chris_tribble Posted June 21, 2007 Share #1 Posted June 21, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I was working in Poznan, Poland this week as part of an assignment looking at both sides of the experience of migration in Europe. I'd originally planned to do the whole trip with 2 M8s + 15, 21, 28, 50, 75. However, I had some concern over my ability to focus quickly with the 75 + the extent to which the VC 15 would really give me what I needed in WA. In the end, discretion won (I only had one chance with these subjects - in Poznan for 2 half days + one evening). I took with me an M8 + 28 Asph Cron and 50 non-asph Lux (2nd M8 and 75 as backup back at the hotel) + a 5D with 16-35 2.8 L and the 85 1.2 L. Was I glad ... The perfect combination for me was to use the M8 + 28 and the 5D + 85 as the walk around combination, with the option to shift to 5D + 16-35 with the M8 + 50 when the main emphasis was on wide. If you're interested in how this came out, check: Migration in Europe: Poznan / Ewelina - you can get Exif data by clicking on the little camera icon beside each image... I had an evening + a morning with Ewelina... We moved from evening light into an incredibly dark Irish pub. Moral here is always take the M8 with you as I was able to focus in absurd low light (Canon auto-focus gave up completely) and to hand hold useable shots at 1/4 second. The next day we had marvellous crystal clear Eastern European sunshine and the 85 was perfect for quick portraits with a young person who felt very uncomfortable being photographed - the M8 + 28 being perfect for context grab shots. We finished the shoot at Ewelina's home where her mum gave us chlodnik (pronounced hwodnik) a perfect chilled yoghurt, beetroot and herb soup, and one of the best shots of the visit was made (Ewelina + mum with the M8 + 28). But again, did I appreciate having 16mm as an option when it came to interior and exterior shots... The moral? 1/ The M8 is a wonderful picture making instrument. If I could only have one camera and one lens it would be the M8 + 28 asph. 2/ The 5D is a wonderful picture making instrument. It's close to unbeatable for portraits with 85 1.2 L and the 16-25 (or one of the later models) is a really flexible tool. 3/ If you have both, it's rather nice. The flexibility of a 2 body fully professional setup that can be carried all day without wrecking your back and shoulders... Interested to know what others feel on issue of 2 body combinations for documentary / wedding work... PS - no trouble getting the full kit plus laptop onto planes (in a larger Domke satchel) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 21, 2007 Posted June 21, 2007 Hi chris_tribble, Take a look here A confession - an M8 wasn't my only camera on the trip to Poland. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
k_g_wolf ✝ Posted June 21, 2007 Share #2 Posted June 21, 2007 Great story, great photographs. Thx for sharing. Best Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WPalank Posted June 21, 2007 Share #3 Posted June 21, 2007 Chris, I just returned form China (I'm still a bit wonked) and had a similar experience. I got a Mark III 2 weeks before leaving and I am very glad I brought it with me. I was able to land some incredible shots at ISO 6400 wide open with a 70-200mm IS lens that would have been impossible with the M8. the Chinese government doesn't allow tripods or strobes in the pit areas of the Terra Cotta warriors in Xi'an. But the M8 really came through in the Hutong areas of Beijing when I needed stealth mode. Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinb Posted June 21, 2007 Share #4 Posted June 21, 2007 The 5D is an amazing camera wether you like it or not. It must be an amazing combo with the 35mm f/1.4 L too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanJW Posted June 21, 2007 Share #5 Posted June 21, 2007 This exactly why I am not selling my 5D. We just need different tools sometimes. Going to the zoo Sunday with my grandson and it will be the 5D and the 70-300. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share #6 Posted June 21, 2007 I got a Mark III 2 weeks before leaving and I am very glad I brought it with me. I was able to land some incredible shots at ISO 6400 wide open with a 70-200mm IS lens that would have been impossible with the M8. the Chinese government doesn't allow tripods or strobes in the pit areas of the Terra Cotta warriors in Xi'an.But the M8 really came through in the Hutong areas of Beijing when I needed stealth mode. Cheers. William - interested you were using a Mk III. I have the Mk2 but for travelling, what with the weight, the size of the charger and the bulk of the beast, I hardly ever use it now... Did you carry the DSLR and the RF systems simultaneously or make decisions about how you'd be working on the day? I've got a sound check / concert shoot in Glasgow next week (working from back stage with agreement from the performer - Tord Gustavsen Trio) and that will be a mix of DSLR + 70-200 + the Leica for working close ... For this one it would be nice to have the quiet mode on both bodies ... maybe they'll do this on the next version of the 5D + we'll get the M8 firmware fix... Best Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sirvine Posted June 21, 2007 Share #7 Posted June 21, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) I