New to M8, a very happy owner

[efour]

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I'm too happy to the point that I wanna tell everyone how I get back to photography.

I was shooting semi-pro event and wedding photographer for a while using DSLR with all big zooms, honestly I was doing it for purely extra income purpose.

After 1-2 years, I have found I will not even touch my gears if it's not a job. I found I was then not a happy shooter anymore.

For some reason, maybe my works weren't too impressed or maybe I dun care too much about marketing and promoting myself to the public, I have no more clients, and I found I'm not shooting anymore. I decided to sell all my chunky pro grade equipments and just left alone with me a first Fuji X100 for daily casual image capturing which I dun do a lot too.

But being a guy, whose used to do some sort of photograph, I still have that kind of gear searching "blood", I then remember when I first shooting just for fun, I always fancy a Leica, I was no any kind of knowledge or experience with the brand, the only things I know about Leica is it looks good, it looks classic and it is very expensive. For the price point, I wouldn't even think about it.

Here come, my curiousness drive me to start to search if any possible way to have an easy outfit with more reasonable price to get into the fantasy of owning one. I've been searching online, reading here and there, I was thinking to get a camera that even have lower mp than my original Fuji X100, somehow, the curiousness drove me to make a shot.

I picked up an used M8, with the first lens Voigthlander Nokton 35 f1.4, It was a "wow" for me holding it in my hand for how well it was build. I have it for the first day, have it fully charged in my office, I took it for a walk nearby my work place after work. I was then find out how fun is it to shoot with a camera like this, I shoot slowly, focus slowly, think more throughly of what I'm shooting and why I shoot it. The shooting experience was very pleasant. I'm so happy I have made the decision. It might not make me a better photographer but I least now I start shoot again and I'm happy doing so.

Sorry for such long story and some bad English, happy Leica owner from HK. 

 

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[efour]

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[efour]

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[tommonego@gmail.com]

Received mine last Monday, it is my digital answer to infrared. Have also been looking at its color renditions. I think my preference for color is my CL, looking at the M8 it is great on ISO 160, 320 seems to break down a little, like 1200 on the CL, usable but not optimal. It seems to make less of a issue on b&w. I have been impressed with the infrared a little slower than when I used Kodak HIE but good results. I haven't ran into the IR color issue, but I did use a Kodak digital in the late 90's that had a similar filter stack and had the IR problems. Seemed especially prominent on fabrics. So after a week I have a keeper that is going to require some getting used to, it is working for the reason I bought it.  

[iedei]

it's a fantastic camera....even in 2019.  Congratulations and enjoy it in good health!! 

just get rid of that Voigtlander and get a proper 35mm or 40mm lens.  One that doesn't render like a food blender. 

Edited September 29, 2019 by iedei

[Ko.Fe.]

It is still wedding photog mentality (way to many meaningless photos  ), but you are one of the few wedding photogs who realized what here is Photography and wedding photography. M8 is still one of the unsurpassed Photography tools.

And do not listen "you must only have Leica lens on Leica". It is not a Photography talks.

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Ko.Fe.

[efour]

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23 hours ago, iedei said:

it's a fantastic camera....even in 2019.  Congratulations and enjoy it in good health!! 

just get rid of that Voigtlander and get a proper 35mm or 40mm lens.  One that doesn't render like a food blender. 

Thanks for the advices, I picked up an Elmarit 28 v3 and Zeiss Planar 50 f2, I think I will end it there for gears.

Edited September 30, 2019 by efour

[efour]

22 hours ago, Ko.Fe. said:

It is still wedding photog mentality (way to many meaningless photos  ), but you are one of the few wedding photogs who realized what here is Photography and wedding photography. M8 is still one of the unsurpassed Photography tools.

And do not listen "you must only have Leica lens on Leica". It is not a Photography talks.

 

Thanks for the advices, 

Only Leica lens on Leica is most likely not happening to me, they are too pricey and I think to my eye I dun see / care too much for the different in the image quality.

I can live with the busy bokeh.

[rivi1969]

11 hours ago, efour said:

Thanks for the advices, 

Only Leica lens on Leica is most likely not happening to me, they are too pricey and I think to my eye I dun see / care too much for the different in the image quality.

