M9 and M8 with two lenses make a great set

raid

raid

Dad Photographer
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I have been trying out many different combinations of lenses with the M8 and the M9 over the past few months. I am still learning new "stuff" about these two cameras even though I have had them now for a while. I find the M9 to suitable for a modest wide angle lens, while the M8 is suitable for a long normal lens for portrait and for action photography.

The M9 can "sleep" a little between successive photos, but I am now doing better with a different memory card and also I make sure to always start the day with freshly charged original batteries with the M9. The M8 is more robust towards non-original batteries and also has a quick buffering time between successive photos.

I use the M9 for about 30%-40% of as many photos as I take with the M8 on that same day. The M8 is for back to back photos with (say) the Canon 50/1.2 ltm while I love using the Rokkor-M 28/2.8 on the M9 for some gorgeous looking sharp color images.

The 50/1.2 is also great for pastel colors when used wide open. I take one shot with the M9, and then I let it catch up with life, so to speak, by using the M8 for a few shots.

As I said above; to me, this is a perfect set of cameras. I am thinking ahead for a summer trip, and using a 28mm lens with a 50mm lens offers me some flexibility as I can switch them around between the M8 and the M9.

I just wanted to share with you these thoughts on the "old" M8 and M9 cameras. I have been posting about some lenses with these two cameras, and I find the results to be quite good and pleasing to the eyes. My smugmug website has several folders with images.
 
It's very nice to have bodies with different sensor sizes/crop factors with the same set of lenses Raid. And film as well - times are good!
 
Yes, Lynn, it is good indeed. I am not complaining. The SWC is my film camera during a long trip. I have two battery chargers for the M8/M9 with a few batteries. I need a couple of additional original batteries so that I can throw away the generic ones. I use those only with the M8 since the M9 is extra sensitive to generic batteries.
 
i'm not big on digital, but i do like the signature of M8 and M9 files, particularly the B&W conversions. must be the CCD sensor.

i've been incorporating an M8 into my film workflow and have been pleasantly surprised by the experience. those pesky IR-Cut filters though!
 
I have an M9-P and an M8.2. I keep the M8.2 as a backup camera and also for sentimental reasons.

I'm a 50mm photographer, so my 50mm lens stays on my M9-P almost permanently. I find that it's all I need for around 95% of the time. For the remaining 5%, I find myself needing a 35mm field of view. Therein lies the problem because there's no point keeping the 35mm lens on the M8.2 since the crop makes it a 50mm lens. So I'm not really sure how to make the m8/m9 combination work.

IF I was a 35mm photographer, I could keep that on the M9, while I use the 50mm lens on the M8 for a 67mm field of view. That's a field of view I could live with on a second camera.

The only other lens I have is a 90mm, on the M8 it's 120mm. That's not a field of view I use very much at all.

I suppose I would have to buy a 21mm, or 24mm, or 28mm to make it work on the M8 as a second camera.
 
I often use a 35mm or 40mm lens on the M8 for a close-to-50 perspective, while the M9 gets a 35mm or 28mm lens, say.
 
Lax Jought said:
I have an M9-P and an M8.2. I keep the M8.2 as a backup camera and also for sentimental reasons.

I'm a 50mm photographer, so my 50mm lens stays on my M9-P almost permanently. I find that it's all I need for around 95% of the time. For the remaining 5%, I find myself needing a 35mm field of view. Therein lies the problem because there's no point keeping the 35mm lens on the M8.2 since the crop makes it a 50mm lens. So I'm not really sure how to make the m8/m9 combination work.

IF I was a 35mm photographer, I could keep that on the M9, while I use the 50mm lens on the M8 for a 67mm field of view. That's a field of view I could live with on a second camera.

The only other lens I have is a 90mm, on the M8 it's 120mm. That's not a field of view I use very much at all.

I suppose I would have to buy a 21mm, or 24mm, or 28mm to make it work on the M8 as a second camera.
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I might suggest either a 28mm for the M8.2 or, possibly a 24mm--the M8.2 has finder lines for 24mm. What I don't like about the 24 is that it doesn't work without a viewfinder on my other bodies (which are M4-Ps, etc.). But, to do this, will cost you more than you might want to spend ... unless you think that you might use the 28mm on your M9...?
 
