My trusty M8 and the really bad economy!!!!

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eleskin

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Well it is official. I plan on using my M8 for the foreseeable future. My M9 pipe dreams have been put on hold. The economy sucks and I have to use what I have. Business is ok for me, but not great. The way I see it, software will only get better, and so will the M8 files. Buying an M9 will not make economical sense.

I am thankful I did buy used Leica glass instead of the M9. That was a lifetime investment that seems to be appreciating in value in a huge way.

If I do bou an M9, maybe I will buy a well brassed one in a few years for a few thousand less, and then upgrade it to the M9P.

I wonder how many people will buy cosmetically ugly M9's and upgrade them to M9P?
 
How many are holding off due to economics?

How many are holding off due to economics?

So who here is planning on using their M8's longer due to economics?
 
An old cliche, but it really is all about the pictures. I buy what I need, without regard to investment potential (that's crazy), and only get new gear if I'm convinced it will improve my photos, which for me means prints.

I can say this now, having spent 4 decades learning from experience, and a lot of mistakes. Seems to me that the economy is the best thing that happened to you, since it forced you to use the gear you have and get to know it better. But, you still look forward to the next thing...so you're not there yet.

I could have afforded an M9, and even a back-up M9, but chose instead to buy a second used M8.2. Nothing to do with the economy. The camera and lenses already delivered what I needed. (And, as a bonus, I got sapphire screen, top display and chrome thrown in without need to upgrade...plus the weaker camera filter compared to the M9 serves me well.) Additionally, I like using the 28 Summicron asph and 50 Summilux asph on the M8.2 better than I would like using the 35 Summicron asph and 75 Summicron asph on the M9. Finally, the 2m frame lines on the M8.2 are the best I've used on any M; the return to the 1m lines on the M9 was a step back IMO.

My prints improved much more by focusing on the printing end of things...printer, software, papers, profiles, and proper settings for everything.

Forget about the next best gear thing, and think about the next best pic.

Jeff
 
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I just recently though of selling my M8, but not to get an M9, but to get a film M. But then I looked at the pictures I took with the M8, and there was that magical spark again, that excited tingling in the stomach ... I just couldn't part with it. So it's going to stay, unless I should find out that I'm not using it anymore. And for the time being, my Contax T does a marvelous job at exposing slide film 🙂
 
efix said:
I just recently though of selling my M8, but not to get an M9, but to get a film M. But then I looked at the pictures I took with the M8, and there was that magical spark again, that excited tingling in the stomach ... I just couldn't part with it. So it's going to stay, unless I should find out that I'm not using it anymore. And for the time being, my Contax T does a marvelous job at exposing slide film 🙂
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Conversely, I just traded my M8 in for an M7 of the same value, because I wasn't getting the spark from the pictures. I've been shooting a lot of medium format and the aesthetic of digital images were just leaving me cold. After a lot of experimentation to make sure it was the sensor and not the, lens or the format or my post processing that was letting me down I made the switch.

It's early days yet, but at the back of my mind I feel have an asset that will depreciate far less than a digital M, so I'm in no rush.

And yes, if investment is your thing, lenses are a much better deal. I'm staggered at how the value of my 35mm Summilux ASPH has gone up in a year. 😱
 
M9 lust

M9 lust

Well, I can't say that I'm not lusting for an M9, even though I have and appreciate my M8.

The conversion back to FF in Nikon made all the difference for me - my D700 is worlds better than my D200 was, for me. I don't know if that's going to be true for my Leica experience.

I do get impatient with the M8's file write speed. I honestly don't even know if the M9 is better? It's kind of academic, since I won't be upgrading for some time.

I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to have and use an M8. I enjoy it.

Reed
 
I have also been pondering the move from M8 to M9. I have been very happy with my M8. My only complaints relate not to the camera, but more to how my lenses match with the camera. (It has taken me some time to realize this.) First, I don't find a 67mm field of view (FOV) very useful--and my most expensive lens by far (Lux 50mm asph) provides that FOV per the 1.33 M8 crop. However, the Lux 50 asph would be great for me on a FF M9. Second, because I don't really like the Lux 50's FOV on the M8, that also means that I don't have a fast lens at a good FOV. I generally like my Elmarit 28--and love my Rollei Planar 80--but both are f2.8. Thus, I have been pondering the M9 ... though I'm not excited about its price, nor the complaints I hear about its problems with memory cards. Also, I have pondered keeping my M8 and replacing my Elmarit 28 with the faster (but also larger) Cron 28. But that'd cost a couple grand more. Hmmmm ...
 
