M8: the ideal lightweight landscape camera?

[noimmunity]

With the long-awaited purchase of a CV Heliar 15/4.5, I'm getting ready to use the M8 for landscape on backpacking trips. On film (which I will not stop using), I really love the 21 FOV for mountain scenery. The ZM 21/4.5 is the ideal lens for me. So I'm hoping the CV 15 will translate some of that experience into a digital format.

I'd be interested in hearing and seeing about people's experience with the M8 for landscape. I'm particularly interested in hearing about exposure and pp techniques, as I think this is what makes the M8 files really shine.

In a lot of ways, it seems like the M8 is probably the ideal camera, at this point in time, for a portable, relatively light weight digital choice for high quality digital landscape. The M8 files have a sharpness and pop that is hard to match.

 

[mathomas]

I'm not really a super-wide guy, but I agree in general the M8 is good for landscapes. My landscape shots with the M8 + ZM Biogon 25/2.8 have been very nice (IMO).

 

[tbarker13]

For me, the M8 is just OK for landscapes. But that's because I prefer shooting them with a 70-200. Just not really a wide-angle kind of guy.
However, if I were going hiking, there's no question. I wouldn't even think about dragging along my DSLR. It would be the M8 or nothing at all.

 

[Doug]

Hi Jon - The M8 is very fine for landscape, IMO. Easy to carry while clambering about for a good viewpoint. With a suitably capable lens it can record surprisingly fine detail. The camera's metering is usually right on for landscapes, and since I prefer a natural look, no special trickery is needed in processing. I use Capture One Pro, which seems very good a producing a TIFF as a basis for final editing to scaled jpegs. I rather like medium-range lenses for landscapes; have not used my CV 15 for that purpose as yet. Here's one with the 35 Biogon ZM...

 

[noimmunity]

That's a breathtaking vista, Doug!

Do you set exp comp to -1/3?

I like the colors as you describe, but have often marvelled at the rich pastel palette some people get out of the M8 through pp skills.

I use the 21 on film because it works both for close up capture of massive rock formations as well as large expanses of cloud/sky against a background of high mountain ranges. Here are some random samples, all shot on a 21 on film. (Couldn't dig up any rock formation shots right away...).

Big sky in a small island country

23800012 by areality4all, on Flickr

North Arris

23770025 by areality4all, on Flickr

Ancient rock slide

23800025 by areality4all, on Flickr

Lookout

23810023 by areality4all, on Flickr

With the acquisition of a a Hex 50/2.4, I'm set for a compact super sharp normal.

 

[Doug]

Dramatic skies, mountains, rock! Didn't realize Taiwan had such mountains.
Thanks for the comment... south end of Lanzarote in the Canary Is. At the time of that photo I had exposure comp at 0, and no UV/IR cut filter (just deciding it would be a good move). 🙂 More recently I've tried -1/3, and it does seem to help sometimes, but most often it doesn't agree with other advice to keep the histogram to the right but without clipping important brights.

 

[noimmunity]

Taiwan has the tallest mountains in East Asia (close to 4000 meters). There's a reason why the Portuguese named it Ilha Formosa!

No UV/IR filter? Interesting...doesn't seem to have affected sharpness at all, nor, as far as I can tell, color.

Dramatic skies, mountains, rock! Didn't realize Taiwan had such mountains.
Thanks for the comment... south end of Lanzarote in the Canary Is. At the time of that photo I had exposure comp at 0, and no UV/IR cut filter (just deciding it would be a good move). 🙂 More recently I've tried -1/3, and it does seem to help sometimes, but most often it doesn't agree with other advice to keep the histogram to the right but without clipping important brights.

 

[k.a]

the first two were shot with the 15mm heliar and m8 with UV/IR-filter and the third one was shot without. it is a nice combo, but a combo that i don't use all that much cause i think that it is a bit too wide for my taste

 

[semordnilap]

The nice thing is that you can work with the exposure via the histogram, and get it perfect over two or three exposures. Definitely never trust the screen alone. If you get the highest highlights just to the right, even barely clipping, you'll have plenty of room to play in lightroom. Anyway the files have enough latitude to make +/- 1/3 not too significant, I think.

Tibet, this fall. Shot with 50 lux pre (e46), 28 cron, 50 lux pre (e46). All with ir filters.

 

[ampguy]

The M8 and CV 15/21 are great for landscapes. I mainly use the 21, but at times, like on mountain peaks, and throughout some national parks, I've made good use of the 15.

 

[Ben Z]

In terms of image quality, I found the M8 and M9 are very good for landscape photography. Framing, if you're of a mind to utilize every pixel and not crop, takes some experience (but given the slower pace of landscape photography, chimping and re-shooting are options). Using grad filters is also a little tricky but again, you can always chimp. Drawbacks far outweighed (no pun intended) by the size of the camera, lenses, and compatible tripod, when compared to any 1.3x or full-frame DSLR.

 

[MCTuomey]

k.a. - #1 and #2 great shots!

i use the heliar 15 for landscapes where the foreground needs emphasis or is compelling. if not, the 15 may likely give you the dreaded receding background that screams "too wide, dummy." it's great for narrow stream cuts, tight waterfalls, etc. not so good for big vistas unless there are important features close in. in other words, the 15 is a nice antidote to compositional claustrophobia.

that said, jon's "lookout" blows my theory to pieces.

i'm waiting for someone to chime in with " ... and you can print up to 60 inches with the M8 files!!!"

 

[noimmunity]

that said, jon's "lookout" blows my theory to pieces.

The key to mountain vista photographs really lies in the cloud/sky interaction. Too much of either one usually makes for a boring photo...

 

[sprokitt]

k.a.:
The shots are great. Are the spots in the sky on shot #1 dust on your sensor or something else?
Inspiring shots. I'll need to take my 15 out and use it more.