Speenth Posted February 5, 2008 Share #1 Posted February 5, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Recently I fell down a rocky slope while trying to photograph the Aggstein ruins in the Wachau. Great images, but an unsightly chunk taken out of the pristine top cover of my M8! I was fine (dignity and ripped chinos excepted). I was rather more worried that the sharp knock on a boulder would upset the M8's delicate shutter mechanism and force me into an expensive upgrade of my LCD screen. However, my scarred M8 seems mechanically none the worse for the experience. Proof perhaps, that its built like a tank after all! The consequence of this adventure is that I decided armour plating was urgently required and so, following a lovely phone conversation with Luigi Crescenzi, I've just sent him my exacting specification for the full Italian leather suit of armour. A really useful upgrade and definitely future proofing for my M8 - I suspect with Luigi's leather wrapping its tender loins my M8 might actually have a future! I've ordered the full case in 'Rally', all the accessories and Luigi's secret system for weather proofing the whole shabang. When it arrives I'll post some pictures. Pssst: I've heard that the leather drop down flap on Luigi's half-case protects the original soft and gooey LCD screen remarkably well. Maybe I'll forego the current offering and wait for the next Leica anti-ageing treatment (perhaps it will be a depleted uranium top cover ....). Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 5, 2008 Posted February 5, 2008 Hi Speenth, Take a look here Armour for my M8 - truly future proofing. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
yoMammabot Posted February 5, 2008 Share #2 Posted February 5, 2008 I really Love Luigi's cases. The leather is superb and his service is tops. He loves these cameras as much as we do! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted February 5, 2008 Share #3 Posted February 5, 2008 My camera goes into Luigi's half case, into a Pelican box, then into a padded backpack which I Iock inside my Hummer. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! The Hummer I keep in our locked garage in a gated community, guarded by a detachment of Amazon FemBots. Oh, and I went for one of those Mack Extended Warrantees just in case. ;-> Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! The Hummer I keep in our locked garage in a gated community, guarded by a detachment of Amazon FemBots. Oh, and I went for one of those Mack Extended Warrantees just in case. ;-> ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/44625-armour-for-my-m8-truly-future-proofing/?do=findComment&comment=474793'>More sharing options...
cme4brain Posted February 6, 2008 Share #4 Posted February 6, 2008 My camera goes into Luigi's half case, into a Pelican box, then into a padded backpack which I Iock inside my Hummer. [ATTACH]72988[/ATTACH] The Hummer I keep in our locked garage in a gated community, guarded by a detachment of Amazon FemBots. Oh, and I went for one of those Mack Extended Warrantees just in case. ;-> Great protection. What pelican case/style number is that? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_peter_m Posted February 6, 2008 Share #5 Posted February 6, 2008 Dave, I guess you can't be in a hurry to get a quick snap..... Peter Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted February 6, 2008 Share #6 Posted February 6, 2008 What pelican case/style number is that? That's the Pelican 1200 case. It's a tight fit with the leather case and stainless steel screw, but I carried it 350 miles through the woods of Canada last summer and it kept stuff safe and dry. No problems at all. I think with all those lenses it would have sunk like a stone if it fell in the river. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted February 6, 2008 Share #7 Posted February 6, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) I guess you can't be in a hurry to get a quick snap..... You're right. And therein lies the tradeoff with an expensive camera! I spent my summer in a canoe or otherwise in a pretty harsh environment and I didn't take the camera out unless it was safe. I didn't have a single problem with over 5000 exposures, not counting dust on the sensor. I've used a Pentax waterproof camera while going downstream running whitewater. But the M8? I think not! Keewaydin 2007 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_peter_m Posted February 6, 2008 Share #8 Posted February 6, 2008 Thanks for the link David, some beautiful scenery. Where is this place? Apparently those pelican cases are pretty tough, had a crew loose all there camera gear when there boat turned over, couple weeks later a couple of the cases turned up and everything inside was fine. Peter Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speenth Posted February 6, 2008 Author Share #9 Posted February 6, 2008 My camera goes into Luigi's half case, into a Pelican box, then into a padded backpack which I Iock inside my Hummer. [ATTACH]72988[/ATTACH] The Hummer I keep in our locked garage in a gated community, guarded by a detachment of Amazon FemBots. Oh, and I went for one of those Mack Extended Warrantees just in case. ;-> Hello Dave, I've admired this superbly packed Pelican 1200 before, when you've posted on the subject of securely transporting precious Leica gear in harsh environments (by canoe, I seem to recall)! Your arrangement of the contents is a model of functional efficiency. So much so, I've every intention of blatantly plagiarising your entire set up, Peli 1200 and all! I'll stop short of the Hummer though, it just won't fit on the back of my mountain bike. The Peli wouldn't have helped in the case of my original post however; I was actually using the camera at the time! The standard Leica neckstrap was wrapped securely around my wrist ... and then, the damp, leaf-strewn undergrowth slid away under my feet and I crashed down the rocky slope. Even as I tumbled down, concentrating on my own survival, my brain still registered the hard metallic 'ding' as the camera struck a rock. If the M8 had been wrapped in Italian leather it may have escaped unscathed. Now it will forever bear a little sharp-edged, brassy scar to remind me not to be so silly in future. Next time I fall down Austrian hillsides while vainly searching for an improved viewpoint, I am confident Luigi Crescenzi's craftsmanship will save the camera at least! The incident has heightened my admiration for German engineering however. The M8 has a few faults, but it seems its built to take a few knocks. Despite a serious whack on unforgiving granite, all its bits are in their original alignment and it continues to take wonderful pictures. For me, with my outdoor lifestyle, that is a damn good reason for choosing an M8. PS: Where can I get some of those Amazon Fembots? