hitx1
Member
Yes, $7000 is a load of dough as that is roughly the current cost, if available, the Leica M9. Funny, all those zeros won't cover all of the cost for a new Canon 1Ds Mark IV as that will probably run a close to $8k in the US, and sadly, most of us can't afford either one.
Here's my story, a friend and I swapped cameras for a few days, my M6 for his M8. Many people are still quiet smitten with their M8s for good reason. I went out shooting today and captured roughly 200 frames or so (around five rolls of film or more) of different lighting, situations, and subjects.
I wasn't surprised at the results as I kinda knew what to expect with reviews and all but what struck me the most about the M8 was the workflow and output as the digital files seem to be no different than those from Canon, Nikon or Sony.
The exposures all look roughly the same...flat, evenly exposed with the odd highlight overexposed but very little blockage in the shadows. The files all had an odd digital feel where everything has gone from grain (round dots) to pixelation (fuzzy squares) but the resolution is really really nice. I am looking at a snap blown up to 200% in PS and its amazing how the file (shot with a 28mm Elmarit F2.8 ASPH lens) looks roughly the same as my Canon 1Ds Mark II shot with a 24-70mm F2.8 zoom. Of course all these files look immensely better than Kodak Gold 100 scanned with a Nikon 8000.
I don't care to argue or hear about how Provia or Ortho film etc... can out resolve such and such according to Putz or whomever expert from this chart etc...there is always ways to argue a point, and frankly that isn't my point. I really found there to be very little difference from the digital files from Leica and Canon, Nikon and Sony. I've shot all three and I can't see how Leica has separated itself from the pack. And maybe that is a good thing.
But then again, maybe its not.
I've been shooting so much film for my personal work that its almost so romantic to see that obnoxious grain from Fujicolor 400 or a bit of over saturation from Ektar 100. Its nice to see how film can't resolve all the detail in a shadow allowing an image to have depth. Film has an organic and I might dare say a romantic quality no digital can reproduce unless you take a few steps in PS to degrade your file to make it more film-like...and isn't that what we are all trying to accomplish? Trying to get that "film feeling?'
I think the ethic of shooting a Leica film body is the mystery of what you might not be able to capture, whether its the lack of resolution of film, quickly focusing a lens. Like shooting a Holga, you never know what you are going to get with film and a 35mm Summilux shot at 1.4. With digital, you always know exactly as digital is robotic. You know you'll always end up with a near perfect image from digital.
There is a certain archetype, a Capaesque, a Winograndesque, a McCurryesque to running that film at a lab, taking a loupe and looking at the cellulose. The smell of stop bath, the feel of developer on your fingers, that red light. The anxiety of waiting to know what your film will deliver. Its religious like.
I won't give up film just yet nor will I give up the idea of putting aside those backbreaker Canon digitals for a M9. The files of the M9/M8.2 are so much like the current digital product that I can't clearly see a need to switch. Leica is trying to run with the big boys of digital but didn't attach all the bells and whistles (for obvious reasons) as they say. Loads of predictions have said Leica will crash if a Voigtlander or Olympus (or even Canon/Nikon) comes out with a digital rangefinder with an M mount. I'd welcome it as it would probably be cheaper!
After my day with an M8.2, I am seriously looking at purchasing another M6 or 4 or 5 just for the hell of it. I can always shoot digital with my Canons and I'll truly always get better resolution, quality, feel, and production immediately. Autofocus, AV, multi ISO at the tip of my fingertips...I mean digital takes away all the magic! At times, you need a bit of magic when you pop that roll of film in.
I'll shoot some more with the M8 as I have it for a few more days and I'll be happy with the files...but I already miss that humming scanner and that obnoxious grain.
Here's my story, a friend and I swapped cameras for a few days, my M6 for his M8. Many people are still quiet smitten with their M8s for good reason. I went out shooting today and captured roughly 200 frames or so (around five rolls of film or more) of different lighting, situations, and subjects.
I wasn't surprised at the results as I kinda knew what to expect with reviews and all but what struck me the most about the M8 was the workflow and output as the digital files seem to be no different than those from Canon, Nikon or Sony.
The exposures all look roughly the same...flat, evenly exposed with the odd highlight overexposed but very little blockage in the shadows. The files all had an odd digital feel where everything has gone from grain (round dots) to pixelation (fuzzy squares) but the resolution is really really nice. I am looking at a snap blown up to 200% in PS and its amazing how the file (shot with a 28mm Elmarit F2.8 ASPH lens) looks roughly the same as my Canon 1Ds Mark II shot with a 24-70mm F2.8 zoom. Of course all these files look immensely better than Kodak Gold 100 scanned with a Nikon 8000.
I don't care to argue or hear about how Provia or Ortho film etc... can out resolve such and such according to Putz or whomever expert from this chart etc...there is always ways to argue a point, and frankly that isn't my point. I really found there to be very little difference from the digital files from Leica and Canon, Nikon and Sony. I've shot all three and I can't see how Leica has separated itself from the pack. And maybe that is a good thing.
But then again, maybe its not.
I've been shooting so much film for my personal work that its almost so romantic to see that obnoxious grain from Fujicolor 400 or a bit of over saturation from Ektar 100. Its nice to see how film can't resolve all the detail in a shadow allowing an image to have depth. Film has an organic and I might dare say a romantic quality no digital can reproduce unless you take a few steps in PS to degrade your file to make it more film-like...and isn't that what we are all trying to accomplish? Trying to get that "film feeling?'
I think the ethic of shooting a Leica film body is the mystery of what you might not be able to capture, whether its the lack of resolution of film, quickly focusing a lens. Like shooting a Holga, you never know what you are going to get with film and a 35mm Summilux shot at 1.4. With digital, you always know exactly as digital is robotic. You know you'll always end up with a near perfect image from digital.
There is a certain archetype, a Capaesque, a Winograndesque, a McCurryesque to running that film at a lab, taking a loupe and looking at the cellulose. The smell of stop bath, the feel of developer on your fingers, that red light. The anxiety of waiting to know what your film will deliver. Its religious like.
I won't give up film just yet nor will I give up the idea of putting aside those backbreaker Canon digitals for a M9. The files of the M9/M8.2 are so much like the current digital product that I can't clearly see a need to switch. Leica is trying to run with the big boys of digital but didn't attach all the bells and whistles (for obvious reasons) as they say. Loads of predictions have said Leica will crash if a Voigtlander or Olympus (or even Canon/Nikon) comes out with a digital rangefinder with an M mount. I'd welcome it as it would probably be cheaper!
After my day with an M8.2, I am seriously looking at purchasing another M6 or 4 or 5 just for the hell of it. I can always shoot digital with my Canons and I'll truly always get better resolution, quality, feel, and production immediately. Autofocus, AV, multi ISO at the tip of my fingertips...I mean digital takes away all the magic! At times, you need a bit of magic when you pop that roll of film in.
I'll shoot some more with the M8 as I have it for a few more days and I'll be happy with the files...but I already miss that humming scanner and that obnoxious grain.
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