Planning for M8

[Hacker]

Using this bag http://www.billingham.co.uk/prodbuy.asp?id=83. Small and light and I can carry the flash around if necessary. The official Leica bag is made by Billingham and allows side pouches also http://www.billingham.co.uk/prodbuy.asp?id=70.

 

[Hacker]

Informal portraits and travel/trade show photos are my intended purpose for the M8. I have no plans of getting rid of my 1D Mk2.

Careful of what you say once you start using the M8. Your Canon may end up collecting dust. 😀

 

[etrigan63]

Got the M8, a CV Nokton 40mm f/1.4, Thumbs Up Model 1, M8 Grip, and a Crumpler bag.

 

[splitimageview]

How do you like your 53.2mm f1.4? 🙂

 

[etrigan63]

Fabulous lens. I had John Milich add coding pits and grind the flange to bring up the 35mm framelines and it works like a champ.

Here is a sample:

and just to show it can do moody stuff

 

[Andy Aitken]

IHMO you've already got the lenses you need for the M8: CV25mm P and CV40mm Nokton both work very nicely on the M8. Logical addition might be a 75mm. If you want to stay compact the Tri-Elmar won't help you much there. My favoutite bag for such a kit is the Billingham S3 (discontinued but still available).

 

[Olsen]

This is interesting! Do you have any example shots using this technique?

To the OP, bear in mind that older vivitars (and other high voltage flash units) should NOT be used on digital bodies (or they will melt the electronics). Or so I understand. I've never actually used a flash on my RFs before, which is why Olsen has piqued my curiosity with this post.

Sorry, for not coming back to you before on this, I just missed your inquiry. I regularly do a lot of flash shots with my Canon 1Ds II with three 550EX and the speedlight transmitter ST-E2, put the camera on 200ISO and let's the E-TTL do the rest. Positioning of the flashes is important. As you see of the attached shot, I have included one flash in the picture that I otherwise would crop away, high above the little girl and reflected in the roof. On this particular day, 15th of May, my wife's birthday, actually, it was still a bright afternoon here in Oslo. So, natural light from the windows might also have played a part 'enlightening' the scene.

Anyway, look at the grapes in the front and you see this 3-dimentional effect you get from having light coming in a steep angle towards the camera.

 

[Olsen]

I wasn't all satisfied with brightness and sharpening of that first example. Here's a new one.

 

[.JL.]

With proper exposure & w/a little judicious noise reduction (I use Noise Ninja but Neat Image, etc. are fine, too), I think the M8's ISO 1250 performance is actually very respectable. If you're going to skip film RFs & go straight to the M8, I would suggest going w/the classic available light RF thing & just get a single fast lens, either the 35/1.4 Summilux, 28/2 Summicron, or CV 28/1.9 Ultron, & skip the flash unit entirely.

As far as bags, I will repeat for the umpteenth time my standard advice of staying away from actual "camera" bags & just buying any regular old messenger bag, briefcase, "manbag," etc., that you find comfortable using & then getting a camera equipment insert from Domke, Tenba, Billingham etc. that will fit inside your chosen bag.

I don't know why you would want a black finish camera or need a "Thumbs up" grip, but that's a personal thing. 😉

I second Furcafe's bag recommendation. I use Domke inserts in my everyday messenger bags (interchangeable between 2 bags). It's very convenient and low-key.

 

[etrigan63]

Well, I've ordered the CV 25P and I am going to the Leica Demo Day at Dale Labs in November to check out the new Summarits. I want to decide between the 75 & the 90. I can always hope that CV releases their 75 & 90 in M-mount (as I am not too crazy about using adaptors).