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How often do you bump into someone with a M8


leolaksi

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20 to 30 tourists over the years, over the globe.

More than half wearing them like jewelry acceptable for men, not only from THE photo-industry country, where Ms are to many what they are to us forum-members. Lots of smiles, repeated head-shaking and waving from a respectful distance exchanged with the shooters from the Far-East and occasional chats with some of the others. No cafes, no drinks, which is a shame in retrospect.

 

4 with M8s. Two of them tourists like me. No chats, 2x2 smiles and friendly nods.

 

The third M8: in NYC, big sideburns, sunglasses and a brand new leather jacket, holding it the "wrong" way: (on a wrist-band: right!!) but in front of his shoulder, with a very large English bag just as new (I have the small one they make for Leica, two that is, because the black one does heat up in August), pacing and glancing around 5th Ave., a bit like Inspector Clouseau.

 

Finally one this summer in Frankfurt, my home town, this time I guess more like the real McCoy!

Serene face, skinny as a whippet, our age so to speak, an M8 with either a 2.8/28 Asph or a 2.0/35, on a wrist band, (black tape on it and the gimmick I soon bought from LFI, that slips into the hot shoe made for comfy holding of the M8, as if it was film). He held the cam against his upper right leg, more to the back than than to the side. No bag, no hat, no glasses, polo-shirt without pockets, naturally washed out jeans, good but not "fancy" sneakers with the brand signs removed. Followed him for 3-5 minutes along the main shopping street, didn't dare to disturb him and walked on because I had an appointment to keep. He lifted the cam once, didn't shoot, looking not too satisfied with the view. Can't blame him. Not that day, not that particular place.

 

In our holiday soon later I drew the mocking of our daughter and meiner besseren Haelfte, when trying for hours what I saw him do. What do they know what's in a grown-up boy's heart! 2009 I'll do exactly this for a full 100 hours (trying not to think of but also not to forget P. Sellers in those films :o ).

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Come to think of it, I bumped into more people with an Rx then with an M..strange

 

if you watch dutch news every now and then you will get a glimp of Roel Visers, a photojournalist who shoots press conferences with his Leica

It is quite funny to see, a bunch of Canons and Nikons with huge lenses trying to push each other away for the best shot and him, relaxed inbetween and he always seems to have space. That is either respect for him and his camera or his smell :D

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I guess it (using a film/digital M) is a lot more common here in Tokyo. Mostly Japanese, but I had one approach me asking if I was using a Luigi case, and then I also ran into an older (French) M user who commented that we still do it like the old times (I did not tell him that I was using digital). I run into an M user at least once in two weeks and most of them smile/nod and then disappear. Have only run into M8 users three times.

 

Same here. I have run into Japanese gentlemen (mostly) and even ladies using Leicas in Tokyo as well as in Kyoto. The oddest occasion was shortly after the M8 became available, when I met an Asian gentleman in the rice fields of Jatiluwi (Bali) using his M8 as well as film Leicas. I had the 135/3.4 mounted and he was curious and asked to try it on his camera, which I was glad to let him do.

Teddy

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Within a few months of the launch of the M8, bumped into a really nice chap in Place Massena in Nice, we exchanged smiles and a handshake, his english not so good, my french even worse.

Was pleasantly surprised a couple of weeks after when i bumped into him again, but this time on this forum. Regards to Phippe D... but since then denada.

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0 in the wild. The M8 density increased to a much higher level at the Leica meeting in Amsterdam on Nov. 9th but that is cheating.

There is a photographer/journalist (freelance/pro?) in The Hague that uses an M8, I saw him once at a concert but he didn't appear to be using it that time. I don't think this is Roel Vissers.

 

See here the guy in the middle. Anyone know who this is?

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I beleive once in the wild, mid june 2008, in San Francisco at the base of the golden gate bridge. He was inserting a film in his Leica III(?) but also carried a M with a noctilux. He was so kind to offer me to use the Noctilux for a minute. I did not dare to take it outside, and quickly returned it (this was shortly after the annnouncement of the production stop) being afraid to do any damage.

