mikemyers
Established
I've been involved in photography since the 1950's, and started out (as many people did) with rangefinder cameras. When the Nikon F revolutionized the photography world, I was one of those who charged full speed into the SLR world, leaving my old rangefinder gear behind to gather dust. I sold some of it, but much of it just sat around in boxes, including most of my Leica gear.
Over the past few years, I've gone from trying to digitize my film images, to trying to find a digital camera that could do what my film cameras did. I concentrated completely on Nikon, as their cameras fit my hand and my way of doing things. My previous attempts at digital using other brands were a failure, as I could never get the cameras to do what I wanted. The first camera that came close was the Nikon D2h, which I ordered sight-unseen the day it was announced as being available on the B&H website.
Since then, my D2h has been replaced by a D2x, and I added a D3 which is probably the finest camera I've ever owned in my life. There's nothing I need to do that the D3 doesn't excel at, and it's the single biggest improvement to my photo work in ages. I'm not sure if I'll ever end up buying a replacement for it, as there's nothing I want it to do that it doesn't already do perfectly! I still have my old D2x, which I take with me on trips across Asia, and while it lacks a few of the features of the D3, it's more than enough for what I want to do overseas.
Over the past several years, as the Nikons got better and better, the percentage of my photos that were "keepers" constantly increased. While I used to throw out a large percentage of my shots, the new gear resulted in very few "bad" photos, so I was left to pick through my images for those I enjoyed the most. This got harder and harder, but that's a good thing. Most of these photos were shot on assignment, and the editors I work for got happier and happier as time went on.
It's hard to describe exactly what I'm trying to say here, but during all this time, something seemed to be lacking in my photography. The new cameras made it almost a sure thing that whenever I pressed the button, I'd get a "good" image, but a lot of the fun and the challenge from when I started out seemed to be missing. I had nothing but good memories of my Contax, Nikon, and Leica rangefinder cameras, and the work I had to go through to get good images. There's also the fact that those cameras were so small and light, I always had one with me, while the newer Nikon gear was getting so big and heavy that I only carried it with me when I had something already in mind to photograph. I started getting some of the P&S cameras that fit in ones pocket, mostly to always have a camera with me, but I was never really happy with the images. With enough work, and attention, I found I could get quite nice images from a P&S, but they just didn't look like what I wanted. I really wanted the image quality, and the depth of field, and the perspective that I used to get from my small 35mm cameras from long ago.
About two years ago, I got interested in the Leica M8. To me, it looked like Leica took an M-series film camera, and put a digital back on it. That seemed to be exactly what I wanted, but the price was pretty steep, and I wasn't sure if I just wanted one for nostalgia reasons, or if it would really do anything for my photography. After reading about it on and off for over a year, about four months ago while I was in Asia, I started seriously thinking about buying one.
The internet proved to be a goldmine of opinions on the M8. There were those who loved it, and those who hated it, and those who saw it as an overpriced toy designed for the very rich to show off. I read about all the good features, and how it helped photographers do what they were after, and also about all the "mistakes" in the design, those things that some people felt made it a miserable choice for a camera.
It's funny – as I read these things, I was bothered by some, but others I saw as an advantage. The lack of a built-in IR filter (meaning I'd need IR filters on my lenses) to me was a big plus, as that means I could once again play with IR photography, something I used to enjoy. The lack of a full-frame sensor bothered me a lot, but with only a 1.3 factor, it's close enough to full-frame that I decided it would work for me. As to lenses, I already had a nice collection from long ago, but while I probably can't afford any of the new Leitz lenses, Voigtlander now makes M-mount lenses at very reasonable prices that I can easily afford. The bottom line is the more I read about the M8, the more I wanted one.
I mostly planned on buying a used M8, and thought I had agreed to a deal on one with someone I could meet at Los Angeles airport on my way back to Miami. Still, a part of me was kicking myself in the rear, reminding me that I should try to never buy electronic gear without a warranty, and that if I get an M8 rather than the newer M8.2, I would be missing out on all the improvements that Leica had made since introducing the camera. I wasn't very unhappy with the person I was buying the used M8 from when he wrote me to tell me he had already sold the camera to someone in Japan.
