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JHAG

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Guest guy_mancuso

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Guy, your equipment churn is mind-blowing!

 

Look who' talking. Hell you got more lenses than i can count. ROTFLMAO

 

Of course i switch on a dime to something new. Something is wrong though have not bought a Leica lens in months.

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I use the M8 professionally, but not for everything. The flash is not the best, and of course there are no long lenses. But if you are experienced with rangefinders, you can use them effectively. I use the Canon IIn and the IIIs for sports and with the 600mm lens. I admit I will carry the M8 kit, if I can make it work. DR

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Lord Barton,

R10 in 2008

M9 in 2009,

sir ?

 

My R is already one number off the pace, and my M is currently 6 behind.

 

No R10 for me this year, nor M9 next.

 

My R8/DMR does everything I want now, and the M2 is a beautiful camera.

 

(Sorry, Mr Lee...)

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I can give you a qualified "me too." My main work camera is a 4x5 with a BetterLight scanback. I use it every day to photograph paintings and sculpture. At 309 mb, its the best tool for the job. I use a pair of Nikons for catalog work and when I'm out on the water. But I use my own M8 for fine art prints. I've put a gallery in the front room of my studio to show these prints and people stop to look. The gallery serves two purposes: I've been selling quite a few prints and seeing what is possible, (canvas gallery wraps, framed sepias, B&W, etc.) I get orders from other photographers and artists. Combined, it adds up to a few extra thousand a month.

 

Tom

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Yes...

 

I use my (now four weeks old) M8 in my full-time profession for weddings, portraits and some commercial work.

 

Although I've only had it for a short time, I'm completely obsessed by it, and the amazing images it helps me make. I have been on a DSLR diet (first Olympus E20, the E20, then Nikons D70 & D200) for some time and the Leica's back-to-basics operation and inimitable image quality is a breath of very fresh air.

 

I wondered how I'd live without zoom lenses, TTL-auto fill-flash, 5fps etc etc, but it's the perfect camera - for me, anyway. I now rarely use flash (the Leica has made me much more aware of available lighting), I get better images from my fixed lenses, and I shoot less quantity and more quality. I'm becoming a 'thinking' photographer again.

 

When I'm forced to use my wife's D300 (shift lens, Macro, long Tele), I'm always slightly disappointed with the results.

 

For glass, I'm using the CZ Biogon 21/2.8, the Nikkor-S.C. 50/1.4 in Leica screw mount (and what an amazing lens that is...) and a Canon Serenar 85/2 in Leica screw mount.

 

I have never been happier, and more willing to take my camera with me EVERYWHERE I go.

 

Long live Leica, I say.

 

Happy New Year to all...

 

Kevin

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JF, I am in agreement with Scott. When I read your post, I immediately thought that the post-processing work involved would make it difficult for me to quote a lower price for digital work. For examaple, in December I did a shoot of 1,000 pix for a dance company. I chose about 150 to deliver to the client. The post-processing work took me 4-5 hours over a 3-day period.

 

I use the M8 exclusively and work professionally throughout the year. Ignoring the time it takes to deliver product using film, I would have said that using film is easier on the pro -- with the exception that in digital you can verify that you got the shot.

 

To the point I believe you are asking, yes, this camera suits my professional purposes perfectly. My single problem is that I have only one M8 body and therefore no backup for a digital shoot.

 

I have complete confidence in the M8 system.

 

 

Hi,

 

Just finished a job shooting in North America and Europe and came back with approx. 8000 images to edit through. Wouldn't matter if I was working with film or digital, would take the same amount of time to edit either one. Possible more with film...

 

Problem is, people do not charge enough for their capture fees. I have found digital to be a lot more profitable than film.

 

I don't understand this logic that photographer can charge less for shooting digital - seems a bit insane to me. You are working with more expensive equipment, delivering a higher quality product to your client, it is less expensive for them to work with - if you are working in advertising/design as there is no scanning required and, they get it faster.

 

Seems to me they should be paying a premium for this added service...

 

 

 

P

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Hi,

 

To continue on with my rant...

