Rob-F
Likes Leicas
JSU: I enjoyed your comments (while sipping a little Glenlivet single malt).
Best,
Rob
Best,
Rob
Roger Hicks
Veteran
mikemyers
Established
I spent most of today walking around South Beach with my M8, trying to get used to it. I used the "A" setting, and just had fun shooting anything that looked interesting to me, figuring that the more I use it, the quicker I'll get used to it.
Boy, it took two hours before I stopped making the stupid mistake of leaving the lens cap on every so often. The camera was trying to warn me with an on-screen message, but I didn't yet know enough to realize what it was telling me. After a couple of hours though, I remembered automatically. I guess I should get the IR filter and use that as a lens protector instead.
The second thing that bothered me was most of the time, my 35mm lens (yeah, it becomes a 41 or something, effectively) seemed too restrictive. This is something I will fix tomorrow in an order from CameraQuest.
I also found it "annoying" for quite a while to have to focus manually, something my D3 doesn't require. By the end of the day, this was no big deal, and I was using it as I think I used the early M's a lifetime ago, when there was no such thing as autofocus. Boy, you can get awfully lazy once you get too used to automation.
I just looked over the images. They're all in 'jpg' which was a mistake, as I thought I had switched to 'raw' mode. Again no big deal, will correct that, and remember to check from now on. I like the way the D3 tells you all these things in a separate screen, but I like the simplicity of how Leica does things - it's just a matter of learning how to use the camera properly, and remembering to check on the settings before going out with the camera.
One nice thing - nobody really paid any attention to the M8. With just about everyone on the street walking around with some kind of camera, the M8 just looked too old or boring or something, and it never even once attracted anyone's attention.
As I expected, the more I use the M8, the more I enjoy using it, and the more I understand it. I'll be happy when I'm as comfortable with it as I am with my D3.
I also need to get fully used to the menu system. I'm spoiled by the D3 where to delete an image, you have to hit a button twice. With the Leica, I found myself deleting one image I didn't intend to, because I hit the wrong button. I know it's my fault, and the way Leica does it is quite simple - it's just a matter of my getting used to things. Hit the "delete" button, and when you see an image you don't want, hit the "set" button. Personally, I'd rather you hit "set" and have the camera ask "are you sure" or something, and only after you hit the button the second time would the image be deleted.
Let's see, I also learned to check what exposures the camera was selecting. There was a dancer in front of a bar, and I left the camera at f/16 or so, which meant at ISO 160 the camera selected 1/30th, which was too slow to capture the movement. My fault, not the camera's... I need to "think" more. I now realize that the relevant information is displayed on the 'review' screen at the top after taking an image, so I have to get in the habit of checking it. I think I should also turn on the "auto ISO" feature, which I haven't done yet. That might prompt the camera to make up for mistakes I make.
I guess I need to learn how and where to post images in this forum. Maybe there's a link for uploading images. That, or post them on my own website and provide a link.
All in all, I was very pleased with the camera. After reading the responses up above, I'm also glad I got the M8.2 instead of just an M8, but I suspect I'd be enjoying either of them right now.
Boy, it took two hours before I stopped making the stupid mistake of leaving the lens cap on every so often. The camera was trying to warn me with an on-screen message, but I didn't yet know enough to realize what it was telling me. After a couple of hours though, I remembered automatically. I guess I should get the IR filter and use that as a lens protector instead.
The second thing that bothered me was most of the time, my 35mm lens (yeah, it becomes a 41 or something, effectively) seemed too restrictive. This is something I will fix tomorrow in an order from CameraQuest.
I also found it "annoying" for quite a while to have to focus manually, something my D3 doesn't require. By the end of the day, this was no big deal, and I was using it as I think I used the early M's a lifetime ago, when there was no such thing as autofocus. Boy, you can get awfully lazy once you get too used to automation.
I just looked over the images. They're all in 'jpg' which was a mistake, as I thought I had switched to 'raw' mode. Again no big deal, will correct that, and remember to check from now on. I like the way the D3 tells you all these things in a separate screen, but I like the simplicity of how Leica does things - it's just a matter of learning how to use the camera properly, and remembering to check on the settings before going out with the camera.
One nice thing - nobody really paid any attention to the M8. With just about everyone on the street walking around with some kind of camera, the M8 just looked too old or boring or something, and it never even once attracted anyone's attention.
As I expected, the more I use the M8, the more I enjoy using it, and the more I understand it. I'll be happy when I'm as comfortable with it as I am with my D3.
I also need to get fully used to the menu system. I'm spoiled by the D3 where to delete an image, you have to hit a button twice. With the Leica, I found myself deleting one image I didn't intend to, because I hit the wrong button. I know it's my fault, and the way Leica does it is quite simple - it's just a matter of my getting used to things. Hit the "delete" button, and when you see an image you don't want, hit the "set" button. Personally, I'd rather you hit "set" and have the camera ask "are you sure" or something, and only after you hit the button the second time would the image be deleted.