So, I contacted Jody at Robert's Imaging in California, and told them I'd like to go ahead with getting a new M8.2. I also asked them to check into the possibility of a demo camera, which might help save me some money. Nick at Robert's did just that, and helped me find what looks to me to be a brand new M8.2 with everything in the box. It's got the smaller charger I wanted, and all the accessories. The only downside is it comes with a 1-year warranty, rather than a 2-year warranty, but as I see it, if anything is going to go wrong, it's likely to happen in the first few months. It cost more than the M8, but I figured with all the improvements, it was worth it (even though a M9 might be coming out soon). Nick arranged everything so the camera would arrive right after I got back to the USA.
I got the camera three days after I got back to the US, put on my old 35mm Summilux f/1.4 lens, and headed off on assignment the following day, taking both the Leica and my D3.
First impressions on the M8 are that it would have been nice to have a "quick start guide" as Nikon provides - just a simple one-page user guide with a few steps, after which you're taking photos. Without that, I read through the manual, which I found rather confusing, but then I usually find manuals confusing on first reading. The procedure starts with installing the neckstrap, and all there was, was photos. No written description. I'm still not completely sure as to how this is supposed to end up, but I think I got it right. I read the manual twice, and had a rough idea of some things, but when I picked the camera up to shoot the first pictures, I didn't really know where to start.
Not knowing very much, I turned the shutter speed dial to "S" (snapshot) which was supposed to let the camera do most of the work of getting the settings correct. Focusing was a breeze, as fast and easy as on my film cameras from a lifetime ago. I set the aperture to something that seemed reasonable, and sure enough, all the images seemed to be coming out correctly exposed. I found out later that I was shooting in 'jpg' mode, not 'raw' mode, but for learning the camera this was fine. White balance was usually good, but a few of the images looked a little bit off. As to the pictures, the main thing, the camera allowed me to get wonderful "people photos" just like I did ages ago. Since that was my main objective in getting the Leica, I'm quite happy with it.
It's now a few weeks after I received the camera. Now that I'm getting a little more used to it, I like the simplified menu system, but several things were not very obvious until I read and re-read, and re-re-read the manual. For example, while I had the camera in "S" mode I puzzled over where many of the settings were. I couldn't find where or how to change from JPG to RAW, or image size, or many other things I just wanted to look at. Eventually I found that in S-mode, these settings are not available. If I were designing the software, I'd have left them available in the menu choices, but "grayed out".
I'll probably have more to say about the menu choices later, but right now I think this was nicely done. It's not at all like the D3 where I've got so many choices about everything, it's like programming a computer. If you take the time to read up on things, and then practice for an hour or so, the menu seems quite simple and easy to use.
Another point that I thought would bother me was the shutter sound. I remember how quiet my M2 and M3 cameras were, and how many modern cameras are so loud they can bother people. The M8.2 is quieter than I expected – no complaints whatever. I'm perfectly happy with it. I know there is a setting that will make it even quieter, but I haven't seen any need to do so yet.
I'm certainly still in the learning process. I'm very pleased with the camera, and while there things I'd rather have slightly different, it's fine for me. I wish it had a D3 sensor, full-frame, and perhaps with the resolution of the D3x sensor. That would be nice, but I'm happy with the M8.2 just the way it is. If Leica does come out with an M9 with full-frame sensor, maybe at some point in the future I'll upgrade, but I'm not sure there will be any need to. The biggest improvements the M9 might provide for me are full-frame sensor, less noise at high ISO settings, and more resolution. As for resolution, I've found that with my D3 I'm often shooting in the "medium" size setting, as it's more than enough for me. That means the M8 is already plenty good for my needs. Once I get a wider wide-angle lens I'll be all set, and the smaller sensor on the M8 won't matter as much. I haven't yet shot anything at high ISO settings, so I don't know how much of a problem this is going to be, if any. If they "fix" the M9 so that you don't need IR filters for the lenses, that will also mean I can't shoot IR photos with it, which I wouldn't like.
If someone asked me tomorrow which camera to buy, the Nikon D3 or the Leica M8.2, there's no question in my mind - I would suggest the D3. However, the D3 isn't a substitute for the M8 any more than the M8 could substitute for the D3 - they each have their good points. For a camera in this size range (35mm film size) the D3 is probably the best camera on the market right now. On the other hand, the Leica is smaller, lighter, quieter, less intrusive, and with a little more effort on the part of the photographer, just as capable of producing wonderful images. It's also a lot more satisfying to use!
