markpsf Posted January 20, 2010 Share #1 Posted January 20, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I posted this on the M9 forum since it fits both. The context. Experienced (not sure that I'm advanced"!) amateur). Most of my photography is street shooting in the full sense, mostly candids, but also city and town scapes. I want small, discrete, quiet. My favorite focal length is 35-40mm. 90% of my photos are web postings only. The best ones I print. I want to either move back to a rangefinder (grew up with them) or a retro type quality point and shoot. I hate menu driven settings and feel at home with manual lens setting and camera dials. If money were no object I'd go with the M9. Money is an object. So choices. X1 (have one on order), used M8.2 and a 28mm lens, or wait and save up for an M9. Your hit? What do I lose beyond the obvious (full frame) in going with the 8.2? One option is the X1 now and add a lens or two as I can afford them and then finally the M9. Does that make any sense to you? Advice appreciated. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 20, 2010 Posted January 20, 2010 Hi markpsf, Take a look here Advice Appreciated - What Would You Do?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
digitalfx Posted January 20, 2010 Share #2 Posted January 20, 2010 you can buy a M8 + X1 for nearly the same amount as a M8.2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandokan Posted January 20, 2010 Share #3 Posted January 20, 2010 Good logical progression. But what does your heart want? You know your heart will win in the end & buying anything else will just lead to a period of time when you have heartache. Start with X1 but get a film M as well - it will hold its value when you sell it for the M9 as may the X1. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecar Posted January 20, 2010 Share #4 Posted January 20, 2010 Used M8 in good condition + 28mm Elmarit. Keep the lens and upgrade to M9 (or M10...) when funds allow. Just my 2 pennies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissah Posted January 20, 2010 Share #5 Posted January 20, 2010 m8! you wont be sorry. look at the i love my m8 thread that has been moved to the photo forum-i think its in other. hopefully it will be back here. keep us posted as to what you decide. best,melissa Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhoersch Posted January 20, 2010 Share #6 Posted January 20, 2010 M8 and a good lens by all means, and nothing else! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted January 20, 2010 Share #7 Posted January 20, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) +1... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
photophile Posted January 20, 2010 Share #8 Posted January 20, 2010 with all due respect.. this is pretty obvious. M8 and 28. The X1 is overpriced, unavailable and as yet unproven - the reviews suggest it is slow. The M8.2 buys you nothing in terms of image quality improvement over the 8. The M9 is out of your price range. BTW - the M8 ( and I have had one for several years ) , though quirky, allows a photographer with vision to make beautiful, vibrant images with purpose. When your circumstances allow, you can always move "up"...but you just might find it isn't really necessary...nor "up". Also consider an M6 and some film...produced some of the finest, iconic images ever made. Just my 2 cents.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markpsf Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share #9 Posted January 20, 2010 Thanks all for lots of good info and advice. I'm not sure it's obvious. If I go this route I would want the 8.2 because of the quieter shutter and some of the other improvements...including the viewfinder. Of course...only if I can get a very good price. My key reservation relates to reports that there is a noise issue at 1250 ISO and above. This would be another reason to wait to be able to get the M9. Still researching and thinking... Mark with all due respect.. this is pretty obvious. M8 and 28. The X1 is overpriced, unavailable and as yet unproven - the reviews suggest it is slow. The M8.2 buys you nothing in terms of image quality improvement over the 8. The M9 is out of your price range. BTW - the M8 ( and I have had one for several years ) , though quirky, allows a photographer with vision to make beautiful, vibrant images with purpose. When your circumstances allow, you can always move "up"...but you just might find it isn't really necessary...nor "up". Also consider an M6 and some film...produced some of the finest, iconic images ever made. Just my 2 cents.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpattinson Posted January 20, 2010 Share #10 Posted January 20, 2010 I would buy a good second-hand M8 and a second-hand coded 28 summicron asph from a dealer who offers a warranty. IMHO, the quieter M8.2 shutter is overrated for actual street work, unless you count classical music performances or Sundays in church as major street shooting venues I've never had anyone react or comment on how noisy my M8 is while street shooting, or any other kind of shooting for that matter. The framelines take some getting used to, but the really bad ones on the M8 are the 75's and you want to use the 28mm, where assuming you are shooting stuff that moves in the street - the framing at the edges will be somewhat loose anyway. The 'noise' at 1250+ on the M8 is definitely present, but is much less offensive if you correctly expose and try to place important subject matter on the RHS of the histogram. If you generally post to the web, then unless your audience have 30" monitors then it probably won't really be much of an issue at all. I shoot with my M8 at 2500 very often, you can see the results here: Travelight - 2500iso with the M8 I certainly wouldn't trade my M8 for an X1 to get the high-iso noise performance of the X1. If you buy