[Leica] Re: M8 problems

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

Luis, the M8 is 1.3, not 4/3.  If you wait for the full frame, that is your 
decision.  The same as those who hated the 35mm camera for not being a 4x5 
or 8x10.  A 35mm size equivalent to the LF cameras never happened.  Yes, a 
FF M may someday happen, but it will be some time until it does, and I would 
be pretty sure the current M lenses will not work with it, as I would guess 
they will have to have the lenses reformulated so the rear lens element is 
farther away from the sensor.  For the DSLR, it is not an issue as the 
lenses are farther away from the sensor, due to the mirror.

Gene

-------------- Original message from "Luis Ripoll" 
<luisripoll@telefonica.net>: -------------- 


> Hi Peter, 
> 
> I've found really interesting your arguments, but beside all the 
> mentionned 
> points, for me it remain one point, the format 4:3. I want to use my 
> lenses 
> on the original focal lenght. I hope, and I think that Leica will made a 
> 1:1 
> format in the future. 
> 
> Saludos cordiales 
> Luis 
> 
> 
> -----Mensaje original----- 
> De: lug-bounces+luisripoll=telefonica.net@leica-users.org 
> [mailto:lug-bounces+luisripoll=telefonica.net@leica-users.org] En nombre 
> de 
> Peter Klein 
> Enviado el: jueves, 30 de agosto de 2007 20:04 
> Para: lug@leica-users.org 
> Asunto: Re: [Leica] Re: M8 problems 
> 
> 
> 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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> 
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