M8: To buy or not to buy

[Ben Z]

Ben Z : add to that memorry card`s and horse power PC 🙂

The SD card for a $250 P&S costs the same as the SD card for a $5000 M8, so it doesn't really belong in a calculation of the economics of an M8 vs a less expensive digital. Likewise the PC, because I suspect very few people don't have a computer minimally powerful enough to handle the M8's files, and even if not, there are other factors that eventually compel us to upgrade PCs now and then.

 

[hth]

Thanks for the math lesson Ben. If I shoot slide film with the prices I have, my calculation says 6 and 10 months. While I like slide film, I do not use it that much for 35mm these days, it tends to go into my Mamiya 7 instead.

Instead I use mostly B&W in my Leicas and develop it with Rodinal which is dirt cheap. I estimate $1-2 per roll of film in chemisty cost. I get 17 years. Sometimes I use color print film and that would be 10 years.

There are of course other values and parameters involved in this, and if the film makers keep hiking prices, they might just tip the balance at some point. Glad that I do not have to be held at ransom by them anymore... 🙄

I think I wait a while. B&W film is fun to use.

It would be interesting to try some raw pictures from the M8 and see what I can make of them. It seems I have to wait until they get the firmware done. Why can't raw pictures be released BTW, isn't the tuning business related to jpegs? ISO is about the only setting that affect raw?

/Håkan

 

[Ben Z]

Thanks for the math lesson Ben. If I shoot slide film with the prices I have, my calculation says 6 and 10 months. While I like slide film, I do not use it that much for 35mm these days, it tends to go into my Mamiya 7 instead.

Instead I use mostly B&W in my Leicas and develop it with Rodinal which is dirt cheap. I estimate $1-2 per roll of film in chemisty cost. I get 17 years. Sometimes I use color print film and that would be 10 years.

I happen to enjoy the journey just as much (maybe more sometimes) as the final destination so I too intend on keeping my film cameras (Leica included) and shoot anad develop black n white as long as I can get it. As for color, the problem I'm seeing isn't so much cost and availability as quality. A lot of the labs have up and quit doing E6 at all, and many others do so little of it their chemistry isn't replenished as well as it used to due to cost. I've seen some color casts and contrast problems on some slides recently. I hate to mail my film out but I suppose I should start.

Bottom-line, the M8 will pay itself off in film and processing savings for me, which at this juncture is why I'm even giving it serious thought. If the best I got was your numbers, I'd be right there with you giving the "just say no" to the M8.

 

[hth]

Number of years to cover for film and processing is not the whole story. More interesting is the end result I can get out of it compared to film and scanning. Parameters can change over time as well, such as film price, quality of processing film, the amount of film I shoot and so on.

I do not say no to the M8, I just feel that at the moment I should pass and reconsider at some later point. My wallet advice me that is good thinking too.. 😱
I have plenty of film stocked up in my fridge and freezer, and I think there will be a shortage of M8 for a while.

Some files to play with would be nice, that would make it easier to decide...

/Håkan