Leitax users - consider the "ante" well and truly "upped" - D800 specs

[Sp12]

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You can download full size jpgs. They are very average. Even if they were compressed to jpg 7, which I very much doubt, they would still show a reasonable amount of detail. The main 100 ISO portrait is flat in colour, tonality, amateurish looking uneven saturation and completely lacking in detail despite a lot of sharpening. It looks like a 6 or 8MP file that has been uprezzed. It looks the same as any Canon and Nikon file. The other portrait with the girl in the jacket is worse, the distortion from the lens on her face is woefully average. The landscape image has heavy processing and they didn't bother to darken the sky correctly just a rough lasoo and feather. Terrible and falsifying. I know what I'm looking at, these are the same reasons I recently left Canon and they haven't changed. To try and be balanced it looks like there is a bit less noise.

 

Not just that they're compressed, but Jpegs are rarely tuned to provide the same level of detail as a RAW can. Don't like the blue on a certain shot? The D800 has so much bit depth and such great metamerism that you can adjust it to your liking. I certainly don't feel negatively about even those plain jpegs provided.

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[andybarton]

I will pop by the used leica lens store when I have the time, but then I still have to get the lens leitaxed from what I understand, which means no way to really test the lens until I have purchased it.

 

 

 

 

 

I wasn't suggesting that you should go and buy lenses just to satisfy my curiosity

 

I will take my lenses to a dealer once they get free stock or even a demo unit later in the year.

[phancj]

I wasn't suggesting that you should go and buy lenses just to satisfy my curiosity

 

I will take my lenses to a dealer once they get free stock or even a demo unit later in the year.

 

Andy,

 

of course you weren't.

 

Actually I was saying that coz I am curious....

 

What a bummer, if only there was an adaptor available!

 

You should go try out the D800, I got a very very strong feeling you will NOT be disappointed. It almost seems like Nikon was trying to outdo the D700 in practically every direction IMO.

 

CJ

[andybarton]

I would try one, but they are just unobtainable, even as demos, over here.

[phancj]

There is to date no units for demo. Every unit available is instantly snapped up and virtually every store has a list of pre-orders it's hilarious.

 

I was lucky coz I am well-acquainted with one of the largest vendors here and even then each "shipment" from what I heard from them they are only allotted 2 or 3 pcs. I got the second shipment which is one of two cameras.

 

I even heard from another vendor I know well that for them to have a set of D800 it is mandatory for them to purchase a certain number of coolpixes too!

 

For whatever reason Nikon is really trickling the sets and that shouldn't be happening...

 

I always thought the US or Europe should be flooded with these sets compared to Asia...

 

CJ

[andybarton]

Asia is where the money is these days.

[phancj]

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Yes and no Andy. For game consoles for example we have it much later than the States, I think the West is where consumer electronics flourish....The US last I heard is still the largest consumers per capita irregardless of whether there is an economic crisis or not...

 

But I did hear stories from cam dealers of mainland Chinese mopping up all the M9s during launch, and they pay a hefty premium to jump ahead in queue. Some buy like half a dozen M9s haha they are probably the ones causing prices to spike?

 

CJ

[Jamie Roberts]

{snipped}

I am not sure I would go for a 35mm as the 35 1.4G from nikon is VERY good and it has very good AF too:). I would love to have a 50mm or maybe even a 60mm since the Nikkor 60 macro 2.8 is just ok. I do not mind spending something around the ballpark of $1K or so if it is a nice 50/60. Any ideas?

 

Thanks a lot!

CJ

 

The only Leica 50R worth buying in the sub-$1000 range is the Canadian Summicron I keep mentioning It's a great lens for $500-600--just check the flare resistance against a new Nikon 50 1.4, for example. You won't be disappointed, and you can always re-sell.

[phancj]

Thanks Jamie. Forgive my ignorance on leica R lenses....

 

I am gonna check out that lens, there's a few shops here that seem to have many used leica lenses on display, keeping my fingers crossed one of these lenses is the lens you recommended.

 

Cheers,

CJ

[andybarton]

D800 owners might care to take note of this

 

Nikon confirms woes with D4 and D800, joins Canon in high-end doghouse -- Engadget

 

(Thanks Edmund )

 

So, along with Canon's problems, and now Nikon with their two flagships, Leica aren't the only ones with the odd issue.

[k-hawinkler]

Having an M9 has been very educational indeed!

Now battle hardened, I am looking forward to my D800E.

Back then I had to wait close to 4 months to get my M9.

Will Nikon break that record for the D800E?

Most likely!

 

But my M9 still takes photos - without problems most of the time!

[phancj]

D800 owners might care to take note of this

 

Nikon confirms woes with D4 and D800, joins Canon in high-end doghouse -- Engadget

 

(Thanks Edmund )

 

So, along with Canon's problems, and now Nikon with their two flagships, Leica aren't the only ones with the odd issue.

 

I have been lucky then with my D800, absolutely no problems. tested it all, including the supposed problem with extreme left focus points(not that I would ever use the points at extremities).

 

My only problem is the sensor had oil/dirt on it (my last nikon same problem) which was cleaned by nikon service and at same time I took the opportunity to have them check lens focus on my lenses as well. Turns out the camera works spot-on for all my fast lenses, a surprise since my last camera requires substantial AF fine-tuning.

 

This camera is unlikely to disappoint. For its price it's an absolute bargain. I am beginning to even not mind its weight for what it can do.

 

HAvent got down to leitax yet...

 

A store I know called me to ask if I wanted a 800E, I said maybe later...esp when they wanted US$3,800 for it!

 

 

CJ

[Jamie Roberts]

{snipped}

So, along with Canon's problems, and now Nikon with their two flagships, Leica aren't the only ones with the odd issue.

 

The difference is that my D3 always locked up with certain (older but still valid at the time) lenses, and Nikon never fixed it. I'm sorry that maybe the D800 has inherited this...

 

Canon has already addressed the 'light leak" issue (which is a non-issue in actual shooting) and fixed a number of bugs with a firmware update.

 

My D3 locking was the worst feeling ever. Having to pull the battery, then the cards, while shooting is troubling to say the least

[k-hawinkler]

Jamie,

 

Maybe your D3 is a lemon. Not good at all. Nikon should have replaced it.

[Jamie Roberts]

Jamie,

 

Maybe your D3 is a lemon. Not good at all. Nikon should have replaced it.

 

Nope--it worked well except with certain lenses. And the issue was well reported elsewhere, too. I know Nikon looked into it but nothing was ever acknowledged. I also had it in for service.... No change So I was surprised tha Nikon admitted the d800 / d4 lockups.

[sdai]

They won't slap the "Made in Germany" sticker on it if it doesn't have quirks ... cameras, cars ... you name it.

[k-hawinkler]

Nope--it worked well except with certain lenses. And the issue was well reported elsewhere, too. I know Nikon looked into it but nothing was ever acknowledged. I also had it in for service.... No change So I was surprised tha Nikon admitted the d800 / d4 lockups.

 

 

Which lenses?

[Jamie Roberts]

Which lenses?

 

The 85 1.4 G (not the new one) and the 50 1.4 G (not the new one) in particular were problematic for me and many of my peers; by contrast the 50 1.4 Sigma ASPH gave me no problems at all, ever (though its build quality was, um, poor to say the least). Neither did the new 50 1.4, the 135 f2, the newer 35 1.4 or the the 24 1.4 (though that last one had focus issues through the whole range of focus).

 

There were a couple of other problem lenses, but I didn't have them; I'd have to dig up the details. They all locked the camera intermittently

 

My biggest problem was that my shooting style gravitated more and more to using the D3 with that 85 1.4 and less and less with everything else.

 

Once the M9 came along, and I had full-frame 21, 24, 35, 50 and 90 coverage with that camera, I sold every Nikon lens I owned except for the 85 1.4.

 

I could have bought the updated 85 1.4 when it came out, but by then I knew I would be replacing the D3 with something likely non-Nikon due to the colour issues I've talked about before. I kept hoping, actually, that I'd see an R replacement from Leica, though if I could have bought an S2--and I could make it make some kind of financial sense for the photography I do--then I certainly would have.

 

Another M9 would have been nice too.

 

But I have now purchased that 5d3 along with the 85 1,2L v2 (which I prefer over the Nikon version in any case) which, I have to admit, has been a real pleasure so far, and has given me easy access to my 80R Lux, 50 R lux and 35 R Summicron.

 

The only question marks for me right now with purchases are the M10 and if Leica announces the long-awaited R replacement

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[tomlianza]

I have a number of R lenses. I have applied the Leitax to the 280 f2.8 and the 180 f3,4. Both are APO so I would expect some great performance. The 280 is extremely heavy, but I can shoot at very high shutter speed/ISO with the Nikon D3. My favorite lens is the 28-90 f2.8 which when used on the DMR yields the best image quality I have seen on any electronic camera. I think that I am getting ready to sell the DMR/R9 because I have too much gear and don't take enough images with any of it. It is very hard to let go of, but the reliability factor, lack of batteries, and lack of faith on the part of Leica makes it difficult to hold on to. I still take a few images each month with it, just to make sure everything is OK and the batteries are holding up. I have a complete Nikon Kit with D3 and D3x as well as a D800E on order. I also have an M9 and M8 (which is going to be sold soon). When I get the D800E I will run a series of personal tests against the DMR. For daylight shooting, the DMR will hold it's own, but it can't compete with the D3 at low light levels. It's a whole new world with lots of choices, I just wish we had a full frame back for the R8/R9. That would be fine indeed. I don't need auto focus.

[integrale]

Could it be some things as simple as un-clean contacts between the lens and the camera?

 

When you state "85 1.4 G (not the new one" did you mean 85 1.4 AF- D? Then un-clean contacts could be the answer.

 

Sorry for leading this thread even further away...

 

The 85 1.4 G (not the new one) and the 50 1.4 G (not the new one) in particular were problematic for me and many of my peers; by contrast the 50 1.4 Sigma ASPH gave me no problems at all, ever (though its build quality was, um, poor to say the least). Neither did the new 50 1.4, the 135 f2, the newer 35 1.4 or the the 24 1.4 (though that last one had focus issues through the whole range of focus).

 

There were a couple of other problem lenses, but I didn't have them; I'd have to dig up the details. They all locked the camera intermittently

 

My biggest problem was that my shooting style gravitated more and more to using the D3 with that 85 1.4 and less and less with everything else.

 

Once the M9 came along, and I had full-frame 21, 24, 35, 50 and 90 coverage with that camera, I sold every Nikon lens I owned except for the 85 1.4.

 

I could have bought the updated 85 1.4 when it came out, but by then I knew I would be replacing the D3 with something likely non-Nikon due to the colour issues I've talked about before. I kept hoping, actually, that I'd see an R replacement from Leica, though if I could have bought an S2--and I could make it make some kind of financial sense for the photography I do--then I certainly would have.

 

Another M9 would have been nice too.

 

But I have now purchased that 5d3 along with the 85 1,2L v2 (which I prefer over the Nikon version in any case) which, I have to admit, has been a real pleasure so far, and has given me easy access to my 80R Lux, 50 R lux and 35 R Summicron.

 

The only question marks for me right now with purchases are the M10 and if Leica announces the long-awaited R replacement