Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/07/24

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Subject: [Leica] How to get an M8 for $3200...
From: hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (Geoff Hopkinson)
Date: Thu Jul 24 16:07:50 2008
References: <DC4B73A4105FCE4FAE0CEF799BF84B36013F21CE@case-email.casefoods.com><A335F0B5-CAFC-4B38-B20F-4A65BC2B1EDD@mac.com><200807222239.AUO26609@rg5.comporium.net><EAB05F2E-B8E3-4B35-A4EE-493EAEF87174@frozenlight.eu><E8E232D67979484386D050205779E654@dadquad> <1518E7D8-A6DC-4277-926B-D28C96E437E9@frozenlight.eu>

Natan, I understand. I agree that the lens quality is very important and
Leica do it superbly. I was adding that the M8 is the only game in town for
digital rangefinder photography ;-) On the M8 sensor, my personal experience
is that it captures more detail and dynamic range than I can achieve with my
Nikon scanner and the best pro slide film from my M7 with the same glass.
That's a comparison that you can only appreciate when you first shoot that
way. I long thought that I would be giving up image quality. That only
lasted until I first saw M8 images enlarged on my screen and in print. The
advantages of shooting Raw are so compelling as to make the whole comparison
moot anyway. But that is a different subject perhaps. 
Regarding the firmware, I applaud the Leica approach of less processing and
more emphasis on maximum original quality. That might describe M photography
in general too. I acknowledge that there is enormously clever processing
going on in DSLRs of many types.  

Cheers
Geoff
http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/e
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/

-----Original Message-----
Subject: Re: [Leica] How to get an M8 for $3200...

But that was not my point, Geoff. Sure, there are no other digital  
rangefinders at the moment. But we could be having the same discussion  
in the context of the DMR, which also delivers superb results for  
those who have it. My point was rather that I have the suspicion that  
the quality of the Leica digital images has nothing to do with  the  
sensor or software, but rather with the lenses. The same superb lenses  
delivered excellent quality on film and they continue to deliver  
excellent quality on sensors--indeed, even on Canon or Olympus sensors!

I guess what I am trying to say is that with digital, as well as with  
film before, the quality of the lens matters a great deal, IMO more  
than the sensor or the software.

Nathan

Nathan Wajsman
Alicante, Spain
http://www.frozenlight.eu
http://www.greatpix.eu
http://www.nathanfoto.com

Books: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0
PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog



On Jul 24, 2008, at 9:04 AM, Geoff Hopkinson wrote:

> Natan, Leica is the acknowledged world leader in digital rangefinder  
> cameras
> too! If you love using rangefinders cameras, you acknowledge the  
> quality of
> the Leica lenses, you wish to work with digital capture and you want  
> state
> of the art (some might say bleeding edge) it is spelt M8 ;-)
>
>
> Cheers
> Geoff
> http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/e
> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/
>
> -----Original Message-----
> 
> Subject: Re: [Leica] How to get an M8 for $3200...
>
> But then I wonder how much of that difference is due to the difference
> in sensor/software configurations (an area in which Leica has no
> particular competitive advantage) vs. difference in lens quality
> between the Leica M and Canon lenses (an area in which Leica is the
> acknowledged world leader).
>
> Nathan
>
> Nathan Wajsman
> Alicante, Spain
> http://www.frozenlight.eu
> http://www.greatpix.eu
> http://www.nathanfoto.com
>
> Books: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0
> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
> Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog
>
>
>
> On Jul 22, 2008, at 6:00 AM, Tina Manley wrote:
>
>> At 07:07 PM 7/21/2008, you wrote:
>>> My 5D image files can not come close to the M8 image files in terms
>>> of fine detail, color and shadow detail.
>>> George
>>
>> I agree!
>>
>> Tina
>>
>>
>> Tina Manley
>> www.tinamanley.com



In reply to: Message from drodgers at casefarms.com (David Rodgers) ([Leica] How to get an M8 for $3200...)
Message from imagist3 at mac.com (Lottermoser George) ([Leica] How to get an M8 for $3200...)
Message from images at comporium.net (Tina Manley) ([Leica] How to get an M8 for $3200...)
Message from photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman) ([Leica] How to get an M8 for $3200...)
Message from hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (Geoff Hopkinson) ([Leica] How to get an M8 for $3200...)
Message from photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman) ([Leica] How to get an M8 for $3200...)