Want-a-leica Posted April 11, 2011 Share #1 Posted April 11, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Currently I own an M8 and one lens (a Voigtlander Nokton 50mm 1.5, which is very nice). I'm debating my next move. I'm going to Paris and the UK in August and I want to take something along to document the trip. I've developed this totally illogical fascination with the Digilux 2, which sounds like a classic case of a camera that you want despite itself (in other words, it has 5mp, most people don't recommend using it above ISO 100 and it is slow as an amputee turtle..but produces killer shots from JPEG, let alone RAW). Alternatively, I could scrap that idea and get a wide lens for the M8 (something like a 15mm Heliar mk 2, or an Elmarit 21 or 28, that kind of thing). Logic says a second camera is more secure than a second lens, in that if the M8 screws up then it doesn't matter how many lenses I have for it). I'm definitely gravitating towards the Digilux 2, but just wanted to hear some ideas for, against, or couldn't-care-either-way. Amuse me, flame me, but inform me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 11, 2011 Posted April 11, 2011 Hi Want-a-leica, Take a look here Digilux 2 or new lens for M8? . I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
andybarton Posted April 11, 2011 Share #2 Posted April 11, 2011 On the assumption that you cannot afford both, long term, which is likely to feature more in your bag? The M8 or a D2? Is an M9 on your wish list at some stage? I would buy another lens for the M8, but I'm lucky enough to have several cameras on the shelf to choose from already. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Want-a-leica Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted April 11, 2011 On the assumption that you cannot afford both, long term, which is likely to feature more in your bag? The M8 or a D2? Is an M9 on your wish list at some stage? I would buy another lens for the M8, but I'm lucky enough to have several cameras on the shelf to choose from already. Good questions. I love the M8, but if the D2 is even close to as good as it is claimed to be on here, I could see it being a great second camera, plus it has a more than decent lens plus a good zoom range. And it doesn't turn blacks into purple:) The question is IQ. I've seen some brilliant pictures taken with the Digilux 2, and while I never forget the old "it's the photographer, not the camera" line, that camera does seem to have something special about it. As for the M9, it's a financial pipe dream at the moment, and given that I'm more than happy with the pictures my M8 generates (apart from the purples), then I'm not going to be in a hurry to upgrade. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jippiejee Posted April 11, 2011 Share #4 Posted April 11, 2011 I'm certainly the wrong person to ask since I just love my digilux 2, how it handles, how it fits into your hand, the IQ, and certainly the autofocus because that's something you enjoy now and then as M8 shooter too. I bought mine for €350 with a refurbished sensor, certainly cheaper than a new lens for the M8. They'd go nicely together, digilux-2 for the zoom autofocus experience, M8 for the great fixed lens manual focus shots. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted April 11, 2011 Share #5 Posted April 11, 2011 2nd lens. Otherwise you not only have to carry two cameras, but two battery chargers and spare batteries as well. A Voigtlander wide will be about the same price as a Digilux 2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted April 11, 2011 Share #6 Posted April 11, 2011 I have both cameras. Each has unique merits. If image quality is important to you, get a second lens for the M8. I would suggest a current 28 ASPH Elmarit, or the displaced version. The current one will be coded which is important for that focal length and is a superb performer. In due time, if you buy an M9, the 28mm will continue to be a superb lens in your set and will hold its value. My Digilux 2 is still in use, but mainly for home and personal family shots. It has long been replaced for more serious photography. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted April 11, 2011 Share #7 Posted April 11, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) The Digilux 2 has the worst viewfinder I've ever used, with the possible exception of the little reflex finders on box cameras from 50 or 100 years ago. It removed almost all pleasure from using the one I owned. Even the excellent lens and image quality (for a 5MP camera) didn't make up for it. I was very happy to trade it in when I bought a Nikon D200. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solar B Posted April 11, 2011 Share #8 Posted April 11, 2011 I found the Digilux 2 to be quite capable and loved the lens but i just could not get on with the rest of the camera for some reason ? I sometimes find myself hankering after one when i see a cheap one up for grabs. For some bizzare reason i was able to obtain more natural looking pictures with my Digilux 1 , and iam therefore more inclined to buy another one of those instead. Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted April 11, 2011 Share #9 Posted April 11, 2011 If you're considering a used 21 or 28 Elmarit you could probably buy a D2 and a used CV 15/4.5 Heliar for about the same money, so why not get both? Incidentally I notice that you've said Mk2 Heliar rather than the Mk1 but don't dismiss the Mk1 out of hand. It's a superb performer (I don't have a Mk2 so I can't compare their performance) is tiny and light and LTM for when you eventually buy a Leica LTM camera. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Want-a-leica Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted April 12, 2011 The Digilux 2 has the worst viewfinder I've ever used, with the possible exception of the little reflex finders on box cameras from 50 or 100 years ago. It removed almost all pleasure from using the one I owned. Even the excellent lens and image quality (for a 5MP camera) didn't make up for it. I was very happy to trade it in when I bought a Nikon D200. That bad, eh? If there's any one thing that is offputting about this camera, it's that it has an EVF. The first time I ever tested out an EVF camera, I didn't like it at all. Felt just wrong. If you're very quick with manual focusing, does an EVF still get in the way? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecaton Posted April 12, 2011 Share #11 Posted April 12, 2011 2nd lens. As nice a camera as it is, the DL2 IQ can't touch the one produced by the M8. And secondly an M lens will keep its value, whereas DL2 prices have gone to levels which won't be sustainable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted April 12, 2011 Share #12 Posted April 12, 2011 That bad, eh? If there's any one thing that is offputting about this camera, it's that it has an EVF. The first time I ever tested out an EVF camera, I didn't like it at all. Felt just wrong. If you're very quick with manual focusing, does an EVF still get in the way? The EVF is perhaps the D2's least pleasing feature but bear in mind that it's 2004 techonology. I've used the D2 for a number of years and I have to admit that I don't notice the EVF much anymore. Perhaps my D2's have trained me! If you have Focus Assist switched on (like some other cameras) when you move the focussing ring on the lens the view in the EVF will enlarge by 2 or 4 times (selectable) which slows manual focus. If Focus Assist is not switched on and you pan quickly from side to side the lag in the EVF can be irritating. The D2 is a camera that can irritate at first but that deeply endears itself to you after a while when you understand how it works best. (Just ask the many D2 supporters on this forum.) If you have the patience then the D2 will pay you back many times over. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Want-a-leica Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share #13 Posted April 12, 2011 If Focus Assist is not switched on and you pan quickly from side to side the lag in the EVF can be irritating.Pete. That sounds like the "jelly effect" that people talk about when they use DSLRs for shooting video and pan quickly. That would probably drive me up the wall. I appreciate all the replies in this thread. This is a good group of people! Drawing conclusions from what I've read on here so far, the Digilux 2 is a fine camera in its own right but it won't match the M8 in terms of photo quality and has a potentially irritating EVF. That sound right? I have to say that if I found one going for a really cheap price I'd be inclined to at least try it out, but while they still top out at the price of a decent new lens, it's more than I'd want to spend on it. We'll see how things pan out, pardon the pun. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramosa Posted April 12, 2011 Share #14 Posted April 12, 2011 It comes down to what direction in the future you want to take: 1) RF, or 2) D2. If you like your M8 and want to continue with it, I would strongly recommend another lens. For Paris, a 28 would be a great one. Then you'd have a 28 and 50, which are excellent focal lengths for street work on an M8. I have both, plus an 80. By the way, my 28 is an Elmarit. It's a fine lense, very compact, though there have been a few instances when I would have liked it to be faster. If you plan to keep with an RF, get an Elmarit 28--and enjoy Paris. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reading Posted April 14, 2011 Share #15 Posted April 14, 2011 Get a second lens. I have a D2 and it is very tactile, but the sensor is quite old and and is not very good in low light the grain becomes very noticeable in those circumstances. In your situation I would by a 24mm equivalent for your M8, you will get much better results, I find the D2 is just not wide enough for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.