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Do You Ever Get Discouraged?


gfspencer

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I took the M8 with me when we went to visit our granddaughters for Christmas. Over four days I took about 300 pictures. When I put them on the computer yesterday they all looked like cr@p. Some were not focused. Some were not composed. Some shots of the grandchildren were blurs. (Okay, that's to be expected.) I might have 3 or 4 okay pictures. It was not the camera's fault. It was me. It makes me want to get a Canon G10 and take snap shots. :( Thank goodness I don't have to make a living doing this.

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I also went through the M learning curve twice, first with my M7, and then again with the M8.

 

It is a matter of learning to control the camera and it's settings to achieve what you envision. It sounds as though shutter and exposure might be the first areas for you to play with. Zone focus is a good technique until you get the muscle memory in your finger to focus quickly on moving subjects. Use your image review too.

 

Stick with it - it will definitely be worthwhile.

 

Eric

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I took the M8 with me when we went to visit our granddaughters for Christmas. Over four days I took about 300 pictures. When I put them on the computer yesterday they all looked like cr@p. Some were not focused. Some were not composed. Some shots of the grandchildren were blurs. (Okay, that's to be expected.) I might have 3 or 4 okay pictures. It was not the camera's fault. It was me. It makes me want to get a Canon 10G and take snap shots. :( Thank goodness I don't have to make a living doing this.

 

Bravo that you admit this. Photography is not an olympic event with medals to be won by those with the fastest limbs and quickest reflexes, despite some who cheer themselves like Michael Phelps because they can take sharp shots of fleeting subjects with manual focus. Although it does not always focus as we wish, autofocus works most of the time better for scattering children and similars. Our non-photographer friends and relations do not care our Leica lenses can outresolve their Canons and Nikkors if our shots are blurry. Our spouse does not appreciate why we spent $11K for that 50mm f/0.95 Noct if our shots are blurry. They do not want to wait until those children have children of their own, for us to learn how to get in-focus shots, which every friend can do with their $300 little Samsung digital. That is why I also own a small DSLR with a zoom lens, which I take and use for children pictures of family, that way they get what they want and I get what I want: freedom to indulge myself with Leica M8 where nobody holds me accountable for results, or cares if I have 3 good shots out from 300 :D

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Guest noah_addis

Were the photos really all that bad? Did you try printing any at a normal size? A problem with digital is that some files that look soft at 100% on screen might actually print ok, especially at snapshot size. Also, if you've captured a great moment and it's a bit soft, who cares? A little blur is good for you. Motion blur sometimes looks better in black and white, so maybe convert them and they might look interesting.

 

My main question is--did you have fun with your grandaughters and enjoy taking the pictures?

 

If so, stick with it. If the Leica shooting made a chore out of what should have been fun time spent with your family, stick to a point and shoot or fast dslr and keep your M8 for recreational photos.

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Been there -- really appreciate the honesty! In fact I came within an ace of offloading all my M gear and buying the best Canon then available, after one disappointment too many. I wiser friend prevailed upon me to try again and I am glad he did. Gradually re-learning the M8, first exposure, then careful focusing (both are changed dramatically by digital, in my opinion). Re-introducing wider apertures once I had those two right. Now I hardly get the SLR out of the cupboard and prefer to use the M8 for just about everything.

 

In fact very few of those P/S and autofocus SLR shots turn out as well as I remember them, when I go back andcheck critically -- the autofocus is often not precise, the flash has destroyed the lighting, the wrong subject is in focus, etc. I think with the M8 it feels worse because it is ME who is in total control, so every mistake is MY responsibility.

 

That said, I agree with Noah that fast moving children, interior winter lighting, Christmas excitement -- is all a big challenge at any time, with any gear!

 

My 2 cents, cheers

 

Robert

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Me too! Just the same feeling.

 

The room in which the grandchildren were opening their christmas presents was not well lit, there was mixed daylight and tungsten lighting, they would not keep still.........

 

My wife snapped away with her Leica Minilux Zoom and 200 ASA Kodak Royal Gold Colour Negative and has MUCH better pictures. Why would I want to change to digital was her, restrained, comment!

 

The lesson is that sometimes flash is good, auto focus is a godsend in some situations, zoom is practically essential and ideas of subject isolation using differential focus are totally misplaced is such circumstances.

 

My Digilux-2 would have been much more appropriate - I will use it next time.

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I have experienced the same many times (including Christmas with my familly).

 

Bad light, very excited children, the bad feeling that you do not really take part to the party just trying to focus on moving "targets"!

 

Poor pictures, a lot of disapointment, so now, I just do not take my M8 with me for this kind of in-house parties. I prefer to use a Ricoh GR II (white angle, quite good IQ but not super fast...).

 

Mood is so key to take good pictures!

 

Bebert

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Spencer,

You have to learn how to use a M camera even there is a digital screen in the back this does not help taking good pictures it just help to control if you have got a good one.

Better if you use a wide angle (28) , set at 8 aperture and on 640 ISO + AUTO position

for speed dial.

next remember to focus on your subject, control the speed dial in the viewfinder, under 1/125 is risky and push slowly on your release button you must be surprised by the noise of the shutter.

Enjoy your M camera.

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Yes, constantly. It comes with setting ever higher standards for yourself and the fact that we all have off-days. An off-day can leave me feeling really 'flat' until I take a decent photograph to rekindle a little self-belief.