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveB Posted February 6, 2008 Share #10 Posted February 6, 2008 The Peli wouldn't have helped in the case of my original post however; I was actually using the camera at the time! Well, therein lies the problem. Actually using the camera exposes it to a range of hazards. Furthermore, dust gets on the sensor, you run the risk of SDS, crazy white balance and dreaded back focus. Next thing you know you have buyers remorse, start drinking too much and posting angry, bitter missives anonymously to the bulletin boards. No, actually using the camera just opens you up to a world of pain and regret. It's amazing how tough those Pelican boxes are. A buddy of mine carries the next larger size for an SLR kit while canoeing. He sits on it in front of the fire or when on wet ground. He stands on top of it to get a better view while photographing. Very inexpensive and very rugged. I never relax until my camera is put away safe inside mine. I have several Canon G series P&S cameras that my wife and kids carry in similar boxes. I bought the Luigi case just for the reasons you did. The M8 is a heavy camera and combined with a lens there is a great deal of mass and inertia swinging around. A little leather goes a long way to protect it. Now your camera has "character" and you have a story to tell. As for the Amazon Fembots, they will be available Spring 2009 as part of Leica's special Austin Powers M8 Upgrade Package. Promises to be shagadelic. Peter M. - The infrared photos are from Northern Ontario and Northern Quebec. The region near the height of land just south of James Bay. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speenth Posted February 6, 2008 Author Share #11 Posted February 6, 2008 No, actually using the camera just opens you up to a world of pain and regret. At last, the meaning of life and the M8! Thank you Dave, for this most revealing insight into the complexities of Leica-psychology. I will worry no more about excessively fast vibrators (or was that shutters) and back-focussing LCD screens. I know my camera works, but that doesn't mean I have to go out there and prove it! I am having a sapphire glass cabinet made. It will be superglued to the mantelpiece. Inside will be my M8 and I will watch it, in calm tranquility as the years of my senility roll inexorably forward ...... I will be calm, I will be calm ..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfaier Posted February 6, 2008 Share #12 Posted February 6, 2008 I throw mine into a canvas domke bag, wrap, say 3 extra lenses in a few old t-shirts. I do like the Luigi half case. Wanna have it all accessible and ready. I throw myself into a subaru, no hummer here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted February 6, 2008 Share #13 Posted February 6, 2008 In the UK, a "hummer" is not a car, but it is a most enjoyable experience... ...that language thing again! Regards, Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
boilerdoc Posted February 6, 2008 Share #14 Posted February 6, 2008 HA! A 'hummer' (small h) is a pleasurable experience here as well! A Hummer (capital H) is a SUV! Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemeng Posted February 6, 2008 Share #15 Posted February 6, 2008 Recently I fell down a rocky slope ... ... I decided armour plating was urgently required and so, following a lovely phone conversation with Luigi Crescenzi, I've just sent him my exacting specification for the full Italian leather suit of armour. I've been making home-brew leather wraps for my cameras for ages (since @ 1999). They might look crude, but they work excellently in protecting the camera and helping to muffle the shutter sound somewhat. See the "Nemeng leather "M-Wrap" heading at: Leica FAQ - M camera case alternatives Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speenth Posted February 6, 2008 Author Share #16 Posted February 6, 2008 I've been making home-brew leather wraps for my cameras for ages (since @ 1999). They might look crude, but they work excellently in protecting the camera and helping to muffle the shutter sound somewhat. See the "Nemeng leather "M-Wrap" heading at: Leica FAQ - M camera case alternatives Hello Andrew, I love 'em! Truly an antidote to the usual top-of-the-market-everything culture that surrounds the Leica system. Functional and effective as physical protection and as a theft deterrent - I mean, who'd steal that!! An alternative material might also be recycled car tyre carcases like the stuff now used to make trendy bags, backpacks and cycle panniers etc. There must be a business in this! Somehow though, I think I'll still succumb to that lovely Italian leather ........ By the way, I'd just like to add that your FAQ site is very informative and refreshingly uncluttered, factual and to the point. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted February 7, 2008 Share #17 Posted February 7, 2008 ... and mine (2 bodies / 6 lenses from 15 through to 135) seem quite happy living in an overcrowded slum... not a ding to be seen and the Domke satchel must be 10 years old by now... BUT, I'm seriously tempted by Andrew's idea. I've made bags and eyeglass cases and the like for years, but hadn't thought about a DIY wrap for the M.... Thanks for the inspiration. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/44625-armour-for-my-m8-truly-future-proofing/?do=findComment&comment=476203'>More sharing options...
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