Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/01/29

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Subject: [Leica] Some time with an M8
From: tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)
Date: Mon Jan 29 17:17:15 2007
References: <C1E34A38.E460%heninger@adobe.com> <00f901c743ff$2350ae40$a302a8c0@ted> <0D3B8F76-DA7D-48AE-877C-AB24773FAF8C@comcast.net>

Leonard Taupier offered:
Subject: Re: [Leica] Some time with an M8


> Ted,
>
> To me the benefits far outweigh the faults. But that's me. I've been 
> shooting color and b&w without problems, unless I take a problem  photo on 
> purpose. I do not use the filters even though I keep them in  my bag. I 
> love the camera as do a few others here. And I'll keep  shooting it.<<<
>
Hi  Len,
I didn't say I didn't like it, actually I love it simply because after all 
the years of using M cameras, most of the time 3 at a time off neck or 
shoulders, it felt like pure magic knowing it was digital in my hands like a 
pair of well fitting gloves. It was as natural in my hands as are my 
fingers!  And that's no exaggeration!

Besides digital has become my only way of shooting, 20D and leica glass as 
often as I can. Also the Digilux 2 on occasions. And here was the dream 
machine, M8!

M's have been the work horses of my career and when a digital version was 
going to be available I didn't expect anything but the best of the best 
because it was a Leica! And after 50 years working with and using Leica gear 
under all kinds of conditions and locations I expected exactly the same 
quality in the M8!

And with my experince as a professional I expected exactly what I'd used for 
those many years, the best of the best. Not some machine requiring "fix it" 
add on bits because it wasn't done correctly in the first place.

If I had treated any of my clients in similar fashion as Leica have in this 
case, I'd not likely have had the good fortune to be assigned the numbers of 
projects as I've had. Nor the books published, nor lectured for Leica at 
their seminar!

Sure any manufacturer can have after the fact problems as we see nearly 
everytime some new electronic whiz bang machine is released. But they went 
with it on a ..... "we can't afford to be late so release it and we'll fix 
it later!" Whether that's absolutely true or not, who knows in this day of 
e-mail messaging.

The day they have this camera working as perfectly and consistently as an M7 
or any of the other M's worked in my hands day after day, then I'll put the 
money on the table. Quite simply, I truly love the camera, but not as it is 
for $5000 plus.

Some of you will re-call I mentioned before Christmas BRAVO TV are producing 
a documentary about moi and career, some of that was shot in November, we 
will be into full production in the next week.

And yes I will have an M8 hanging on my neck and in use on locations, as a 
B&W camera! :-) So you see it isn't all bad when I bitch! I do try to give 
credit where credit is due!

ted


Replies: Reply from len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] Some time with an M8)
In reply to: Message from heninger at adobe.com (Wade Heninger) ([Leica] Some time with an M8)
Message from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([Leica] Some time with an M8)
Message from len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier) ([Leica] Some time with an M8)