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From M240 back to the essential (M8)


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I know a man who owns a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. An otherwise frugal man, he adores high performance cars and has owned a string of sports coupes from all the major German and Italian brands, and has finally settled on his current burned-orange beauty.

 

He works long hours, and cannot drive it during the day because of the excessive attention it brings. Women stare at the car and try to pick him up, young men in Subarus and souped-up Holdens want to drag him at traffic lights. He drives a nondescript Japanese car to work. But when he slips into the charcoal suede seat that cradles him like the palm of God, and cracks open the engine with a roar like a dinosaur, the joy he knows has no bounds. The experience of thrumming down the freeway, feeling the tires bite into the road and thrust the car into infinity, that's worth every cent to him. His time with it is limited, which makes it even more precious.

 

I can barely use my M9 for work. My days are filled with editing in Premiere Pro and fiddling with an array of chunky Canon lenses. In 2010 I paid an obscene amount of money for my M9 and an equal amount for lenses over the years, so I understand some of the expenses associated with Leica ownership. But when I walk out to shoot a personal project with the M9 in my hand, my heart sings with the joy of a man flying down the freeway in a blur of Italian-crafted steel.

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Dear John, whatever you end up doing with the M8, don't ever sell the 40/2. I have one from the CLE that I use about 80% of the time on an M9. ( and no, I have NEVER had a problem with the 35mm frame lines following a shallow flange grind to the lens).

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Dear John, whatever you end up doing with the M8, don't ever sell the 40/2. I have one from the CLE that I use about 80% of the time on an M9. ( and no, I have NEVER had a problem with the 35mm frame lines following a shallow flange grind to the lens).

 

 

Shortly after getting my M9 I picked up a pristine 2.0/40 Summicron. With it surrounded by the 35 & 50mm Summiluxes it was barely used although I had no doubts about its qualities and did like it's compactness. I sold it after 6 months for more than I paid, but have never missed it. However, I'd not sell any of my other Leica lenses.

 

Maybe there's something I'm missing here.

Edited by MarkP
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I sold my M9 kit for pretty much the sam reason as John. Just did not feel comfortable having so much invested for its level of use. I switched to a Nex 7 system, which I thoroughly enjoy.

 

But I missed the RF experience so recently bought an M4-P and 35mm. The jury's still out on how I'll get along with film. But I'm honestly weary of the constant digital hubbub. Of course, I already thinking M6 or M7, but somehow it feels different, more permanent.

 

John

Edited by johnwolf
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I know a man who owns a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. An otherwise frugal man, he adores high performance cars and has owned a string of sports coupes from all the major German and Italian brands, and has finally settled on his current burned-orange beauty.

 

I am lucky to sometimes have the opportunity to drive the latest Superleggera (and other cars) in all colors on road and (more important to me) on race tracks.

I am lucky to sometimes have the opportunity to use the latest digital Leica gear too.

 

But back to "normal" life, I would always prefer using my MP/M3 with just some very few lenses and enjoy my aircooled oldfashioned boxer rear engined cars and relax (or work) in the garden.

 

What is interesting with cars and Leicas, I NEVER thought of the "money value" when using them. That would have destroyed all the fun. Even with a bag full of OWN Leica equipment worth like a standard car (in the old days), I never thought of risks etc. Sold some Leica gear because of non use and changing preferences.

 

Even cameras are just tools, especially when it comes to digital bodies!

 

edit: As long an amateur enjoys his expensive gear it´s fine. When it´s just hidden at home and collecting dust, it simply makes no sense anymore - even in case he can afford whatever he wants.

Edited by Rona|d
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I think as long as one has the money to afford the expensive Leica gear, there is nothing wrong with buying a lot of high quality lenses. As long as they are bought used the decrease of their value is almost zero.

 

I changed DSLR bodies and lenses a lot in the last 4 years and I was never really satisfied but lost a lot of money by doing so. I own my M9-P for 2 weeks now and already have 4 lenses (28-35-50-90). I bought everything used except a spare battery. So far I have spent a little more than 12.000 Euros for this equipment. And I don't think that any more is needed. I love the M9-P + 35mm Cron as a small walkaround combo for a lot of subjects, although I think that I will mainly use the M9-P with the 28 Cron, 50 Lux, 90 Elmarit Combo. I guess I won't use the 35mm and 90mm very often, so in theory at least 2500 Euros could have been saved. However, I will keep the lenses, because I don't need the money now and as I said before the value will not drastically decrease over time if it decreases at all.

 

Long story short: I am also an amateur and I don't own or earn a lot of money (I didn't need a loan for the quipment, though). But as only the value of the body decreases over time, the costs of this hobby are still moderate compared to other luxurious partimes like owning (and actually driving) sports cars etc.

And in the first two weeks of using the M9-P I have felt so much joy while using it, that I feel very assured I made the right choice this time.

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You set me thinking, at this very moment I'm sitting in a library in Antwerp, Belgium with the M9-P with Summicron-M 35mm ASPH right next to my computer... in the bag is some other gear. Including M6TTL and M3, 90 Elmarit-M and Elmar-M 50... I've got some more at home...

