How often do you bump into someone with a M8

[wattsy]

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I know maybe a dozen M8s users personally

 

Blimey Steve, are you a member of a camera club or something? I'm not sure I know a dozen people with any kind of non-point and shoot camera, let alone a specific brand and model of camera.

 

I've seen far more Ms in France compared to the UK, but maybe that's down to the Paris effect (lots of tourists) and travelling more in France than in the UK.

 

I don't exactly look out for people carrying Leicas but I think I've also seen a higher proportion of M cameras in Paris than in any other city. I suspect there's more of a culture for traditional B&W street photography in Paris - dare I suggest there are a higher proportion of Cartier Bresson wannabes? - and the Leica M lends itself perfectly to this both in practical and pretentious terms.

[wattsy]

Putting this into perspective, sometime when I'm out shooting, I see someone shooting with an M8 slung over their shoulder ready for shooting, but not very often.

 

There are some beautiful tones in that shot, Rolo.

 

Interesting accessory for a clay pigeon shoot.

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[misha]

twice, both times in (surprise surprise) new york. both guys had black m8s and 28/2.8 asph

i may have the only m8 in grozny and nazran

[thehouseflogger]

I bet anyone they will never bump into a pink/ silver M8, unless it is into me !

[johnbuckley]

Last year in Florence, there was a woman drawing the Mona Lisa in chalk on a sidewalk. I moved backward, forward, trying to get the perfect composition... and bumped into a fellow with an M8 doing the same thing! Neither of us noticed the other til we got in each other's way. Two M8s drawn to the same image...

[Venkman]

I think the street faction on this forum will say "if you spot another M-photog, he failed".

Then there is the faction of "what do you mean, take it out of the box? On the the street?" and the "I'm too busy working to notice anything".

 

I personally have noticed a couple of M users, but I don't spend much time trying to spot the secret decoder ring of other Leica users

[sm23221]

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Only 1x in about 2 years. He spotted me and we carried on a nice conversation for awhile.

[enboe]

I've never had the opportunity to run into an M8 out in the wild. A few M6's, a couple of M3's, spread over the past 8 years. I would say the average is one M every 6 months. People just don't take their M's to theme or family parks. Luckily the various park security departments haven't decided to ban M's as "professional cameras", even though they do stand out through their difference.

 

If anyone is heading to Disneyland today, look for a portly man with an M. I'm stopping by the local camera store to pick up some Ektar 100.

 

Eric

[spylaw4]

Once in London on Open House Day (always brings out photographers) - a young Japanese tourist with M8. I said "nice camera" indicating mine but (I suspect due to both surprise at being spoken to and perhaps limited English) did not get any real response alas.

[UliWer]

I never saw another M8-User in action with his camera. But quite regularly strangers who tell me they own a Leica ask me, what i was using, if it was a real Leica and that they didn't know or didn't believe the M8 existed.

[andym911]

maybe I lead a sheltered life but I have never met anyone with an M8, an M or a Barnack..ever.

Once on a flight to London however, I sat next to a very pretty lady who was fondling her Contax T2, I resisted the urge to get my Rolleicord out, reasoning that she would probably think I still wore longjohns,go trainspotting at the weekends and collect stamps for fun:D

 

andy

 

P.S We got married about 6 months later

[Double Negative]

Sadly, never - yet. But I do occasionally run into people that notice MINE!

 

Was walking with some family in the woods in Germany one afternoon and came across a somewhat known photographer in the area, shooting a Nikon DSLR, IIRC. He immediately noticed my camera and asked about it. After showing him, he gave a knowing, satisfied nod and smile of approval.

[larry]

I've never encountered anyone with any Leica -- but I know they're out there.

[elansprint72]

Surely the reason that not many M8s are spotted on the streets is that, at any one time, many of them will be in transit to/from Solms for repair/upgrade/adjustment.

[yanidel]

Never. I went to a rugby game the other day with some colleagues and my M8 and one of them made fun of me showing his Nokia N96 saying that it could take better picture than my old film camera. He also asked if I had bought it at a flea market .....

He felt kind of puzzled when I showed him the LCD. Yet I did resist the temptation to tell him "my old camera and lens are worth at least 7 times you lousy cell phone"

[yanidel]

maybe I lead a sheltered life but I have never met anyone with an M8, an M or a Barnack..ever.

Once on a flight to London however, I sat next to a very pretty lady who was fondling her Contax T2, I resisted the urge to get my Rolleicord out, reasoning that she would probably think I still wore longjohns,go trainspotting at the weekends and collect stamps for fun:D

 

andy

 

P.S We got married about 6 months later

Well, your Rollei really turned out to be a very big expense....

[Jack MacDonough]

A year ago May in Toyko in a hotel elevator. I asked him how his "blacks" were on shots in elevators. Had I known then how rare it would be to see another, I would have talked more.

 

There is another factor, the M is usually carried in a subtle way, and the camera can be concealed easily. So unless in an elevator, I won't notice the camera, unless it is in use. That is another reason I like them, unlike the DSLR.

[Rick]

The very first time I took my M8 into the city to shoot, I ran into this woman. My wife and I were sitting on the floor in the window seating area of a Tai restaurant when my wife said, "look at that big camera." I turned and saw this woman coming up the street.

 

She stopped and took a photograph, through the window, of my wife and me eating lunch. I motioned for her to wait while I dug my camera out from under my coat. She smiled at it amusingly, no doubt embarrassed for me. I am sure she thought I was joking with her because I wanted to take a "snap shot" of her in return.

 

Although, I never have seen any Leica cameras, I did, that first day, feel very satisfied with my indiscrete, small camera. I think most M8 owners probably are for the most part invisible.

 

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Summilux 50/1.4/ISO 160/ (learning to focus the street shots)

[lxlim]

I still find it amazing that during a one or two hour period of time three M8's were circulating around Borders in Singapore. And that each is owned by a forum member who came online and visited the forum soon thereafter. What are the chances of that?

 

At least three times in Borders in Singapore, but then I am a Singaporean Its usually with the CV28f3.5 in a shootsac.

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[trs]

I saw other M users a few times, M8 couple of times.

1) M8 in seattle, funny thing was I was trying out M7 that day, M8 was in bag.

2) M8 in Laguna Beach, same restaurant my wife and I were eating

3) M7 (I forget maybe was M6, but film M) in Kathmandu, foreign Journalist

4) Kamakura Japan, film M with some white long lens

 

Many people do notice my M8 on the other hand so I am not doing a good job of being invisible. Mostly beacuse I always have it with me even in place one does not expect to take picture. Once somebody came and shook hand with me as fellow M user. Many times, they say, oh, you are still shooting film. But, since M8 nobody has made comment along side that is nice camera or that is big camera. I used to get that regularly with d/SLR.