jaapv Posted January 19, 2011 Share #41 Posted January 19, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) my card IS 4GB. so that could account for it? what should i set the JPEG/RAW to? and the battery indicator? i charged it up fully last night and the indicator is already going down. do i need a brand new battery? i have no idea how old the current one is since (as i said) i bought it used. thanks again In that case you probably have the quality set to jpg small -certainly suboptimal. Set to DNG! The life of the battery can be extended if you set the camera to auto shutoff and the LCD screen off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 19, 2011 Posted January 19, 2011 Hi jaapv, Take a look here M8 for beginning rangefinder photography?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Want-a-leica Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share #42 Posted January 24, 2011 I figured I should make another appearance in this thread, given that I started it. I had my first "test drive" of an M8 today. There's a camera store pretty near me and they have a demonstration model which has had a full Leica service, so it's not far from brand new status. I asked the guy (in a "no way is he going to say yes" tone) if there was any chance I could have a look at it (it was boxed and sealed). He said "oh yeah, sure" and pulled it out of the cabinet:) Gotta love the Japanese. He let me stick a 50mm lens on it and take a bunch of pictures. There wasn't a memory card to hand so I couldn't check what I was taking, and it was pretty hard to make anything out on the screen anyway, but given that it was the first time I've ever handled one, I can absolutely see where the attraction comes from. Most of the pictures I took were horrible, but that's down to my inexperience with rangefinders. The M8 has such a solid feel to it and while the shutter isn't as quiet as I'd imagined, it's certainly not loud. And it's just different to using a DSLR. The renewed interest in the M8 came after seeing what this guy does with it on Flickr Flickr: Gérald Verdon Photo's Photostream Some of his "people" shots are just gorgeous. That being said, the price that the shop had set for the camera alone is 350,000 yen (at today's rates that's 2,600 UK pounds or around 4200 US dollars). The lens is another 90,000 on top of that. Owch. Even if I sold my (very nice) Canon gear I'd still be pushing the limits of financial common sense...but damn me if I'm not smitten. There are M8s going for significantly less than that on ebay and Yahoo auctions in Japan, so I'm going to keep a look out. If it was financially feasible I would probably have done it today. One weird thing I noticed while playing around with it in the store is that you don't seem to be able to set black and white as the default saturation setting when you've set the quality to DNG (which, according to every man and his dog is the ONLY setting you should be using with the M8). DNG plus JPEG was fine, but doesn't that mean I'm recording two of everything? Seems kind of wasteful. Another interesting point was when I asked the guy if the lens would need to be 6-bit coded, and he said, in essence, "no, don't bother, it's fine without". That's not the impression I get, but then again I'm still pretty new to the whole Leica experience. Anyway. I'm definitely on the way to catching "the bug". Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil_SI Posted January 24, 2011 Share #43 Posted January 24, 2011 Those are really nice photos on that FlickR link. My own search is kind of on hold at this moment in time, but the good thing about that is I am continuing to save money to make this a reality at some point in the future. It will help me increase my options, in terms of either going for an M8 or M8.2 and/or some great glass to go with it when I do. I've been paying close attention to the market here and have noted some interesting trends in terms of prices and how fast (or rather how slowly) the dealers shift their pre-owned stock versus buying on somewhere like eBay. Once you've had a play with one though, it's so hard not to be tempted into splashing out right away. I've really had to resist doing that, particularly as Red Dot Cameras is just 2 minutes walk away. The prices you mention seem higher than what they are here in the UK, more like what an M8.2 would cost here. The one thing that's stuck in my mind however is I'm not about to sell any of my Nikon gear. I see this any purchase as a companion and just another method of taking photos in a different way and hopefully to improve my versatility and photography. I love to try and learn new things, so it's very appealing in that sense. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brunop Posted January 26, 2011 Share #44 Posted January 26, 2011 probably a dumb question! but i'll post it here as i am a rank beginner. does one focus through a viewfinder? i mean a viewfinder mounted on the hot shoe? or do es one just "line up" the shot and then focus through the camera body viewfinder? thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christoph13 Posted January 26, 2011 Share #45 Posted January 26, 2011 brunop when using focal lengths of 24mm and longer on an M8, you line up and focus while looking through the cameras viewfinder. There is no need to use a separate viewfinder in the camera's hot shoe in this case. For shorter lenses the field of view offered by the cameras viewfinder is too narrow (i.e. does not cover everything that will be on the photo), hence you must either guess how much wider than 24mm it will be or look through an additional viewfinder to line up the photograph. Focussing using the split image view can only be done in the cameras viewfinder, but with very short focal lengths people often just set a general ballpark figure in terms of distance to the subject and rely on the generous depth of field. Hope this helps Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brunop Posted January 26, 2011 Share #46 Posted January 26, 2011 christoph. you totally answered my question. thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil_SI Posted January 26, 2011 Share #47 Posted January 26, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Wow... What impulse and spur of the moment actions can do to a man, eh? Today I visited Red Dot Cameras to check out the difference between an M8 and an M8.2 and did not have any intention of buying one to begin with, but I came out with a black M8 in my hands! I have to say the guys in there were superb to deal with. They were really friendly and very helpful with all my questions and just general chit-chat about photography. The only downside about all of this is I amazingly walked out without a lens. So here I am with this amazing piece of kit, but still no way to use it. Now I need to figure out what lens I want. I almost bought the Summarit 35mm f/2.5, but I wasn't sure if it would irritate me not having f/2 or f/1.4. Perhaps I should go for a VC lens to begin with and my budget could probably stretch to a new Summarit 35mm f/2.5 or similar...decisions decisions and I need to make them soon because I want to play with this thing! