johnbuckley Posted February 7, 2007 Share #1 Â Posted February 7, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Reading this forum on a regular basis brings to mind the scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy and her cohorts go into the forest fearing lions, tigers, and bears. I have an M8 -- or will when they return the damn thing from Solms, I pray today, as it arrived back in New Jersey on Monday -- and am scheduled to soon go on a trip I have planned for a year. It is with a great sense of vulnerability that I anticipate the departure. I am going in March to Bhutan, which most assuredly does not have an authorized Leica repair shop. Will my camera suddenly freeze up and die? Will my batteries drain midway through the annual festival -- whirling, brightly festooned dancers in the Himalayan light -- that I have dreamed of being able to capture with my M8 ever since I knew the camera was a reality? When I get home, will my 2g Ultra III Extreme cards fail to transfer files to my Mac? Â I am telling you: I love my M8, and think it is glorious, but reading this forum each day makes one shudder at the vulnerability of being far, far away with only an M8 in hand... Â Here is what I am doing, and any further advice is welcome: Â 1.) I am going to have my four batteries thoroughly discharged, recharged, etc. along the lines outlined by Guy. When I arrive in-country next month, all four batteries will have been worked through. (And yes, sudden battery discharge was a phenomenon I suffered in November on the second day I had my M8.) Â 2.) I am going to bring my M7 and ten rolls of Velvia as a backup camera. Â 3.) I believe I am going to get one of the Jobo storage devices so I can make a backup of files every day. Make sense? Which would be best? Â 4.) I am going to pray that v.1.10 will be ready this month... Â 5.) I am going to further pray that Leica gets me the cut filters I need for my Nocti and the 24 Elmarit that I couldn't find elsewhere... Â Any other suggestions to ensure I don't lose the photos I am going for? JB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 7, 2007 Posted February 7, 2007 Hi johnbuckley, Take a look here A Feeling Of Vulnerability. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Jager Posted February 7, 2007 Share #2 Â Posted February 7, 2007 I wouldn't sweat it, John. You've already noted the most important thing - a backup camera. The only thing I might think about some more is your film selection vis-a-vis what you expect to be shooting and whether film is readily available there. If you're going to be doing any low light or nighttime stuff, for instance, a few rolls of Tri-X or Delta 3200 might be nice. And a few rolls of higher-speed color film would help cover the bases. Â Enjoy the trip and don't worry about your M8 - chances are it'll be perfectly fine! Will be looking forward to seeing some of your images. Â Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted February 7, 2007 Share #3  Posted February 7, 2007 I just got a 60mm from Foto Hubart maybe spelled that wrong.Sorry  Batteries it is a good idea to condition them, clean the sensor and off you go. I would not worry about the M8, just have your backup and take the same care you do for yourself and apply that to the camera as well. Firmware should be ready by than Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gravastar Posted February 7, 2007 Share #4 Â Posted February 7, 2007 As Guy said it would be wise to cycle the batteries a few times before you go away. I found it makes a significant difference to the number of shots you can get on a full charge. If you don't have time to do that with normal use you can disable the auto power down in the camera's menu and leave it switched on overnight to discharge the battery. This also has the added advantage of resetting the battery monitor so it matches a disharged battery. Â With regards to backup storage I've found a different solution. With nearly 190 RAW files on a 2GB SD card it may be possible to take enough cards to last a complete trip. Others on this forum have listed 4GB SD cards that will work with the M8. With carry on baggage now severerly limited I find this to be a good work around. Your 10 rolls of Velvia is only one 4GB SD card! Â Bob. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest magyarman Posted February 7, 2007 Share #5 Â Posted February 7, 2007 Is possible any one camera can to broken, this is not only which can happen it to M8. What is bat is except another one M8 ora RD1 is only way to have it digital backup. Becaus, you got to take some film. So? If was me I am also to take still another, mabe pockets camera like IXUS ora same what use film. Remamber take careful what you eat ora drink, also how you step. Sicking ora broken foot is no such easy like broken camera go past it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat_mcdermott Posted February 7, 2007 Share #6 Â Posted February 7, 2007 If you want to contact someone who it seems has recently been to Bhutan with an M8: Flickr: Photos from morganommer . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbuckley Posted February 7, 2007 Author Share #7 Â Posted February 7, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks to all of you. I feel modestly better. And thanks for the Flikr link -- nice Bhutan shots. Cheers, JB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Sievers Posted February 7, 2007 Share #8 Â Posted February 7, 2007 Make sure you bring LR44s for the M7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
photolandscape Posted February 7, 2007 Share #9 Â Posted February 7, 2007 John, I feel your pain, or rather, your anxiety. I am going to Las Vegas this Saturday. Not my kind of place, but a fun place to photograph nonetheless. My M8 made the trip to Solms, arriving on about January 9th for some corrective actions. This week, it showed up on the repair tracking site as repaired and shipping on February 6, just yesterday. I'm assuming my camera isn't going to arrive by this Friday or Saturday, so there goes my best opportunity to document a great Elvis impersonator contest. Â What concerns me more is a trip from the US to Chile (Santiago, Valparaiso, and Easter Island--the most remote continously settled place in the world) and Peru (Cusco, Machu Picchu, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca) this coming August. I guess I'd better learn the camera well, and be prepared for anything and everything that could possibly go wrong. I'm thinking I might pickup a high-end point and shoot just in case the M8 develops problems in South America. The unsettling part of it all is that I don't like being in this position, having to worry about whether my very fine camera and lenses are up to the trip. I've travelled extensively to India and Oaxaca, Mexico with a Canon 1DS and a Panasonic DMC-LC1, and they did really well, but I got tired of lugging all of my stuff around all day and wanted to go the more unobtrusive route. Â We'll see how it goes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbuckley Posted February 7, 2007 Author Share #10 Â Posted February 7, 2007 Steven - you will love Cuzco, and Peru. I will keep my fingers crossed that you have no M8 issues while there. Cheers, JB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbuckley Posted February 7, 2007 Author Share #11 Â Posted February 7, 2007 William - at least with the M7, if the batteries die, you can still shoot! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlesphoto99 Posted February 7, 2007 Share #12 Â Posted February 7, 2007 I highly recommend one of the Hyperdrive products: http://www.hypershop.com/shop/ Â I have the 80gb model and it's done me well. Got me through a two week long corporate job where I had no choice but to download the cards. Let's face it, you can never have enough cards. The great thing about digital is the ability to shoot as much as you like when the going gets good. And cards can get easily lost, reformatted by accident, etc etc. Don't know about the new Space model but it looks appealing. The original Hyperdrive is solid and simple - and affordable. You could pick up two for the price of one Epson viewer and be assured of backup and keep in seperate bags. I've heard so-so things about the Jobos. Â I would also bring more film, esp the suggestion of high speed b&w (or color). let's face it - in certain situations you may want your 24 to truly be a 24 - so best to shoot with both cameras vs having the M7 just be a backup. And last I heard, there is electricity in Bhutan - why not get a plug convertor and charge your batteries while travelling? Â Charles Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbuckley Posted February 7, 2007 Author Share #13 Â Posted February 7, 2007 Charles - thank you. Does the Hyperdrive work with M8 DNG files? And I am still going to take a charger for the batteries; it is only because many of us have had such problems with M8 batteries discharging that I have four of them! Â If the Hyperdrive does work with M8 DNGs, I will absolutely consider getting one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted February 7, 2007 Share #14 Â Posted February 7, 2007 John - As a smaller back-up you might want the FX01 or the C-Lux 1 (Pana/Leica). All the shots on the 4th NY page of our site, and the 2nd half of the 3rd NY page of our site are with that camera. Look into the Wolverine portable drive . When I bought my 40 GB one before going to Papua New Guinea my B&H salesman told me that it had much fewer returns and repairs than the more expensive Epson. It performed very well. Go to our site and read Barbara's trip notes on Bhutan, one of the most fascinating places we've been. And yes, you can recharge almost every night, depending on where you go. Â Steve - You might want to read Barbara's trip notes on our site on Peru, and on Chile (Chile was on a very long trip including Argentina and a bit of Brazil). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted February 7, 2007 Share #15  Posted February 7, 2007 John also do this and there cheap now 50 bucks each. Buy 4gb cards and hell buy 4 of them so you can shoot almost 1600 raw images and never have to format them. That way besides the battery hard drives you still have them on cards. i just got two more 4 gb Transcendscards that work great, so now I have a atotal of 4 for the M8 and 6 2gb ones for the DMR so i don't have to mix them anymore at least the 2gb ones  Home - MyDigitalDiscount.com Inc. . I buy from them all the time Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted February 7, 2007 Share #16 Â Posted February 7, 2007 One more point: don't worry about getting the images off the cards. The problems are in the readers, and if one doesn't work, use another. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlesphoto99 Posted February 7, 2007 Share #17  Posted February 7, 2007 I belive the Hyperdrive is a file format free storage device. You can store anything you like on it. But note it is not a viewer. So if you need to view after downloading images I would get the Epson. But for that price I'd almost rather go to a 12" Powerbook. The nice thing about the Hyperdrive is its ability to work with AAs. Rechargeable ones work better then normal, but work they do. Yes, lots of cards is one solution, but there's nothing worse than being in a situation and going back and having to erase images because you've run out of card space. Of course only you can gauge how much you shoot. I shoot a lot - sometimes 100 plus rolls on a trip - others I know a lot less. But I'd like to have some sort of backup. And that's one of the nice things about digital is that you can back up - once a roll of film is stolen or lost that's it. Fortunately I've never had that happen. Though I do know someone who accidentaly erased his best folder of shots from five weeks in Morocco. As a tried and true film shooter (which i stil prefer) I'm still trying to get my head wrapped around digital. I'll always feel most comfortable with the physicality of film, though not having to carry around hundreds of rolls sure would be nice.  One of my best friends did a book on the Himalayas and currently runs trip to Bhutan for Nat. Geo. His website is: http://www.dsrobbins.com/himalayan_odyssey/index.html  All the work in the book was done with a Fuji 6x9 but he's since switched wholly to digital. I'm somewhat jealous of you M8 guys but I'm too in debt with an Imacon at the moment. Someday..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillBrittain Posted February 7, 2007 Share #18 Â Posted February 7, 2007 John, for what it's worth Ace Photo in Ashburn, VA has 486 filters in stock. Â I've dealt with them for years and have always been treated fairly. I bought a 75mm 'lux from them only today and they had a Leica branded 60mm UVa filter. In previous weeks they had B+W 486s too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbuckley Posted February 7, 2007 Author Share #19 Â Posted February 7, 2007 Thank you all. Stu - great shots from Bhutan - thanks for the link. Charles - I agree with you and think I will go for the hard drive solution suggested. Bill - I got my M8 from Jay and Mo at Ace, but am now waiting for Leica to send me the filters I ordered. I have ones for my 35 and 75, but not for the Nocti or 24. If they don't come before my trip, I'll head out to Ace. Frankly, I've been avoiding going to Ace because I don't want to be tempted to buy a lens! Thank you all. Very helpful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbuckley Posted February 7, 2007 Author Share #20 Â Posted February 7, 2007 Sorry, one last thing: Charles: you're friend's work is spectacular, and I have just ordered his book. Tell him you made a sale, and he owes you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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