Durr3
Established
Hello,
I shoot with a M6, 35 cron and a 50 lux at the moment. I have owned many film cameras, several DSLRs and a few high end compacts. RD-1, Ricoh GRD, etc. Now my sickness wants me to buy a new toy. Knowing all you know about the M8, would you buy it again or would you try the GRD II, DP1, or something else. I shoot mostly candids and portraits now.
Any input would help a lot!
thanks,
Durr
I shoot with a M6, 35 cron and a 50 lux at the moment. I have owned many film cameras, several DSLRs and a few high end compacts. RD-1, Ricoh GRD, etc. Now my sickness wants me to buy a new toy. Knowing all you know about the M8, would you buy it again or would you try the GRD II, DP1, or something else. I shoot mostly candids and portraits now.
Any input would help a lot!
thanks,
Durr
abumac
Well-known
M8!!!!!!!!!
Tom Niblick
Well-known
In a heartbeat!
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Durr,
As far as I am concerned, there is no choice. M8. I've had mine since November 06 and am firmly hooked.
Cheers,
R.
As far as I am concerned, there is no choice. M8. I've had mine since November 06 and am firmly hooked.
Cheers,
R.
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Bill Blackwell
Leica M Shooter
"Would you buy the M8 again?"
Absolutely, YES!
Absolutely, YES!
faris
Well-known
Durr, without hesitation.
KM-25
Well-known
At the prices they are used, $3,800 on the average...maybe.
For the price I paid at $4,750, probably not.
It has proven to be much more of a hassle to keep taking the IR filters on and off to shoot color slide than I would have thought. The front barrel of my 28/2 is coming loose since that is a very popular lens for me on either the M8 or the film M's.
And there is no way I will ever not shoot film M's in even if only black and white, they are simply in another league from the M8 in terms of nearly everything.
The images I get from my D3 with my CZ 35/2 at ISO 3200 put the M8 to shame, even the sound is better. The D3 makes a precise snap that is very short in duration, more discreet than the M8 in my direct experience. The M8 on the other hand sounds like slowed down cartoon sound bite of a rubber band being shot across the room, pathetic for a camera company that has made it's reputation due in part to near silent cameras.
I do make some nice images with the M8 and it certainly has it's place, but it is in no way my go-to camera.
It's either color film or color digital with the M system though, the M8 and other M's simply don't play nice together and that is truly a shame..
For the price I paid at $4,750, probably not.
It has proven to be much more of a hassle to keep taking the IR filters on and off to shoot color slide than I would have thought. The front barrel of my 28/2 is coming loose since that is a very popular lens for me on either the M8 or the film M's.
And there is no way I will ever not shoot film M's in even if only black and white, they are simply in another league from the M8 in terms of nearly everything.
The images I get from my D3 with my CZ 35/2 at ISO 3200 put the M8 to shame, even the sound is better. The D3 makes a precise snap that is very short in duration, more discreet than the M8 in my direct experience. The M8 on the other hand sounds like slowed down cartoon sound bite of a rubber band being shot across the room, pathetic for a camera company that has made it's reputation due in part to near silent cameras.
I do make some nice images with the M8 and it certainly has it's place, but it is in no way my go-to camera.
It's either color film or color digital with the M system though, the M8 and other M's simply don't play nice together and that is truly a shame..
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retow
Well-known
Absolutely. As well as the DP1.
grduprey
Gene
I'd buy another if I had the cash. Absolutely. Not a single problem.
tmfabian
I met a man once...
Absolutely, in fact, i just ordered 2 more before my educational discount stops working (graduating in june)
JWW
Established
Of course!
urban_alchemist
Well-known
If it worked as I think it should (full frame so my lenses can be used as originally intended, usability at high ISO, quieter shutter) then yes.
As it now stands, sorry to say, no.
As it now stands, sorry to say, no.
Speenth
Emmaiter
Yes! There is nothing like it ... and I like it.
Gid
Well-known
Having recently sold mine and kept my RD1, my answer would have to be no.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I would have been unsure a couple of months ago ... but having now been given the occasional paid gig where the M8 is the only camera that will do the job the way the client wants it done, I can say yes. In fact if I had the money I would buy another one as backup!
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
How many paid gigs does it take to pay for two M8's?
The commitment that they (QUT) have just made to me, to keep giving me work, is incentive to do it correctly ... which to me may ultimately involve having a backup camera. The results from the latest gallery opening I shot for them absolutely stunned them ... the images were exactly what they wanted and their arts curator is going to help me put a portfolio together to allow me to present my services to other similarly placed institutions!
As for your question ... I'll let you know!
usm
Member
I would definitely if I could afford it.
For me it was a special deal for 50% off - so I did it. Best camera I ever had.
For me it was a special deal for 50% off - so I did it. Best camera I ever had.
