[Leica] Re: M8 problems

[grduprey at mchsi.com (grduprey@mchsi.com)]

I would add,the focus shift issue is the lens not the M8, it has just 
brought an existing problem into the limelight, and it seems to be a problem 
with the high speed lenses, Summilux's.  Getting used to the M8 and its 
quirks, is the same issue we all go through when switching from SLR to RF, 
yes I know may never used a SLR before the M, but there are those of us who 
made the switch or added the M to our pallet.  Now those quirks of the RF 
are no longer thought of, or in some cases forgotten.

gene

-------------- Original message from Peter Klein <pklein@2alpha.net>: 
-------------- 


> 
> Larry: 
> 
> Sounds like you really have two issues: 
> 
> - Do I need digital at all? 
> - Do I need (or want) an M8? 
> 
> Digital is convenient. Digital has less dynamic range than negative film, 
> but ISO for ISO, it's cleaner than most film. You don't buy film and 
> processing, you buy a camera. 
> 
> I'm with Tina and George and Sonny--my M8 gives me the best image quality 
> I've seen from a 35mm-size camera. 
> 
> No doubt about it, the M8 also has quirks and hidden costs that derive 
> from those quirks. We have the IR filter/cyan drift issues and the need 
> for coding of 35mm and wider lenses. There have been reliability issues 
> with some cameras, particularly early models. Most of the really bad 
> problems seem to have been fixed. 
> 
> But every so often, somebody's M8 fails, and we hear about it quickly. The 
> Internet amplifies the problems, and it seems like every M8 is a piece of 
> crap. I liken it to watching your local television news. It seems like 
> there is a child molester on every block, and a terrorist behind every 
> tree. But is that really the case? 
> 
> We can scream from today till next Tuesday about how Leica shoulda done 
> this and oughta done that, how could they not know about the IR issue, and 
> how dare a $5000 camera not be perfect? But the fact is that Leica is a 
> small company, and it's trying to compete with very deep pockets from 
> Japan, Inc. And the problems of very fast lenses and close-to-the-sensor 
> RF lenses mean Leica has more to deal with than the DSLR makers. 
> 
> The real question is "what do I get for my five grand, and is it worth it 
> to *me*? And if the thing dies, can I live with the delays while it's 
> fixed. 
> 
> My pet peeve is that they should give us a lens selection menu. And I am 
> annoyed about the focus shift issues--they are not as bad as some people 
> make them, but they are real. 
> 
> I knew about all the issues except focus shift, and I still bought the 
> camera. I waited 6 months until it looked like the major teething pains 
> had been fixed. I'm not rich, I still can't believe how much the damn 
> thing cost, and I am still very happy I bought it. 
> 
> No one can guarantee that you will get a perfect,trouble-free M8. But it 
> is telling that most of the people here who have M8s love them, and even 
> those who have had failures want them back so they can shoot with them. 
> I've been lucky so far, no major problems. I'm still fine-tuning my 
> shooting to find the sweet spot between blown highlights and too much 
> shadow noise. My own feelings are about 5% occasional buyer's remorse and 
> 95% "I LOVE this camera." 
> 
> Only you can decide if you want an M8. The way you're talking, film works 
> for you, you don't need the immediacy of digital most of the time. If 
> that's the case, why switch? OTOH, if you are interested in exploring 
> digital while maintaining the same control layout and general shooting 
> style as you did with Ms and manual SLRs, then the M8 is worthy of 
> consideration. If the M8 is not your cup of tea but you want a good, 
> affordable high-quality digital, consider the Pentax K10D or the Olympus 
> E-510, both very worthy shooter's cameras. 
> 
> But if you love RF shooting and the way Leica lenses draw images, the M8 
> is the only digital game in town. It takes some work and adjustment to 
> get the highest quality of which the M8 is capable. But it can be done, 
> and when you get it, it is incredible. You can argue that Brand C gives 
> cleaner high ISO images, but not at the level of detail the M8 gives. 
> 
> I'm shooting more with my M8 than I ever did with film. I have touched my 
> E-1 and my film Ms each exactly once since I got the M8 5 months ago--the 
> E-1 for a macro shot and the film M for a classical concert. That ought to 
> tell you something. 
> 
> Reverse peer pressure: Regardless of what you decide, you and your photos 
> are always welcome around here! 
> 
> --Peter 
> 
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