roguewave Posted July 17, 2009 Share #1 Posted July 17, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have a friend that wants to purchase a used M8 for a project. I don't own one so I thought I'd ask the forum members if they could put the essential items (other than lens choices or attachments like external VF's) here so can I forward this to him. I don't know jack squat. I only used one once, for a day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 17, 2009 Posted July 17, 2009 Hi roguewave, Take a look here List of items for potential M8 purchase. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Guest WPalank Posted July 17, 2009 Share #2 Posted July 17, 2009 "Friend", huh.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisC Posted July 17, 2009 Share #3 Posted July 17, 2009 SD card and reader. And if short sighted; a magnifying loupe to examine the highlight wall of the histogram. A short list, unless your 'friend' [we're a suspicious lot] is indeed short sighted. .............. Chris EDIT - Oh all right then; a spare battery too. EDIT 2 - And a subscription to Reid Reviews. EDIT 3 - And one of those IR filter thingies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delander † Posted July 17, 2009 Share #4 Posted July 17, 2009 A grip, there are several about. I bought the Leica versaion but nowadays do not use it. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandokan Posted July 17, 2009 Share #5 Posted July 17, 2009 All of the above and the following. If he is used to a film camera, then a "Thumbs Up" so that he has the reminder of the crank. Lenses - 35 Summilux of course and either a wide or a tele depending upon "his" style. Discreet bag - Artisan And Artist. Luigi case. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doubice Posted July 17, 2009 Share #6 Posted July 17, 2009 1) Lens (if he / she wants to use the camera for what it was inteded to be used for) 2) Spare batteries (I have 3) 3) Thumbs-up (vastly improves handling - Google is your friend if unfamiliar) Jan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplomley Posted July 17, 2009 Share #7 Posted July 17, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Ha! I knew you would eventually succumb Ben; resistance is futile Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roguewave Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share #8 Posted July 17, 2009 "Friend", huh.... Yes, I actually have one of those. This is for a project at a famous NYC Art Club. He needs a small discreet 35 digital camera. He already owns many film M's & hasn't wanted to get involved in digital, but the club is willing to front most of the cost for the camera. He will be shooting in Board Meetings, Donor functions,,...all that crap. He has the lenses (but will have to "unlearn" them to fit that cursed cropped. Anyway, I suggested he cross that line in the sand & give it a try. I told him low light is problem. A good portion of the club is wrapped in 100 + year old mahogany & oak, so it's gonna be a challenge In the large interior spaces where exhibitions & shows are held because the windows are curtained. No flash is allowed, ever. A thankless job is how I saw it, so I passed it on. He has all the Summiluxes & fast 'crons, so that might mitigate some issues. Thanks to all for your input. I'm just the messenger here, gratefully. BTW, I had my day with the M8. Fine camera. just not me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Pope Posted July 17, 2009 Share #9 Posted July 17, 2009 Is your friend going to be producing colour or B&W shots? If it's B&W, then the only thing he/she really needs is a camera body given that he has lenses. If he/she is going to shoot colour then some UV/IR filters might be handy. Of course, lenses may need to be coded... The Leica grip is handy - I prefer the handling of the M8 with grip rather than without. Cheers Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanhulsenbeek Posted July 17, 2009 Share #10 Posted July 17, 2009 I only used one once, for a day. BTW, I had my day with the M8. Fine camera. just not me. And then you posted 8,010 posts Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted July 17, 2009 Share #11 Posted July 17, 2009 Ben, Your friend will probably need some post processing software. The camera should come with Capture One (although a used M8 might not have it) but not everyone takes to Capture One and it's a tricky road if you don't; speaking from experience here. So he or she is likely to benefit from Lightroom and/or Photoshop CS 3 or 4 to bring the best out of the photos. For black and white effects either Alien Skin Exposure 2 or SilverEfex (sp?) Photoshop plug-ins offer excellent results. Oh, and perhaps most important of all for someone who's new to digital post processing, a copy of a book titled 'The 7-Point System' by Scott Kelby, which will effortlessly, quickly and interestingly guide your friend through the powerful but complex world that is Photoshop. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted July 17, 2009 Share #12 Posted July 17, 2009 If he is buying, or thinking about buying, a original M8 then either a M8 grip base or change out the original covering for Camera Leathers GripTac. Otherwise the camera is hard to hold onto. If he's getting a M8.2 I hear the covering is much better and may not need the extra grip base. A lens of course. I UV/IR blocking filter of the correct size for the lens, or multiples in the correct sizes for the lenses, he may have. If this friend has any need for reading glasses then a diopter lens of the correct stength. A spare battery. Always a good thing to have. A Standard SD card (2GB in size), because if he need to update the firmware from the 1.xx version to the current 2.04 the camera will only see non SDHC cards until you load the newer V2 firmware. And a SDHC card reader so he doesn't have to connect the camera to a computer. That's about it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_newell Posted July 17, 2009 Share #13 Posted July 17, 2009 My list: grip or Thumbs-up spare battery spare card not an accessory, but you must shoot raw to see what the M8 is capable of producing also, having used 1.x and 2.x firmware, the upgrade is a must second tier: IR filters lens flange coding, if necessary Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
efftee Posted July 18, 2009 Share #14 Posted July 18, 2009 The usual accessories would be UV/IR-cut filters (for color photos), spare batteries and SD cards, quantity and size of both depends on needs and preferences. For low-light shooting, you'd probably want a combination of the tabletop tripod and/or Thumbs-up, which would either/both substantially keep the camera steady on slower shutter speeds. You might also want to consider a soft release (plenty of those in different shapes and forms) and a magnifier - I just got the new Eclypse eyecup with 1.25x magnification and found that it helped me with focusing. You will need some software programs when shooting digital. Your choice will depend on the preferred workflow. There's Capture One (Standard and Pro versions), Lightroom and Aperture. Then there's Photoshop/Camera Raw if you need editing beyond the essentials. You will likely find many threads here covering the topic in greater detail. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisC Posted July 18, 2009 Share #15 Posted July 18, 2009 ..... hasn't wanted to get involved in digital,...... A good portion of the club is wrapped in 100 + year old mahogany & oak....No flash is allowed, ever. A thankless job...... Ben - A thankless job indeed, and with the amended information I think your friend might be ill advised to do this gig with the M8 especially as he is inexperienced with digital. Shooting high ISO Nikon or Canon makes more sense to me unless there is time to do low light trial runs with the M8 and get some quick mastery of digital basics, and M8 idiosynchracies [yeah right, and good luck etc.]. If an M8 is insisted on, then he needs time, and maybe a fair amount of it to get familiar with the camera and it's processing. He should be 'outed' from his closet and rifling through past forum threads prior to doing this restricted, awful sounding gig. ................ Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
antistatic Posted July 18, 2009 Share #16 Posted July 18, 2009 And then you posted 8,010 posts This may come as a surprise but some Leica users do not own an M8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbarker13 Posted July 18, 2009 Share #17 Posted July 18, 2009 I'd skip the grip and thumbs up device and just get a better covering for the M8. Very easy to do yourself and gives you one less thing to attach to the camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roguewave Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share #18 Posted July 18, 2009 I'd like to thank everyone that took the time to offer their advice. My friend is a very quiet and self effacing older gentleman that has worn a deep groove in life, doing things in his own inimitable way. He convinced me to buy my first M3 in 1973. This is a big deal for him, but I think he's happy with the challenge. I have given him a prinred copy of the posts and he is grateful. I suggested he join the Forum, even as a "silent" member, but I think that's not his style. Anyway, again thanks. This is another affirmation of my trust in you all & the notion of community & service this Forum embodies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noah_addis Posted July 18, 2009 Share #19 Posted July 18, 2009 Seems like a bad idea all around. If your friend is a pro he or she should know and be comfortable with the right tools for the job, otherwise maybe the job is beyond his or her reach. Having said that, all of the accessories and grips are not required in my opinion, nor are fancy bags and camera cases. Aside from the normal digital gear (memory cards, extra batteries, software, data storage, etc.), your friend will need high-speed lenses since the M8 isn't exactly perfect at high-iso. Lenses wider than 50mm need to be 6-bit coded. And of course IR cut filters are needed for all of those lenses, expecially for color work. If your friend normally shoots with wide lenses on film M cameras, he or she might benefit from a wide fast lens like the 24 or 21 Summilux. And finally, I would strongly recommend buying two M8s. As a working pro I would never go to any assignment without backup. And this counts no matter which system I'm using. My M8s have never let me down but I have had two Canon DSLRs die on me during the same assignment. Backups are a must. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brill64 Posted July 19, 2009 Share #20 Posted July 19, 2009 ..intriguing thread, huh! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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