I can live with the busy bokeh.

Agree. That comment saying “get rid of that Voigtlander and get a proper 35...” is just b...s. Both Voigtlander and Zeiss produces excellent lenses that will help you make beautiful pictures with your M8.

[mike_j]

I  migrated to Sony E cameras mainly to use Leica lenses on a modern affordable body then sold all my Leica lenses when I found the Sony FE lenses were better on the Sony system, especially the Zeiss primes. I just kept my favourite Zeiss ZM 28/2.8 to use with the  M8  plus a 1933 Summar and 60's Jupiter 50/2.0

I don't miss the Leica lenses, good though some of them were.

[jaapv]

On 9/30/2019 at 3:30 PM, rivi1969 said:

Agree. That comment saying “get rid of that Voigtlander and get a proper 35...” is just b...s. Both Voigtlander and Zeiss produces excellent lenses that will help you make beautiful pictures with your M8.

But vintage Leica lenses can be very attractive and affordable.

[jaapv]

Images in the Photoforums and Photothreads please!

[rivi1969]

3 hours ago, jaapv said:

But vintage Leica lenses can be very attractive and affordable.

Agree. I been looking for the elusive Japanese Summicron 35mm f2 for a while. 

[Ernstk]

On 10/7/2019 at 11:28 PM, rivi1969 said:

Agree. I been looking for the elusive Japanese Summicron 35mm f2 for a while. 

I'm intrigued. Which lens do you mean?

Ernst

[rivi1969]

3 hours ago, Ernstk said:

I'm intrigued. Which lens do you mean?

Ernst

Ernst, my mistake, I meant the “Japanese Summilux” (Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM)

https://lhsa.org/2017/01/the-japanese-summilux-the-canon-501-4-ltm-lens/#myaccount

 

[Ernstk]

57 minutes ago, rivi1969 said:

Ernst, my mistake, I meant the “Japanese Summilux” (Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM)

https://lhsa.org/2017/01/the-japanese-summilux-the-canon-501-4-ltm-lens/#myaccount

 

Thanks! I have one, it's a great lens but I don't use it that much.

Ernst

[tommonego@gmail.com]

I have had 3 Canon screw mount lenses, a 135 f3.5 which was not aligned well with the rangefinder  M2s (one had an M4 rangefinder), never had a good photo from that lens, luckily it was obvious and I sent it back to the seller. A 50mm f2 that was just not right, tight focus and f stop ring. I have a 25 f3.5 that I have had for years, nice lens. But I am skeptical of used Canon lenses. I have had old beat up Leica lenses that have always performed. 

[Snappergb]

For me, there are three reasons to get Leica lenses, if you can stretch to them. 
1, to me, they do render more accurately than others I’ve tried on my M8.

2, they are smaller and the coded lenses do make a helpful difference.

3, photographers are constantly changing their kit but if you’ve bought Leica kit, you will not lose money. 
 

[RvN]

On 10/11/2019 at 6:09 PM, tommonego@gmail.com said:

I have had 3 Canon screw mount lenses, a 135 f3.5 which was not aligned well with the rangefinder  M2s (one had an M4 rangefinder), never had a good photo from that lens, luckily it was obvious and I sent it back to the seller. A 50mm f2 that was just not right, tight focus and f stop ring. I have a 25 f3.5 that I have had for years, nice lens. But I am skeptical of used Canon lenses. I have had old beat up Leica lenses that have always performed. 

I have a copy of that canon 135 F3,5 and it is a great lens. I tested it next to a Leica 135mm and sold the Leica. 

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[tjh1023]

I just picked up an M8 from a dealer, and from what I can tell it is pristine, with 2 Leica batteries and an rrs base. I’ll know for sure come Thursday when it arrives. Grabbed a 28 1,9 and 40 1.4 voigtländer lenses for it. I can’t wait to test this out. I’ve had a 50 1.1, a 21 1.8 and 23 2.5 voits and loved them on my m240 and m10. Sold those as it was tough to focus with glasses, but I regretted it unfortunately one of them is not in the budget so the 8 it is. For the hive mind how important is an ir filter on the 8?