[Leica] M8 WONDER MACHINE! :-)

[bd at bdcolenphoto.com (B. D. Colen)]

Sounds terrific Ted - just one word of advice - if I may humbly offer it it
- shoot RAW; do not shoot black and white mode. It may be the world's best
digital black and white mode, but if you're shooting in any 'mode' giving
you a particular color setting or mono images, you are shooting jpg, and you
will lose data, and you will not have the flexibility you have with RAW. For
'happy snaps?' Fine. But for serious work, for images you care about - shoot
RAW and convert later.

B. D.


On 9/22/06 1:40 AM, "Ted Grant" <tedgrant@shaw.ca> wrote:

> Howdy crew,
> The report you've all been waiting for. Right?:-)
> It truly is an M camera! No kidding, you'll love it and it's digital and
> that's even better.:-)
> 
> My only major complaint? It's 40 years too late! ;-) Well Ok fer the old
> guy!;-)
> 
> As Tom Abrahamsson put it in my hands I saw and felt by instinct I was
> handed a Leica M. The Leica M8 to be exact. There isn't any question if
> you're a regular shooter using an M body camera you'll automatically feel
> like you have an M body in your hand.
> 
> As Tom & Henning mentioned the body texture feel is a tad "silky and
> smooth." Not a complaint, an observation of feel which creates the hand
> gripping the body extra firmly to avoid having it slip from ones grip. But
> after a short bit it wasn't really obvious and you just kept clicking away.
> love it... you'll have goose bumps if your a regular M shooter... Oh I
> already said that didn't I. But it's true!:-)
> 
> I shot a frame and by instinct I moved my thumb to advance the film and
> re-set shutter. It was done so automatically it surprised me the advance
> lever wasn't there.
> 
> There has been some comment about the body being "thicker." It doesn't mean
> a farthing worth of anything as the camera really feels like you have an M6
> or 7 in your hands. Or any other M camera. A quite natural feeling.
> 
> The screen is bright and image pops up quickly after exposure. The control
> and setting buttons are simple and easy to use without opening one crossing
> onto something else and eventually you get where you want to be.
> 
> Because I normally used my M7's on AE Lock that's how I used the M8 and
> exposing from the mid-afternoon light through to after dark the exposures
> were bang bang right on the mark.
> 
> The really neat thing? I shot everything B&W and this camera is going to be
> the king of B&W shooters once again. Not only that, I'd bet there will be a
> great number of new  photographers who'll buy it for shooting B&W and use a
> DSLR for colour.
> 
> One thing photographers talk about is the loss of lens coverage due to the
> size of the sensor. We used a 12 and a bunch of others and they were all
> fine. My joy was shooting with the Noctilux at f1.0 and that was way
> cool!:-)
> 
> One way of avoiding this "clipping due to sensor size is just forget it,
> period." Put the lens on and shoot away with what you see in the view
> finder. Besides if you're a worry wart about the lens you are using it's
> very easy click a frame and look on the screen if in doubt about the
> coverage. And if it isn't quite to your liking step back or closer and
> you'll be fine.
> 
> Talk about "available darkness" at ASA, I think it was 2500!:-)  I was
> surprised by the look of the "grain size," it looked far better than a B&W
> of any 3200 roll shot at 1600. Actually I think the 1600 setting produced 
> as
> good an image as a tri-x at 800 with a few subjects that looked as good as
> Tri-x at 400.
> 
> This is a camera to be used for shooting where and whenever you're
> motivated. I didn't shoot any colour frames as I was having far too much 
> fun
> shooting B&W. And there was.... "If this is what dynamic range is ?" the
> detail in shadows and highlights was incredible because the light outside
> through windows compared to darkness of inside, it was quite possible to 
> see
> detail in both areas very well. Now if that's what this dynamic stuff is 
> all
> about then this camera was obviously doing something with it very well in
> the exposure.
> 
> All in all anyone who is a regular M photographer this M8 will have you
> drooling over it in no time.:-)
> 
> Oh and for left eyed photographers? There isn't any question you'll be nose
> greasing the viewing screen at the first shot you make. Maybe Leica could
> have a special deal for left-eyed folks with a special Kleenex kind of
> tissue and a Leica logo to go with every purchase by left-eyed folks. ;-)
> Trust me you will be wiping a fair number of times.
> 
> Now that's absolutely a nickel and dime observation as it's no big deal, as
> all the rightie eyed's don't have this happen. :-)
> 
> I suppose like the old saying. ..."You can make a product perfect for some
> of the people but you'll never make a product perfect for all the people"
> will probably apply here when it starts appearing on the street.
> 
> But as far as I'm concerned I'm about as ready as I can be to order 3 of
> them as I usually do when I change cameras under these conditions.
> 
> ted
> 
> Ted Grant Photography Limited
> 1817 Feltham Road
> Victoria BC  V8N 2A4
> 250-477-2156 
> 
> 
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