[Leica] M8 notes during use.

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

M8 assignment experience:

 

After several months of shooting assignments and fun stuff with an M8 I'll
say again..it's 40 years too late! :-)

 

While doing my assignments during the past half century my M cameras were
predominantly loaded with B&W simply because they were. Colour was used with
R bodies of one model or other. The rare occasion for colour slide film in
an M was due to shooting in the black holes of hell of non-existing light
when I'd be working the Noctilux @ f1.0 with a 2 or 3 stop push for any kind
of image. One might say a tad "grainy" ;-) Nice effect though. Or Kodachrome
indoors where others feared to go without a Twinkie light flash. :-)

 

The arrival of the M8 and the horror stories of "Magenta cast" did create
some concern, although it never bothered me as the M8 was destined to be
used as a B&W camera no different than previous M's.

 

But I began to shoot colour, converting to B&W. Oh sometimes there'd be an
"odd looking" colour frame, but I'd be shooting in a mixture of light
sources, so my response was a shrug of the shoulders and .. "Oh what the
hell I suppose that's the magenta thing!" If I were to keep it in colour for
some reason I'd move on with a bit of tweaking in PS as close as looking OK.
But no big deal, because it was mixed light and who was going to say
anything about good, bad or ugly light. "Hell man it was in a night club and
all weird colours, so big deal magenta, get a life!" 

 

The odd time shooting out doors requiring colour I've seen a light
"warming." But once again. "no big deal if it looks neat!" If it didn't
it's called PhotoShop! ;-) History.

 

But I don't have a complaint about this magical machine, yeah I know it's
just another digital camera, or is it?

 

Consider the background experience of the hands that have held M cameras for
a half century day after day. Some assignments months at a time every day.
Not the 9-5 routine, weekends off. But first light to last every day on the
shoot. 

 

Now move that time to the M8 of today with no thought of  "frame 36, damn I
have to change film usually at the most inopportune photo moment!" I can go
like the wind on and on. Even though I've read about batteries not lasting
very long, I've not encountered this. As was the case yesterday shooting
from 8.30 am until last light and there was still power showing.

 

No I don't mean a few frames, but 2, 2 gig cards filled. No I do not look at
the screen every five minutes, never did on the other M's so why do it now?
Keep the screen off, battery lasts longer! KISS! However, common sense
dictates a spare battery should always be at the ready. Do I have one yet?
Nope, but will have shortly. :-) But it's "never leave home without the
charger!" 

 

I put a lens on and away I go as I've always done, not worrying exactly
where the frame lines are but more about light & content.  I'm working right
to the edges, well what sort of looks like the edges. But as close as wild
guessing as it can be. If one wants to be absolutely exact, one should use
an SLR. Even then you'll probably be slightly off. But you know what?  Who
cares!

 

Are my M lenses key coded? Nope, I just click them on and shoot! Have I had
any losses because they're not black felt tip marked or whatever it is done
to them? Nope! Neither did I suffer any loss because my R lenses weren't
modified either. 

 

I've pretty well always worked with 3 M cameras off my neck and a couple of
motor driven R's off the shoulders depending on the assignment
requirements,. So will I have 3 M8's hanging off my neck? Always a wild
possibility depending on what assignments come up, and at the moment it
looks cool for '07. :-)

 

Keep busy, live long! And smile! 

 

ted