ylianos Posted February 12, 2007 Share #41 Posted February 12, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I recently acquired a Leica M8 with the 28mm 2.8 and the SB24D flash. I have dreamed of a Leica for about 20 years without being able to afford one.I thought the M8 is going to be it. After a few days of usage, I must say that I have serious doubt about my purchase. Amir Did you know what a rangefinder was before buying an M8? The M8 is definitely not for you if you look for features available in SLR systems... What a Leica M is good for? Anything else other than sports, flash photography and telephoto. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 12, 2007 Posted February 12, 2007 Hi ylianos, Take a look here Is the Leica M8 worth it. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
RSL Posted February 12, 2007 Share #42 Posted February 12, 2007 Thank you for your reply. Provided I keep the M8, what kind of photography is it good for. What did you mean by getting into RF photography. Amir Rangefinder cameras are good for one thing: street photography, which includes shots of people on and off the street in their normal pursuits, rather than posed shots. Nothing else can come close to a rangefinder for that incredibly satisfying kind of photography. If you try to do street photography with, say, a D2X, the size of the camera and the noise of the mirror are offputting to the people you're trying to approach. As soon as they see the camera they're no longer engaged in their normal pursuits. For street work you need a camera that's small, black and quiet. That said, for almost everything else a fine SLR like the D2X is by far the better choice. You can do work such as weddings, architecture, wildlife, sports, etc., with a rangefinder but doing that is like the old story about teaching a pig to dance: you can do it, but the result isn't all that good and it annoys the pig. The most important thing is to use the right tool for the job. If you love street photography, as I do, then the rangefinder is the best tool. But keep your SLR for everything else. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted February 12, 2007 Share #43 Posted February 12, 2007 What a Leica M is good for? Anything else other than sports, flash photography and telephoto. And macro :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted February 12, 2007 Share #44 Posted February 12, 2007 Can't agree Russell, it's everything between 15mm and 90mm for me. The M8 has been like meeting an old friend again. I guess what I really mean is that it's a personal thing, for me the M8 gets me back into using the M system on a regular basis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSL Posted February 12, 2007 Share #45 Posted February 12, 2007 Can't agree Russell, it's everything between 15mm and 90mm for me. The M8 has been like meeting an old friend again. I guess what I really mean is that it's a personal thing, for me the M8 gets me back into using the M system on a regular basis. Steve, I had an M2, M4 and IIIf for years back in the sixties and early seventies. Took the M4 to Southeast Asia for two different one-year tours and shot thousands of frames. I loved that camera, but when I moved into a house where I couldn't set up a darkroom I sold all three of my Leicas, my Rolliflex, and my 4 x 5 view camera. So when Leica came out with the M8 I was ready to pounce. But then I began to read about the problems with the camera. Finally I decided to wait until Leica fixes the camera, and bought a refurb R-D1 to do street work. Even the R-D1 is like an old friend, but I wouldn't give up my D2X for anything. It's almost useless for street work, but it's the right choice for everything besides street work. I just started a new thread on RangeFinder Forum in the R-D1 forum titled "The Right Camera for the Job" that illustrated what I'm talking about. I love the feel of a rangefinder in my hand, and I loved the Leica M4 very much, but I love pictures even more, and some pictures simply require an SLR. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Roberts Posted February 12, 2007 Share #46 Posted February 12, 2007 Russell-- Also don't agree at all about weddings, though I realize I'm in a minority there. But to the extent you want to blend in and document the event, as opposed to pose people endlessly, a rangefinder, and now the M8, is by far the finer, less conspicuous, and more versatile tool, IMO. I also have dSLRs for posed group shots, where I want to make sure the framing is adequate, or for sports-event type speed. But you know what? Between me and you, with the LCD, I no longer really have to worry about it, and since I'm not one of those shooters who "shoots first and thinks in post" I don't even need the speed of capture that a 1d2 has (though faster than the M8 would be nice, it's buffer-flushing I'm talking about there). I could even see this camera being used for architecture shots if there was a T/S lens. The wides are all wonderfully corrected, even the inexpensive CV! In the end, if I could use my M8 with my 100 APO Elmarit R and 180 R, which I can't and have focus, I don't think I'd be using anything else except in special circumstances anymore. It's just that quiet, small, and high quality. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted February 12, 2007 Share #47 Posted February 12, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Russell, like yourself I don't have space for a wet darkroom. However Ive been developing my own b&w and scanning the negatives for years, not the same though I know. In fact I've said it before, but buying my first Leica an 1998 or so (a IIIC), and a Nikon Coolscan III shortly afterwards totally re-energised my interest in photography. Until then I'd been purely a holiday snapper with an auto everything SLR and 28-200mm zoom. Once I bought my first M - an M2 - I didn't really use the SLR for a couple of years, so in my case at least - and it's a purely personal thing - I'm pretty sure by now that I'm a rangefinder kind of person. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted February 12, 2007 Share #48 Posted February 12, 2007 Can't agree Russell, it's everything between 15mm and 90mm for me. The M8 has been like meeting an old friend again. I guess what I really mean is that it's a personal thing, for me the M8 gets me back into using the M system on a regular basis. Steve i am right with you on this one and have shot almost everything with the M8 already. So that reportage theory is fine but there is SO much more that can be done with it and proving it everyday. For me though it is a new friend. LOL Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSL Posted February 12, 2007 Share #49 Posted February 12, 2007 Steve and Guy, Well, if you read closely you'll see I'm with you. I'd prefer to work with a rangefinder all the time, but there are some things you can do better with an SLR, which isn't to say you absolutely can't do some of those things with a rangefinder. But, as I think I said way back there: It's like teaching a pig to dance. It works, but it doesn't work very well and it annoys the pig. In this case, I'm the pig that gets annoyed when I'm trying to do something with a rangefinder I could do better with a SLR. Eugene Atget did street photography with a view camera, and a pretty primitive one at that, but I'll bet if he lived now that's not what he'd choose to work with. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brunom Posted February 12, 2007 Share #50 Posted February 12, 2007 Rob Can you say how you know for sure that there's only one group working on CMOS ? - as you have presented it as a statement of fact, and not just your opinion , also as you quite rightly say CCD's outsell CMOS by an enormous amount, but the p/s market is not where the money is, as even though it generates huge turnovers, the intense competion means the mark-up is miniscule. I doubt if p/s cameras are cash cows for the manufacturers ? of course in my opinion. Regards Bruno Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSL Posted February 12, 2007 Share #51 Posted February 12, 2007 Also don't agree at all about weddings, though I realize I'm in a minority there. Jamie, I do agree that there are parts of weddings when you're better off with a rangefinder than with an SLR -- the informal parts when you're trying to get shots of the principals and the guests who are living it up and enjoying it all and you don't want them to notice you and pose, which, incidentally, everyone automatically does when they see a camera pointed at them. But that's street photography too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilfredo Posted February 12, 2007 Share #52 Posted February 12, 2007 Amir, Sorry to hear the M8 is not working out for you. Obviously the range finder is not for everybody. It is an excellent choice for street photography but certainly not limited to that. I shoot just about everything with Leica rangefinders and since I got the M8, my DSLR has been enjoying a long break. Only time will tell if this is a camera for you. My experience with the M8 is like finding a long lost friend, but that's me. The B&W images I am getting with this camera are in a genre of their own, beautiful skin texture, and the resolution is everything I had dreamed it would be and then some. I might add that I am not a professional (at least not at this juncture) and I am not in the income bracket where I can buy an M8 as if I were buying a $500.00 camera. The purchase of the M8 is the most extravagant purchase I have ever made. I do not regret one iota making the investment, it has been well worth it, and the joy I've gotten from this camera is far greater than any of its limitations. Good luck! Cheers, Wilfredo+ Benitez-Rivera Photography Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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