Ben Z
Veteran
Honest answer: I'm not sure. Definitely if I hadn't bought one when the price was still $4795, I would only be looking at a demo now. But that's an economic issue, not related to the camera itself. Why I'm not sure, is that when I look at the situation regarding film and processing (in my area) it's no worse now than it was almost a year ago when I bought my M8. I probably could have kept my M6's and gone on shooting film and spent less than what my M8 has depreciated. The reason for that is, whenever I've been called on to "take pictures" for someone else's (friend, family etc) event, I have ended up going with the 20D instead of the M8.
One reason is for indoor no-flash situations, the M8's noise @ ISO1250 requires a ton of Noise Ninja and it still doesn't look as good as the 20D @ ISO1600. Don't get me wrong, I like the filmy look of the M8's 1250 noise better than the 20D's HDTV-look, but my friends/family prefer the noiseless digital look.
The other reason is that I don't fully trust my M8, which in all fairness has been so far 100% free of the scary glitches others have reported, not to break down just when I'm depending on it to shoot something important for someone else. I have a second 20D as backup, whereas another $4000+ for a second M8 is more than I care to spend. So my M8 has been seeing duty only for my travel photography, with a Dlux-3 as backup. Granted I'm grateful to have it, and would not like to schlepp a 20D and some lenses on my travels, in the size of bag needed to fit it all. Been there done that.
So I really am not totally certain I would buy an M8 if I had it to do over again, but neither am I certain I wouldn't. I guess it boils down to the fact that it was so expensive compared to anything I've bought before, photographically. I only paid over $1000 for a camera once, which was a demo MP, and I sold it later for what I paid and bought 2 M6's for the same money. Otherwise all my cameras I've ever bought, including Leicas, were always under $1000. After a year I'm still reeling from the sticker shock of the M8.
One reason is for indoor no-flash situations, the M8's noise @ ISO1250 requires a ton of Noise Ninja and it still doesn't look as good as the 20D @ ISO1600. Don't get me wrong, I like the filmy look of the M8's 1250 noise better than the 20D's HDTV-look, but my friends/family prefer the noiseless digital look.
The other reason is that I don't fully trust my M8, which in all fairness has been so far 100% free of the scary glitches others have reported, not to break down just when I'm depending on it to shoot something important for someone else. I have a second 20D as backup, whereas another $4000+ for a second M8 is more than I care to spend. So my M8 has been seeing duty only for my travel photography, with a Dlux-3 as backup. Granted I'm grateful to have it, and would not like to schlepp a 20D and some lenses on my travels, in the size of bag needed to fit it all. Been there done that.
So I really am not totally certain I would buy an M8 if I had it to do over again, but neither am I certain I wouldn't. I guess it boils down to the fact that it was so expensive compared to anything I've bought before, photographically. I only paid over $1000 for a camera once, which was a demo MP, and I sold it later for what I paid and bought 2 M6's for the same money. Otherwise all my cameras I've ever bought, including Leicas, were always under $1000. After a year I'm still reeling from the sticker shock of the M8.
Gabriel M.A.
My Red Dot Glows For You
I guess that answers the question "will you be asked about your M8 purchase decision again?"
DWeston
DWeston
also in the undecided camp...
also in the undecided camp...
If pushed I would have to admit that I am still ambivalent about it, after a year plus. I want to like it, lord I want to LOVE it, and I do for its size, and sharpness across the image field with most lenses...
But, I think I may just be a slr type of guy. I had used an M6 back 20 yrs ago and liked it until I went up format, but I can compare images I have shot to both a 5D and my friends D3 and I just don't see major shortages in these other cameras either. For the cost, the 5D is a bargain for similar image quality. I won't get into nit picking, there are of course pros and cons on both sides. Lord knows you can take amazing images with any of them. Guess when either Nikon or Canon come out with a 40D size camera with a full frame chip, I may have to really think about making a change. For the most part, I think it comes down more to what one is comfortable shooting with and how one shoots, that is the deciding factor that overrules all else. One could make a perfect camera[ I gest] but hypothetically, it might not be perfect for all.....
ONe day you may find it in the FS section.....
also in the undecided camp...
If pushed I would have to admit that I am still ambivalent about it, after a year plus. I want to like it, lord I want to LOVE it, and I do for its size, and sharpness across the image field with most lenses...
But, I think I may just be a slr type of guy. I had used an M6 back 20 yrs ago and liked it until I went up format, but I can compare images I have shot to both a 5D and my friends D3 and I just don't see major shortages in these other cameras either. For the cost, the 5D is a bargain for similar image quality. I won't get into nit picking, there are of course pros and cons on both sides. Lord knows you can take amazing images with any of them. Guess when either Nikon or Canon come out with a 40D size camera with a full frame chip, I may have to really think about making a change. For the most part, I think it comes down more to what one is comfortable shooting with and how one shoots, that is the deciding factor that overrules all else. One could make a perfect camera[ I gest] but hypothetically, it might not be perfect for all.....
ONe day you may find it in the FS section.....