Hmmm, I'm about to pay the balance on my new M9!
I love my M8 but I think I'll love the M9 just a little bit more.

Bob
 
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I keep lusting for an M9, but then I develop and scan some film that I shot with my M2 or 500cm and I see why I still keep shooting film.
 
I just got my M8 last Saturday and I'm more than happy with it. I would love an M9, but at this point it just wouldn't make sense to me. I've only had about a year experience with rangefinders before now. Already I understand it, and have had very little issues focusing with the M8 (at least with my 40mm f/2 rokkor).

Even if I've had an M8 for several years like many, I probably wouldn't be wanting to part with it unless I had all the glass I (realistically) needed first, and for me that will take some time.

I think most people agree, new glass has priority over cameras, and actually taking photos has priority over all of it. Save up for a trip and go somewhere new. I plan on taking my M8 on a european trip in the autumn of 2012. Hopefully by then I'll have some more glass, I'm looking into everything from 28mm to 75mm.

The economy is bad, but as someone else had mentioned that could be a (small) blessing in disguise for many photographers.
 
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It's the crop factor that persuaded me to go for an M9. The M9 was much more cost-effective than buyng a 24 Summilux, and besides, I've been using Leicas for so long that I was uncomfortable not having exactly the same focal lengths. Also, if I'm shooting film (B+W) and digi side by side, full-frame is invaluable, to say nothing of the IR fix.

Yes, I do see more 'sparkle' in some M9 images with some lenses, especially the 75/2, but that's basically a bonus. Essentially it was FF, not image quality, that persuaded me. As I said to Frances the first time I used it, "I've got my 35mm Summilux back!"

Cheers,

R.
 
efix said:
I just recently though of selling my M8, but not to get an M9, but to get a film M. But then I looked at the pictures I took with the M8, and there was that magical spark again, that excited tingling in the stomach ... I just couldn't part with it.
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I had pretty much put my M8 away for a Panasonic GF-1 (easy to carry/photos aren't bad) . . . but the other day - like you - I looked at some of the pictures that I had taken with my M8 and I'm using my M8 again.

As nice as it would be to own an M9 I just can't justify the price. Maybe I'll buy one when my M8 dies.
 
Roger Hicks said:
It's the crop factor that persuaded me to go for an M9.
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After several decades with film Ms, I anticipated not liking the M8.2 crop. But, as I said in an earlier post, I was surprised to get in even a better groove with the 28/50 than the 35/75 combo. Not only do I like the rendering of my specific lenses better now, but I never liked the 75 frame lines, much preferring the 50 lines. After a short while, the different FOV became second nature.

But if I still shot film, simultaneously with digital, I probably would have felt the same way as you. Filter changing would also be a drag. However, I would have missed out on the surprise findings with the cropped camera. Funny how one adapts. When I pick up a film M now, it feels too skinny. Go figure.

The filters never bothered me; put them on once and have never removed them. The file clarity is slightly better before PP than on the M9 (so I've read) due to the stronger M9 filter. And the UV/IR filter still sometimes does a better job on blacks than the M9 built-in filter.

I'm just glad there are good choices for everyone.

Jeff
 
Although I've upgraded, the M8 is still a fantastic camera compared to the M9 which is only 1 stop better from ISO 400+. The M8 files are crisp and sharp and represents great value in today's economy, which despite being bad, Leica prices continue to rise as people stretch themselves to acquire it.

The crop factor is only a problem for photographers used to shooting primes and achieving a certain perspective. For new photographers, most worry about something they have no experience with.

Ultimately, its mind over matter, and i couldn't tell any difference with the crop factors other than i needed to use different lenses than normal to compensate. Full frame is desirable but does not affect the picture in any way, other than in the mindset of a negative photographer.
 
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Roger Hicks said:
It's the crop factor that persuaded me to go for an M9. The M9 was much more cost-effective than buyng a 24 Summilux ...

R.
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Roger,

Great, helpful post. This really sums up my desire to move from M8 to M9. I can have a real 35 and real 50--and I won't have the desire to buy an expensive Cron 28.

Your comment was really helpful, helping me crystalize my thoughts.

R
 
I'd rather have a brace of fixed lens Leicas of various focal lengths (undoubtedly in the works), just as I did with LTM Canons/Leicas. Changing lenses is a problem in the wind (dustwise) and M9 price is temporary... too high not to have equal-quality competiton at 1/4 the price. Canon and Sony are surely watching.
 
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