M8 Novice - Story, Findings & Samples

[charlesphoto99]

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I've been shooting rangefinders for about 15 years now (Leica, Fuji MF and Mamiya 6/7) and I do find the M8 framelines really frustrating. Not only do I get way more than I could ever predict (esp with the 50!) it seems skewed to one side or the other. I also experience the tilting phenomenon - not really sure what that's about.

 

I shot a marketing job reportage style of a local resort for two days last week with the M8. Got great stuff, but at times it was a challenge because I couldn't fully rely on the framing so had to take stuff over again and again. Of course this wasn't possible when candids were involved.

 

The next day I shot a fashion catalog on locations with a Canon 1ds Mk II, a camera I rented. I have to say I was impressed and there's no way I could have shot the job with the M8 though that was my original intention (the client insisted on the MkII). Of course I thought my arm was going to fall off, but a small price to pay for accurate framing and very good in camera jpegs (shot RAW and small jpegs both so as to quickly get previews to client) as well as use of fast wide lenses and very long lenses.

 

So the M8 has it's place - as far as I'm concerned it's not a do all camera, but neither were my film M's. It's a great carry around though, and for more reportage style. Not sure why some of the more commercial photographers on here have chosen to go fully M8 as I would think they would get better results with slrs for what they are doing. My opinion only.

 

My refurb replacement (I'm sure of it) from NJ for my first lemon M8 has had a perfectly clean sensor from day one. I've only had to blow it a few times, and I do a lot of lens changing. It is a very early chrome model, and I think as NJ are using refurbs as replacements it was very heavily gone through before being sent. For whatever reason, I don't think the same can be said of the "factory fresh" models. Personally I'd rather have the refurb.

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[stunsworth]

Charles, as you are probably aware the mechanical frame lines present in the M range can only be totally accurate at one distance, so if accurate framing is a must, they an M - any M - isn't for you.

[vanhulsenbeek]

One month ago I purchased the M8 and three lenses,

 

• Colours come out in a strange Vampire-like fashion which I contributed to shooting RAW and seeing pictures before setting white balance. Thus I purchased a pricy Kodak colour chart, took a photograph in the respective lighting and then set white balance accordingly but that did not do the trick. I use Capture One with M8 IR486 profile. Oh – and I use the official Leica IR/UV filter of course. There is some tweaking needed, I’m afraid.

• IR filter is indeed needed. While waiting for the filters I ruined many nature shots as some leaves were looking weird and yellowish, and I saw brownish casts when the sun was too much in the way.

 

 

Wonderful! I can totally second this experience, be it that I had, with a 3 year interlude, 10 years (lightyears? )of M7/M6 experience.

 

Few comments on the above paragraphs. Here they are (plus other comments):

 

-White balance: use a fixed. Outside: Daylight or Cloudy: your pick.

 

-Skewed horizons: what can we do?...sigh.

 

-Filters: needed, without a doubt!

 

-Colors: get Adobe Lightroom (1.2.now) and do not look back. Superfast, and tackles M8 RAW's beautifully. Be it sometimes a little on the warm side. Easily corrected.

 

And......get your screen calibrated

[Guest guy_mancuso]

Why i use the LCD and review for the accurate stuff but for candids i usually use the 28 or 35 and pretty much fill the frame of the framelines and turns out very well. It really is a matter of getting used to being inacurate , my main reason to push leica for electronic accurate framelines. It is so easy to do from a laymans point of view is just project the framelines like they do with the shutter info from the circuit board the camera knows what lens is on there from the mount and the coding. Okay M9 but i want it and it takes nothing away from the traditional look of the camera just a projection inside that is accurate and corrects for paralax.

[Perspectics]

Wonderful! I can totally second this experience, ...

 

-Colors: get Adobe Lightroom (1.2.now) and do not look back. Superfast, and tackles M8 RAW's beautifully. Be it sometimes a little on the warm side. Easily corrected.

 

And......get your screen calibrated

 

Very helpful, thanks!

 

projected electronic accurate framelines.

from Guy Mancuso

 

You've got to love this, brilliant idea

[Guest tummydoc]

Well, I am a native from Leica-land and don't need translation I'm doing my mistakes all on my own! Yet I don't see the myth, framelines with my 50mm cron at infinity-focus are around 10% smaller than the image captured.

 

Actually it's rather more than 10%, but nearly identical to that of an M7, MP, M6 and M4-P (excepting the slide-mount crop differential). M4, M2 and M3 less so but still some. Nature of the beast as they say. I was being charitable in reference to the translation. Actually, the paragraph in the M8 FAQ PDF that states the film M frames were accurate at 2m is patently false and someone who actually has knowledge of the workings of the film Leica M rangefinder ought to re-write that section because it is terribly mis-leading to anyone who isn't familiar with the system.

[Guest WPalank]

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. Downtown the camera draws some attention and people are looking at it and its owner.

Interesting, I have quite the opposite experience. I take the Leica when I need stealth mode. Now my Mark III and a 70-200 IS lens is quite the opposite story.

Are you sure it's not the Billingham bag? Yes, it's a beautiful bag but just seems to say "STEAL ME" in neon.

[charlesphoto99]

Charles, as you are probably aware the mechanical frame lines present in the M range can only be totally accurate at one distance, so if accurate framing is a must, they an M - any M - isn't for you.

 

Yes, I am well aware of this, but the M8 seems to be especially off. Maybe it is partially the access to instant feedback, but my compositions seem to be tighter and more dynamic with my film Ms than with the M8. I'm slowly but surely learning to take one healthy step forward now when framing.

[Perspectics]

Interesting, I have quite the opposite experience. I take the Leica when I need stealth mode. Now my Mark III and a 70-200 IS lens is quite the opposite story.

Are you sure it's not the Billingham bag? Yes, it's a beautiful bag but just seems to say "STEAL ME" in neon.

 

Since I'm still an M8 greenhorn I may look funny with a thing around my neck that is still an alien to me...thus making people react differently. In my first month the bag proved to be rather inconspicuous but I've encountered strong reactions regarding the camera, like "Nice camera! Film?", "No, digital", "Forget it!", old man walks away, and many comments and looks on the flattering side, too.