Herr Barnack Posted January 1, 2021 Share #1 Posted January 1, 2021 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) Here is a short review of the M8 - if you are thinking of acquiring a copy, this information may be of value. The evolution and advances of digital photographic technology has left the M8 by the wayside, but as the author of this review observes even with its limitations it is still a capable image making tool. https://casualphotophile.com/2020/07/09/leica-m8-review/ Edited January 1, 2021 by Herr Barnack 6 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 1, 2021 Posted January 1, 2021 Hi Herr Barnack, Take a look here Leica M8: Like Shooting an Unending Roll of Kodachrome. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
tommonego@gmail.com Posted January 2, 2021 Share #2 Posted January 2, 2021 I was surprised that you didn't talk about the M8 being an excellent infrared photography platform. Rather than being a defect it can be used. This is why I bought the camera, it was later I found the color qualities. I missed Kodaks HIE infrared film, while the M8 is not quite that level, it does allow infrared hand held. Thanks for the tip on the discreet advance setting, it doe quiet the camera down a bit. Also B+W UV/IR filters work well. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS Posted January 2, 2021 Share #3 Posted January 2, 2021 (edited) I've shot Kodachrome (K-11 process), Kodachrome II (K-12), Kodachrome-X (K-12), Kodachrome 25 (K-14), and Kodachrome 64 (K-14). Color-Rendition-wide, Shooting the M8 is probably closer to shooting Kodachrome II than Kodachrome... Nice write-up, read it back in July. I shot a lot of Kodachrome 25 and Kodachrome II. Only one roll of Kodachrome. The colors were much more muted. I miss Kodachrome 25 and Panatomic-X. NOW- shooting the M Monochrom is like shooting an unending roll of Panatomic-X. Kodachrome II 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! Christmas, 1972 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr Leica M8. At the Air and Space building by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr Edited January 2, 2021 by BrianS 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Christmas, 1972 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr Leica M8. At the Air and Space building by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/316620-leica-m8-like-shooting-an-unending-roll-of-kodachrome/?do=findComment&comment=4110978'>More sharing options...
Al Brown Posted December 26, 2021 Share #4 Posted December 26, 2021 It must be the Kodachrome 200... goes well with base ISO of 160. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMyers Posted January 1, 2022 Share #5 Posted January 1, 2022 On 1/1/2021 at 12:04 PM, Herr Barnack said: The evolution and advances of digital photographic technology has left the M8 by the wayside, but as the author of this review observes even with its limitations it is still a capable image making tool. I was just discussing my M8.2 in a different forum, where too many people had read too much nonsense about the M8, and considered it hopelessly out of date and useless. I bough mine new (open box sale) just as the M9 was about to come out, and liked it so much that I didn't even consider updating - and now that I have an M10, I still use the M8 quite often. People were asking which software for editing - my choice was Lightroom long ago, but nowadays it's the Open Source (no charge) DarkTable software. It seems to be as powerful as anyone needs to to be, with all the options, but can also be reasonably fast and easy. Memory cards - since the camera is slow, and the images, even raw, are rather small, I'm using the SD cards I bought many years ago. On the top of the camera there is an image counter for how many more images you can take before running out of space - new, large capacity cards, always read 999. With older, smaller capacity cards, you get a more useful number. Lenses - out of curiosity I bought a new 7 Artisans 35mm f/2 lens, which isn't that great a lens for use on a regular Leica, but the soft parts in the corners are cut off by the crop. For $270 or so, it seems to me to be a useful lens for the M8 - just treat it as if it is a 50. I was sort of looking for a "go anywhere" camera to use the way I have used my Fuji X100f. The M8 is small enough, light enough, and far more enjoyable for me to use for "walkabouts". Batteries - I bought one new one, and three used ones from KEH. All seem to work about the same. Filters - until a month ago, I never used one of the anti-IR filters, until @jaapvhere pointed out my yellowish green trees. I added the filter, and all look perfect now. Infrared - I love shooting B&W and color infrared photos, and the M8 is absolutely perfect for this. "jpg" images - I've read in so many places that the M8 jpg images are crappy, but I haven't yet had that problem. I switched to 'dng' for other reasons, but lately I've been reading that the M8 jpg images are find for must uses, and