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Want-a-leica Posted January 26, 2011 Author Share #48 Posted January 26, 2011 Wow... What impulse and spur of the moment actions can do to a man, eh? Today I visited Red Dot Cameras to check out the difference between an M8 and an M8.2 and did not have any intention of buying one to begin with, but I came out with a black M8 in my hands! I have to say the guys in there were superb to deal with. They were really friendly and very helpful with all my questions and just general chit-chat about photography. The only downside about all of this is I amazingly walked out without a lens. So here I am with this amazing piece of kit, but still no way to use it. Now I need to figure out what lens I want. I almost bought the Summarit 35mm f/2.5, but I wasn't sure if it would irritate me not having f/2 or f/1.4. Perhaps I should go for a VC lens to begin with and my budget could probably stretch to a new Summarit 35mm f/2.5 or similar...decisions decisions and I need to make them soon because I want to play with this thing! Hehe, I just looked at their website and the M8 I was eyeing is no longer there. Must be the one you picked up. Hope you have fun with it, I've got several other options I'm looking at too... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil_SI Posted January 27, 2011 Share #49 Posted January 27, 2011 Aww, I'm sorry about that if it was! I highly recommend them though, they are very thorough and clearly into their photography as well as their business. I didn't actually mention my experience of the M8.2. I did like it a lot, the covering was 'different' and more classic like Leica film cameras. I've no idea if it's better to use or not, but the big difference was the shutter. The M8.2's shutter is incredibly much, much quieter than the M8. I can see why it's a deal breaker for some, but hey, if it really bothers me that much I can still get mine upgraded. It's something I'll think about should mine ever need to go back to Solms for repairs. I still think I prefer the look of the silver M8's actually. I like both now and like the black version far more in the flesh than in the photos I've seen. But in the end, I thought the stealthier look was more sensible for me at this time. If I ever get an M9, I'll go silver. I'm still no nearer to knowing what lens to buy...but I hope to have somehow come to a conclusion tomorrow and grab something. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil_SI Posted January 27, 2011 Share #50 Posted January 27, 2011 Here is a quick test shot I took of my friend Okwaeze while we were there... Sadly I can't remember what lens or settings I used at the time. I think it was the Leitz Summicron f/2. This was just a JPG, I've not worked out how to change it to DNG yet and can't seem to find the compression option in the menu! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Want-a-leica Posted January 27, 2011 Author Share #51 Posted January 27, 2011 Aww, I'm sorry about that if it was! Ha, no problem. If it's not rude to ask, was it going for 1649 GBP unboxed? (because that was the one I was checking out and it's not on their site anymore). Don't answer that if you don't want to though. I'm still eyeing the one that's for sale in my town. More expensive, but I've already tried it out, and if I get it and it goes wrong I can get on my bicycle and take it to them rather than have to spend God knows how much posting it here and there. For all that I'm sure that Red Dot are excellent, there's something to be said for buying a camera you've already handled. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil_SI Posted January 27, 2011 Share #52 Posted January 27, 2011 No problem at all. That wasn't the one I bought, the one I got was actually cheaper than that. I was in there for a good hour (just before they closed) and was the only person there with my friend, but it's possible somebody ordered it online. The one I bought was only listed earlier today and I went to check it out because it was cheaper than the others. It was more used, but not in a way that bothered me at all. Around the rim of the top plate, the black markings are slightly faded to silver and the LCD isn't tip-top but no actual scratches, just a used look. Some of the white paint for the letters are showing a little wear. The others they had, looked practically brand new (in the price range you spoke of) and when I get a chance, I'll take some pictures of mine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesk8752 Posted January 27, 2011 Share #53 Posted January 27, 2011 Congratulations, Neil! You have now joined the great Leica fraternity. Have fun, take lots of pictures, and learn to get the most out of your gear. Now dig into your pocket and buy a lens or two. if you buy one, I suggest a 35mm; if two, a 28mm and a 50mm. Whatever you do, don't fall prey to GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) as I have. In December 2009 I bought my first Leica, a IIIf with 50mm collapsible Summicron. Now I have a ton of Leica gear (see my sig) but I find myself using the M8.2 and 35 mm Summarit most of the time. The rest of it sits in one of my display cases! Regards, Jim Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil_SI Posted January 27, 2011 Share #54 Posted January 27, 2011 Thanks James. Wow, that's quite the collection you have there! Well, I've ummed and ahhed all night and this morning. I was going to go for the 35mm Summarit f/2.5, but I think I will pick up a good used CV 28mm Ultron f/2. This should allow me to learn the ropes so to speak and