Mike Myers
Over the past few years, I've gone from trying to digitize my film images, to trying to find a digital camera that could do what my film cameras did. I concentrated completely on Nikon, as their cameras fit my hand and my way of doing things. My previous attempts at digital using other brands were a failure, as I could never get the cameras to do what I wanted. The first camera that came close was the Nikon D2h, which I ordered sight-unseen the day it was announced as being available on the B&H website.
Since then, my D2h has been replaced by a D2x, and I added a D3 which is probably the finest camera I've ever owned in my life. There's nothing I need to do that the D3 doesn't excel at, and it's the single biggest improvement to my photo work in ages. I'm not sure if I'll ever end up buying a replacement for it, as there's nothing I want it to do that it doesn't already do perfectly! I still have my old D2x, which I take with me on trips across Asia, and while it lacks a few of the features of the D3, it's more than enough for what I want to do overseas.
Over the past several years, as the Nikons got better and better, the percentage of my photos that were "keepers" constantly increased. While I used to throw out a large percentage of my shots, the new gear resulted in very few "bad" photos, so I was left to pick through my images for those I enjoyed the most. This got harder and harder, but that's a good thing. Most of these photos were shot on assignment, and the editors I work for got happier and happier as time went on.
It's hard to describe exactly what I'm trying to say here, but during all this time, something seemed to be lacking in my photography. The new cameras made it almost a sure thing that whenever I pressed the button, I'd get a "good" image, but a lot of the fun and the challenge from when I started out seemed to be missing. I had nothing but good memories of my Contax, Nikon, and Leica rangefinder cameras, and the work I had to go through to get good images. There's also the fact that those cameras were so small and light, I always had one with me, while the newer Nikon gear was getting so big and heavy that I only carried it with me when I had something already in mind to photograph. I started getting some of the P&S cameras that fit in ones pocket, mostly to always have a camera with me, but I was never really happy with the images. With enough work, and attention, I found I could get quite nice images from a P&S, but they just didn't look like what I wanted. I really wanted the image quality, and the depth of field, and the perspective that I used to get from my small 35mm cameras from long ago.
About two years ago, I got interested in the Leica M8. To me, it looked like Leica took an M-series film camera, and put a digital back on it. That seemed to be exactly what I wanted, but the price was pretty steep, and I wasn't sure if I just wanted one for nostalgia reasons, or if it would really do anything for my photography. After reading about it on and off for over a year, about four months ago while I was in Asia, I started seriously thinking about buying one.
The internet proved to be a goldmine of opinions on the M8. There were those who loved it, and those who hated it, and those who saw it as an overpriced toy designed for the very rich to show off. I read about all the good features, and how it helped photographers do what they were after, and also about all the "mistakes" in the design, those things that some people felt made it a miserable choice for a camera.
It's funny – as I read these things, I was bothered by some, but others I saw as an advantage. The lack of a built-in IR filter (meaning I'd need IR filters on my lenses) to me was a big plus, as that means I could once again play with IR photography, something I used to enjoy. The lack of a full-frame sensor bothered me a lot, but with only a 1.3 factor, it's close enough to full-frame that I decided it would work for me. As to lenses, I already had a nice collection from long ago, but while I probably can't afford any of the new Leitz lenses, Voigtlander now makes M-mount lenses at very reasonable prices that I can easily afford. The bottom line is the more I read about the M8, the more I wanted one.
I mostly planned on buying a used M8, and thought I had agreed to a deal on one with someone I could meet at Los Angeles airport on my way back to Miami. Still, a part of me was kicking myself in the rear, reminding me that I should try to never buy electronic gear without a warranty, and that if I get an M8 rather than the newer M8.2, I would be missing out on all the improvements that Leica had made since introducing the camera. I wasn't very unhappy with the person I was buying the used M8 from when he wrote me to tell me he had already sold the camera to someone in Japan.
