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What have I done...


carcam

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I just spent $12k on my first Leica - M8 with 50 lux, 21 EL and accessories. No auto focus, magenta, cyan- drift, unavailable filters, etc. Mixed reviews... My wife thinks I'm crazy- the 5D will feel left out now.

 

But I LOVE this camera! Haven't been so excited since my early days with the manual 35mm's in the 60's. The dSLR's made me a little lazy- shooting hundreds of shots for the few good ones. Now I get to think more about each picture, be more deliberate. I love the Leica look too and now realize the feel and mystique that has fueled this passion for a seemingly primitive camera compared to the high tech dSLR's. ( I know it's not really low-tech).

 

I wonder if my wife will notice a couple more lens coming in the mail... Sure would like the 24/2 and 75 cron.

 

I thank this forum and all you that contribute to it. It is a wonderful source of information and can't imagine enjoying this system as much without it.

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She'll notice. When the boxes arrive now, I say "they're just a couple of accessories." The key thing is to beat them to the Amex bill when it comes in the mail...I was out shooting my 135mm apo accessory this morning, and it's quite nice, though I still haven't gotten the framing in my head.

 

JC

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The dSLR's made me a little lazy- shooting hundreds of shots for the few good ones. Now I get to think more about each picture, be more deliberate.

 

It's digital, you'll end up lazy-shooting regardless. It is the manual focus that make you feel more involved. Did you try manual lenses on 5D? I am loving it...

 

What attracts me most about M8 is the compact size that produces rediculously high quaity pictures, but I give 70% of techanical-credit to the M lenses.

 

Now's let's see the pictures that are "deliberate". Please..... no "test shots" let's leave it to the Pros.

 

Cheers.

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Congratulations on your new arrival, I understand exactly your feelings v dSLR.

Your choice of lenses are excellent, 21 for a full viewfinder view and the 50'lux for more intimate framing.

 

Play with the frame line selector over the next few weeks to get a feel for the field of view of other lenses that may be on your list. While your shooting with the 21 you'll see the 28/90 frame lines anyway and shooting with the 50 you'll have the 75 in the viewfinder also.

I'm inclined to agree with Carsten about the 28 being a nice filler between 21 & 50. I happen to have the 35'lux as a filler between these 2 focal lengths and it can sometimes be a little tight to frame for indoor groups or as a general walk about lens but other than that it's a superb lens and very usable @ f/1.4.

 

The 75 is also an excellent lens, a sister to the 50'lux in the optical formula which looks very much the same except for 1 element less. I'd consider carefully the choice of 50 and 75 as they are very close and it's easy to compensate with a little foot zoom. Perhaps consider the 90 Apo Asph.

 

Either way enjoy your time with the M8 and discovering the optical qualities these lenses impart :)

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Thanks for the warm welcome. Can't wait to get some more shooting time and agonize over which lens(es) to get next. I do need something between the 21 and 50 and the 28 makes sense but I really like the low light capability of the 35/1.4... I was leaning towards the 75 instead of the 90 because I heard it was much easier to focus. Part of the frustration is that there are no stores within hours of where I live to try out lenses and the those stores don't even have much of a stock. Thank goodness for mailorder. I appreciate all the input. Now if I can learn how to post picutres...

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... Sure would like the 24/2 ... QUOTE]

 

My ear hears from your typo that you want a faster, wide lens, too. The 24 is a 2.8 so, tho a great lens, it's slower than I would like.

 

I started a thread intended to petition Leica to make a faster, wide lens and there is only some support on that thread. C'mon, vote with your typo. Let's get that 24mm f1.4 asph lens!

 

I'm on record on the Forum as having said that the M8 will be required for all pro photog's within 2 years. If this turns only turns out to be partly true, then Leica will be even more famous than now, will have lots of income, and will be able to indulge all our fancies.

 

In terms of your "what have I done," you've done just the right thing. I was with a friend over the weekend who wanted to "see" the M8 before he takes a loaner on a trip to Antarctica. After a very short hour-and-a-half, during which he took the picture I am using for my avatar, it became very clear that he was already mentally looking for his checkbook.

 

When Time mag does a Camera of the Year cover, it'll feature the M8.

 

Regards,

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Guest WPalank
I was with a friend over the weekend who wanted to "see" the M8 before he takes a loaner on a trip to Antarctica.

Bill, just a bit off-topic [apologies to the webbie ;:rolleyes: ]. Will your friend be taking the Antartica trip with the Reichmann group? If so, please tell him to hang around my friend Stephen Johnson who is one of the intructors and recently wrote a very popular book on Digital Photography. He is a pixel peeper and a very, very smart and talented man. Cheers!

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As far as new lenses go, do like me, have them delivered to the office, where they quietly find their way into the camera bag. A box arrived today with a 28/2.8 ASPH and an extra battery. I'll have to bring my camera bag to work with me tomorrow. I know how you feel about the 5D - I may as well put mine on the display shelf next to my 40's era Agfa 8Xx10 view camera as it probably won't see much use in the future.

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As far as new lenses go, do like me, have them delivered to the office, where they quietly find their way into the camera bag. A box arrived today with a 28/2.8 ASPH and an extra battery. I'll have to bring my camera bag to work with me tomorrow. I know how you feel about the 5D - I may as well put mine on the display shelf next to my 40's era Agfa 8Xx10 view camera as it probably won't see much use in the future.

 

 

Delivered to the office- brilliant! I'm learning more and more from this board all the time. I bet I can use the macro for surgery and even get the office to pay for it.

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I get the feeling most wives and partners are very understanding of the Leica affliction. When I bought my M8 the lady in my life was not surprised, even when I had complained about its initial problems. All she said to me was: "we both knew it was only a matter of time."

 

Enjoy the camera, I share your feelings. I haven't been this excited over a camera since I was a kid.

 

Cheers,

Wilfredo+

Benitez-Rivera Photography

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It is a wierd thing....I gave up film sometime in around 75 and got back into camera's when digital entered the picture mid 80s ...short attention span...and have owned everything credible since ...but this Leica M thing is different....I think if I had used an M film camera I would have not stopped but who knows ...when I got my M8 and keep in mind I have owned them all and still own a Nikon D200, Nikon D2x and a Nikon D70 (all of them are collecting dust) The Leica M8 is different ....it's not just a camera it's a part of your personality ...I know this sounds strange but it is ...I treat it like my Amex card ..I never leave home without it.

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