 

Maybe it is time to look at it again and see if I should sell something, I'm only with Leica as of march 2012! And Already bought a M8, M8.2 M9 (grey) M9-P (black because I didn't like the grey) M6, then a M6TTL (because I didn't like the 'reversed' shutter speed button) and even a M3 because, well just because... Bought and sold lenses, etc etc.

 

I haven't bought stuff in a while (at least for me) and started just shooting, and enjoying the gear, but I see that I only use half of the gear, and on that very occasional moment use the gear I rarely use... most of the time I force myself to use it... because I otherwise find it a waste of money... haha bad reason!

 

Thanks for sharing your idea...

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i think the M8 and the 40mm Summicron may be one of THE finest packages one could use made by Leica.....especially for the price. Great choice!

 

Seconded. It's one of the reasons I miss my M8.2 so much.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks for the story! I can relate in a way, went from shooting Canon, to Nikon, then jumped to Leica in early 2011, bought an M8.2 with a couple of lenses, then sold everything and went back to Nikon, getting a D3S and some lenses. The Leica M 8.2 taught me alot about photography, it actually helped me get better with my portraits! and learned the details about what makes a photo, it forced me to "think" something that most people dont do with DSLR's they just click , click , click. I am thinking about getting a rangefinder system with my DSLR system, here is a photo from a couple years ago, using the M8.2

 

5851201209_afb1d64755_b.jpg

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Thanks for the nice picture.

Making foto's with a rangefinder makes much more fun that with a DSLR.

I have a DSLR here (that I gave to my wife in the mean time), but since I use the M's, I rarely touch another camera. Only in bad light conditions, I have a RX100, that I can push to ISO3200 and use it for videos.

 

Nice como, Leica M8 and a small pocket camera for the things that the M8 cannot be used for.

 

gr

 

John

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Shortly after getting my M9 I picked up a pristine 2.0/40 Summicron. With it surrounded by the 35 & 50mm Summiluxes it was barely used although I had no doubts about its qualities and did like it's compactness. I sold it after 6 months for more than I paid, but have never missed it. However, I'd not sell any of my other Leica lenses.

 

Maybe there's something I'm missing here.

 

Well... I picked up, 4 years ago,a pristine Elmarit asph 24 for my M8... not GAS, I pretended... it was the shortest focal in its VF... but was surrounded by 21 and 28 of same aperture... and thinking of M, I sold it this year (me too, for more than I paid) : the result is that M isn't yet in my hands, I use my M8... and miss it... :o

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M8 40mm Summicron - ...

 

Summicron 2.0 - 40 mm is really fine on the M8, but without adapter you can not fix the necessary UV / IR cut filter for color photos.

With Summilux 1.4 - 35 mm preasph you can insert into the lens hood 12504 a UV / IR cut filter of series VII or the cheaper size 49 mm.

IMHO the 1.4 - 35 mm preasph is some more handsome to use.

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No adapter needed on the M8 for the Summicron-C 40/2.

One can either:

- Use a Series 5.5 UV/IR filter with the rubber hood of the 40/2; it is hard to find out though;

- Use a 39mm UV/IR filter (w/o screwing it too tight) and screw the rubber hood or a metal vented hood from Heavystar or same into the filter;

- Use the glass of a Leica 39mm UV/IR filter with a bit of DIY (http://tinyurl.com/7ktucvn);

- Use the glass of a B+W 39mm UV/IR filter with a bit of DIY as well. Jaap did it if memory serves.

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...1.4 - 35 mm preasph is some more handsome to use.

Agree on the M8.2 (my favorite combo) but not on the M8 imho. The 35mm frame lines of the latter are more accurate with the Summicron 40/2 at long to medium distance.

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No adapter needed on the M8 for the Summicron-C 40/2.

One can either:

- Use a Series 5.5 UV/IR filter with the rubber hood of the 40/2; it is hard to find out though;

- Use a 39mm UV/IR filter (w/o screwing it too tight) and screw the rubber hood or a metal vented hood from Heavystar or same into the filter;

- Use the glass of a Leica 39mm UV/IR filter with a bit of DIY (http://tinyurl.com/7ktucvn);

- Use the glass of a B+W 39mm UV/IR filter with a bit of DIY as well. Jaap did it if memory serves.

 

Agree on the M8.2 (my favorite combo) but not on the M8 imho. The 35mm frame lines of the latter are more accurate with the Summicron 40/2 at long to medium distance.

 

 

 

Agree, never found a Series 5.5 UV/IR cut filter and it's out of production.

I've seen a destroyed Summicron 2.0 - 40 mm because someone had screwed in the wrong filter or adapter.

Unfortunately I'm too clumsy for crafting.;)

I don't like the rubber hood as the elder ones get greasy.

Also I don't like the lens cap of the Summicron 2.0 - 40 because of easy broken pins.

So I think too, M8.2 with Summilux 1.4 - 35 preasph could be the better combo.

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...I don't like the rubber hood as the elder ones get greasy. Also I don't like the lens cap of the Summicron 2.0 - 40 because of easy broken pins...

No problem with my samples since the seventies. I like this little thing so much that i use it on the Summarit 35/2.5 and the CV 21/4 as well. Makes the latter vignette on full frame though. YMMV.

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