finally got my C/Y-to-Canon adaptor last night and mounted a Zeiss 15/3.5 and 85/1.2 on my old 300D. From what I saw, I really need a 5D. These images were begging for full-frame and higher resolution to match these great lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean_reid Posted June 21, 2007 Share #8 Posted June 21, 2007 I was working in Poznan, Poland this week as part of an assignment looking at both sides of the experience of migration in Europe. I'd originally planned to do the whole trip with 2 M8s + 15, 21, 28, 50, 75. However, I had some concern over my ability to focus quickly with the 75 + the extent to which the VC 15 would really give me what I needed in WA. In the end, discretion won (I only had one chance with these subjects - in Poznan for 2 half days + one evening). I took with me an M8 + 28 Asph Cron and 50 non-asph Lux (2nd M8 and 75 as backup back at the hotel) + a 5D with 16-35 2.8 L and the 85 1.2 L. Was I glad ... The perfect combination for me was to use the M8 + 28 and the 5D + 85 as the walk around combination, with the option to shift to 5D + 16-35 with the M8 + 50 when the main emphasis was on wide. If you're interested in how this came out, check: Migration in Europe: Poznan / Ewelina - you can get Exif data by clicking on the little camera icon beside each image... I had an evening + a morning with Ewelina... We moved from evening light into an incredibly dark Irish pub. Moral here is always take the M8 with you as I was able to focus in absurd low light (Canon auto-focus gave up completely) and to hand hold useable shots at 1/4 second. The next day we had marvellous crystal clear Eastern European sunshine and the 85 was perfect for quick portraits with a young person who felt very uncomfortable being photographed - the M8 + 28 being perfect for context grab shots. We finished the shoot at Ewelina's home where her mum gave us chlodnik (pronounced hwodnik) a perfect chilled yoghurt, beetroot and herb soup, and one of the best shots of the visit was made (Ewelina + mum with the M8 + 28). But again, did I appreciate having 16mm as an option when it came to interior and exterior shots... The moral? 1/ The M8 is a wonderful picture making instrument. If I could only have one camera and one lens it would be the M8 + 28 asph. 2/ The 5D is a wonderful picture making instrument. It's close to unbeatable for portraits with 85 1.2 L and the 16-25 (or one of the later models) is a really flexible tool. 3/ If you have both, it's rather nice. The flexibility of a 2 body fully professional setup that can be carried all day without wrecking your back and shoulders... Interested to know what others feel on issue of 2 body combinations for documentary / wedding work... PS - no trouble getting the full kit plus laptop onto planes (in a larger Domke satchel) Hi Chris, I'll look at the pictures later today but I use the same two primary cameras myself. I'm glad they worked for you. Cheers, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Englander Posted June 21, 2007 Share #9 Posted June 21, 2007 Chris, The images are to your typically high standard; it will be a nice piece. Good on ya! Glad you did not have any trouble with the airlines, too. On the technical side, if I might, I notice that shot 44 on page 4 of Ewelina on the roof has some strange cyan in the upper left quadrant and a bright blue-purple on the roof directly to the right of her left arm. Since you are shooting into the sun, do you think that both are the result of flare or is something else going on with the M8? Using IR filter? Thanks for sharing, Joe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share #10 Posted June 21, 2007 Chris,On the technical side, if I might, I notice that shot 44 on page 4 of Ewelina on the roof has some strange cyan in the upper left quadrant and a bright blue-purple on the roof directly to the right of her left arm. Since you are shooting into the sun, do you think that both are the result of flare or is something else going on with the M8? Using IR filter? Joe Joe - thanks for the heads up on this. Very bright light and I'd been moving quickly in and out of shadow so I'd kept the M on 320. The selection I'd put up had been very quickly corrected in LR to give the client an impression of how things had gone. The one you comment has suffered from excessive use of fill light. I'm attaching the "as shot" version + a second rendering using the curve correction slider in LR rather than fill... The sky is still bleached out, but I think the face is better + though the colour of the roofs is wrong. Don't think it was a problem with the filter, more to do with my rough and ready processing! Maybe I need to dodge the face in PS... To give you a sense of what was going on I add another image that gives a better sense of what the light was like. Better colour all round, but the image feels over-posed + doesn't give such a good sense of the town below, so I didn't include it in the set. Appreciate your comments. I suppose there's always a trade off. If you're interested I could send you the DNG by email so you could see if you could get anything more out of it... Best Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/27164-a-confession-an-m8-wasnt-my-only-camera-on-the-trip-to-poland/?do=findComment&comment=287084'>More sharing options...
