Things I don't like about the M8

[Artt]

Many decades ago my father gave me the advice that there are three tasks no one can do to the complete satisfaction of another - tend the home fires (for heating), make love, or fry a steak, I'll add one other - design a digital M8 that will ever meet all expectations.(Mine is expected to be delivered Tuesday warts and all)

 

[John Camp]

after a day and a half it is still the best camera I owned ... !!!! boy it may be the best, but his only ever camera.....

try taking a 2500 asa low light ... and see what you think then

I'm a quick study. I started shooting 35mm cameras in 1960 and have owned probably two dozen of them, including four other digital SLRs. I don't have to rub one on my body for two weeks to know if I like it. I took 2500 ISO shots last night, as I've posted in other places on this forum. If you don't include large, massively over-exposed light sources in them, you're fine. Do you really have one? From your comments, it seems unlikely, because if you had, you'd know that the banding is a relatively minor issue for most people.

Somebody said that you can't tell how much they'll be selling for on ebay in a year. I point out that the DSLR most-trashed by photography trolls, the Kodak Pro-SLRn, still sells on e-bay for ~$1600; I doubt that the Leica will do worse, although I didn't buy it as an investment.

I AM happy with this camera. Despite a few things I personally would have done differently, I think it's well designed, handy to use, and takes great photogaphs; and I'll take it where I wouldn't take my D2x, much less a big Canon.

JC

 

[jaapv]

The only reasons to buy the M8 are if you spend enough on film (and don't like film) to warrant the 2x more expensive-than-an-m7 pricetag of the M8 AND if you really wish to exit the whole film/developing/scanning process. These two things might render the aging technology factor unimportant. If you spend enough on film in two years to make up for the replacement cost of the digital technology, then it might make sense to buy the M8. Otherwise, it's just a toy.

Except for the professionals under us- what else than a toy is any camera???😕 😕 😕

 

[rvaubel]

Except for the professionals under us- what else than a toy is any camera???😕 😕 😕

An expensive toy, but a toy none the less. I'm not getting my M8 till next week and I feel kind of left out not being able to take "banding" test pictures. I have all kinds of theories!🙄

this to will pass

Rex

 

[AShearer]

Can somebody please tell me about a consumer product that does not lose value from it's MSRP? I'd like to know so I can buy whatever it is.

The comparison's to computers are good ones. A LOT of computers got purchased in the past decade, all the while the whole buying universe was well aware that the value was going to plummet.

And, please don't tell me how the value of vintage M3's after inflation has held up. That's not what I'm talking about.

How much is a NEW M7, $3500. Maybe you can buy one for $3,000 somewhere? How much is a used M7 worth, even in mint condition?

 

[Nachkebia]

Personaly I don`t like the fact that so meany people bought M8 but none posted nothing valuable yet! everybody is posting how sharp and flat images are! wou wou how amazingly sharp is that! woow amazing!

 

[gb hill]

I just hope the batteries wern't made by SONY!🙂

 

[jaapv]

The only reasons to buy the M8 are if you spend enough on film (and don't like film) to warrant the 2x more expensive-than-an-m7 pricetag of the M8 AND if you really wish to exit the whole film/developing/scanning process. These two things might render the aging technology factor unimportant. If you spend enough on film in two years to make up for the replacement cost of the digital technology, then it might make sense to buy the M8. Otherwise, it's just a toy.

I completely disagree with this reasoning. There are two scenario's:
Either one is an amateur, in that case, once the initial financial parameters of affordability and priorities are set, the only consideration is what I would venture to call " fun per buck". Strictly it is not necessary to take one photograph with the camera to fulfill that criterium, depending on one's inclination.
Or one is a (semi) pofessional. On the surface the cost and return per shot would seem to be the only consideration. However, as a professional who uses technical tools, I can testify that that is by no means the most important aspect. The pleasure of using fine equipment for eight or more hours per day cannot be expressed in terms of money. If one wants to rationalize: what price can be put on the avoidance of a burnout. In my profession there are many instances of investments that bring no monetary return, but are extremely valuable for both the customer and the user as intanglibles. I cannot imagine that the photographic profession is much different.
A Scrooge-like view of life will result in the conclusion that a cell-phone and 10p prints are the cheapest and thus best way to render images that will satisfy 95% of the public and would therefore be the most cost-efficient and desirable. I think 99.9% of the members here will disagree.

 

[jaapv]

.... and peole will still do their best to defend their purchase, this is what I find unbelievable .... after a day and a half it is still the best camera I owned ... !!!! boy it may be the best, but his only ever camera.....

try taking a 2500 asa low light ... and see what you think then

Why should I? I do own a tripod....

it doesn't make magnificent pictures

I always thought the camera was just the tool, and that the photographer was the one supposed to make the magnificent pictures - more fool me...🙄

 

[ywenz]

Personaly I don`t like the fact that so meany people bought M8 but none posted nothing valuable yet! everybody is posting how sharp and flat images are! wou wou how amazingly sharp is that! woow amazing!