most people. To get the most out an M8, or any camera, I think a raw image give me more to work with during editing. Value - chances are, buying an M8 today isn't as great a deal as before, but it's still a good deal in that the value is going to constantly keep going up. While the M8 can't do what an M10 can do, neither can an M10 do what an M8 can do. I've tried "trusting the in-camera exposure", and it meters just the way it's supposed to. Finally, the proof to me of the capability of an M8 is just to look at the image thread for the M8 cameras in this forum. On my computer screen, the M8 images look just as good as those from newer Leica M cameras in this forum. It's not the camera, it's the photographer.... but I think everyone here already accepts that. As to the quote that I started this with, I don't agree. In no way has the advances of digital photographic technology left the M8 by the wayside. It does what it does, and so do the newer M cameras. The newer cameras can do things that the M8 struggles with, but the M8 can do things that the newer cameras struggle with. None of the newer Leicas can capture an image like what I'll post below, and the M8 did it so effortlessly! 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! 5 3 Quote 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/316620-leica-m8-like-shooting-an-unending-roll-of-kodachrome/?do=findComment&comment=4343141'>More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted January 1, 2022 Author Share #6 Posted January 1, 2022 Excellent image, @MikeMyers! I think of the M8 in the same way I think of my M-P 240: Both have a place in the scheme of things and are still capable of making excellent images. Both cameras have limitations that later M cameras have addressed, such as better low light performance, quieter shutters and the ability to make higher quality large format prints (16x24 or 24x36 inches and larger). Even with their limitations, I would not throw either an M8 or my M-P 240 in the nearest dumpster. Both can still make great images within their respective performance envelopes. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
a.noctilux Posted January 2, 2022 Share #7 Posted January 2, 2022 Advertisement (gone after registration) On 12/26/2021 at 10:10 PM, Al Brown said: It must be the Kodachrome 200... goes well with base ISO of 160. Not for me as old user (ex happy user of Kodachrome 200). This was the worse Kodachrome in my view/use. The "colour/hues/grain" was not kodachrome-like (slower 25/64 for me) at any means. I may think that M8 is better than Kodachrome 200 ... only grief M8 doesn't give slides 😉 to be projected on wide screen. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
84bravo Posted January 2, 2022 Share #8 Posted January 2, 2022 9 hours ago, a.noctilux said: Not for me as old user (ex happy user of Kodachrome 200). This was the worse Kodachrome in my view/use. The "colour/hues/grain" was not kodachrome-like (slower 25/64 for me) at any means. I may think that M8 is better than Kodachrome 200 ... only grief M8 doesn't give slides 😉 to be projected on wide screen. Kodachrome 200 was revolutionary when it was introduced. I really liked it for reportage. It had a very wide latitude and it handled available light mixed light sources very well. But you're right, it was no 25/64. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenbear Posted November 2, 2023 Share #9 Posted November 2, 2023 On 1/1/2022 at 2:12 PM, MikeMyers said: None of the newer Leicas can capture an image like what I'll post below, and the M8 did it so effortlessly! 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! Stunning image. I have what appears to be an amazing copy of the 8.2 on the way. May I ask how this image was captured / processed? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
costa43 Posted November 5, 2023 Share #10 Posted November 5, 2023 Ive retained my m8u to use alongside an m10r. For me, the low mp and dynamic range give it a ‘filmic’ look that I find extremely pleasing. One that not even my m9 could match. It also gives my lenses a new ‘look’ with the crop factor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
a.noctilux Posted November 6, 2023 Share #11 Posted November 6, 2023 I wonder if I can obtain the same with M8 (or any digital M), maybe Kodachrome is so special that non user can think different. https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/284086-leica-m-film-photos-feel-free-to-share-yours/?do=findComment&comment=4404043 nothing special with this picture, but I'm happy having done it on Kodachrome 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! M5 + Summicron 50 III and Kodachrome 25 or 64 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! M5 + Summicron 50 III and Kodachrome 25 or 64 ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/316620-leica-m8-like-shooting-an-unending-roll-of-kodachrome/?do=findComment&comment=4893225'>More sharing options...
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