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2 months with the M8 so far.


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Well its been about two months now with my Leica M8. I fist read about this camera coming out in October 2006. I didnt really know what it meant to use Leica Rangefinder at that time. I did however comprehend the engineering that was going into it, and the pride that was taken in the years of refinement and design. And could "feel" the passion that its users had for it. Much like the passion I had experienced with other such finely crafted, and styled tools as Porsche Automobiles, Macintosh Computers, Panerai and Vacheron Constantine watches, and Benchmade Knives, etc.... There is always cheaper but not necessarily nicer.

 

So I set about to understand more of the photographic advantages of this system as opposed to simply the design and engineering reasons.

 

For a few years I had been using the Canon digital system. I first bought a Digital Rebel, to find that finally I didn't get shutter lag, and could get blurry backgrounds, unlike the pocket cameras i kept buying hoping for better photos. Soon i started to notice a haze of sorts and and figured perhaps my camera just wasn't very good. At this time i still took photos on automatic. So I went a and bought a 10D. I went into compusa and a 18year old tells me, nice camera. I said yeah i had the rebel, but i bought this one to take better photos. He tells me, cool you have the separate wheel to adjust your fstop and aperture. I of course had no idea what he was talking about. I just figured it cost cost more it must be better. (Note: I knew had mirror lockup which was 'better' but didn't know why)

 

He tells me next time a take a trip to NYC hed like to take along as he just bought a Digital Rebel. He showed me photos and I soon realized that it wasn't the camera, it was the photographer. His photos kicked my photos.

 

So I book a weekend trip to NYC that weekend, and he teaches me all about shooting on manual. Suddenly I understand what Fstop, iso, and aperture means in about a half day.

 

Then I figured out why I want fast glass.. Such as A Tamron F2.8 rather than the 3.5 to 5.6 that came with the Rebel I had.

 

As time passed and a quest for better photos I buy a Canon 17-40 F2.8L lens.

 

Then I suddenly figure out why Canon L glass was better than the Tamron F2.8 I had.

 

Still not fully understanding just how much better glass makes a difference though, I go and buy a Canon 1DMKII. Wonderful camera, but my style of photography wasn't suited to it. Suddenly i needed a bigger Pelican case, a bigger soft bag, and everywhere i went people asked if I was a pro, etc....... And people always jumped in front of the camera doing something stupid yelling "take my picture".

 

So I trade the 1DMKII for a 20D and some cash, and start buying Lenses and a get a flash. I get a 100mm macro, a 50mm 1.8. Now i suddenly recognize, wow F1.8 really blurs the background, and I can take photos without a flash indoors in dimly lit areas.

 

But hey now my KIT is huge again. But at least my photos are better. Next I figure out hmm, the 5D, so I sell the 20D and the 50 1.8 and the 17-40L and buy the 5D and the 50mm 1.4 and a 1-35 F2.8

 

In my quest for ever better photos i begin reading about the Canon F1.0. But this leads me to another 1.0 lens the Leica F1.0 Noctilux. THen i start thinking let me find out about this Leica thing. That was around September 2006.

 

So in April 2007 of this year I go to NYC with my 5D in hand and the 50 1.4, and while in the cab on the way to the hotel form the airport, I see a sign that says Henri Bresson exhibit. I know only of a few photos i saw online and hear about his name in the Leica forums a lot.

 

So I get out of the cab and go find this place. I figure out wow, now i get it. Contrast, Microcontrast, B&W, etc.... an on and on, it all makes since to me, that there are elusive qualities that you cant quantify with a simple number on a chart. 1 may be soft and 10 may be hard. But I dont FEEL that by reading. I much TOUCH something to understand softness vs hardness. So suddenly i SEE the difference rather than READ about the difference.

 

A month later I sell my 5d and all the lenses and buy a M8 and a summilux 35mm.

 

What a lovely time it has been. I do miss the low light noiseless images for color photos of bands I took pictures of, BUT I didn't get paid to do that, and rarely did the bands even really care when i gave them the photos. So now i take photos with the M8, mostly print B&W, and give my friends photos i took of them that they didn't even realize I was doing, and I capture their candid joy etc...

 

And if I get other paying jobs for more architecture or macro work, ill just rent a 5D and some lenses. But MY CAMERA is the M8. I think it was built just for me :)

 

When someone asks me "What makes that camera so great?" I show them a photo that i printed out, and they go "wow now i SEE"

 

Thanks.

 

Mario Alessi

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lots of words and not a single sample. I love these stories though otherwise I would not read them. It reminds me of my own time in photography.

 

Still. Usually when one sees the results where this history has led up to one would not share the enthousiasm of the story teller.

Great photographers always put their work up front. From some of my favorite photographers I could never find out what tools they used. Sometimes when I found out I remember being dissapointed with the work I saw before. Thinking it had some magic from the tools used. When that magic was replaced with the idea of a small compact or a discontinued rather not good reviewed camera or lens I thought I could see suddenly what was lacking.

 

Obviously this is a specific forum on Leica and one should expect stories closely related to the specific camera.

 

Still, I miss the work, the photos, as if the whole thing could exist without them ....

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