 

I have tried working with the M8 with little success as a working tool. I normally work with a V body Hasselblad and a P45 back. Prior to shooting digital, I would usually dedicate one of my assistants to film loading duty. With multiple backs they would have a hard time keeping up loading film (i had to switch to a motorized hasselblad to slow me down). Having to wait 17 seconds for the M8 to finish clearing the buffer is painful. Also, I have found that it crashes regularly when shooting quickly. Freezes with 2gb cards (extreme 3's) and I have no idea what images have been lost.

 

When clients are spending this much money on a job, personally, I can not afford to work with a system that has proven itself to be this fussy.

 

I will continue to use it for editorial projects and for my personal work - love the image quality - and I have been using M cameras for 20 yrs - so I love the feel of the camera, but for commercial professional work, it has a long to to go...

 

P

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Hi,

 

To continue on with my rant...

 

I have tried working with the M8 with little success as a working tool. I normally work with a V body Hasselblad and a P45 back. Prior to shooting digital, I would usually dedicate one of my assistants to film loading duty. With multiple backs they would have a hard time keeping up loading film (i had to switch to a motorized hasselblad to slow me down). Having to wait 17 seconds for the M8 to finish clearing the buffer is painful. Also, I have found that it crashes regularly when shooting quickly. Freezes with 2gb cards (extreme 3's) and I have no idea what images have been lost.

 

When clients are spending this much money on a job, personally, I can not afford to work with a system that has proven itself to be this fussy.

 

I will continue to use it for editorial projects and for my personal work - love the image quality - and I have been using M cameras for 20 yrs - so I love the feel of the camera, but for commercial professional work, it has a long to to go...

 

P

 

not sure how the P45 fis in with your worksflow....1 frame every 2sec is a bit slower then the m8...i am used to shooting with my P30 which is 1 shot every 1.5 sec...about as fast as flash recylce...the m8 is way ahead and i have never hit the buffer....have to stop myself from falling into the canon way of shooting again (1000s of frames to go through....)

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the m8 is way ahead and i have never hit the buffer....have to stop myself from falling into the canon way of shooting again (1000s of frames to go through....)

 

I prefer to hear that : I hate hitting the buffer too…

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not sure how the P45 fis in with your worksflow....1 frame every 2sec is a bit slower then the m8...i am used to shooting with my P30 which is 1 shot every 1.5 sec...about as fast as flash recylce...the m8 is way ahead and i have never hit the buffer....have to stop myself from falling into the canon way of shooting again (1000s of frames to go through....)

 

Hi,

 

Yes, the frame rate is faster with the M8, but I can shoot continuously with the P45. Also, with larger lighting set ups, the packs are the slowest part as far as frame rate goes.

 

Now, I would prefer working with the M8, much smaller kit, smaller files - this last shoot using both systems is over 150gb of information. travel back up becomes an issue when you have to bring other "live" projects with you.

 

Just isn't there yet...

 

P

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I don't understand this logic that photographer can charge less for shooting digital - seems a bit insane to me.

 

 

 

That also sounds insane to me. Fortunately, I don't know any pros who are doing this. I don't charge a capture fee, per se, but do charge for digital editing. Normally, this is all built into a total fee package that includes the shoot, travel, computer work, equipment maintenance/replacement and usage fees.

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Insane ? Really ? :eek:

I spend much more time scanning/editing my negs than processing a RAW file.

I just propose to some clients (young designers / students, etc.)

a simplified digital work — still quality, but at a lower cost.;)

 

*

So far, I understand only POKO had serious difficulties daily working with an M8.

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Insane ? Really ? :eek:

I spend much more time scanning/editing my negs than processing a RAW file.

I just propose to some clients (young designers / students, etc.)

a simplified digital work — still quality, but at a lower cost.;)

 

*

So far, I understand only POKO had serious difficulties daily working with an M8.

 

There are actually several issues here. For one thing, you are now providing clients with images that are basically ready to be sized and printed. They no longer have to have expensive scans done, so you are saving them time and money at their end. This should be worth more--not less. Additionally, you are likely replacing your digital cameras every two years, if you're lucky. Film cameras were not only less costly, but had a significantly longer useful life. Finally, you are now spending considerable time staring at a computer whereas with film, you simply dropped it at the lab, picked it up and did a quick edit. Most people I know built charges into the time required for lab trips and editing, so why not do the same for the time you sit at a computer? If you are cutting your rates for doing digital capture, you are cutting your own throat at the same time.

 

Insane? Perhaps not. Dumb? Unquestionably.

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