DaveEP
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 p.4 #13 · M8/Leica People I'm Thinking About Switching | |
Hi Jaapv, I remember you from the Leica forum, and while you make some valid points, they are not all absolute.
jaapv wrote:
1. That is quite possible - there were indeed teething troubles with some cameras. From what I see on forums, those times are long past. Leica M8s are as reliable as anybody could wish for. Not 100% unfortunately, but then, what camera type is?
I would agree that not all cameras are reliable. There was an extra problem on one of my bodies (the black one) that involved an extra 'kick' as the shutter moved. It was a bit like an unbalanced recoil, and made hand holding at lower shutter speeds a lot harder. I could shoot the Chrome body at much lower speeds than the black one.
2. High-Iso noise- well, there is enough of that in this and many other threads
That's 'cos it's true
3. The new focus patches ( I assume you mean framelines) have been made more user-friendly in the M82 and upgrade. Theoretically wrong - but folks seem to like them.
Yes, I meant frame lines, sorry, but I paid £3,000 for a camera that now some how I would have to pay 'more' to make it in to what it should have been to start with - and even then still not be right? Oh, and I have to do that for both bodies.... I don't think so. Sorry.
4. AWB has been improved sometime early last year to a point where it is as good as any DSLR
I had latest firmware in both bodies, and I am afraid we will have to disagree here. Both my Canon and Nikon bodies are far better. Even my P&S cameras were far better.
5. This issue has been adressed too in the M8-2 and (partly) upgrade. You would be hard put to find a more discreet camera to shoot with nowadays, except for the totally silent point and shoots of course.
Oh, so something else I have to pay even more for
6. This runs contrary to about everybodies else's experience.
I mean LOW light. My Nikon & Canon DSLRs can focus in the dark with the aid of a speedlight. Try manually focusing an M8 when it gets really low light so that there is insufficient light to come through the patch and provide good contrast, and basically it can't be done!
7. How would you get lenses coded for any other camera-body with an old lens??
Not quite sure what you mean here.... but (for example) I can use an old Nikon lens on a current Nikon body without the need for filters or coding.
It is only needed for lenses of 28 mm and shorter anyway. And maybe the Noctilux. IR filters yes - Leica would love to get rid of them - if it were possible....
There was some problems on the 35mm as well, and of course trying to use any other lens, like the CV12 was problematic if you wanted color and not B&W. You either put up with black coats looking purple or.......
If DSLR suits you better, that is fine. You are part of a vast majority. But rest assured for Leica -in its small way, it works just fine.
I was brought up on a film Leica M, and loved it. That's why I jumped all over the M8, but something got lost somewhere, and you are right, for the people who have connected with the M8, it's a great tool, provided you want to use it within it's limits. I need to use it outside of it's apparent limits, so for my style of photography (which is different to the late 60s / early 70s) the DSLR is a better tool.
I see quite a few people look at the M8 as if it's some way to get a smaller lighter camera kit, but in reality a 450D, 1000D, D40 etc would be a far better tool for what they had in mind.
My last words are really..... long live Leica, they make great products, but the M8 was for me at least, a bit of a let down.
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