M8 considered a professional camera?

[emraphoto]

do you have something to contribute here benjamin? other than sarcastic jabs?

have you used an m8 in a working situation? thoughts on it's strengths or weaknesses?

 

[newsgrunt]

at most large dailies, photographers are often given a choice between canon or nikon. you won't see much in the way of rf because they're not the most practical camera for newspaper use. of course, if they so choose, they can shoot with whatever they want...as long as they produce work that can be used.

me ? holgas, leicas, Franken-panorama Nikon F2, 4x5 and even pinhole. daily beaters=D3's and a stash of Nikon's best glass. professional to me does imply, in part, that I can work the crap out of it and it'll still keep ticking.

Unfortunately, Holga doesn't have pro service or loaners yet 😉

 

[sirius]

I never thought of that!

Too obvious for ya? 😛

 

[emraphoto]

at most large dailies, photographers are often given a choice between canon or nikon. you won't see much in the way of rf because they're not the most practical camera for newspaper use. of course, if they so choose, they can shoot with whatever they want...as long as they produce work that can be used.

me ? holgas, leicas, Franken-panorama Nikon F2, 4x5 and even pinhole. daily beaters=D3's and a stash of Nikon's best glass. professional to me does imply, in part, that I can work the crap out of it and it'll still keep ticking.

Unfortunately, Holga doesn't have pro service or loaners yet 😉

i am curious... what's the franken-panorama f2 all about?

 

[emraphoto]

i should start up my own holga pro service. bomb around on my bike with multi colored rolls of gaffers tape and a cel. phone.

 

[newsgrunt]

i am curious... what's the franken-panorama f2 all about?

Take an F2, cut open the lens mount and graft on a Mamiya Universal lens mount in it's place. Cover the spot where the finder goes. Widen the frame to about Xpan size. Franken Nikon. I"ll try and upload a photo of said beast. Course don't use it as much since I got an Xpan...

 

[emraphoto]

i must see this! could you upload an image taken with it too? i have been eyeing up the xpan for way too long.

 

[jack palmer]

Cameras are tools. The M8 is a tool made to excel at a certain type of photography. However, as a camera system, DSLRs are more flexible tools to do a variety of jobs (flash, zoom, wide angle, low light, etc...).

The M8 is certainly capable of producing professional results, but is it the best tool for a wedding photographer to tell the story of an event? There are easier tools to use, but it's the photographer/client that has to answer that question.

As a furniture/cabinetmaker I love well made tools especially tools that I can rely on day in and day out.

 

[ijohnnyz]

It's approved by Getty Images. Follow the link for the full list.

http://contributors.gettyimages.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_id=996

 

[Trius]

Take an F2, cut open the lens mount and graft on a Mamiya Universal lens mount in it's place. Cover the spot where the finder goes. Widen the frame to about Xpan size. Franken Nikon. I"ll try and upload a photo of said beast. Course don't use it as much since I got an Xpan...

You spent all that energy avoiding an Xpan ... before buying an Xpan? 😀

 

[newsgrunt]

well I didn't perform the surgery. if I did it'd still be in pieces hidden in some box in the basement. hard to get details but apparently there might be about 50 or so modded and one was made for Lee Friedlander , haven't tried to clarify this but that's neither here nor there.

 

[emraphoto]

lets see it!

 

[Benjamin]

As a furniture/cabinetmaker I love well made tools especially tools that I can rely on day in and day out.

Yes and so you will understand that there is a difference between professional tools, and ones made for consumers or d.i.y'ers. The prosumers, whatever that means anyway, will still buy a set of Marples chisels if they have any sense.

My problem with the M8 is that it just hasn't really evolved from the analogue M's. If it were a true reporters camera, which I don't believe that it is, it would have proper weather seals and it would need to perform better at high ISO settings. It's not like you can just change the film now is it?

 

[Roger Hicks]

Yes and so you will understand that there is a difference between professional tools, and ones made for consumers or d.i.y'ers.

No there isn't. There's a difference between good tools, and bad ones.

Both kinds (good and bad) can be bought by amateurs or professionals, and commonly are. There are times when professionals want 'throwaway' tools, or tools that don't need to last for more than one job, and times when amateurs (or 'consumers') want the best, longest-lasting tools they can get.

Tashi delek,

R.

 

[emraphoto]

there will always be times when uncommon tools will be used. a camera built with "professional" use in mind doesn't exclude anyone from buying it.

that being said i still take issue with the idea that it is all marketing hype. the original concept right through to finished product, when applied to the pro line-ups from say canon (just pulling one out of the hat folks) has specific demands (performance, environmental, form) in mind. the camera is built around said demands and intended use. "professional use" wasn't an after thought or welcome unexpected capability. it was the motivating force behind the cameras evolution.

 

[emraphoto]

now "prosumer"? that one makes me suspect.

 

[jaapv]

My problem with the M8 is that it just hasn't really evolved from the analogue M's.QUOTE]
It may be your problem, but
it happens to be the essence of this particular tool.

 

[jack palmer]

Yes and so you will understand that there is a difference between professional tools, and ones made for consumers or d.i.y'ers. The prosumers, whatever that means anyway, will still buy a set of Marples chisels if they have any sense.

My problem with the M8 is that it just hasn't really evolved from the analogue M's. If it were a true reporters camera, which I don't believe that it is, it would have proper weather seals and it would need to perform better at high ISO settings. It's not like you can just change the film now is it?

I agree completely. The M8 needs to have better weather seals (does it have any at all?) and perform better at higher ISO's. Tools aren't just good or bad although there are far more poorly made tools than well made and performing tools. Sometimes a "bad" tool can be tuned to make it perform better. The M8 is an excellent first step but Solms is playing "catch up" and it seem a struggle. and at great expense to buyers. Leica just needs to get some of these poorly performing and missing elements right.

 

[jack palmer]

My problem with the M8 is that it just hasn't really evolved from the analogue M's.QUOTE]
It may be your problem, but
it happens to be the essence of this particular tool.

Well if the essence is that it elvolved from the analoue M, Leica needs to improve the guality of the electronics and the reliabilty of the camera and that can be any buyers problem. Everone can argue the semantics all day but the M8 isn't yet a professional camera...but it looks like one

 

[Daneinbalto]

I think that it was Nancy Mitford who defined the correct usage . Lavatory is U . Toilet is non U.

Mike

Actually (although I must admit I never read Mitford's writings), it is my understanding that she defined upper-class ("U") versus non-upper-class usage. She did not define correctness. The assumption that "U" forms are correct are based on the assumption that upper-class usage is an indicator of correctness. "Toilet" is no less correct than "lavatory" unless you subscribe to the above assumption.