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Observations of a Leica Newbie


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I've been shooting off and on for the past 4 years or so. I started off with a Canon 5D at which time my father bought the same camera. Last year he bought himself a Canon 1Ds-Mark III and after traveling with him to Yosemite on a photo trip, I think he might have become embarrased that his fancy pants camera made mine seem so inferior so he hooked me up and bought me one too... (spoiled, right?! THANKS DAD!) I took the 1DsIII to Hong Kong where I discovered I never ever ever wanna lug around a huge DSLR body and all the big lenses ever again. It was at the IFC Mall in HK that I first held a Leica M9 and the Leica boutique and where I fell in love. Enter Leica M8.

 

I purchased a used M8 and a new Zeiss 35 f/2. After shooting maybe 4 or 5 hours worth, here are my early observations for all the newbies like me considering making the leap.

 

*** I'm NEVER traveling with a DSLR again.

*** Some Leica-ites on this forum have made suuuuch a big deal about a Zeiss being bigger than a Cron, etc. While I have never owned Leica glass- coming from the Nikon/Canon world- almost any M mount lens will feel impossibly small.

*** The Leica Grip isn't terribly helpful. We'll see how the Thumbs Up works... I'm excited!

*** I can remove the baseplate, the battery, and the memory card, then reattach the baseplate back onto the camera in 6 seconds. I have NO IDEA why anybody would complain about this.

*** Focusing still feels a little foreign. The focus square is teenie tiny. I really don't anticipate it being as difficult a month from now however.

*** Vertical photos are downright scary to take. The camera almost slipped out of my hands both times I went to take a photo. I'm hoping the Thumbs Up grip helps. I also have an early bad habit of sticking my thumb up against the RF in this position. Makes me feel like such a dummy.

*** The LCD screen DOES in fact SUCK... but I knew that going in. I'm already over it.

*** I don't own an IR-cut filter and so far it hasn't mattered... my blacks are black enough.

*** M8 rocks and will easily hold me over till the M10 comes out, at which time I will move on to someone's gently used M9. I feel so smart sometimes :)

 

I want to thank everyone who contributes on this forum as I was able to learn so much before jumping in. One day I figure I'll be a Leica snob purist like the rest but for now I'm absolutely loving my M8/Zeiss 35mm Combo and have ZERO regrets thus far.

 

Below is Day 1 with my M8 on the Oceanside Pier.

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*** The Leica Grip isn't terribly helpful. We'll see how the Thumbs Up works... I'm excited!

The Leica Grip works for some of us.

 

*** I can remove the baseplate, the battery, and the memory card, then reattach the baseplate back onto the camera in 6 seconds. I have NO IDEA why anybody would complain about this.

But could you remove the baseplate and load a Leica film camera in 6 seconds? :rolleyes:

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Welcome!

 

*** I can remove the baseplate, the battery, and the memory card, then reattach the baseplate back onto the camera in 6 seconds. I have NO IDEA why anybody would complain about this.

 

Leica world is rather "quiet" :D

 

*** Vertical photos are downright scary to take. The camera almost slipped out of my hands both times I went to take a photo. I'm hoping the Thumbs Up grip helps.

 

Look at this. Useful, beautiful, affordable ... gordy's camera straps

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Welcome to Leica, and to the forum.

 

Only suggestion is that you do get a UV/IR filter. Once you shoot certain synthetic clothing fabrics and get purple instead of black, you'll understand. But be aware that black isn't the only issue. Other colors will be affected, for instance greens too yellow, and PP won't offer an easy fix. Plus, you get some glass protection as a bonus.

 

Jeff

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Replace the covering with Camera Leather's GripTac.

The Leica grip base works for me and with the GripTac covering I can hold onto the camera just fine without the grip base (never felt secure with the original covering. I have NO idea what Leica was thinking when they went with that covering).

 

Haven't needed to even think about the thumb dohickies.

 

I hold the camera shutter button UP when doing portrait photos. Others hold it the other way. Never felt right when I've tried it that way.

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But could you remove the baseplate and load a Leica film camera in 6 seconds? :rolleyes:

 

What's film? :confused:

 

 

Hi, thanks for the post and welcome, looks like your reading has given you an angle on us and how insane we are :D

 

If you took that shot and posted it as taken, that level and that accurate in framing you don't need us we need you. If not, nice post work :D

 

Haha, everyday I log on to this forum and begin to feed my own insanity.