Let's see, I also learned to check what exposures the camera was selecting. There was a dancer in front of a bar, and I left the camera at f/16 or so, which meant at ISO 160 the camera selected 1/30th, which was too slow to capture the movement. My fault, not the camera's... I need to "think" more. I now realize that the relevant information is displayed on the 'review' screen at the top after taking an image, so I have to get in the habit of checking it. I think I should also turn on the "auto ISO" feature, which I haven't done yet. That might prompt the camera to make up for mistakes I make.
I guess I need to learn how and where to post images in this forum. Maybe there's a link for uploading images. That, or post them on my own website and provide a link.
All in all, I was very pleased with the camera. After reading the responses up above, I'm also glad I got the M8.2 instead of just an M8, but I suspect I'd be enjoying either of them right now.
leicashot
Well-known
mikemyers
Established
JSU, thanks for all the information. Can I ask what "6 bit M-Coder" is, and where I get it? Never heard of it yet.
You're correct, and I rarely delete images in the camera. However, I want to start doing everything I can on the camera, just to get familiar with it. I figured the blank images of the inside of my lens cap were fine to use to learn how to delete, but somehow I pressed the wrong button at the wrong time.
Can I ask what software you guys use to transfer images from the camera to the computer? Capture One 4 said there were no images to transfer. Is this because they were jpg?
I figure that for now, I could just use Windows tools to do it, but is there a better way similar to Nikon Transfer? For that matter, can it be done using Nikon Transfer?
You're correct, and I rarely delete images in the camera. However, I want to start doing everything I can on the camera, just to get familiar with it. I figured the blank images of the inside of my lens cap were fine to use to learn how to delete, but somehow I pressed the wrong button at the wrong time.
Can I ask what software you guys use to transfer images from the camera to the computer? Capture One 4 said there were no images to transfer. Is this because they were jpg?
I figure that for now, I could just use Windows tools to do it, but is there a better way similar to Nikon Transfer? For that matter, can it be done using Nikon Transfer?
mikemyers
Established
Here's nine of the photos I took today. They're really nothing special, just pictures from my wanderings around South Beach in Miami, trying to get used to the M8.
An old amphibious military vehicle, converted into a "tour bus".
One of the small streets filled with restaurants in South Beach
Some of the bars and restaurants have fancy cars out front to attract customers.
Some restaurants go out of their way to attract people - this car has been parked in the same spot for as long as I can remember.
Some bars have loud music; others have live entertainment. This place was packed, standing room only!
Not everyone in South Beach is wealthy; there are many homeless people too.
One of the many cruise ships that operate out of Miami on a weekly schedule.
Leaving for a week's fun and relaxation.
South Beach itself is packed every day; the beach stretches for miles. This is what made Miami famous long ago...
An old amphibious military vehicle, converted into a "tour bus".
One of the small streets filled with restaurants in South Beach
Some of the bars and restaurants have fancy cars out front to attract customers.
Some restaurants go out of their way to attract people - this car has been parked in the same spot for as long as I can remember.
Some bars have loud music; others have live entertainment. This place was packed, standing room only!
Not everyone in South Beach is wealthy; there are many homeless people too.
One of the many cruise ships that operate out of Miami on a weekly schedule.
Leaving for a week's fun and relaxation.
South Beach itself is packed every day; the beach stretches for miles. This is what made Miami famous long ago...
mikemyers
Established
Thanks for all the advice. Today I've ordered a 25mm lens and a 15mm (with 21mm finder) from CameraQuest, so my wide-angle needs should be taken care of.
Also, thanks for the information on the "Lens Coder Kit with M-Coder and D-Coder for M-series lenses". I asked Stephen Gandy about it, and he suggested I check out www.popflash.com. Sure enough, there it was, at $70. The direct link is http://www.popflash.com/index.php?p=product&id=2681&parent=38 if anyone's interested in it.
I'll hold off on this for a bit. It does sound like a good solution though, even if you have to re-do the ink every so often.
Just wondering - has anyone ordered the 12mm lens from CameraQuest, and if so, how did you feel about it? I suspect I'd be better off using my D3 for that kind of image, but it does sound tempting.
Also, thanks for the information on the "Lens Coder Kit with M-Coder and D-Coder for M-series lenses". I asked Stephen Gandy about it, and he suggested I check out www.popflash.com. Sure enough, there it was, at $70. The direct link is http://www.popflash.com/index.php?p=product&id=2681&parent=38 if anyone's interested in it.
I'll hold off on this for a bit. It does sound like a good solution though, even if you have to re-do the ink every so often.
Just wondering - has anyone ordered the 12mm lens from CameraQuest, and if so, how did you feel about it? I suspect I'd be better off using my D3 for that kind of image, but it does sound tempting.