Hard decision about the future of my M8 ... maybe you feel the same way?

[Paul Luscher]

I guess my attitude depends on what I'm shooting. Street work, or, say, acoustic music shows (I shoot a lot of musicians) call for an M. Less conspicuous, less noise. Things like landscape work or air shows, a DSLR is better.

 

[Keith]

Well the decision was made and the M8 appears to be sold ... will I miss it? Of course!

I'll miss it's form more than it's function though! When I can buy a full frame digital rangefinder for what the M8 cost me or less, that can give me files at 1600 ISO as clean as the D700's, I'll re-think the situation. If Zeiss ever get their sh!t together and give us a full frame digital Ikon I'll be first in line ... that viewfinder would be sensational in a dimly lit gallery!

But what I really need now is a fast manual focus 35mm F mount lens for the D700 ... the fantastic plastic 35mm f2 AFD that I bought is a piece of crap I have to say and I regret wasting the money on it! :bang:

 

[fixbones]

Keith: Nikkor 35mm f1.4 Ais is a well regarded lens. Quite a bit of distortion though.

 

[Avotius]

😀 thanks for making me broke Keith.....

 

[Wiyum]

Well Keith, I recall being among the chorus urging you to try the D700, and I recall literal years of enjoying your m8 snaps and wishing I could make them, so I'm quite torn. But it's never about the tools, right? It's always the photographer. Good job being rational.

I, for one, cannot wait for the M10, just so that M9 prices dip into a realm where one might be capable of making a really poor financial decision to buy one. I'll be first in line...

...especially if I am able to buy the m8 I'm looking at when I sell all my RZ67 gear...

 

[Keith]

😀 thanks for making me broke Keith.....

It was a pleasure Colin. 🙂

The secret's out now I guess ...! 😱

The M8 starts out life in dimly lit galleries surrounded by chardonay and shiraz sipping art patrons ... to finish up stalking unsuspecting locals in dimly lit laneways and back alleys in China!

What a life! 😀

 

[kdemas]

Keith- if you don't need AF you might look at the Zeiss Distagon 35/2 ZF. I mooched one from a buddy for a day, far preferable results compared to my own 35/2D Nikkor.

If you can stomach a 2.8 lens the new Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8 lens is absurdly good. I dare say by far the best zoom I've used and it had me thinking of dumping most of my Nikon fixed primes. It's really that good (and a bit expensive for N glass).

Happy shooting!

Kent

 

[Vincent.G]

Keith, if you are after the 35mm focal length then it's worth taking a look at the nikkor 35mm f1.4 Ai-S. Slight distortion problem is there but it does not bother me. You can read more about it here.

Alternatively, if you are fine with a f2.8 lens, I suggest the nikkor 28mm f2.8 Ai-S at half the price of 35mm f1.4. It is more compact and is distortion free (my sample is) so this can be a useful feature for indoor shots. Best thing about this lens, it focuses to 0.2m and with its CRC, gives hellishly good and sharp photos.

My advice is to stick to nikkor glass if you are going for the MF lens. The Ai-S lens are very well built.

 

[Keith]

Keith, if you are after the 35mm focal length then it's worth taking a look at the nikkor 35mm f1.4 Ai-S. Slight distortion problem is there but it does not bother me. You can read more about it here.

Alternatively, if you are fine with a f2.8 lens, I suggest the nikkor 28mm f2.8 Ai-S at half the price of 35mm f1.4. It is more compact and is distortion free (my sample is) so this can be a useful feature for indoor shots. Best thing about this lens, it focuses to 0.2m and with its CRC, gives hellishly good and sharp photos.

My advice is to stick to nikkor glass if you are going for the MF lens. The Ai-S lens are very well built.

35mm f1.4 AIS ...my thoughts exactly and the distortion is easily corrected in post.

Even with the D700's brilliant high ISO performance f2.8 would be marginal!

I see this lens design goes back to 1982 so I would imagine a decent second hand example shouldn't cost a fortune?

 

[jonmanjiro]

Keith- if you don't need AF you might look at the Zeiss Distagon 35/2 ZF. I mooched one from a buddy for a day, far preferable results compared to my own 35/2D Nikkor.

If you can stomach a 2.8 lens the new Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8 lens is absurdly good. I dare say by far the best zoom I've used and it had me thinking of dumping most of my Nikon fixed primes. It's really that good (and a bit expensive for N glass).

Happy shooting!

Kent

Ditto on both points here 🙂

I'd probably go for the Zeiss 35/2 over the Ai-S 35/1.4. The Ai-S 35/1.4 is great stopped down a few stops, but the Zeiss woould probably be better at f/2. That, and the Nikkor's bokeh can get pretty funky.

And the new 24-70 zoom is amazing. I used it last night on my D700 to shoot a local festival. Amazing performer even at f/2.8. The only drawback is that its a heavy beast.

 

[Keith]

I though about the Zeiss lens because I truly love the 50mm ZF Planar I got ... I think it's the best 50mm lens I've ever used. For some reason though the 35mm Zeiss seems to command a higher price than the 50mm ... my 50mm cost me just over $600.00 from Matsuiya in vitually new condition and I certainly haven't seen any 35's for down around that!

Actually Jon if you stumble across a 35mm at a decent price please let me know!

 

[jonmanjiro]

Will do Keith. My favourite camera shop in Tokyo currently has a used ZF 18/3.5, ZF28/2, ZF 50/1.4, ZF 85/1.4 in stock, but no ZF 35/2 at the moment.

 

[lainer]

My head hurts! 😱

My head hurts too! I went through the same exact thing with the M8.2! Lovely, but...as you said in your post above.