Why I love my M8 even more today!!!

[eleskin]

I have been shooting film and digital since the 1980's (My M8 was my first and only digital) and a friend of mine bought an Olympus E-PL1 he wanted me to check out (he wants more lenses and I made some recomendations on some classic Minolta, Canon, Nikon, FSU glass he can use with adapters) and handed the camera to me to check out. Boy am I spoiled by the simplicity of the M8! The menus and functions on the Olympus literally made me dizzy! Quite frankly, I hated it and hated most of what the Japanese have done to cameras. Even with film cameras, when things started in this direction, I knew we were in trouble!

When I first received my M8 in the box in 2007, I did not even have to read the book that came with the camera to get started (I have been shooting with Leica M's since 1990 - I figured out the menu system in minutes), this Olympus "thing" or whatever you want to call it is just CRAZY as I am sure most modern marvels are today. Most of us on this forum like rangefinders for a reason, and I will bet my complaints about Japanese design are common. I like equipment you can just pick up and use right away out of the box. Leica understands this quite well. Somewhere, the japanese camera makers lost it!

I actually feel I am lightning fast with my M8. With this Olympus "thing" that I picked up, I felt like my freedom was taken away from me!

So I guess German efficiency and simplicity in design won me over long ago. I also suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder (not uncommon with many artists, photographers, scientists, thinkers, etc) and for ADD, Leica seems much better for me.

I wonder how many RFF members have ADD and feel Leica design and rangefinders make using cameras much more enjoyable?

 

[Vickko]

I don't think I have ADD.

But the filter requirement for the M8 drove me mad.

I fixed that by getting an M9.

🙂

Problem is then, I started buying more and more lenses, and adapters, to use with the M9.

Still like to shoot film once in a while too.



Vick

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I find the Menues of the EP2 to be "a bit much" and prefer the straight forward setup of the M9 and M8.

I like the manual lens selection on the M9, have a lot of lenses. The one feature that I would really like to see on the M8.

 

[dgrPhotos]

One good thing about these modern cameras is you can customize the functions of your buttons. Give it enough time to set it up the way you like to shoot and they can still be excellent tools.

 

[Bob Ross]

One good thing about these modern cameras is you can customize the functions of your buttons. Give it enough time to set it up the way you like to shoot and they can still be excellent tools.

About a year after getting my M8, I upgraded my Oly E-1 to an E-3. That was a shock, because the E-3 is a complex machine. My solution to feeling comfortable with the E-3, was to "dumb down" the E-3 to just what I wanted/needed. I did the same thing with my E-5.
It is the "have much, be confused" thing. I figure that all the extra features that come with 21st century cameras can always be reengaged when there is a need and time to learn how they work (or don't).
Another example might be "How many have used all the features of PhotoShop?" 😉
Bob

 

[noimmunity]

Well, there is Dee, and he does have both an M8 and ADD (if I am not mistaken), but I haven't seen him around here recently.

I love using the M8, but I'm still as slow as ever 😀

 

[Keith]

Well, there is Dee, and he does have both an M8 and ADD (if I am not mistaken), but I haven't seen him around here recently.

I love using the M8, but I'm still as slow as ever 😀

Is Dee a he? I always thought Dee was a she!

I wonder why I thought that?