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When do you not use your M8?


ptruman

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Like many others in this forum I have found that I now rarely revert to my Canon (or Nikon or 'Blad or etc etc) Curious to know when you don't pick up the M8 and shoot away? What conditions, what subjects or what else would make you pick up your *other* camera?

 

A few for me:

 

- macro

- landscapes when I would use a polariser and/or grads

- any lens longer than 100mm equivalent

 

that's about it.

 

Pete

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4 Hasselblads, 3 Nikons, 3 Leicas, 1 Epson RD1 & a million lenses ALL lying idle in favour of my M8! O.K., I'm still in the honeymoon period. Bought my M8 on Nov 17, 2006 so it's still settling in with me, just like my wife.:D

 

I don't have a need for long lens work, very little macro work (return of the Nikon) and my landscape work is minimal (Return of the Blad). The nikons are for the kids to play with and I revert to an LC1 for some studio work.

 

The M8 is so versatile, convenient and compact I am tempted to say "universal." My work patterns are without pattern. I cover everything from reportage to stage/theatrical, portraits, children, location situations, corporate requirements, you name it. The M8 is there.

 

My only real gripe is that the framelines are not up to the standard of it's predecessors.

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If a long telephoto and auto focus are needed, then it is time for the Canon; otherwise I have had so much fun with the M8 and my old lenses that I rarely even use the pocket camera. DR

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Guest guy_mancuso

LOL that is all I have, so shoot with it is my only choice. But i will rent if i need something else. I'm ten minutes away from renting any Canon and lens i need. So decided not to bother to own a DSLR. Still looking at MF stuff if anything

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My M8 partner is an E-1 and I use it fpr:

Macro and long tele

When things are too wet for the M8

When I need accurate 100% framing

Ultra wide when I want to see the distortion being created

When I need a really quiet camera

Bob

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I used to work a lot with view cameras so I still like the things I'm able to do with tilt/shift lenses and so that's one thing I still use my Canon DSLRs for.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

 

Sean

You used to use both a rangfinder and a SLR in your wedding work. Do you still use your 5D for weddings or have you found that the M8 can do the whole job?

 

I was really surprised that Guy was using the M8 exclusively. There are some things for which a rangefinder isn't well suited. I still have my 20D and a gaggle of lenses for that theoritical need. However, somehow I've avoided needing their capabilities. I really wouldn't have thought so.

 

Rex

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Hi Rex,

 

I shot a wedding last week with just the M8 (almost entirely with the 35/1.4 Asph actually). I had an assistant who was ready with the 5D but I didn't need it. Often, though, I'll shoot with both the M8 and the 5D on my body. The 5D will have a flash connected by an off-shoe cord and that flash will sit in a sort of holster on my belt. That allows me to quickly move between existing light and flash with the Canon. As I get into the reception stuff, I often move to the M8 plus a hand-held Vivitar 285 (also on a remote cord, everything set to manual).

 

Weddings are only part of my commercial work. For architecture, I still use the 5D primarily and this is largely because it lets me work with the shift lenses. I also find that when I'm shooting interiors with ultra-wides, my lighting is often very close to the camera and tripod and an SLR is just easier for me to use in that setting than is an RF with an accessory finder.

 

But the M8 is still my favorite and the primary camera for my personal work as well as a lot of commercial work.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

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Sean

I thought that you were still a switch hitter when it came to cameras. What you do makes perfectly good sense to me, both with the demands of the wedding clients and the control required in architecal photography. That been said, I am amazed that Guy is able to do his extremely polished commercial work without resorting to a DSLR, at least, occasionally. It's not like his work has become "grittier" or turned into street photography.

 

As an amatuer, I really thought I would use my DSLRs more, but I am either avoiding situations were I need them or I have stretched the capacity of the rangefinder farther than I thought possible.

 

It sure is a lot more fun though. Not to mention easier on the back.

