Going Back To Film From M8

dcsang

Canadian & Not A Dentist
Local time
9:15 AM
Joined
Jun 16, 2005
Messages
4,548
I believe my affair with the M8 is over.

Oh, sure, I had my fun.
I got turned on and excited by the ability of the camera to give me pleasure almost instantly.
I enjoyed the way it tempted me to "click" away frivolously and with wild abandon.
I even found myself partaking in the "self gratification" by chimping endlessly.

So why am i considering ending it with the M8?

Well, it sort of relates back to this old post:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14023

I came back to rangefinders for a reason and that reason wasn't for / didn't involve digital imagery. I enjoy the immediateness of digital but, the more I shot with the M8, the more I realized that it left me feeling, well, "empty" (for the lack of a better word). I wanted to wind the next frame into place and cock the shutter manually. I wanted to get back into developing film. I wanted the nostalgia.

So I believe I'll say goodbye after playing with her for 7 months - I can't say that she wasn't fun but I think I want the "slow, long, love making" of film and not the "wham bam thank you ma'am" of digital when it comes to rangefinder photography.

Cheers,
Dave :)

BTW: There's nothing wrong with folks using digital - it's just not what I'm into when it comes to rangefinders...
 
Welcome back, Dave.

I decided not to take the route that you chose, and I stayed with film. Nothing wrong with that.
 
I prefer shooting film as well. I only just received an M8.2, so I haven't really used it enough yet to evaluate it yet. I didn't buy it intending for it to replace my film M bodies. In fact I just bought another M3 two weeks ago. In my case, I bought it strictly for work purposes. I sold my Nikon D200 that I used for two years on sets, and now I can keep to one system for my work stuff as well as my personal photography.

That is not to say that I won't use the M8.2 for fun/personal work, but the primary reason is to use it as a tool for checking tricky lighting setups, lighting ratios and other elements of scenes I am lighting for TV and movie work. For that purpose it is quite capable, and in many ways more enjoyable than the D200 was. I only wish the sensor performed more like the D700 sensor. That performance in an M digital body would be amazing. Perhaps that will come down the line in a future version of the camera.
 
So what does this mean Dave....Are you planned on selling it, or just giving it a rest on the shelf for a while?
 
As was stated before, welcome back!

Digital is fun, immediate and convenient, I use it most every day.

But I agree with you, there is just *something* about film and the M.

When I ask my wife to critique my photos she inevitably chooses my home developed film shots, even when she doesn't know which is digital.

Now it could be because of my beauty of a summicron (my digital rig is a Nikon) I dunno, but she's consistent. :)

When/if I get my hands on an M8 she may choose digital shots... ;)

Cheers,
B.
 
I feel it Dave ... I haven't taken a pic with my M8 for nearly three months now and it pretty well has it's own spot in the cabinet next to a Fed 2 and a Kiev II ... I'm sure they all chat about the good old days when I used them all regularly! :p

I guess if QUT contact me and say hey we need you to photograph another gallery opening it will see some action ... but that hasn't happened so it languishes because to be honest it's not a camera that makes me feel that good when I use it on a "let's take some pics for the pure enjoyment of it' basis!

I don't know if you intend selling your M8 Dave ... I can't really see the point in selling mine to be honest, it's a couple of years old now and realistically wouldn't fetch a lot of money with zero warranty in spite of the few thousand clicks on the shutter.
 
I have obstinately held-out, using only film so far. Yes, I do own a Nikon D70, but it only gets used to take photos of stuff to be put on eBay or my business web-site. The D3 was so enticing until I used for weekend and then I lost all interest in it, then the D700 provided a very affordable alternative, but when it came down to putting out the money, I just could not be enthused about migrating to digital.

But... I have been watching, listening and looking at the photos coming from the M8 and inspite of all its flaws and temperamental disposition, the M8 may just tempt me to give digital another chance. At this time and place, I do not have the budget for an M8, much less a M8.2.

But at the right time and price...
 
Perhaps its the 8 that is producing this sens of enptiness the OP have described. I have had that feeling 3-4 years ago , sold my 30d and didn't regret it for a second. bout couple MF and one LF camera and started to learn and use. After relatively long time of shooting medium and large format I felt ready again to give digital a try. Got a Sigma SD14 who makes images with the closest look to film, with accurate color, sharpness and 3d like effect and love it very much and shooting a meaningful as ever. Now that I feel the urge to go back to film again I can see missing the colors, atmosphere dynamic range and creative opportunities in photoshop .... I can't explain it but the stronger the urge for film but the closer I get to it the stronger is the sense of loss that will be associate with less shooting it.
BTW - I am not "klicing away" digital more so than I do in film.
 
