John in Japan Posted March 20, 2007 Share #1 Posted March 20, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Got my M8 yesterday and while I've only clicked a few frames and downloaded a few photos here are my initial thoughts. I know nothing about cameras except that I like taking pictures and I have more money than brains. IF you can even call me an amateur, I've only been an amateur for a couple of years. I currently shoot with a Nikon D200 and a Canon EOS 20D, and a few other pocket cams. Also, I am not a Leica guy. Never had one. Probably never even held one. Never touched a rangefinder before yesterday. First off. I love the fit and finish of the camera. It's obviously not a toy. It's a little tough to handle and take the bottom plate off without getting my fingerprints all over the LCD. In time I'll find a way to handle it, I'm sure. Or maybe I'm just afraid of dropping $5500 worth of hardware. There is no LCD protector. Taking the bottom plate off to get to the SD card and battery is a little awkward for me. The battery brick is huge and my European connector came bent. I straightened it but still, it came bent. A lot. That being said, I'll probably never use it. I had reservations about a rangefinder and having a camera with no auto focus. I found yesterday that I LOVE the rangerfinder and can manually focus a lot faster than I thought I could and that the resulting images were much sharper than I imagined (in JPEG). I think I like the results of this better than my D200 autofocus (for things that don't move). I also found that it's much easier to get my hand or finger in the shot with a rangefinder. It's going to take some time and practice to not do that. I did it twice yesterday. Images were clear and sharp. I took some stupid photos of colorful things laying around the house and mostly used Aperture Priority. The lens I have is the 50mm 2.0 that currently sells for around $1500. The colors were pretty much nailed in JPEG and the contrast and saturation were sweet. I bumped up in camera sharpening to medium high along with saturation. I shot a few DNG's and of course the RAW images are softer. I haven't played around with the RAW enough to know if I like it yet or not. I love the way the lens secures to the body and the weight and balance of the camera. I need to learn a LOT more about this camera but my initial impressions are that it's very cool and I love the focusing and I really dig the images I took yesterday. Soon as I take a real outting I'll post a picture or two here with some more thoughts. John Okinawa Japan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 20, 2007 Posted March 20, 2007 Hi John in Japan, Take a look here M8 First Impressions - From someone you should not trust. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted March 20, 2007 Share #2 Posted March 20, 2007 Happy that you like it John. DNG is not necessarily softer. You can adjust the sharpening slider in C1LE to your taste or set it in the preferences dialog to a preset. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlancasterd Posted March 20, 2007 Share #3 Posted March 20, 2007 Hi John I remember buying my first Leica rangefinder - an M2 - in December 1961 and spending hours playing with it in the way you describe - I think it was 24 hours before I even got around to inserting the film I'd been given by the shop I was so taken with the heft and quality. I'm sure that you will come to regard it as a natural extension of your arm and eye in due course, just like many others on this forum. No other camera is quite like an 'M'. Welcome to the forum! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted March 20, 2007 Share #4 Posted March 20, 2007 I'm sorry to say it BUT You Are Hooked Now. Open your wallet and let the cash fly out. Screen protector = ScreenPatronus.com Best $8+ you'll spend on Leica stuff. Forget the fingerprints on the LCD but look out for prints on the 2 rangefinder windows, that is where I always get them. Don't ask me why because I always try to NOT put my fingers anywhere near those 2 windows. And I've been using a Leica M, on and off, for 35 years. I use to get part of the strap in a shot when going portrait. Now I wear the strap over one shoulder, right, and under the other arm, left, and now don't have to worry about it. Back in the day I didn't really worry to much about camera security so I'd just carry the camera with the strap in my hand and only when I needed both hand would I place it around my neck. In todays world I tend to be a bit more aware of what someone else might steal from me. Good luck and take some great shots. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John in Japan Posted March 20, 2007 Author Share #5 Posted March 20, 2007 Shootist, Thanks for the recommendation for the screen protector. Just finished purchasing it. Many thanks. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venkman Posted March 20, 2007 Share #6 Posted March 20, 2007 Don't worry about the fingerprints on the LCD, your nose grease will smear over it as soon as you keep shooting Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonoslack Posted March 20, 2007 Share #7 Posted March 20, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) What a splendid post Hi John - I see the beginning of a love affair here - it's great to see someone being 'honest' (or is it 'self deprecating'). The camera is lovely, and I'm sure you'll love it. I should go ahead and buy: 16-18-21 tri-elmar 28mm f2.8 35mm f1.4 50mm f1.4 75mm f2 90mm f2 28-35-50 tri-elmar you'll get them in the end, so you might as well just go ahead and bankrupt yourself! seriously though, have fun, and let's see some results when you've got to grips with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiphop Posted March 20, 2007 Share #8 Posted March 20, 2007 As long as you don't talk with your M8 you are still on a safe side. Welcome to the club of "desesperate M8 owners" A never ending story, with a lot of emotions and money spending. True pation ! Enjoy... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrism Posted March 20, 2007 Share #9 Posted March 20, 2007 As long as you don't talk with your M8 you are still on a safe side. I thought you were only in trouble when it talks back..... Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted March 20, 2007 Share #10 Posted March 20, 2007 I talk to my M8, but I fondle my M6. Clearly there is room for improvement. Not much though. Welcome! Watch your wallet! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilfredo Posted March 20, 2007 Share #11 Posted March 20, 2007 Ed, You wrote: "Screen protector = ScreenPatronus.com Best $8+ you'll spend on Leica stuff." I'm already on my second Patrunus screen protector in less than a month. Has anyone else experienced it peeling off? Yes, I cleaned the screen before placing the protector on it. Thanks, Wilfredo+ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted March 20, 2007 Share #12 Posted March 20, 2007 I am also on my second one. This time I trimmed one of the short edges a little so it doesn't catch so readily, and it seems to be holding up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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