Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/01/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]There are times when I prefer the M system over SLR, mainly low light where I can much more easily see to focus the camera times when AF or ground glass just plain will not work. Last night I was making a photo of my daughter watching TV in the kids room. Only light was from the TV itself so it was VERY dark. I was shooting with my 5D and 50 1.4 lens. The ISO was 3200 and the exposure was 1/6 of a second @ 1.4. That is available darkness my friend and how I like to shoot at times. The 5D would not lock focus at all...kept hunting. The room was too dark for me to see when it was sharp on the GG, so to get the camera to focus I had to go get my 580 EX flash to emit a focus assist beam, let the camera focus, turn off AF and flash then shoot. Needless if I had an M camera to shoot with. I know I could have easily focused with my M6 in such low light, been there and done that at times in the past. Why did I not use the M6 last night? Well they are both loaded with 400 ISO film and not 1600 ISO...and I have no 1600 ISO films anyway, the 5D is far better at high ISO than film is. Now will I buy an M 8? Not as the camera is today. First the camera has to be as good digitally as what I am currently using, and I do not feel it is there yet. Too many issues I have heard make me leery of it. Once the initial bugs are worked out I will look into getting one. As far as price goes, if the camera performs as I'd expect a top of the line from a company to perform then I can see the price point. The top Canon in the 1.3x crop is about the same price, EOS 1DIIn, the Nikon D2x is about the same also. But would I ONLY have an M camera? No...I always had both, SLR for certain things and my M6es for other things. BTW the photo I am talking about is on my blog at: http://web.mac.com/whmcclary/iWeb/tobacco-road/Blog/Blog.html and is the top post. I can post a larger version if anyone wants to see it. > On Jan 12, 2007, at 8:22 PM, Jayanand Govindaraj wrote: >> I think that you miss the point that there are not many of that species >> around, at least, not enough to fill Leica's coffers. Even Tina and >> Harrison >> agree that they would use a M8 in addition to their SLRs, and not >> replace >> them. Stop looking at it from your narrow point of view, -- Harrison McClary Harrison McClary Photography harrison@mcclary.net http://www.mcclary.net ImageStockSouth - Stock Photography http://www.imagestocksouth.com Tobacco Road: Personal Blog: http://web.mac.com/whmcclary/iWeb/tobacco-road/Blog/Blog.html