a M8 now, at a reasonable second-hand price, then when you want to trade up to a M9 it will have cost you a few hundred dollars to use it for a year or so. The major depreciation on the M8 has already happened. You might decide, as I have, that you're happy to keep on using your M8 until the inevitable M9.2 or M10 arrives That will save you a lot of money that can be used to travel with your camera and make photos Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckone77 Posted January 20, 2010 Share #11 Posted January 20, 2010 Hi there, thought about the same issue couple of months ago; started on a M7 4 years ago and purchased nice lenses; when going digial I decided for a M8 and take pics as long as the M8 will allow technically (electronics?!?) I decided to save the difference in price allowing me to travel for the money saved; having quality glass allows me taking very to great pics with the M8. My advice: Get an M8 and good lenses, the 28 Elmarit and a 50 Summicron or even a 50 Summilux; then take a look, if you need additional wide angle; then get an 21 Elmarit nd ask yourself the question again; if you have improved your photographical skills, maybe changed the way to photograph, then re-think a full frame rangefinder; until this time has come you will have plenty of time to learn, play and enjoy an M8 - that's my honest experience and I don't regret the M8 decision. Chris. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisC Posted January 20, 2010 Share #12 Posted January 20, 2010 ..... 90% of my photos are web postings only. The best ones I print....... Money is an object.... Mark - The noise you are concerned with is irrelevant for 90% of your work but might be an issue in large museum prints being prepared for sale to National Collections. It's probably not something you should be too concerned with. Especially as 'Money is an object' I heartily recommend you subscribe to Reid Reviews where a lot of solid reading on the camera and lenses of the digital 'M' system awaits you; it could well save you money on your lens purchase. [Good health to you Sean if you're looking in]. ................ Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markpsf Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share #13 Posted January 20, 2010 Thanks Chris. I guess I'll need to let go of that dream of being in the National Collections! I do subscribe to Sean Reid and am downloading info as I write. And I echo your get well wishes for Sean. Mark Mark - The noise you are concerned with is irrelevant for 90% of your work but might be an issue in large museum prints being prepared for sale to National Collections. It's probably not something you should be too concerned with. Especially as 'Money is an object' I heartily recommend you subscribe to Reid Reviews where a lot of solid reading on the camera and lenses of the digital 'M' system awaits you; it could well save you money on your lens purchase. [Good health to you Sean if you're looking in]. ................ Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted January 20, 2010 Share #14 Posted January 20, 2010 My key reservation relates to reports that there is a noise issue at 1250 ISO and above. Mark Ask yourself first how often you used film at ISO 1600 and faster..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted January 20, 2010 Share #15 Posted January 20, 2010 Ask yourself first how often you used film at ISO 1600 and faster..... Indeed, I do wonder about this new digital era obsession with high ISO's. I use Neopan 1600 sometimes for the effect but it is very rarely. The whole point of Leica M's are that they can be hand held at lower speeds than an SLR and the lenses are good wide open. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsrockit Posted January 20, 2010 Share #16 Posted January 20, 2010 Either choice you make will be fine for your needs. However, the M8 is the more versatile choice and probably the one you should buy. The M9 is great, but wouldn't you rather buy what is available now / what you can afford now and get to making photos? I say buy the M8 and a voigtlander or zeiss 28mm and save for the X1 as well! The M9 is too much of a luxury for amateurs unless you just have the expendable cash laying around and it's not needed for anything else. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianv Posted January 20, 2010 Share #17 Posted January 20, 2010 Prices for used M8's are hovering at the $2,000 mark. Prices have pretty much bottomed out. Buy one, use it as you save for an M9. Either sell the M8 for the final $1,500 or so toward the M9 later, or use it as a second body. Cheaper than renting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsrockit Posted January 20, 2010 Share #18 Posted January 20, 2010 Prices for used M8's are hovering at the $2,000 mark. Where? not on ebay, not at any dealers... where? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalfx Posted January 20, 2010 Share #19 Posted January 20, 2010 Where? not on ebay, not at any dealers... where? Ebay seems to average about $2300. I bought a very nice M8 from a dealer (400 actuations) for $2300 as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caparobertsan Posted January 21, 2010 Share #20 Posted January 21, 2010 I would go for m9 if I were you, no question here. Yes it is way too expensive!!! but, a lot other things are more expensive, too. eg, car, house, motor bike....... And yes that much of money on camera is hard to understand for many people. Including me. But I bought M8 in 2008. I have used money box to save money for M8 and M28/2.8 lens for 6 months. For M9 maybe 1 year..... I have sold everything I do`nt need in my house on xxxbay.That was how I got my money for them. And my house is much more tidy now. So it is possible for anyone with passion to get M9. SO good luck. Yes we can! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.