Which option M8, M8.2, M9, R-D1, R-D1s, R-D1x?

[Roger Hicks]

I've owned R-D1 for a year, have leica M8 that I just bought but trying to return because seller didn't warn me it had the pixel banding issue. Both cameras are great. That aside, let's look at what I call "retardations" in both cameras. These are things that to me are obvious

RD-1 retardations:
1. Who thought that a push-pull scroll wheel thingy was a good idea? It makes zooming into your photos damn near impossible. Also the UI is so slow it makes you want to cry. lack of 4 way buttons or normal scrollwheel is what kills the UI on this camera
2. manual wind lever, meaning i have to remember to cock it. i've lost more than one potentially great shot due to the thing not firing.
3. sometimes it just doesn't fire - like when waking from sleep or having a full buffer, you never quite know whether or not it'll go off or not

M8 retardations:
1. why not show the speed in the viewfinder? it's clearly capable of that (and does it in A mode) but why not M mode. in a critical moment of street photography I'm supposed to look away from my viewfinder to find out if I'm set to a fast enough speed? or am i supposed to intuit the speed I'm at from being such an experienced photog. come on...

2. iso and ev setting inside menus instead of on wheel, like on r-d1

(aside: that m8 shutter is actually quite clunky. i'd say louder and more impactful than the higher pitched but subtle r-d1. although this shutter does provide a faster top speed)


these are just some...

Not intuition. Click stops. It's what they're for.

Cheers,

R.

 

[nakedcellist]

M8. Can't afford an M9. Sold the R-D1: excellent camera, lovely ergonomics, but bulky and somewhat less in iq than the m8. Got the M8 for a reasonable price and am happy with it, much nicer than my nikon d200.

 

[DGA]

M9. Leica, full frame, Excellent image quality.
I have started saving money for this lady.

 

[Peter S]

M9, because it is full frame. Started saving for the M10 and talking to the camerashop in my city where they sell Leica's the guy suddenly told me he had a steel gray Leica available. It was for a customer wanting black so if I wanted it etc., the rest is history.

I now am selling some bodies and lenses I was not using anyway. I am happy I did it, because I am taking more pictures again. Of course I am lucky that I could more or less afford it, although I did have to sacrifice a lot for it, but it is the first time I have spent so much money and am not regretting it or feeling guilty after the fact as I sometimes did with big purchases in the past. That to me is a sign it was a good decision (or so I keep telling myself 🙂).

 

[smile]

my vote is fo r-d1
life's too short to dream about m9 and wait for something more