M 8

[dee]

I had the opportunity to take the M8 [ with ex-50mm Elmar - 65mm ? ] to take pics of a kids do for meningitis , but flunked and used the Canon G2

I was concerned about several aspects -
the M8 isn't keyed in to my daughter's mac ,
I am not certain yet , about my rangefinder accuracy ,
there was pressure for a RESULT ...
I was worried about how others might view me wth such an expensive and exclusive ? camera .
My family thought that no one would evn know what it is - cameras are so universal today that they are as invisible as any consumer good .

Also , it was not real picture creation - just family record shots of indeeferent quality - I really need deeliberation and quietude on my own , to actually make sense of the world through my M8 .

I guess this sounds pretty wierd , but ASdee is wierd , believe me >

It's kinda taken some of the sunshine out of it - especially as this was my 1st daylight day !

My Asdee causes lots of worry about doing the right thing , ' cos I can't ever work out the pattern by which real people relate to each other - all my life , I have treid to understand , but it's all bewildering to me >

Len , who sold me the M8 - and puts up with my anxious OTT enthusiam etc , I now know . has a daughter on the autisic spectrum - no wonder he is so patient - not so many are .

This is good for me - I can't read people , so I asked that he tell me if I am annoying him - and he siad that I can drop in / phone / see him on the train [ not hide behind the seat ] with ANY worries .


I found that the adaptor did not give 50mm / 75 mm frame lines -
making it dee -ficult to compose , I did not realise that I can't switch the right frames on permanently .

Len swapped the adaptor for the right one , which was a relief .

I love it - it's lkie a real camera to me , but I guess it's a slow ASdee learning curve until I smooth out the glitches in my head in partnership with my new companion .... i never know if it's normal to feel as I do - maybe I overemphasise my dee-ficulties with'' dee's- lexia '' ?

[ must get my Kievs Kontent too - life goes on in Asdee dreamland ! ]

a bit dee's orientated ...

 

[dee]

... so I keep being told - but ANYTHING which calms the mind astigmatism , is such a relief - and it won't be just a toy - I intend to expand my own limited '' not seeinng '' horizons which my Leica II opened up just 12 months ago .

This is great - it helps me define what is going on for me !

Thanks dee

 

[cmogi10]

Once you get the swing of everything you'll love it Dee, I don't have a doubt

 

[Richard Marks]

Expensive toy.

Inexpsnsive comment

 

[dee]

I kind of don't want to care what people think , but with Autistic stuff , I never know what's right / acceptable / the rules / etc , which creates a lot of anxiety .
It's like a being on another planet , and watching aliens without comprehension - and that is in the family / the office / on the train !
In the car there is some relief , 'cos it's through a window .
But the idea of being allowed to buy a great hi fi ,expensive car , or a boat , or an M 8 without being guilty is freedom ... its as if the rules change with cameras - because it is also a tool , should someone of limited ability have an expensive one ?
....maybe I should open a new dee-ranged finder forum ? giggle or go under !!!

dee

 

[Richard Marks]

Dee
I think photography is an immensely liberating hobby for lots of people, and the M8 is very satisfying to use.
Please post a few pictures when you get the chance.
Best wishes
Richard

 

[dee]

Update on playing with the M8.

I love being able to take available light shots with fast '' film '' . I love the monochrome setting and being able to vary saturation etc . Aperture priority auto , may be less purist than manual , but it's familiar . It's much easier to adjust exposure than on these new computer language digiboxes ....

... it's like all that I know from the old style of 60s / 70s photography , is presented in to me , proper camera , with instant access to results , so that i~ can re-practice without using film .

Indeed the M 8 will improve my dee rangefinder confidence with my Leica IIIc / f and my Kievs to create magic slide shows - which no computer can create [ ? ]

.... and the expense ? WERE there to be a camera which offered all that old fashioned ''reality '' at a sensible cost , I would be the 1st to buy it , but the new generation think in a new cmputer interface culture - my M 8 is archaic to my daughter - she just does not think in aperture priority and shutter speeds , even though she did photography at college just a while ago .

It's awakened a lost escape for me .

dee

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

Dear Dee,

There is not really a right or wrong in photography. Just do what you feel comfortable with. If that is a M8 go for it. Most people will not even know how expensive it is. As long as you have fun it is well spent.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

 

[baycrest]

People spend their money differently. Some spend it gong out to dinner, others on alcohol, clothing (how many pairs of shoes does anyone really need?), automobiles or more than 1 automobile etc.
In the scheme of things, we all budget or try to budget for things that make us happy.
So if your happiness is greater with an M8 than spending money on dining out, or cigarettes, where's the rub in that?

Or did I miss your concern?

I think you should go out an take some pictures. If someone notes the M8 is expensive, then just say you had to mortgage the house or sell your first-born and bring some humor into the moment....

