[fotografz]

Had a family portrait assignment yesterday. Mom, Dad, 6 week old baby Grace, Boxer dog named Lucy ... a new born and a young dog ... yes, I am a glutton for punishment.

After a week of grousing and test shots, and more grousing, it was time to put up or shut up. This client lucked out because I used them to put the M8 through it's paces and subsequently shot far more images than I would normally for a job like this.

Used three cameras: M8 with M90AA & M50/1.4 ASPH; DMR/9 with 90AA, R21-35, R28-90; Mamiya RZ Pro-II/Aptus75 digital back with 180/4 VSF and 90/3.5.

Lets focus on the M8 performance.

Quicker and more spontaneous than the DMR/9. I had absolutely no problem with the controls on this camera. Switching ISO and compensating exposure was just as fast as with my Canon 1DsMKII once I got the routine down. Obviously, compensating the DMR is easier with the +/- control falling under your left thumb.

Shot the M8 in studio conditions along with the other cameras using a Microsync transmitter because it is so small and better fits the more demure size of the M camera. Then moved to available light work with the M and R ... (the lumbering RZ remained on the camera stand in the studio).

Over-all, he most usable files came from ... ta-da ... the M8 ! Mostly because it was so spontaneous in use and I got more relaxed snaps. File quality was the equal of or better than the DMR. Obviously the best file quality came from the 33 meg 645 sized sensor of the Aptus ... but just for the more posed stuff.

Interesting discovery: I converted a few M8 files into B&W ( not because I had to, but because I wanted to for emotional impact). I usually use Gradient Mapping when doing a lot of these ...or Channel Mixer. But on occasion I've resorted to Channel Splitting to see what the green channel provided. When doing that, the Blue channel has always been an useless throw away. Not with the M8 ! This was the best channel on the few shots I converted to B&W. IR sensitivity? Remains to be seen by further investigation.

Had some M8 IR blacks in the shoot but easily selected and corrected. Over-all the M8 shots were "snappier" right out of the camera than those from the DMR in the same light using the same lens (M90/2AA & R90/2AA). Batch tweaks of my DMR files brought them up to snuff.

Conclusion. It's a keeper awaiting Leica's fixes to make it a true M for low light work ... but it has value beyond that for me ... it proved itself on the job.

I have over a hundred Keeper files from this job, here are a few I've gotten to so far. I hope Sean's wedding went well and I am VERY anxious to see his M8 results since I have one coming up.