 

Looking at really good work can also have the flattening effect until you realise later that you have learned by looking - about composition, framing, exposure or whatever.

 

Best wishes and keep the faith!

 

Graeme

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Hi ,I bought a flash for those moments, it makes life easier , well , after you get the trick of using flash , but pics are better for sending mails to all the family , and when you want , don't use it .

 

Even so , some times have to disappear some time till they forget I took some pics and stop asking for them :rolleyes:

 

Cheeers

 

James

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Spencer,

Yes, yes and yes, I have been discouraged with my ability to capture and or create images to the point I stop shooting through the late 90s... But I returned, because it's fun. Practice, patience and learning are the key. We all set high expectation and that is great, but as a hobbyist, if 3 good photos is what I produce, fantastic, that is what I share. Realizing the fact that you have pick an M camera as you tool, you have separated yourself from the others and have a greater curve to get around... It will come. Leica has it's benefits and challenges. Photography is my hobby, money from it is just a bonus, I shoot for fun, I share what I have done well, learn from my bad days and carry equipment the helps in various settings, i.e. flashes and my autofocus SLR.

 

Be well

George C

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For me the parties are like weddings. Very difficult and for good results, you have to be professional in that specialty.

I remember when a friend of mine asked me to shoot his wedding ten years ago. I said "No"!!!!!!!!!!!!!. But he insisted so much that finally I said "yes" (What a idiot!) It was the worst expirience in my life and the worst wedding pictures that I've ever seen.:(

For me, every camera and any kind of photograpy we need some training. You have to learn from your expirience and mistakes. If you are used to shoot landscapes and you go for a party or a wedding without a previous tactic and expirience, you will fail. You can't work as quick as if you did it everyday.

If you are used to work outside and you work inside, you need to work carefully and think twice what you do. After some expiriences you will be much better. The problem is that Christmas happens just once a year.

A couple of days before the party, train in a similar place and see which speed/ iso you can use and which lens in every situation. Think in a logical way. Some parts of the hause you'll need some flash and maybe near the windows you won't. Near windows, controlling the direccion of the light, you'll be suprised how nice.

With some subjects like children or people moving, you'll need some depth of field and to be quick, so use better a wide lens in low light.

If you know the place, try to image which shoots you'll take and how. If you don't know the place, try to go a bit before and see which parts of the hause are better, and prepare in your head some shots.

Don't take to much risk looking for limits. With more expirience, you'll have more options.

From time to time, I have a party with family. While I'm having party, I want to take good pictures. So, results are not as good as I wish, but better than ten years ago for sure.:o

Cheers

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Spencer,

Yes, yes and yes, I have been discouraged with my ability to capture and or create images to the point I stop shooting through the late 90s... But I returned, because it's fun. Practice, patience and learning are the key. We all set high expectation and that is great, but as a hobbyist, if 3 good photos is what I produce, fantastic, that is what I share. Realizing the fact that you have pick an M camera as you tool, you have separated yourself from the others and have a greater curve to get around... It will come. Leica has it's benefits and challenges. Photography is my hobby, money from it is just a bonus, I shoot for fun now, I share what I have done well, learn from my bad days and carry equipment the helps in various settings, i.e. flashes and my autofocus SLR.

 

Be well

George C :D

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Spencer,

..........and carry equipment the helps in various settings, i.e. flashes and my autofocus SLR.

 

Be well

George C :D

 

Interesting George but Iv'e had better 'kid and party' shots since binning the SLR. I find the rangefinder helps with anticipating the action. Used wide open at 1250 and, say, f2, there is rarely a need for flash, which I positively dislike.

 

It's all about how you immerse yourself in the action and the Leica is way more discrete on that count.

 

Just my tuppence-worth.

 

Best

 

Graeme

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Hi Graeme,

Agreed, the little devil is a lot more discrete then my Nikons. In fact, I bought my Leica for that reason alone, but I don't limit myself to it. With time behind my Leica, hopefully I will develop the same level of fluidness and comfort you are enjoying.

 

Happy New Years

George C

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Whenever I've been discouraged in the past....It's always been due to using the wrong camera system. I would often try to make a camera work in a situation where it really isn't the most optimum or just didn't quite fit with my personal technique.

 

I'm sure you already know how to practice with focus and all that stuff....so there's no need to beat a dead horse. If something doesn't feel right then you might be in the wrong system or just pursuing the wrong kind of subject matter.

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Some were not focused. Some were not composed. Some shots of the grandchildren were blurs.

The problems listed are close to my heart. But 'not composed' can be OK if the capture allows cropping to the frame you had in mind, so that hardly counts as a problem.

 

Not focussed is more serious, I have a hard time focussing as well but using a higher ISO and stopping down would eliminate that for most situations. You get a margin of error.

 

Motion blurs can actually be very good, so if the stationary stuff is sharp and the kids are blurs then it could be worth rethinking on what is or isn't cr@p. Do not discard the files, you will be sorry.

 

Anyway I would feel happy if asked to take pictures at weddings and childrens parties using an M8. It can do it, in fact it is better than most camera's for that sort of stuff.

 

I am playing around with flash at present, that is fun actually if you start bouncing & filling in. Frontal zap gun flash is not worth even trying.

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