phovsho Posted June 21, 2007 Share #11 Posted June 21, 2007 great thread and beautiful photos. It is posts like this which keep bringing me back to this site. Cheers Murray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share #12 Posted June 21, 2007 Thanks Murray - I think most of us here are on a similar journey - we want to make images that work (at a whole range of levels...). Best Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WPalank Posted June 21, 2007 Share #13 Posted June 21, 2007 William - interested you were using a Mk III. Did you carry the DSLR and the RF systems simultaneously or make decisions about how you'd be working on the day? Best Chris, I made the decision on a day to day basis as to which system I would be shooting with. As you know, the Mark II and III are bricks. I actually relished the days I had my M8 with the 50 lux mounted around my neck and a 28 in my pocket. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGeoJO Posted June 21, 2007 Share #14 Posted June 21, 2007 Very nice images, Chris. I also came back from China (Silk Road), not professionally just a leisure travel but I went for broke and took two digital systems. M8 with 5 lenses (I could have left the 75mm Summicron ASPH home ) and Canon 1Ds Mark2 with three zoom lenses. I love the M8 for its stealth to take environmental portraits and candid shots. However, dance performances on stage and close up of Terracotta Warriors would have not been feasible without the Canon system. On the M8, my 50mm lux ASPH and 28mm cron ASPH are the two most used lenses. For pictures taken exclusively with the M8, please click here: China in the Eye of Leica M8 Photo Gallery by Joshua at pbase.com. If you are brave enough and feel like looking at the entire gallery using both system , here is the link: Silk Road Photo Gallery by Joshua at pbase.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billh Posted June 21, 2007 Share #15 Posted June 21, 2007 ..... For pictures taken exclusively with the M8, please click here: China in the Eye of Leica M8 Photo Gallery by Joshua at pbase.com. If you are brave enough and feel like looking at the entire gallery using both system , here is the link: Silk Road Photo Gallery by Joshua at pbase.com Those are some of the best photographs of China that I have seen. Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGeoJO Posted June 22, 2007 Share #16 Posted June 22, 2007 Those are some of the best photographs of China that I have seen. Bill Bill, thank you very much. I am glad you like the images. Joshua Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted June 22, 2007 Author Share #17 Posted June 22, 2007 Joshua - some lovely work. Particularly impressed by the landscapes and some of the street scenes. Again - very interesting to hear of others who are using the two systems together. For me it was the dream combination in film days - the M is always there with whatever gives you a 35mm FOV and the SLR + zooms are in the bag waiting to be used as needed. If you're in a moving vehicle the SLR comes out with 28-70, if you want to do street head shots, on goes a fixed 200/2.8 (I still love my old version 1 of this lens), when you're walking all day it's the M with either the 35 or 50 FOV + maybe a 21 or 90 in the bag... Before the M8 came out not having this was my real frustration, and now it feels like I've come home... I suppose now my one concern is whether I needed the 2 M8s ... I suppose if it's a long journey and I'm trying to travel really light I'm just going to have to smarten up my act focusing the long lenses. You know what they say about practice... ,,, thank you for sharing thoughts and images. Best, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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