So, I contacted Jody at Robert's Imaging in California, and told them I'd like to go ahead with getting a new M8.2. I also asked them to check into the possibility of a demo camera, which might help save me some money. Nick at Robert's did just that, and helped me find what looks to me to be a brand new M8.2 with everything in the box. It's got the smaller charger I wanted, and all the accessories. The only downside is it comes with a 1-year warranty, rather than a 2-year warranty, but as I see it, if anything is going to go wrong, it's likely to happen in the first few months. It cost more than the M8, but I figured with all the improvements, it was worth it (even though a M9 might be coming out soon). Nick arranged everything so the camera would arrive right after I got back to the USA.
I got the camera three days after I got back to the US, put on my old 35mm Summilux f/1.4 lens, and headed off on assignment the following day, taking both the Leica and my D3.
First impressions on the M8 are that it would have been nice to have a "quick start guide" as Nikon provides - just a simple one-page user guide with a few steps, after which you're taking photos. Without that, I read through the manual, which I found rather confusing, but then I usually find manuals confusing on first reading. The procedure starts with installing the neckstrap, and all there was, was photos. No written description. I'm still not completely sure as to how this is supposed to end up, but I think I got it right. I read the manual twice, and had a rough idea of some things, but when I picked the camera up to shoot the first pictures, I didn't really know where to start.
Not knowing very much, I turned the shutter speed dial to "S" (snapshot) which was supposed to let the camera do most of the work of getting the settings correct. Focusing was a breeze, as fast and easy as on my film cameras from a lifetime ago. I set the aperture to something that seemed reasonable, and sure enough, all the images seemed to be coming out correctly exposed. I found out later that I was shooting in 'jpg' mode, not 'raw' mode, but for learning the camera this was fine. White balance was usually good, but a few of the images looked a little bit off. As to the pictures, the main thing, the camera allowed me to get wonderful "people photos" just like I did ages ago. Since that was my main objective in getting the Leica, I'm quite happy with it.
It's now a few weeks after I received the camera. Now that I'm getting a little more used to it, I like the simplified menu system, but several things were not very obvious until I read and re-read, and re-re-read the manual. For example, while I had the camera in "S" mode I puzzled over where many of the settings were. I couldn't find where or how to change from JPG to RAW, or image size, or many other things I just wanted to look at. Eventually I found that in S-mode, these settings are not available. If I were designing the software, I'd have left them available in the menu choices, but "grayed out".
I'll probably have more to say about the menu choices later, but right now I think this was nicely done. It's not at all like the D3 where I've got so many choices about everything, it's like programming a computer. If you take the time to read up on things, and then practice for an hour or so, the menu seems quite simple and easy to use.
Another point that I thought would bother me was the shutter sound. I remember how quiet my M2 and M3 cameras were, and how many modern cameras are so loud they can bother people. The M8.2 is quieter than I expected – no complaints whatever. I'm perfectly happy with it. I know there is a setting that will make it even quieter, but I haven't seen any need to do so yet.
I'm certainly still in the learning process. I'm very pleased with the camera, and while there things I'd rather have slightly different, it's fine for me. I wish it had a D3 sensor, full-frame, and perhaps with the resolution of the D3x sensor. That would be nice, but I'm happy with the M8.2 just the way it is. If Leica does come out with an M9 with full-frame sensor, maybe at some point in the future I'll upgrade, but I'm not sure there will be any need to. The biggest improvements the M9 might provide for me are full-frame sensor, less noise at high ISO settings, and more resolution. As for resolution, I've found that with my D3 I'm often shooting in the "medium" size setting, as it's more than enough for me. That means the M8 is already plenty good for my needs. Once I get a wider wide-angle lens I'll be all set, and the smaller sensor on the M8 won't matter as much. I haven't yet shot anything at high ISO settings, so I don't know how much of a problem this is going to be, if any. If they "fix" the M9 so that you don't need IR filters for the lenses, that will also mean I can't shoot IR photos with it, which I wouldn't like.
If someone asked me tomorrow which camera to buy, the Nikon D3 or the Leica M8.2, there's no question in my mind - I would suggest the D3. However, the D3 isn't a substitute for the M8 any more than the M8 could substitute for the D3 - they each have their good points. For a camera in this size range (35mm film size) the D3 is probably the best camera on the market right now. On the other hand, the Leica is smaller, lighter, quieter, less intrusive, and with a little more effort on the part of the photographer, just as capable of producing wonderful images. It's also a lot more satisfying to use!
Mike Myers
