New member seeking advice

B

Bobonli

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Hello. New member here trying to sort through a "this or that" body question for his first M purchase. I'm looking for some guidance from others since I'm certainly not the first person to encounter this.

I've used M bodies in the past as rentals but stopped short of purchasing because the price was always a little out of reach and few prospects of quality used gear available in my immediate area. The availability of used gear has changed (and my risk averse nature of buying over the 'net has diminished!) so I'm looking to buy.

I was about to pull the trigger on an M6. I shoot digital Nikons but I'm not too reluctant to go back to film now that having it developed and scanned at the same time is local. During a visit to the local shop to buy some film, the dealer told me he has a small fleet of M8's and 8.2's coming in this week on trade in toward M9's. He can sell me an M8 for $2500. He has one in the shop now that's in the original box and looks un-used.

So the struggle I have is: M6 for about $1200 or the M8? Here's what I don't know:

1) I'm aware of the IR issue with the M8. Does having a filter on the lens completely resolve the issue so that images are free of color shifts etc? I can't help but wonder if this is why the original owners never used them!

2) M8 bigger than what I remember the M6 being. Does anyone find this to be an issue ?

3) 1.3 crop factor. I'm living with 1.5 now but sort of miss full frame but not M9$$ worth. I got used to the change with my DSLR. Has anyone avoided the M8 in favor of retaining full frame on a film camera? I love the Leica 35mm f2.0 and just wonder if it's as lovable with a 1.3 crop.

Since someone will ask, I plan to carry the camera with a 35mm daily. I've used this combo before and love its "undercover nature" versus my bigger rigs and the optical quality is outstanding, of course. I'm gonna put some film through an old Nikon to see whether the workflow of shoot-develop-scan ingest is too annoying after years of working with cards.

Thanks
Bob
 
to answer your first question, i have never had any problems using filters on lenses for the M8. i cannot comment on your second question as i have not used an M6. (but i know my m8 and lenses are much smaller than my previous rig of nikon slr and lenses. 😉) per the third question, i suspect quite a few have remained with film Ms to retain the FF. i have never used a FF RF, so i "don't know what i'm missing." seriously, i don't think i'm missing nearly enough to ponder the M9--or a non-digital M. i moved from nikon SLR to the M8 for various reasons, one being the incredible decrease in size and heft (as you mentioned). after my experiences with the M8, i really can't imagine lugging around a big rig, as you say.

i have never done the workflow of shoot-develop-scan. i used to do film, but--in the "digital age"--have used digital cameras and cards. that said, lots of great photographers do it and turn out mindboggling results. (just take a look at examples here or on flickr.) but i need to be honest--for me, it would be a deterrent or, perhaps, an impediment.

anyway, best of luck. you will certainly receive lots of help and support. there are some extraordinary folks on RFF.
 
Hi - On the first question, the UV/IR Cut filter resolves the IR issue but results in a slight cyan shift in the corners, the wider the lens generally the more shift. This is corrected by the camera firmware if you have that option turned on and if the lens is coded. There's also third-party free software called CornerFix that is more flexible.

Second question... body is the same size as M7 except a bit thicker for the screen.

Third question... The 1.3x crop factor would mean you shift to the next wider lens than on film. So, if you favor 35mm lens on film, then you'd likely find the 28mm ideal for the M8. Many people would find that to be so, and the "golden" lens is often the 28mm Summicron ASPH.
 
Thanks. I'm inclined toward an M6. Can't hurt to have a film rig back in the stable.

Do forum members have an opinion of on-line used merchants such as KEH?

Should I take anything bought there to a Leica service agent for an inspection and tune-up?
 
Glad to hear you are leaning towards M6!

I do recommend KEH for used Leica and other body / lens. I got an M6 from them in EX+ condition, and the camera was pretty much Mint condition. I've also purchased BGN condition Elmar and it was what typical *bay sellers would mark as EX+.

KEH has 14 day return policy so if you don't like what you see, you can return it without a hustle.
 
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