I enjoy using the M9 and M8 together for the simple reason of having two camera bodies with similar results sensors, oneFull Frame and the 2nd slightly wider than Dx. Depending on what I'm going to photograph I don't really have any favorites other than the 35mm Lux on the M9....also the 18mm is for the M9...but 21mm on M8 or a 50mm makes for great flexibility.
 
I also keep a pair of M8 cameras, and use them along with the full-frame M. I tend to put wide lenses on the M8 because I have much less use for those wide fields of view on full-frame. So the M8 often has 18, 21, 25mm lenses mounted, but the 50mm is useful too for that slightly longer reach. Good to have the options!
 
ZivcoPhoto said:
I enjoy using the M9 and M8 together for the simple reason of having two camera bodies with similar results sensors, oneFull Frame and the 2nd slightly wider than Dx. Depending on what I'm going to photograph I don't really have any favorites other than the 35mm Lux on the M9....also the 18mm is for the M9...but 21mm on M8 or a 50mm makes for great flexibility.
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I often use the 35 pre-asph Lux on the M9 too. They are a match made in Photo-Heaven. :angel: :D
 
raid said:
I often use a 35mm or 40mm lens on the M8 for a close-to-50 perspective, while the M9 gets a 35mm or 28mm lens, say.
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That could work. But for me that would mean purchasing another 35mm lens when I'd prefer to buy a faster tele for portraits. The current 90mm I have is an elmarit. And I really like having the M9 as my main camera. I think what I really need are two full frames.
 
Tom R said:
I might suggest either a 28mm for the M8.2 or, possibly a 24mm--the M8.2 has finder lines for 24mm. What I don't like about the 24 is that it doesn't work without a viewfinder on my other bodies (which are M4-Ps, etc.). But, to do this, will cost you more than you might want to spend ... unless you think that you might use the 28mm on your M9...?
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I forgot about the frame lines! In that case I think the 24mm sounds like a good option. That way, I can still have a non-overlapping range of lenses between the M8 and M9.

Surely the M9 or M240 has frame lines for the 24mm though?

I can imagine only rare circumstances when I'd use a 28mm on the M9. But that's what I would've loved the M8 a second camera to do, that is, be the interchangeable lens camera as needed while the 50mm remains on my main M9 permanently.
 
Lax Jought said:
That could work. But for me that would mean purchasing another 35mm lens when I'd prefer to buy a faster tele for portraits. The current 90mm I have is an elmarit. And I really like having the M9 as my main camera. I think what I really need are two full frames.
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The M8 has a shorter buffering time between successive images than the M9.
 
Doug said:
I also keep a pair of M8 cameras, and use them along with the full-frame M. I tend to put wide lenses on the M8 because I have much less use for those wide fields of view on full-frame. So the M8 often has 18, 21, 25mm lenses mounted, but the 50mm is useful too for that slightly longer reach. Good to have the options!
Click to expand...

I find that the 28mm works very well on the M9, Doug.
 
The M9 needs more time than the M8 to be ready for a follow-up shot. This is what I meant. When I mentioned this to a Leica official in Wetzlar, I was told that the image files are larger in the M9.
 
It was the first thing I noticed about the M9 and i'm glad I wasn't the only one sho did. I think it's only something which an M8 owner would notice.

Weird though, that the M9 didn't have a faster processor. It's almost like they just used the same old processor from the M8.
 
Leica sounded very defensive about it. It was their first full frame digital M. It works out well if you also have an M8 with you as I do.
 
After few days with M8 I like 35mm lens on it, because it acts as 50mm lens and 35mm frame-lines on M8 are better suit for me comparing to M9 50mm, which are small and cluttered by 75mm frame-lines.
I'm fine with two 35 lenses for M8 and M9, but because I like it on M4-2 as well, I'm thinking of adding another 35mm lens in addition to awesome Summarit-M 35 2.5 and OK J-12.
 
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