 

I always regretted not offering to try my M8, and somehow get his pics to him...

 

Boen

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Guest breverl
Really? They do support "their own"???? Not buying Japanese branded cameras?

 

...of course they buy as well those japanese crackers, but I have seen so many leicas that I really do not count them ...

... right the first day with my M8 I ran into one with a M6 ...

... that's why I 'm a bit amused seeing so many people who hardly met any other Leica ...

Regards

Roland

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I ran into a guy in August 2007 in the courtyard of the Museum of Andean Sanctuaries, home of the mummy Juanita found in 1995 near the peak of Pichu Pichu outside of Arequipa, Peru. We were both handing over our cameras and bags to the guides before going on the museum tour--no cameras allowed there.

 

And most recently, I attended a workshop at Glaser's Photo in Seattle, where about 20 M8 users were on hand. I am 55, but was probably one of the younger people in the group, which makes me hope that Leica will do what it can to attract younger folk in the future.

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Leolaksi: Today I was perusing the Border's bookstore in Singapore when I turned around and found myself face to face with someone "wearing" a chrome M8.2 (or maybe 8) with a Carl Zeiss 21mm f2.8 around his neck. I usually carry my camera on my shoulder and held in the low ready position so he never noticed me or my camera. And then in a flash, he was gone.

 

Was it Father Christmas?

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I often go into Munich for Sunday "Weisswurst and Aventinus" breakfast at Schneiders (Weisses Brauhaus) and regularly bump into Leica carriers/users, mostly film though. My "breakfast friend" there uses Leica "0" for his carry around, not the original but a 1990 or so commemorative model, beautiful camera I would love to get hold of one, its one with the frame-viewfinder, Georg (the guy) knows his 0 like his inside pocket, never use a lightmeter, gets the distance right in one go ... and his images are great, not "leica" sharp but very atmospheric.

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On a visit to New Mexico in the Spring of '07 with my wife, we did a mid-week stop at Bandelier National Forest, which is in a remote part of the state. We pretty much had the place to ourselves until a tour bus pulled up and unloaded several dozen enthusiasts from the Leica convention being held in Santa Fe. This is the only picture I have of them. My wife got a chuckle because I kept telling her how incognito I would be with my M8 on this trip, as opposed to hauling the big Canons around.

 

I don't think I'll ever see as many Leicas in one place again.

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I have never seen anyone else using an M8. Several photographers have seen me with mine and initiated conversation. They usually want to know how I chose an M8 and what luck (nothing but good luck here) I'm having with it. I have never, ever had anyone dis my equipment and I would never dis anyone else's. Professional courtesy :D

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It happens to me not infrequently.

 

The most memorable was once when I was talking to a close friend in the Southbank complex in London. My friend had just asked for my advice about purchasing a digital camera. I started to extoll the virtues of the M8 (I didn't have mine with me at the time) whereupon I spotted a then-unknown-to-me Forum member shooting some pictures about a meter away from us. So, rather than describing the camera to my friend, I simply pointed at the camera and said "there - like that!" I then accosted this chap and asked him to show my friend his camera which he generously did.

 

It is always nice to bump into like-minded people.

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At a meeting (unrelated to photography) here in Hamburg that I visited in autumn, I met someone of whom I knew that he'd been shooting with Canon SLRs in the last years. Surprisingly, he had an M8 lying next to him which he had bought a few months ago - his first Leica ever. He told me he hadn't touched his Canons much since.

 

(That was actually before I bought mine but at a time when I was almost sure that I wanted to buy one. His enthusiasm for the camera certainly helped me to eventually make the decision.)

 

Hmm, interesting. I've been shooting with Canon DSLR gear since 2001 - my latest rig is a 1D2N w/L lenses. I finally got an Ikon in August and an M8 in October... Haven't really shot with the Canon gear since, either. :D

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