.

Sure, the M8 will become/already is obsolescent. I'll probably still be very happy with the output/use...for many years to come. But a future high ISO iteration will certainly blow the socks off it.

 

[Bill Pierce]

This afternoon, I shot some pictures of my neighbor's dog. They've had her and loved since she was a pup, and now she's getting on in years; we want to be sure there are plenty of good shots of her before she goes. I spent an hour playing with her in their back yard and the alley between our houses, in lovely late-winter, early afternoon sun. I used a Bessa T with a CV 21mm Skopar and a Nikon FM2 with a 180mm f2,8 lens mounted. I exposed most of a roll of FP4 film at EI 80 in each camera. I'll process it in a few minutes.

I'm not so sure that this has much to do with specific cameras, but it has a lot to do with photography. Much of good photography is about preserving what we consider important, often what we love. Thank you for adding this message to the thread.