then I can pick up that Summarit once my bank account has recovered somewhat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brunop Posted January 27, 2011 Share #55 Posted January 27, 2011 yet another novice question. do those lens coding kits really work? are they worth it? or is it almost as easy to try coding the lenses myself? thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesk8752 Posted January 27, 2011 Share #56 Posted January 27, 2011 yet another novice question. do those lens coding kits really work? are they worth it? or is it almost as easy to try coding the lenses myself? thanks! The kits work after a fashion. You need to be very careful in lining up the coding marks using the template, and you may have to do a little extra blackening afterwards. On lenses with a flat flange the coding will wear off as you put the lens on and off the camera several times, and you will need to re-blacken the coding marks. I'd suggest carrying a marker pen with you in your shooting bag. You may need to carefully clean the photodiode array on the camera flange if some of the black ink builds up on it. I've never tried coding a lens by hand without a template, but I'm sure that it is a very fussy job and would require some "cut and try" before it would work properly. Of course, I'm an older guy with shaky hands... Some of the more recent Zeiss and C-V lenses have a small "stepdown" around the outer edge of the flange which protects the hand coding marks from rubbing off. I believe that Zeiss sells these for their ZM lenses if you are willing to change the flange yourself (or perhaps Zeiss will do it - for a fee, of course). All that being said, I use a number of template hand-coded lenses with success on my M8.2, although permanently-coded lenses are more foolproof to use. Regards, Jim Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbbeyFoto Posted January 27, 2011 Share #57 Posted January 27, 2011 I've been looking around on ebay and other auction sites and used M8s are starting to fall within my kind of price range. Mine is a M8.2 but I am sure my comments apply to the M8. A second hand M8 that has not been professionally abused is a great photographic tool. Being a rangefinder is one element but if this to be an introduction to Leica M then beware the big pull is Leica M lenses. If you go for it decide on lens or lenses to go with it. Then decide. Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbbeyFoto Posted January 27, 2011 Share #58 Posted January 27, 2011 That being said, the price that the shop had set for the camera alone is 350,000 yen (at today's rates that's 2,600 UK pounds or around 4200 US dollars). The lens is another 90,000 on top of that. Owch. .....Anyway. I'm definitely on the way to catching "the bug". Yep it is a bug, but it can be an expensive bug. No chance you can use a film camera to explore Leica rangefinder? Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Want-a-leica Posted January 30, 2011 Author Share #59 Posted January 30, 2011 Well, barring my bank being incredibly incompetent (which is well within the range of possibility), I hope to have my M8 delivered within the next week to ten days (in time for a trip to northern Japan, no less). I was at a local camera dealer today and they have a few rather nice looking M lenses at a ten percent discount until January ends....tomorrow, in other words. My master plan is to end up with the M8 (already ordered), a decent lens to start with, and with the remaining money to get a slightly older Canon for stuff the M8 probably won't do so well (sports, super-tele, etc). I do a semi regular shoot with a parkour group, and much as I'd love to try the M8 with that, I don't think it would work:D The lenses in particular I saw were these, and I'd like to get your opinions on them: Elmarit M28 F2.8 (this looks basically brand new, has a hood, and that cool-as-all-get-out finger thing you use to focus). It is also the cheapest of the three, not by a great amount, but it's still the cheapest. And the most beautiful to look at. Summilux M50 F1.4 (this looks considerably older, the glass looks clean though; 1.4 is nice, but I don't know how necessary it will be. I looked them up online and I think it's either from the 1992-2004 selection: the "feet" markings are in yellow) Elmarit M21 F2.8. Looks in pretty good condition, not as brand new as the 28, but pretty decent. The 50 and the 21 are almost the same price. The problem I have is that I can't try them out because my M8 won't be delivered for a few days yet, and the offer ends tomorrow. I've bought from this store before with no problems at all, so I really don't imagine there'll be much wrong with the lenses. My gut reaction is to go for the 28 (which will pan out as more or less a 35 on the M8), but that's basically because it looks so nice. The 50 would be my second choice, but that would end up as a 65, which might be too long. The 28 (apparently) also takes a 39 UV filter, one of which I just happened to see in another local store here. (E39 UV - is that the one I'd use to avoid the magenta shift?) I also read that the 28 won't block the viewfinder on an M8 because of the crop factor, which is good. I imagine a lens that did that would drive me mad and I'm not going to be able to get an external viewfinder in time for the trip. Appreciate any firm suggestions. I'm leaning against the 21 only because it'll need an external finder (AFAIK), and pulling strongly for the 28, unless someone can convince me that the 50 is that much better. Thanks, once again. I haven't even got the camera yet and I've learned a ton from this place:) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted January 30, 2011 Share #60 Posted January 30, 2011 Seeing bits of the camera in the viewfinder comes with the territory with just about any rangefinder camera. If you think it'll drive you mad, stick with a SLR. I hardly ever use a 50mm lens on my M8; it seems too long for a "standard" lens but too short for anything else. But I can imagine it would be good for parkour, giving you dramatic perspectives without having to get suicidally close. For me, the 21mm (28mm FF equivalent) would be too wide to have as my only lens. Which leaves the 28. You need a UV/IR filter for the M8, not an ordinary UV filter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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