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Used Leica M8 or wait until new Mx arrives and the price ...

douglasf13
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p.3 #1 · Used Leica M8 or wait until new Mx arrives and the price of an M9 to go down?

Weasel_Loader wrote:

That being said, I have bought a OM-D that seems pretty nice, but I'm really wanting to try a NEX-7 with some nice MF lenses. X-Pro 1 seems nice, but I was frustrated with an X100 when it first came out and hear not much has changed with regard to shutter lag and such.

The best way to shoot the X100, IMO, is to leave the camera in manual focus and use the rear AFL button to AF. The shutter lag is very, very fast. When prefocused, the shutter lag is faster than any DSLR. The AF of the camera has improved enough to be about on par with my NEX-7, depending on the lens.

Jun 28, 2012 at 06:24 PM

Weasel_Loader
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p.3 #2 · Used Leica M8 or wait until new Mx arrives and the price of an M9 to go down?

I figured it's much improved with the firmware. The X100 I owned was before any firmware was released.

douglasf13 wrote:
Weasel_Loader wrote:

That being said, I have bought a OM-D that seems pretty nice, but I'm really wanting to try a NEX-7 with some nice MF lenses. X-Pro 1 seems nice, but I was frustrated with an X100 when it first came out and hear not much has changed with regard to shutter lag and such.

The best way to shoot the X100, IMO, is to leave the camera in manual focus and use the rear AFL button to AF. The shutter lag is very, very fast. When prefocused, the shutter lag is faster than any DSLR. The AF of the camera has improved enough to be about on par with my NEX-7, depending on the lens.

Jun 28, 2012 at 07:20 PM

douglasf13
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p.3 #3 · Used Leica M8 or wait until new Mx arrives and the price of an M9 to go down?

Weasel_Loader wrote:
I figured it's much improved with the firmware. The X100 I owned was before any firmware was released.

Don't get me wrong, it isn't fantastic. Just acceptable, at this point.

Jun 28, 2012 at 08:23 PM

Bijltje
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p.3 #4 · Used Leica M8 or wait until new Mx arrives and the price of an M9 to go down?

Weasel_Loader wrote:
I really, really wanted to try the M8.2 after selling my D700. The noisy high ISO didn't really scare me away as much as the sensor issues and problems people have had with an unusually high failure rate. To me, it seems that fail rate is way too high for a camera in that price range. Is it really true about the high fail rates or just internet gossip? I don't know, but I can't afford a warranty backed dealer M8.2 AND a nice lens, so I would have had to buy used which is too risky for my blood on a camera with known issues.

Its just internet gossip. Like said before in this topic, IR isn't much a problem. Just use the filters and you have no problem whatsoever. There is absolute no difference in use between a lens with an UV filter on it, or a lens with an UV/IR filter.
With the 092 and 093 filters you have a nice IR camera btw.

High iso can be more of a problem. The leica doens't do anything about noise reduction so files look more noisy than what you get out of a canon or nikon (besides the CMOS vs CCD difference off course). With good post processing and good lightning its pretty usable. Off course its no D800 with 1000 000 clean iso. But how many times did u really use that? I used 400 asa film for many years and always got away with it.
With the M8 I never really had shots missed because of that. Only you sometimes need to go to B/W, but since I shoot for 90% in B/W that isn't much of a problem to me.

On low ISO the M8 however is hard to beat, you would be amazed by the sharpness and nice color when coming from a DSLR. I still like them better than the M9's files.

Fail rate is way overrated I think. Many of those stories come from people never ever used a M8 but are certain its way worse than their canon or nikon.
Why do you think the prices of the M8 used are not falling down that fast as most camera's do? Not because they are failing all the time.

If you want to have a M8 or M8.2, just go for it. Just be sure to test is before buying, and make sure the focus is correct and have fun shooting it.

Jun 28, 2012 at 08:59 PM

Weasel_Loader
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p.3 #5 · Used Leica M8 or wait until new Mx arrives and the price of an M9 to go down?

Yeah, the UV/IR filters didn't concern me at all with the M8/8.2. It was just the horror stories of the streaking on the sensors. I saw too many stories of people sending them in for repair (or remapping of sensor) only to have the problem come right back. Tough decision when I've never had any problems with Canon, Nikon, and others Asian cameras (or even film Leicas).

Thanks for the advice and insight though on the M8. It's appreciated.

Bijltje wrote:
Weasel_Loader wrote:
I really, really wanted to try the M8.2 after selling my D700. The noisy high ISO didn't really scare me away as much as the sensor issues and problems people have had with an unusually high failure rate. To me, it seems that fail rate is way too high for a camera in that price range. Is it really true about the high fail rates or just internet gossip? I don't know, but I can't afford a warranty backed dealer M8.2 AND a nice lens, so I would have had to buy used which is too risky for my blood on a camera with known issues.