Yes! I have seen mostly garbage pictures form the M8... will the real Leica photographers please stand up.. please stand up..

 

[ywenz]

Why should I? I do own a tripod....



I always thought the camera was just the tool, and that the photographer was the one supposed to make the magnificent pictures - more fool me...🙄

Then don't go around and make posts proclaiming the M8 will capture the best image of all small factor digital cameras..

okay i should clarify, it was your perceived proclaimation.. many others will agree
with me.

 

[jaapv]

Then don't go around and make posts proclaiming the M8 will capture the best image of all small factor digital cameras..

Please quote the posts where I said THAT...or stop trolling.

okay i should clarify, it was your perceived proclaimation.. many others will agree with me.

Sorry mate- that is a bit weak I would say, and an incorrect perception.

 

[Lynn Ross]

Well! me being an amateur and not wanting to go into the realms of darkroom at my age, I have the lowly RD-1 and really am having fun with it ... having spent all the I can on this camera and a lens for it ... the photo's and the very gracious people here on this forum are what I wanted to have a RF for and the nice size ... so after that here is a site that give some of you the M8 feel
And I'm going to hold on to my new camera till it becomes a legend and brings me back far more than I paid for it 🙂

http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essays/color.aspx
Lynn

 

[Roubaix]

Seen this before... my 2 cents.

Seen this before... my 2 cents.

This thread is hysterical! I've heard this all before in a completely different realm. I "used to be" a cycling junkie and about 5 years ago bought a ("the") high end Italian bike- flavor of the month- a Colnago Carbonissimo. Others may argue about the definitiveness of the statement; but none would argue that is is a superlative bike.

I am not a professional cyclist, nor a professional photographer. However, I do troll around forums looking for like-minded enthusiasts. So a few years ago, I was electronically castigated for spending $9K on a bike to look like a Euro-poseur only to finish close to the back of the peloton on the most expensive bike. I responded that the "winner" was the one who finished with the biggest smile on his face- and that was probably me, close to last place.

So what does this have to do with the M8? First, do the math- $5K body + $2-5 for the new lens (who could resist?) approximately equals "the" bike. Second. Rational? Of course not. Not the point. I use Leica microscopes every day in my work. Are they better than Nikon or Olympus or Zeiss? Probably not- but I love them. Third, the culture. Leica is Leica. Seems a little better for most things, a little worse for others. But if it inspires you to your best performance, then it "is" the best- for you. Like my wife and family (but they are mine.)

Hey, enjoy the toys...🙂

 

[jlw]

Personaly I don`t like the fact that so many people bought M8 but none posted nothing valuable yet!

Why should that surprise you? I take more than 5,000 pictures per year, and at the end of the year I feel lucky if three of them are really good.

Probably many of the people on RFF are better photographers than I am -- but even if someone's "batting average" were five times better than mine, that would mean it would still take him/her about 1,000 shots to get three good ones to post.

 

[gogopix]

I wouldn't be so tough as Nachkebia , but the banding, noise, techy discussion seems to miss the point - regardless, this is an instrument that should put us closer to catching the exiting stuff, not sunsets (which, if you miss it, you can try again tomorrow!, except ofcourse in washington, where you may have to wait a month.)

Maybe drop the spec discussion and see shots where a small RF and top quality lens catches something a galumphy SLR would miss (even with AF!)

I look forward to faster lens use, available light (and I don't mean conference halogens) and the real trick - faster focus in a dynamic situation.

Show them. We'll know them, then we will see the real value of this camera.

i do'nt know what that would be,but somethiog like, say, a snowmobile crack up, early season, on grass, maybe in florida THAT would be different!

 

[MP Guy]

I will be in Portland tomorrow and if the weather cooperates, I should be able to catch some of the weird Portland natives. Like they say in Potterville (Portland) "Keep Portland weird"

 

[raid]

Things I don't like about the M8:

1. It is digital.
2. Its price.

Now let's move on.

Raid

 

[AusDLK]

How about this thread...

It wasn't that long ago that I felt like alone in the digital wilderness when I expressed my disappointment with the M8 back around Photokina time.

I caught some crap when I wrote about the shutter sound, the covering, etc.

Now I have had an M8 for two days.

I still hate the hollow, empty sound of the shutter, think I have a solution for the covering (TBA), BUT...!

I like the thing. I'm glad to have bought one. It may even truly change my approach to photography.

>Yes! I have seen mostly garbage pictures form the M8... will the real Leica
>photographers please stand up.. please stand up..

Give us time... Great art sometimes takes more than two days... 🙂

 

[Toby]

Give us time... Great art sometimes takes more than two days... 🙂

I thought great photographs took about 1/250th of a second 😀