AlbertoDeRoma Posted February 1, 2010 Share #1 Posted February 1, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I've had my M8u (+28mm cron) for just a week. Until today, it had been week of rain and, mosty, gray and uninspiring weather. I used the few hours of dry weather to get some practice with my new toy, but I had been aching for a sunny day so I could shoot faster and walk around without worrying too much about my 'baby' getting soaked. That day was today. It was a glorious, mostly sunny, day in "The City" (i.e. San Francisco to us). My wife and I went down to the piers and walked for over 8 miles, some in touristy areas as well as some in back-alleys and streets in the bizness district. It took us 4 hours to walk those 8 miles because I cold not help but stop every few minutes to take pictures. I must confess that, being new to rangefinders (well, I had a Nikon F2 was I was a teen), the first 2-3 days with the M8 left me a bit worried about having bought into something that, perhaps, was not for me. Technology had moved on, why was I still shooting with a 'primitive', manual focus - and pricey to boot - range finder. Perhaps, I should not have bought into the hype. Perhaps, I should have stuck with my Digilux 2 (which I still love and plan to use a lot, BTW). Manual focus was a challenge. Having only a 28mm (OK, 38 or so with cropping) was a challenge. The noisier shutter (the D2 is really quiet) was a bit disturbing at first. However, with every passing day, I got a little better and a little bolder. More photos were in focus and I was getting used to 'imagining' the final picture without the help of a reflex mirror. I read a lot about RF street photography, practiced hyperfocal distance, and took much more care and thought before taking the picture. Today, on the streets of San Francisco, it all came together. I still have a ways to go, and it's too soon to say that my M8 and I are one, but we are getting there. Watching and photographing the world through the range finder is a very different and - to me - very fun way of taking pictures. All of a sudden, all the raving about RFs made sense to me. I get it now - and I am thrilled. My journey back into photography (which, for some reasons, had stalled with the purchase of my first DSLR - a Nikon D100 - several years ago) came back full circle - albeit in digital format - to my teens when I enjoyed my Nikon RF and even spent hours developing B&W film in my bathroom. I can see why some people don't get RF cameras: the prices, the limitations, the effort, etc. But I am sure glad I took a chance and discovered that I am not one of them today. I want to thank all the members of this forum for sharing their passion and expertise along with their photos. I also want to thank Leica for re-igniting my passion for photography - first with the D-Lux 4 (which I bought on a whim), then with the Digilux 2 and now with the M8. I've also fallen in love with the idea, thrills and possibilities of street photography. I will write another post about what I've learned about street-shooting on my outing today (along with some pics). In this post I wanted to focus on the camera - and the philosophy behind it - that makes it all possible. Thanks again Leica and thank y'all. Alberto Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 1, 2010 Posted February 1, 2010 Hi AlbertoDeRoma, Take a look here The M8st fun I have *ever* had with a camera. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
batmobile Posted February 1, 2010 Share #2 Posted February 1, 2010 Its goof to hear of someone who has caught the RF bug. Its not always entirely rational but its a wonderful way of working! I mainly shoot RF now, both 35mm and 120. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manolo Laguillo Posted February 2, 2010 Share #3 Posted February 2, 2010 You explain very well the feeling: it's very exciting to be in the street with a RF! The camera gives the opportunity to look and observe, it's going from passivity to activity, feeling yourself involved in what is happening. I'm happy to discover this after some decades of being a tripod photographer. Now I understand much better the way of working of the masters (Cartier-Bresson, Frank, Klein, Winogrand). Friedlander is something special. It's interesting, it's the opposite from the evolution Joel Meyerowitz made (he went from the Leica to the 8x10 Deardorff). Let me tell you: there is this wonderful conversation between Meyerowitz and Colin Westerbeck in the book "A History of Street Photography", where Meyerowitz tells the story of his beginnings in photography, when he went with Winogrand to the streets of NYC. Do you know this text? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbertoDeRoma Posted February 2, 2010 Author Share #4 Posted February 2, 2010 Let me tell you: there is this wonderful conversation between Meyerowitz and Colin Westerbeck in the book "A History of Street Photography", where Meyerowitz tells the story of his beginnings in photography, when he went with Winogrand to the streets of NYC. Do you know this text? Sounds like a great book. I'll look it up. Thanks, Alberto Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Per P. Posted February 3, 2010 Share #5 Posted February 3, 2010 Alberto, Last year I landed on the exact same slippery path as you. DL-4.... Great camera, lemme see what else they've got.... Hmmmm Digilux 2 looks interesting.... HOW MUCH for 5MP??? Now, who's this Torsten guy..... His photo's are amazing.... Digilux 2 is a classic, I'm so glad I bought it.... Now, should I take the big plunge and get an M8 or not...... I'll jump..... No, wait, the M9 is coming.... Never mind, I don't want to wait.... Wow, this is VERY different, I wonder if I can get used to it..... What's that thing in the corner of the viewfinder... Actually, it's a lot of fun - and so great to travel with.... Yes, THIS is how it should be.... Anyone want to buy my EOS???? When can I get the M9 please??? The passion and joy of photography without technology getting in the way that I have enjoyed since joining The Club is fantastic. Even if membership fee's are steep. The M9 is clearly not necessary, but as a friend of mine used to say "I don't care if I need it - I want it, and I'll buy it" Thanks for sharing your enjoyment, Per. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbertoDeRoma Posted February 3, 2010 Author Share #6 Posted February 3, 2010 Alberto, Last year I landed on the exact same slippery path as you. DL-4.... Great camera, lemme see what else they've got.... Hmmmm Digilux 2 looks interesting.... HOW MUCH for 5MP??? Now, who's this Torsten guy..... His photo's are amazing.... Digilux 2 is a classic, I'm so glad I bought it.... Now, should I take the big plunge and get an M8 or not...... I'll jump..... No, wait, the M9 is coming.... Never mind, I don't want to wait.... Wow, this is VERY different, I wonder if I can get used to it..... What's that thing in the corner of the viewfinder... Actually, it's a lot of fun - and so great to travel with.... Yes, THIS is how it should be.... Anyone want to buy my EOS???? When can I get the M9 please??? The passion and joy of photography without technology getting in the way that I have enjoyed since joining The Club is fantastic. Even if membership fee's are steep. The M9 is clearly not necessary, but as a friend of mine used to say "I don't care if I need it - I want it, and I'll buy it" Thanks for sharing your enjoyment, Per. Thank you for sharing your "parallel tale" Per. I have a feeling that both of us will take the inevitable M9 step - whether we need it or not. But I must say that, for my needs and skill level, the M8 is more than enough, so the desire for an M9 is not 'burning hot'. Somehow, I never got too excited about landscape photography, or portraits, etc., but I am really, REALLY, getting into street photography. Those are the photos that usually make me stop and look. Furthermore, since they represent a unique moment in time, they don't run the risk of being as cliche' as, say, yet another picture of the Golden Gate bridge. For that the M8 works great. The main reason I'd go for an M9 is the ISO ... I could use a couple of extra stops - especially for night-time street photography. Alberto Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianv Posted February 3, 2010 Share #7 Posted February 3, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Alberto- I suspect your Nikon RF was a Nikon S2. If you have any of the lenses from it, you can get an adapter to use them with the M8. I will be trying my S-Mount lenses on the M8 soon enough. This is with the Nikkor-S 5cm f2 in LTM, a lens you might have used on your S2. I keep one in S-Mount on a Nikon SP. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roanjohn Posted February 3, 2010 Share #8 Posted February 3, 2010 It's fun reading your impressions. I think we are on the same boat :-) Haven't really taken my newly acquired m8 on a spin yet but will try to do it this w/e when I head to New Orleans. BTW, where are the photos? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbertoDeRoma Posted February 3, 2010 Author Share #9 Posted February 3, 2010 It's fun reading your impressions. I think we are on the same boat :-) Haven't really taken my newly acquired m8 on a spin yet but will try to do it this w/e when I head to New Orleans. BTW, where are the photos? Since it's not kosher to post just photos here, I put the results of my first proper "street shooting outing" on the photo forum. Here's the link. Thanks, Alberto Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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