 

Rex

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I use mostly a D200 besides my M8, and use it:

-if I feel I go somewhere outside where the camera could get some abuse, its stupid but in some case I am trying not to treat the M8 and the lenses too hard

-I just decided to use the d200 more often when I shoot kids wide open because I often have a couple of images which are focused not correct when doing this kind of shooting with the M8

-if I feel I need a very universal lens I bring the d200 + 18-200. This lens works pretty well for me (I also have a 17-55 and a 70-200VR_ but those are just big&heavy for my outdoor activities)

 

If I am at home, have time and weight isnt an issue I sometimes take the dmr, and usually explore again and again I like th IQ a lot.

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1 - When I'm asleep

2 - when I'm in the bath

3 - when I'm having ....you guessed....:)

 

The rest of the time I like it so much its almost always with me. Please forgive a not too serious answer to your interesting question ;);)

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macro -- for quick and dirty stuff I use a Ricoh GR-D which predates the M8 by about a year. Macro with a 28mm-eff prime lens has an unusual look, as you are very close to the objects of interest. It is very effective for shooting around models, (think, doll houses), and the quality can be high with the usual care in lighting and positioning with tripod. By quick and dirty I mean hand-held, ISO 200, move a few desk lamps around -- I posted an example in the "Sean's 75mm review" thread a little while ago. Maybe the 90/4.0 macro setup can do this, but I don't have one.

 

Other stuff very close -- E-1 with its 50/2.0, a fine macro lens. I would also use the E-1 for critters with the equally fine 50-200 ZD, but that requires that I take equipment out to where the critters are, and I haven't done that for a while now.

 

scott

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If I know I'll be in a real dusty environment I'll use the Nikon D200.

If I need REAL WIDE I'll use the D200, I have a 12-24 for it and the widest lens I have for the M, at this moment, is a 24.

 

If I'm doing Macro, but I find the 75 APO ASPH works well for this in a pinch.

 

When I send the M8 in for repair. Yeah I only have 1 M8.

 

Yesterday I took a walk through a arts festival in the city I live in and since my M8 is on it's way to NJ I had a choice of Nikon D200 or a M3 to take some shots with.

You guessed it I took the M3 and 2 rolls of Tri-X.

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I use the 5D when I'm shooting my kids - auto-focus is nice when working at close range with a 3- and 4-year old.

 

I travel a LOT, several times a week, so airports and the people there are a project for me. I ALWAYS carry the D-Lux 3 in my briefcase, and have gotten a lot of great shots in places where a bigger camera would slow me down, and get security people unneccessarily suspicious.

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Macro work - use an Olympus OM-4t with bellows.

Wildlife photography - use my old Canon A-1's w/300mm and 400mm lenses.

Sailing and snorkling - have an old Minolta underwater for that stuff. As JH stated above, no way I'd take my Leica sailing!

Most everything else - the M8 these days.

 

Doug

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Guest guy_mancuso
Sean

I thought that you were still a switch hitter when it came to cameras. What you do makes perfectly good sense to me, both with the demands of the wedding clients and the control required in architecal photography. That been said, I am amazed that Guy is able to do his extremely polished commercial work without resorting to a DSLR, at least, occasionally. It's not like his work has become "grittier" or turned into street photography.

 

As an amatuer, I really thought I would use my DSLRs more, but I am either avoiding situations were I need them or I have stretched the capacity of the rangefinder farther than I thought possible.

 

It sure is a lot more fun though. Not to mention easier on the back.

 

Rex

 

Rex you bring up a good point becuase my work does vary and here i sit with only the M8. yes i get nervous about it sometimes but macro work now on the M8 is very easy really with the 90 macro and adapter plus i have a viso and bellows which i am selling but anyway the big one would be tele but 135mm is pretty good really. I maybe stretching the M8 in area's that leica never dreamed a M should go but hell lens and a sensor really is all there is to it so it seems to be working.

 

Now shift lens i did keep my Olympus 24mm shift lens and use a R to M adapter and it is shooting blindly and guessing but that LCD is the life saver here and it does work

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