I hadn't given thought to actually keeping the M8 really - I guess it's because of what I use my Leica's (or any RF) for - my own personal "stuff".

I've started to find that "street" shooting can just as well be done with (and sometimes is more discreet with) a small P&S like the Ricoh GRD II or the Panasonic DMC-LX3 versus any M camera. That said, those are still digital - I can still garner some good shots with them and it still satisfies my "I want to see it now" lust.

Two film M's should do me suffice.

But keeping the M8... hmm.... I don't know :)

Cheers,
Dave
 
i just sold my R-D1, after some six months of use. i like the camera quite a bit, but i'm going to stick with film for RF purposes. i like film. i've got a few fav lenses and an M2. simple. what else to say?
 
well I just recently sold my RD1s (which I bought last May)
and am primarily using
an m4 and now an M2
Love the fact that I don't need batteries or sensor Cleaned !!

and if thre digital bug hits again
perhaps as dave said a small compact /maybe the DP2 in Feb /40mm 2.8
already went through a grd,grd2,dlux3 before my rd1s phase

Film for me is the way to go.... Pure Pleasure
A Divine Addiction
and now I will begin the torturous Road to developing
:bang: which chemicals ,which Film :bang:
At Present I have narrowed it down to Arista Premium & Efke
but as to
Rodinal
D76
& all the others .... I'm still in limbo

So I'm joining you Dave...:) Best-H
 
I think the problem you had with the M8 initially was a shame ... it always has a minor long term effect on any item if you've just paid top dollar for it. Mine hasn't given me any any major problems aside from the odd freeze and the IR issue... I admire what it's capable of and it is nice to use but it hasn't captured my imagination the way it seems to have done with some people.

It's fast filling the spot sales wise in the classifieds previously occupied by the Epson I've noticed ... there's been a lot for sale lately and at good prices!
 
I think i've mentioned this here before, but it took me the better part of 3-4 months to really enjoy the M8... it wasn't the instant gratification i had with my old m6. It's funny you mentioned starting this thread as I had been thinking about a film rf for quite some time now. There's approx 20-30 rolls of hp5 & 3-4 bulk film (tx or hp5) in the freezer at the moment.... then there's also the 3 containers of ddx & fixer in the cabinet (oh & microphen, d76 also)... all untouched for almost 1 year now. The reason I stopped shooting film is also the reason I miss it!
It's time consuming, redundant and slow.... began to dislike it, but now yearn for it...
 
I also stopped using digital for all my work and went back to film. I and am having a blast documenting weddings just with a couple of M7s.

Cheers,
 
I also stopped using digital for all my work and went back to film. I and am having a blast documenting weddings just with a couple of M7s.

Cheers,

Thanks for that Riccis... I think I would like to offer a "Film Only" option next year - it might not garner any takers but at least it will be available :)


Cheers,
Dave
 
Thanks for that Riccis... I think I would like to offer a "Film Only" option next year - it might not garner any takers but at least it will be available :)


Cheers,
Dave

You should do it, man... There will be takers for sure. Believe it or not, a lot of wedding shooters have been emailing me since they are also thinking to add some film if not go back 100% like I did... Rangefinder magazine just did an article on my switch that should be coming up in the January issue.

Take care,
 
I believe my affair with the M8 is over.

Sometimes you don't know what you had until after you lost it. Oftentimes, you think you know what you want when you don't have it.

Carry on the discovery road, for it is littered with detours and distractions, and the end of it is the stuff of legend.

Or something. :)
 
i've had my M8 for close to a year and a half now. since i got it i think i've only put maybe two rolls of film through my film Leicas. I use my M8 a ton, probably more frequently than i've ever used any other camera. i find the immediacy nice for getting the exact exposure i really want, the higher shutter speeds are great for shooting wide open during the day, and generally think it's a truly great camera, or at least a truly great addition to the M system... but the funny thing is, I don't have anywhere near the personal attachment to it as i do my M6. granted i've had the M6 for more than 10 years, but still, the M8 feels different... less of a soul in there or something. that said, i seem to choose it 99 out of 100 times this last year.
 
Back
Top Bottom