[Leica] Re: M8 WONDER MACHINE! :-)

[leicachris at worldnet.att.net (Christopher Williams)]

Thanks for the review Ted. Why is it the Canadians got hold of this M8
first????

Now tell us how good the prints look!!

Chris

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ted Grant"
Subject: [Leica] M8 WONDER MACHINE! :-)


> 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