 

I wish that was my SOOC work, sadly LR and PS did some heavy lifting there...

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*** I don't own an IR-cut filter and so far it hasn't mattered... my blacks are black enough.

 

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

 

I strongly advise you to use the filters. Many coulors and shots are affected. I still recognize the not-filtered shots from my early M8-days - CAN be VERY ugly.

 

 

Just my thousand cents …

Holger

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*** Some Leica-ites on this forum have made suuuuch a big deal about a Zeiss being bigger than a Cron, etc. While I have never owned Leica glass- coming from the Nikon/Canon world- almost any M mount lens will feel impossibly small.

 

*** I don't own an IR-cut filter and so far it hasn't mattered... my blacks are black enough.

 

*** M8 rocks and will easily hold me over till the M10 comes out, at which time I will move on to someone's gently used M9. I feel so smart sometimes :)

 

Zeiss lenses are excellent. Enjoy! (although Leica are better :) ) - but at smaller apertures you really need to be a pixel peeper to see a difference, and lenses like the Zeiss 25mm f2.8 are so close to the Leica equivalent.

 

Get an Ir-cut filter. They are cheap second hand. They will prtoect your lens and also improve the contrast due to rectifying the IR issue in some circumstances.

 

Yeah! the M8 is amazing. The M9 is better though, so hold off purchasing a M9 as long as you can. At least longer then I did ;)

 

rgds

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Regarding grip:

I am using the Luigi-Halfcase with the in-built grip. Very good. The camera gets a bit bulkier and heavy due to the wonderful leather, but it just fits perfect into my hand. And the screen is hidden and protected. I do not use the screen to much though.

 

Falk

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The Leica Grip works for some of us.

 

 

But could you remove the baseplate and load a Leica film camera in 6 seconds? :rolleyes:

 

Haha - actually, I feel, loading a late Leica M is easier and less fiddly like the Nikon F3 and FM3a, I also use ;-)

 

Only king of quick loading cameras, I use is the Nikon F5 - you can basically put the F5 open on the floor 5 meter in front of you, throw a roll of film into the camera, and if you don't miss the open camera, it will: Tschnack …wrrrh …Dzzzt …klack for the smaller part of a second and be ready to shoot immediately.

 

@Brandon when I had my very first Leica M two years ago, after shooting nikon SLRs mainly, I had most of your feelings about the M ;-)

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Welcome to the forum!

 

 

I strongly advise you to use the filters. Many coulors and shots are affected. I still recognize the not-filtered shots from my early M8-days - CAN be VERY ugly.

 

 

Just my thousand cents …

Holger

 

Okay, Okay... I'll get the damn filter :o Everyone here has beaten me into submission.

 

But with my last gasp of air... should I ask for final confirmation from everybody that if I am primarily a B&W Conversion shooter it is not better to shoot without the IR-cut?

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Okay, Okay... I'll get the damn filter :o Everyone here has beaten me into submission.

 

But with my last gasp of air... should I ask for final confirmation from everybody that if I am primarily a B&W Conversion shooter it is not better to shoot without the IR-cut?

 

I do not own one IR-Cut filter for this camera:

5531145728_da185eaa13_z.jpg

on flickr

 

I shoot for B&W most of the time, actually just only recently made my first color photographs, since I also use an M9.

 

I never felt, I am missing something.

 

I do consciously not use filters on my lenses (exceptions are only old lenses, which are more sensitive to damage and less easy, to source, if something breaks).

I consider the reflections and ghosts, filters do produce under certain circumstances a bigger issue than IR pollution.

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......

*** The Leica Grip isn't terribly helpful. We'll see how the Thumbs Up works... I'm excited!.......

*** Vertical photos are downright scary to take. The camera almost slipped out of my hands both times I went to take a photo.....

 

Below is Day 1 with my M8 on the Oceanside Pier.

 

The camera did slip out of my hands while unpacking it. I didn't use it until I had the handgrip which has solved that problem and is highly reassuring to use.

 

Regarding vertical pictures, I try to use my right hand at the top, thus benefiting from the grip which bears the weight of the body. That gives me the most positive hold. However it is tricky to use the viewfinder in that mode, but it can be done.

 

It is good to read your enthusiastic first report on M8 ownership.

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