Its just internet gossip. Like said before in this topic, IR isn't much a problem. Just use the filters and you have no problem whatsoever. There is absolute no difference in use between a lens with an UV filter on it, or a lens with an UV/IR filter.
With the 092 and 093 filters you have a nice IR camera btw.

High iso can be more of a problem. The leica doens't do anything about noise reduction so files look more noisy than what you get out of a canon or nikon (besides the CMOS vs CCD difference off course). With good post processing and good lightning its pretty usable. Off course its no D800 with 1000 000 clean iso. But how many times did u really use that? I used 400 asa film for many years and always got away with it.
With the M8 I never really had shots missed because of that. Only you sometimes need to go to B/W, but since I shoot for 90% in B/W that isn't much of a problem to me.

On low ISO the M8 however is hard to beat, you would be amazed by the sharpness and nice color when coming from a DSLR. I still like them better than the M9's files.

Fail rate is way overrated I think. Many of those stories come from people never ever used a M8 but are certain its way worse than their canon or nikon.
Why do you think the prices of the M8 used are not falling down that fast as most camera's do? Not because they are failing all the time.

If you want to have a M8 or M8.2, just go for it. Just be sure to test is before buying, and make sure the focus is correct and have fun shooting it.

Jun 28, 2012 at 09:26 PM

lenticular11
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p.3 #6 · Used Leica M8 or wait until new Mx arrives and the price of an M9 to go down?

Bijitje wrote:
...IR isn't much a problem. Just use the filters and you have no problem whatsoever. There is absolute no difference in use between a lens with an UV filter on it, or a lens with an UV/IR filter.

If you want to have a M8 or M8.2, just go for it. Just be sure to test is before buying, and make sure the focus is correct and have fun shooting it.

Excuse my ignorance. I have just bought an M8 at a good price and it's not with me yet. Does your comment above mean I simply have to use a UV filter on any lens I get, or does it have to be a combined UV and IR filter?

thanks in advance...

Nov 24, 2012 at 10:25 PM

Bijltje
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p.3 #7 · Used Leica M8 or wait until new Mx arrives and the price of an M9 to go down?

lenticular11 wrote:
Bijitje wrote:
...IR isn't much a problem. Just use the filters and you have no problem whatsoever. There is absolute no difference in use between a lens with an UV filter on it, or a lens with an UV/IR filter.

If you want to have a M8 or M8.2, just go for it. Just be sure to test is before buying, and make sure the focus is correct and have fun shooting it.

Excuse my ignorance. I have just bought an M8 at a good price and it's not with me yet. Does your comment above mean I simply have to use a UV filter on any lens I get, or does it have to be a combined UV and IR filter?

thanks in advance...

Congrats on your M8!

U need a IR cut filter. So a filter that cuts away some IR light.

Leica makes them:
http://www.cameranu.nl/nl/filters/uv-filter/leica-uvir-filter/C38_6333/
Pretty expensive, but well made and work fine. They only sell these in leica lens filter size like 39mm, 46mm, 55mm and some others.

For the different sizes, and for a smaller budget, B+W also makes these kind of filters. They are called 486M.

http://www.schneideroptics.com/Ecommerce/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?CID=557&IID=7192

Both are also UV filters so thats why they are called UV/IR. They look just like a UV filter, but when u look at them on a angle they look purple/ pink.

I used them on every lens every time. Just like I do with an UV filter on a different camera. Without the filter the pictures should be a little sharper, but black fabric will look purple. Also I never really noticed the difference in sharpness.

When shooting b/w only u can take them off since they only effect the colors. But normally I just let them on.

BTW, if u also buy a IR pass filter like the B+W 093 or 092 u will have a great IR camera with the M8.

Nov 24, 2012 at 10:57 PM

Gary Clennan
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p.3 #8 · Used Leica M8 or wait until new Mx arrives and the price of an M9 to go down?

Yep - definitely need the IR filter. I gave up trying to mess around with PP to correct the odd colors when shooting without the filters. It really does make quite the difference.

Nov 25, 2012 at 04:32 AM

lenticular11
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p.3 #9 · Used Leica M8 or wait until new Mx arrives and the price of an M9 to go down?

Thanks Bijitje and Gary - just the advice I needed !

update: 27 Nov - B+W 486M filter bought, also 093 IR filter - thanks Bijitje

M8 has arrived - in great condition - 2nd hand Voigtlander 35/1.4 on the way...

Nov 25, 2012 at 12:26 PM

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