p.2 #1 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching
The 35mm focal length on the M8 works out to about a 45mm EFOV, which just doesn't "feel" right to me (too wide for a 50 equivalent). The 28, on the other hand, makes a near perfect 35mm replacement.
Before you purchase any wide angle lens not made by Leica, *make sure* to do your research regarding the M8's IR filter / lens coding requirements. The only way to obtain proper color balance from an M8 is to use a filter, and the non-linear cyan cast caused by the filter needs to be corrected. If your lens mount is coded to match a specific Leica lens, then the in-camera corrections can be applied with (usually) decent results. There are software solutions but I find it too tedious to try to do this in post.
If you can afford it, Leica lenses are the easiest to use and will give the most neutral color balance when filtered and corrected in-camera.
p.2 #2 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching
The 28-35-50 is discontinued and nearly impossible to find at a decent price, so I'd also suggest primes, and Voigtlander or possibly Zeiss if cost is an issue.
A lot of people justify Leica based on the optics and pay astronomical prices for Leica lenses, but using a rangefinder camera (as opposed to an SLR) is a huge change in working style, and I would definitely suggest starting with less expensive glass to see if this way of shooting fits you or not.
p.2 #4 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching
the M8(.2 also) is not a small or light camera, so all you guys whining about the 35/1.2 need to shut up.
If you want a sneaky rangefinder camera, the M8 is not it haha. Besides, what is the point in sneaking around in the bright light needed for the crappy sensor in that heap of junk, anyways?
Grab an Ikon, M6, or M7, and a bunch of Neopan.
Jan 12, 2009 at 01:16 AM
brainiac Offline [X]
p.2 #5 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching
One can be subjected to a lot of abuse for telling the truth about the M8. I trust that those who don't rate the M8 are as entitled to express their opinions and offer advice to a fellow FM'er:
I agree with bdickers: a Nikon D90 is a far better choice.
If you want to use Leica glass, a Canon 450D is a far better image maker. Stick a Leica R 28 f2.8 on it if you like that flat dreamy look, or a Zeiss 21 if you like 3D. Needless to say, a 450D gets spectacular results with a huge range of lenses including most Leica R, Contax, Zeiss ZF/ZE, Nikkors, and the not to be sniffed at gems from Canon such as the 24 f1.4 mk2, 50 f1.2, and 70-200 f4 IS. It even does a great job with a cheap Canon 24 f2.8. Don't be fooled, above 640 iso, M8 performance looks horrible compared to more up-to-date cameras. The M8's sensor is old, and you can use an SLR almost entirely like you use a rangefinder, whereas the reverse isn't true. Pretty much any current Nikon or Canon will give better pictures, with far less hassle, for a fraction of the money.
p.2 #6 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching
I'm agreeing with brainiac, above.
I am a long time Leica M user, and still maintain 3 good examples of M lenses, while I wait for the affordable digital M camera, whether it is an M8 or not. I have the 28mm Elmarit Pre-asph, the 50mm Summicron tabbed, and the 90mm Elmarit, all very late in their serial production.
While waiting for that digital M camera, after selling an Epson R-D1, I've adopted the Canon crop camera, to explore, that currently being the XSi/450D. I have the R equivalents of the 28 and 50 Leica M lenses, plus various Rokkors, that I use to recreate the Leica rangefinder experience. Yes, it is a paradox, as the 450D is hard to manually focus, but it presents an excellent small package with quality manual focus lenses that are quite small compared to AF lenses. I will eventually try to put a focus tab on one of my lenses, as an experiment.
And, then there is the new micro 4/3s camera, Panasonic G1, with a 20mm register. There are several Leica M adapters now available to use M lenses on a modern digital camera. Problem is the u4/3 camera is a 2X crop factor. My 28, becomes a 56mm.
So, my advice to the original poster is to be aware of this $700 camera that can take any M lens, from Leica, Zeiss, Cosina, etc. Folks on the M8 boards are really talking it up about this camera.
p.2 #7 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching
brainiac wrote:
One can be subjected to a lot of abuse for telling the truth about the M8. I trust that those who don't rate the M8 are as entitled to express their opinions and offer advice to a fellow FM'er:
I agree with bdickers: a Nikon D90 is a far better choice.
What's your personal experience with the M8?
Jan 12, 2009 at 09:00 PM
brainiac Offline [X]
p.2 #8 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching
telyt wrote:
>> I agree with bdickers: a Nikon D90 is a far better choice.
> What's your personal experience with the M8?
Very limited, and enough to know that a D90 is a far better choice.
p.2 #9 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching
Braniac, many people who have actually used the M8 along with other cameras have a different opinion. Given your relative lack of experience with the M8 I'd take your advice with a few grains of salt. Furthermore I wouldn't presume to be sufficiently omniscient tell anyone what equipment to buy or avoid (however, your handle suggests you are such an omniscient being).
What I find more respectful of others is to describe my own experience with the subject equipment, what works for me, what doesn't work for me, compare my experience with other equipment, and assume that others are sufficiently intelligent to discern if my experience in my circumstances are relevant to their own circumstances and that they can make up their own minds.
p.2 #11 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching
i touched an M8 for a few seconds in a store once, and that was enough (combined with everything i've read and seen) to know it was a waste of my time.
I completely agree with Braniac's assessment of the camera.
If you're going to shoot a small sensor, might as well make it a good one, in a good body- and you can't argue with the D90's price.
p.2 #18 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching
I am a rangefinder person myself. I own an M6, Epson RD-1, and a 5D. If i could have my way, i'd take the guts out of the 5D and put them into the M6 and be fine. The thing I do not like about the RD-1 or the M8 is that the high ISO blows, and neither are full frame.
When leica finally puts out a digital rangefinder with a good high ISO ability and full frame, i'll be all over it. Until then, i'm afraid i'll have to be sticking to the 5D. Shame really, as I hate the bulk and the auto-garbage. Give me a manual camera with a clear hyperfocal distance markers on the lens and i'll get all exposures just as quick if not quicker than AF.
p.2 #19 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching
jbfmoore wrote:
.....
Shame really, as I hate the bulk and the auto-garbage. Give me a manual camera with a clear hyperfocal distance markers on the lens and i'll get all exposures just as quick if not quicker than AF.
......
I just don't get the "auto-garbage" thingy.
There's a "M" mode where you set the shutter speed and aperture. For exposure, there's a spot meter for you to control exposure. You can also choose to use an incident light meter or external spot meter if you like.
You can don't use the AF to focus. If you prefer better manual focus feel, you can put on a manual focus lens. You'll have manual aperture and hyperfocus markers if you do that.
So, ... how long have you been using the 5D ... less than 67 secs? .....
p.2 #20 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching
The OP said he wanted to do long exposures, given the bad high iso of the m8, how does it do with long exposures? In every other camera I've used the two are tied..
