Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/09/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Tom Would the rapidgrip works on the M8?? cheers TTAbrahams@aol.com wrote: > > > Yes, > Leica kindly lent me an M8 to try out. I suspect that they thought "If > he > likes it, we are on the right track"! > Well, I am happy to say that they are on the right track. The M8 does > behave > like an M-camera should. It puts minimal "digital" between you and your > picture, but if you are so inclined you can add all the bells and > whistles to > what you are doing. When I got it (no manual for it) I managed to turn it > in to > a M2/M6 with little fuss. Put it on mono-chrome, put the ISO to 320 and > stick > a lens on it. I don?t shoot color and to me the black/white image quality > was what counted. The first couple of 100 shots were done with everything > in > "Standard" setting and the prints that my local lab pulled were a bit > flat (to > be expected as you can manipulate the image in the computer after wards). > The > next batch was shot with higher contrast settings and came out fine. The > higher ISO settings have a bit of digital "noise" (1250/2500) but so > would film > if you either used a T-Speed or Delta 3200 so no big deal. > It does feel like a slightly obese M6. The additional thickness coupled > with > the rather slippery covering had my right hand cramping up after a while. > I > did get used to it, except when I switched between a M2 and M8. My hand > wanted to "crush" the M8 to M2 thickness! The lack of a film-advance arm > is > somewhat disconcerting as it does feel like an M and you are forever > trying to pull > out a lever to hook your thumb behind - although this is something you > get > used to. I love the base-plate with its folding "Leica" key lock. Battery > and > SD card are accessed by removing it and I still have that fleeting thought > ? > Damn, did I rewind the film" before pulling the base plate off! The design > is > that close to an M! > The noise is modest; a soft click and a slight "whirr" sound is not > disturbing at all. My biggest problem with the M8 is that I am a left eye > focuser and > my nose is squished against the screen. During flu-season that could be > an > ugly sight! Some kind of cover would be useful - particularly as I use it > as I > would a regular M, shoot away happily and after 40-50 shots I looked for > a > shady spot (outdoor patio of cafe works well) and chimped through what I > shot > and deleted the misses or boring stuff. Like any digital screen, however > pleasantly sized it is - I cant see it bright light and as I have to take > off my > glasses to see it in subdued light - i might just as well be comfortable, > sipping coffee and admire my handiwork. > I went through my lenses and anything that could be made to fit was put > on > it. from 12/5,6 to 135/4 in M-mount and even some Nikkor RF lenses with > the > Orion-copy adapter as well as my Viso III. I need to make a mask (i.e. > draw the > reduced frame size with marker on the Viso screen). It also works well > with > Bellows II (and a 61/2" Kodak Anastigmat from an old folding Kodak). > Lenses like the 75/2 and the 50/1,4 Asph. works very well, but I found > that > I was suing my 40/1,4 Nokton and the 28/25 focal length for most of the > "keepers". > The technical stuff I leave to those of us who like that kind of stuff > but > the long and short of it is that A/I have ordered one and B/ Leica > succeeded > where nobody else did. They made me a believer in Digital. The M8 will be > a > complement to my M2's and M6's. It will not relegate film obsolete in my > "book" but it will be additional tool in the arsenal. > Now, all we need is a printer that is dedicated to black and white. Four > shades - glossy black, matte black, mid-grey and light grey and while I > am > dreaming - a spot-varnish feature. Oh, the inks should also be reasonably > priced! > For storing the digital images I would like to see a digital to film > transfer > that was easy to use and cheap at that. Film is still the cheapest and > safest long term storage available! Well, if Leica can build a Digital M > successfully why cant other manufacturers do what some of the customers > want to have! > The demand for a dedicated b/w printer would be huge - think of all those > > neg- files sitting around. I have in excess of 350 000 negatives on file- > most > are not worth the backing they are on, but some I would like to do quick > prints from. The good prints I would still do in a wet darkroom as I enjoy > that > process - staring at a screen does not come close to the pleasure of > watching > a white sheet of paper > turn into an image. > Best for now, > Tom A > ----- > Tom Abrahamsson > Vancouver, BC > Canada > rapidwinder.com > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >