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Reasons not to buy the Digital M?


albertwang

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Hello Uwe, your assumption is correct, 1/1000th shutter speed, unfortunately.

 

The previous evening I loaded Provia 400F so that I could capture early morning light, so had the wrong ISO film for the summit light.

 

The first few shots came out OK, but then this vignetting effect as the curtain became sluggish. It's just circumstances and I don't really blame the camera.

The example is the best of worst case.

 

I am just presenting an instance of life as it can be. Next time I will set the camera for no faster than 1/500th shutter speed. :)

 

Cheers, William

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William,

 

Maybe you should have changed the lube to a lighter weight on the MP :D

 

My R3 did that one winter, the shutter got really slow starting at -10 C and by - 40 there was no need for a self timer anymore. After sending her of for a clad it all is working fine. I haven't tested at -40 the last couple winters haven't been as cold but all works fine at -20 C .

 

Peter

 

Thanks Peter, it's reassuring to know that it can happen to others too, and that my camera is operating normally. My explanation for what I think happened is in the above reply to Uwe.

 

Cheers, William

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Thanks Peter, it's reassuring to know that it can happen to others too, and that my camera is operating normally. My explanation for what I think happened is in the above reply to Uwe.

 

Cheers, William

 

You are welcome William,

 

When I sent my R3 to get serviced I had a good visit with the service manager and he said it is quit common for older cameras to get sluggish in the cold, all the old lube will get stuff and sticky. Not sure how old your MP would be but that could be the reason for the sluggish shutter.

 

Peter

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The wide angle is another issue. I still think that the crop factor isn't so noticeable on the SLR as much. But on the rangefinder it makes a difference to me. I shoot a lot of hyperfocal and for me, banging shots at the hip and finding that most of shots are cropped too tightly is bad. And the M has a history of street photography use but the inability to "predict" what you are shooting isn't helpful to me when you already have the habit with the framelines on a regular film M.

 

Hey, calm down. 35 mm and 28 mm are the classical street photography lenses. With the 1.33 crop factor, a 28 becomes an equivalent 37 mm lens, and 21 is 28 equivalent. So what's the problem? I just got myself a 28 'Cron. It beats even the aspherical 35 mm lenses hands down, performance-wise. Still, my dear old 35/1.4 ASPH. will be a respectable standard lens at 47 mm equivalent. Hakuna matata.

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...So what's the problem?...

No problem if you don't need fast 21mm and 75mm FoV so far.

I don't need wides personally but i like the 75mm FoV so much that i could well stick to my APS cameras and their great 50mm lenses.

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Well, cost is one thing.

 

Second is that I am bit confused now with the arrival on the new Panasonic/Leica DSLR. Especially given the slide posted here recently which showed an interesting range of Leica lenses to add on in the coming year. I would have thought it inevitable that Leica will resell a 'Lecia' version of this DSLR. Won't that confuse everyone further?

 

LouisB

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In the end it all comes down to the question. Do you buy a camera to compliment your style of photography or do you change your way of photography to accommodate the camera? I did not go for the APS format when it was film and I am not about to pay $5000 dollars for a digital version because it will except a Leica M lens.

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How about one very good reason TO buy the M8:

 

Over the past five years, my assignments from magazine editors have gone through an evolution:

 

5 years ago: "We would prefer this to be shot on film."

 

3 years ago: "Please shoot film and perhaps some digital if you're comfortable with it."

 

Currently: "We need this shot on high res digital."

 

Personally, I'm very excited about the prospect of using an M system to do digital assignments just as I always loved using the M system for film work.

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...You can pick one up in the UK for just over 1,000 GBP, isn't that cheap enough?

Best price i know of is £1,192 + VAT at Robert White for the R-D1s but £1,000 VAT included would be great for a new R-D1.

Have you got any link Steve?

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Hi People,

 

Leica nead to made one M digital camera because is the only way to survive in the future.

The M8 is so important for Leica just like water is for human life.

The bad financial situation of the company is the main reason because the sucess of this camera is so important for Leica.If the M8 is not a sucessfull product I think is the end of Leica.

At this moment all the efforts of the company are put on this model so let´s whait and see when the camera are in the market if they are one good product or not.

 

regards,

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Hi LCT, it was rRbert White I was thinking of - that'll teach me to remember that their prices exculde VAT ;-)

Makes £ 1,400 TVA included i.e. roughly € 2,000.

Not bad compared to € 3,000 i paid 2 years ago. rire_jaune.gif

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I'm afraid that the M8 has a very poor ROI considering that digital products have an average turnover of 3 years. Again, I will wait until a used M8 hits the $1500-$2000 then I will bite. I am praying that digital Leica products devalue quickly so that I can afford them.

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I'm sorry if I am too bold in my first post in the new forum, but you guys are fortunate to be able to spend that much money on something that will be obsolete in a year or so. Up to the MP, people can keep on shooting "long after the price has been forgotten" and in many instances, far after the original owner is forgotten.

 

Very fortunate to buy something as expensive as a car or house or painting maybe and after it put in a collection in 5 years or so.

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"I'm afraid that the M8 has a very poor ROI considering that digital products have an average turnover of 3 years."

 

Shouldn't this be posted on the Leica Accountants Forum rather than the Leica Users Forum?

 

"...something that will be obsolete in a year or so."

 

Is that 1 year of 3 years - you accountants need to get your figures straight!

 

I expect to be shooting and selling pictures from my M8 in 10 years (unless it physically implodes).

 

Obsolete (adj.) - 1. No longer in use or in fashion. 2. No longer used or useful.

- American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

 

I don't see how this word applies to the M8 (except in the 'Hermes' sense of no longer in fashion).

 

If you have a competing definition of "obsolete" that includes the M8 but excludes the M3, M4, M6, MP, M7, please let me hear it.

 

But even at 3 years (accounting lesson):

 

M7 @ $3,295 - plus operating costs for 3 years @ $250 per month film and processing ($9,000) - less depreciated value (resale) of $2,700 - net cost $9,595

 

M8 @ $4,995 - plus operating costs for 3 years @ $0 per month ($0) - less depreciated value (resale) of $1000 - net cost $3,995

 

Tell me again which was the best investment?

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