Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/10/29

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Subject: [Leica] Some questions and thoughts about the M8
From: jsmith342 at cox.net (Jeffery Smith)
Date: Sun Oct 29 12:09:05 2006

That does bring up a point that I didn't mention (but do embrace). The more
digital manipulation I use on an image the less I feel good about it (which
is bass ackwards if you think about it). I hate sharpening and will only do
"edge sharpening" within the Photokit plugin (and on giant files, to avoid
the artifacts of sharpening). The healing brush, of course, is fine as it is
just removing the dust of my 150-year-old house when I scan film. But
removing a parking meter or table lamp, that just doesn't seem right.

Jeffery Smith
New Orleans, LA
http://www.400tx.com
http://400tx.blogspot.com/



-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+jsmith342=cox.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+jsmith342=cox.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Adam
Bridge
Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 1:55 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: RE: [Leica] Some questions and thoughts about the M8


The menu issues are about terrible human interface design. The DMR has about
the best I have experienced and the M8 looks as good. The Canon 1Ds MK II
has the typical Japanese GUI - let's adjust EVERYTHING and have about a
zilliion different settings. Brain death. Sadly the European design ethic
has been forsaken in cars these days - BMW, Porsche... they all have awful
electronics design - no sophistication at all - geeky engineers and their
toys inflicted on the driver relentlessly. We haven't bought a new BMW for
exactly that reason - iDrive makes getting into a 5 these days too
frustrating.

Sigh.

On the color issue - if you shoot in color and then have to convert to black
and white...it's not the same as only working with the black and white image
- the color seduces you away.

And it's important to point out that digital and film are different media
and will have different characteristics...just as color and B&W film are
different media. We're just beginning to really explore digital. If folks
feel threatened by digital and it's reliance on manipulation in a computer
then just stay with film. But know that it'll be increasingly difficult over
time.

Adam

On 10/29/06, Jeffery Smith <jsmith342@cox.net> wrote:
> Luis,
>
> Right now, the only three things I really look at when a new digital 
> comes our are (1) noise at high ISO, (2) anti-shake (to compensate for 
> high noise at high ISO), and (3) shutter lag. I agree with you on the 
> look of film versus digital. I also like shooting with a camera with 
> only three controls (aperture, shutterspeed, and focus). The menus, 
> buttons, wheels, and complex LCD readouts of digitals have me spending 
> more time looking at my digital camera than the world I'm supposed to 
> be shooting. As a result, I end up shooting on full program mode while 
> giving up the control I had with just three parameters to think about. 
> I like the conventional lenses I alread have for film, and don't like 
> the problems with purple fringing and vignetting I get with digicams. 
> But as the B&W films and developers slowly disappear from view and 
> digital technology improves, I suppose I will slow shift over to 
> digital.
>
> I noticed a strange (almost overnight) shift in attitude on the SP 
> forum. Six years ago, black and white film was the standard (and only 
> that Eggelston guy shot color). But when good digital cameras began to 
> gain acceptance, color digital image became acceptable in no time at 
> all. I suppose the only reason that surprises me is that color did not 
> become acceptable when color film was made available to SP 
> photographers. Perhaps when fast, convenient digital bacame acceptable 
> for photojournalism, SP was not far behind.
>
> Jeffery Smith
> New Orleans, LA
> http://www.400tx.com
> http://400tx.blogspot.com/
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces+jsmith342=cox.net@leica-users.org
> [mailto:lug-bounces+jsmith342=cox.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of 
> Luis Ripoll
> Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 6:11 AM
> To: 'Leica Users Group'
> Subject: [Leica] Some questions and thoughts about the M8
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> I've followed with interest all your comments about, first at all I 
> should say that I've never used digital, and that I'm not very 
> attracted for it, nevertheless the M concept transported to digital 
> could be at least an interesting experience.
>
> The first thought I want to explain is that I think that format 4x3 
> could be perfect for the new users, on my case I've choose my 
> assortment of lenses thinking on the use of every one, I would prefer 
> work with the full format. Frequently I've choose my lenses attending 
> the compactness over the quality, i.e. Summilux 35 vs. the ASPH, it is 
> some difficult for me think that my 50's will be 65's etc..., and to 
> have a 35 I should buy the pretty new 28mm ASPH, but it is 2,8!, maybe 
> with digital we should think more on the ASA capabilities of the 
> digital?...., maybe; as Jeffery says I've started on photography with 
> Panatomic and other slow films, on these years when you shot with a 27 
> DIN ---> 400 ASA it was something extreme, actually for me I still 
> have this mentality, I very, very rarely  rate a film more than 400 
> ASA.
>
> Yesterday I was commenting an e-mail from Alastair telling him that I 
> love too very much the quality on B&W of Plus X or APX100 with 
> Summilux 35, IMHO you can't obtain the same quality on digital. You 
> probably will obtain a very good, even excellent quality, but without 
> the same "touch".
>
> I have two questions about the M8's viewfinder, it is improved as it 
> was on the MP and M7 avoiding the flare?, which leeds information is 
> on the viewfinder? I've never liked the viewfinders with a lot of 
> leds.
>
> Thanks for your comments
>
> Saludos desde Barcelona
> Luis
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>

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In reply to: Message from abridge at gmail.com (Adam Bridge) ([Leica] Some questions and thoughts about the M8)