Enjoy the camera, it not expensive its your hobby....😉

Best
Robert

 

[MartinL]

Dear Dee,

There is not really a right or wrong in photography. Just do what you feel comfortable with. Michiel Fokkema

Another way of looking at it (my way🙂) is that there IS a right and wrong. I'm an OK photographer, made better by good gear, including nice conveniences like auto focus and zooms. I like to use the M8 because because it's harder, and it doesn't let me get by with being lazy or inattentive. So when I get it not-wrong (which is much harder to do), it's thrilling. IMO, "comfortable" is something to avoid.

 

[Uwe_Nds]

People spend their money differently. Some spend it gong out to dinner, others on alcohol, clothing (how many pairs of shoes does anyone really need?), automobiles or more than 1 automobile etc.
In the scheme of things, we all budget or try to budget for things that make us happy.
So if your happiness is greater with an M8 than spending money on dining out, or cigarettes, where's the rub in that?

Or did I miss your concern?

I think you should go out an take some pictures. If someone notes the M8 is expensive, then just say you had to mortgage the house or sell your first-born and bring some humor into the moment....

Enjoy the camera, it not expensive its your hobby....😉

Best
Robert

Dee,
I fully agree with Robert.
And if the M8 awakened the lost escape for you, then it's very, very well spent money! You are very lucky that you have found your escape, so please try not to worry about what other people think about it.
And the thinking of your daughter that the M8 is archaic is - in my opinion - typical for the general public, so hardly anybody, except for some camera enthusiasts, will recognise the M8 as an expensive camera.
You seem to enjoy your M8, and for that, I am happy with you as everybody else here on RFF.

I would love to see some pictures as well.

Best regards,
Uwe

 

[faris]

Grandpa doesn't take good pics...but

Grandpa doesn't take good pics...but

he got an m8 for the first time. expensive hobbies he has, he married my
grandma. he couldn't take pics of me with his m8 and the funny things he
fixes on the m8.

but i have not seen grandpa so happy though..since when i was born of course.

grandpa says photography for him is 2 things..the joy of taking a photo
and the joy of seeing the results.

i don't understand all he says or does, but

Dee, my grandpa says don't give a sh*t what others say about your m8..
if it makes you happy, i am happy for you just like i am happy for grandpa.

maybe someday u could take a picture of me!! u must take better photos
than my grandpa.

but i still love him and grandma.

 

[DaveB]

My experience is that people who don't know anything about Leicas don't even notice my M8.

People who do recognize it for what it is, are fascinated and will want to talk to you about it and tell you about their father's M3...

 

[Pherdinand]

extremely funny post.
One buys a five thousand bucks camera but is hesitant to use it for a real nice job.
Oh well, and we wonder why some baaad people call us fondlers.

 

[palker]

I bought my M8 about 5 weeks ago and I went to a christening yesterday. A big decision do I take the M8 or my D200? (I was not considering taking both) In the end I took the M8 much to my wife's amusement .. why did I take the camera from last centuary .. etc ..
Very happy I did, I may even get round to posting some pics on here.

 

[Olsen]

Sure, one can point to quite a few weak spots on a M8 - but not compared to a Canon G2. We had several of them in the family at one point, but just the slowness of the shutter reaction made them impossible to use properly. Well, one advantage it had compared to M8; the tiltable lcd screen.

I looked up this new Canon G9, in a way, the closest thing Canon has to the M8. The G9 is just awful compared to the M8. I reckon that 'too much noice on high ISO' as a weakness of the M8, - compared to my 1Ds II. The noice level on the G9 makes the camera unusable below 200ASA. All above that is a joke! As on a camera phone.

With a chumpy wide angle adapter you get a sort of 24 mm view. Distorted and awfull. Still the reaction time is slow, and the AF 'approximate' at best. Compared to the viewfinder system the G9 AF is just laughable! While Canon's cameras always produced jpg files together with RAW files that looked excellent, the G9 produces jpg's with artifacts and jagged lines -- just as on Leica M8. And of the same reason; too small computer. With the G9 Canon has reached the top of what that technology (small sensor and computer in a cheap package) can produce.

Further; here in Norway a Canon G2 has no value. You wont even get a bus ticket for it 2.hand anymore. Most kids have more pixels in their phones, these days. While quite a few of the the small, but enthusiastic Leica community over here are willing to pay a fair price for a 2.hand M8. Despite it's shortcomings in certain areas.

Sure, there is quite a price step from a M8 to a Canon G9. But that is how things are in the photo world; you pay ten times as much for one aparture step. Or a small fortune for a range of obvious technical advantages.

 

[Cindy Flood]

Congratulations, Dee, on your new M8. I think that you will find (as I have) that very few people even give the M8 a second glance. People just tend to think it is an old camera.
I'll look forward to seeing some of your photos.