bill Posted July 22, 2006 Share #1 Posted July 22, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) I've been mulling this one over for a while. I shall start by saying that this is an entirely subjective view, based on recollection and impressions not research, but I would be interested to hear what others think. When the D2/LC-1 came out, it was, in a way, a "coming of age" for Leica digital photography. There had been Leica digital cameras before of course, not least the D1, but the D2/LC-1 seemed to take off in a way that it's predecessors had failed to do. As a usable tool, it seemed to capture the attention of those here and we saw a surge in creative activity as people came to terms with the capabilities and constraints of the camera. This is my point. Looking at the photo forums in recent weeks, and the people forum in particular, it all seems to be a bit, well, safe and samey. Nobody is pushing the envelope any more. Now, I don't think that this is about specific cameras per se, but I think it has something to do with our familariity with digital capture. When it was "new" to us, we experimented more. Sometimes our experiments were good, sometimes bad, but we were trying to master new skills to get the best out of our new kit, which meant that we moved outside our old comfort zones into uncharted territory. Maybe I'm not explaining this well... When I get a new guitar I try to master new and different tunes; both the newness and the strangeness of the instrument encourages me to push the envelope, both to find out what the instrument is capable of, and to find out what I am capable of with it. Now that digital capture has become mainstream, now that we have become habituated to it's quirks and shortcomings, strengths and weaknesses, I think we have "normalised" our behaviours with digital cameras to the extent that there is no longer any "edginess" - any "let's see what this baby can do..." We have learned to trust and rely upon digital imaging equipment, and in so doing have lost something. Am I barking, or do others share my views? Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 22, 2006 Posted July 22, 2006 Hi bill, Take a look here Are we getting safe and boring again?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Guest stnami Posted July 22, 2006 Share #2 Posted July 22, 2006 Yep you sure are barking and stopping at all the right places. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted July 22, 2006 Share #3 Posted July 22, 2006 I'm doing some 'edgy' stuff - I hope. But until the M8 gets here I have to do it with my Sony R1. So I can't post it on the various Leica forums - and wouldn't want to post it on the few R1 forums (talk about safe! - They'd never understand it!!) I've been bored overall with internet forums the last month or so. I've made my camera choice (M8 when it gets here). So no interest in the mystery D80 or whatever Nikon is teasing. We've covered about every possible aspect of the M8 to death ( and still don't know REAL details). The Sony forums have more cat pictures than a Leica forum(!) Guess it's just the 'dog days' ("Bark! Bark!"). Wish I could take a nap until October 15th or thereabouts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisweeks Posted July 22, 2006 Share #4 Posted July 22, 2006 you guys should invite that fly-person back! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stnami Posted July 22, 2006 Share #5 Posted July 22, 2006 The fly and Helios as his 6º offsider, we need those loose canons Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted July 22, 2006 Share #6 Posted July 22, 2006 I do feel a certain ennui about the M8 which is extending to the photographs I take, almost like being in a state of suspended animation waiting for this thing to happen. The D2X is too big and heavy, the Epson is fun but 8 out of my 9 lenses are in Solms being coded, my M6 lies on the shelf with no film in it. I agree with Andy, we've speculated about the M8 to death - and I certainly take my share of the blame, banging on as I have about viewfinders. I'm actually rather bored about it now given an almost complete lack of concrete information from Leica. It could be fantastic, I hope it is, but it might just be a huge let-down. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
semrich Posted July 22, 2006 Share #7 Posted July 22, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) Well, for me you could say that everything I am currently doing is brand new. Its all new to me because I got a D-Lux2 the end of April, the R-D1 the end of May, and have a deposit down for the M8. Then add in CS2, Epson PhotoRaw, LightRoom, and posting photos to the Leica forum and the RangerFinder forum I find there isn't enough time to get bored with it. The forums have been an inspiration for both the purchase of the equipment and software, the comments reqarding my photos, and the photos I see others posting will keep me in edginess for some time to come. Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
k_g_wolf ✝ Posted July 22, 2006 Share #8 Posted July 22, 2006 Mark, there is a lot of sound information around about the M8. Just stroll through the archives and/ or consult LEICA- Fotografie- Magazine, also available in English. Releasetime is PHOTOKINA in Sept. In LEICA-terms only seconds from now ... Best Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stnami Posted July 22, 2006 Share #9 Posted July 22, 2006 Karl, what hasn't been speculated is being written by Mark at this moment. No offense meant to you Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted July 22, 2006 Share #10 Posted July 22, 2006 You're right, my list of M8 things left to speculate about is pretty much empty. I did wonder about the size of the holes in the carrying step eyelets though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilyum Posted July 22, 2006 Share #11 Posted July 22, 2006 Bill, you make a valid point, yet it doesn't quite apply to myself, because I have not yet "learned to trust and rely upon digital imaging equipment". For myself, there are just too many buttons to push. They'll have to pry my MP "from my cold dead hands". My apologies to Charlton Heston! Best regards, Bill (wilyum) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micheal Posted July 22, 2006 Share #12 Posted July 22, 2006 Bill, You are certainly not barking. It was predicted that digital would produce a "dumbing down" of photography. After fourteen years of working with digital (scanners & film) I am at a point of looking at digital as an interesting experiment which I participated in & am now ready to move on. Hopely forward. It is all about the visual image. Michael http://www.stardustgrafik.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
square_one Posted July 22, 2006 Share #13 Posted July 22, 2006 At the moment, I've no need to go forward into unchartered digital territory to escape "safe and boring", having just stepped backwards to the demanding O-Serie, where I must: 1> Extend and seat the lens - or get a perfect image of a 1950 Zenith TV screen. 2> Sunny-sixteen the exposure - because no exposure meter is aboard. And do it under middle-aged apertures of 3.5-4.5-6.3-9-12, coupled to shutter speeds of 2-5-10-20-50mm that can only be changed by winding forward partially to a specific point on the miniscule mechanical dial and carefully resetting a tiny pin in a tiny hole. After this fine-fingered feat you may finish the forward wind. Herr Barnack will be looking at you from the backside of the camera body the entire time and will deduct cult-points if you secretly use your Pentax Spotmeter dial to figure any of this stuff out. 3> Guess the distance to the subject - without a rangefinder...in meters. 4> Guess the negative's outer limits - somewhere within the outer bounds of the .5 viewfinder. 5> Remember to take the cap off for the shot - thankfully no big deal for M users. 6> Remember to always put the cap immediately back on - knowing if you don't and wind forward, the two shutter curtains slowly dragging by the open lens on their way back to tension will convert your hard-won, perfectly-exposed negative to pitch. I can't tell you how many times I have screwed-up on this one....well on everything the past week. Alas, I will master these silly mechanics and return to pursuit of the IMAGE - what it's all about, digital or analog. Meantime I'm having great fun wasting drug-store Kodacolor and pulling my hair out. PS - Any other's with an O? Think I recall a couple from the old forum. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted July 22, 2006 Share #14 Posted July 22, 2006 ...We have learned to trust and rely upon digital imaging equipment, and in so doing have lost something... Post coitum omne animal triste. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEd Posted July 22, 2006 Share #15 Posted July 22, 2006 Boooorrrrriiinggg. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilyum Posted July 23, 2006 Share #16 Posted July 23, 2006 Bruce T., I chuckled at your description of the mechanics of "O" Leica operation. I was once tempted to purchase an "O", but in the end, the price held me back. I preferred to use the money to buy more accessories for my MP. The "O" does sound like lots of fun though! Best regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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