[Leica] M8 WONDER MACHINE! :-)

[jsluss at hughes.net (John Sluss)]

Ted,

I too want to thank you for your great report on the M8. I read it to my 
wife , along with Tina's post where she is ready to get one too. I have 
permission from the one that must be obeyed to buy one :^) I called in my 
deposit today, and hopefully sometime this year it will arrive. Leica owes 
you one or maybe two.

John
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ted Grant" <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@leica-users.org>
Sent: Friday, September 22, 2006 1:40 AM
Subject: [Leica] M8 WONDER MACHINE! :-)


> Howdy crew,
> The report you've all been waiting for. Right?:-)
> It truly is an M camera! No kidding, you'll love it and it's digital and 
> that's even better.:-)
>
> My only major complaint? It's 40 years too late! ;-) Well Ok fer the old 
> guy!;-)
>
> As Tom Abrahamsson put it in my hands I saw and felt by instinct I was 
> handed a Leica M. The Leica M8 to be exact. There isn't any question if 
> you're a regular shooter using an M body camera you'll automatically feel 
> like you have an M body in your hand.
>
> As Tom & Henning mentioned the body texture feel is a tad "silky and 
> smooth." Not a complaint, an observation of feel which creates the hand 
> gripping the body extra firmly to avoid having it slip from ones grip. But 
> after a short bit it wasn't really obvious and you just kept clicking 
> away. love it... you'll have goose bumps if your a regular M shooter... Oh 
> I already said that didn't I. But it's true!:-)
>
> I shot a frame and by instinct I moved my thumb to advance the film and 
> re-set shutter. It was done so automatically it surprised me the advance 
> lever wasn't there.
>
> There has been some comment about the body being "thicker." It doesn't 
> mean a farthing worth of anything as the camera really feels like you have 
> an M6 or 7 in your hands. Or any other M camera. A quite natural feeling.
>
> The screen is bright and image pops up quickly after exposure. The control 
> and setting buttons are simple and easy to use without opening one 
> crossing onto something else and eventually you get where you want to be.
>
> Because I normally used my M7's on AE Lock that's how I used the M8 and 
> exposing from the mid-afternoon light through to after dark the exposures 
> were bang bang right on the mark.
>
> The really neat thing? I shot everything B&W and this camera is going to 
> be the king of B&W shooters once again. Not only that, I'd bet there will 
> be a great number of new  photographers who'll buy it for shooting B&W and 
> use a DSLR for colour.
>
> One thing photographers talk about is the loss of lens coverage due to the 
> size of the sensor. We used a 12 and a bunch of others and they were all 
> fine. My joy was shooting with the Noctilux at f1.0 and that was way 
> cool!:-)
>
> One way of avoiding this "clipping due to sensor size is just forget it, 
> period." Put the lens on and shoot away with what you see in the view 
> finder. Besides if you're a worry wart about the lens you are using it's 
> very easy click a frame and look on the screen if in doubt about the 
> coverage. And if it isn't quite to your liking step back or closer and 
> you'll be fine.
>
> Talk about "available darkness" at ASA, I think it was 2500!:-)  I was 
> surprised by the look of the "grain size," it looked far better than a B&W 
> of any 3200 roll shot at 1600. Actually I think the 1600 setting produced 
> as good an image as a tri-x at 800 with a few subjects that looked as good 
> as Tri-x at 400.
>
> This is a camera to be used for shooting where and whenever you're 
> motivated. I didn't shoot any colour frames as I was having far too much 
> fun shooting B&W. And there was.... "If this is what dynamic range is ?" 
> the detail in shadows and highlights was incredible because the light 
> outside through windows compared to darkness of inside, it was quite 
> possible to see detail in both areas very well. Now if that's what this 
> dynamic stuff is all about then this camera was obviously doing something 
> with it very well in the exposure.
>
> All in all anyone who is a regular M photographer this M8 will have you 
> drooling over it in no time.:-)
>
> Oh and for left eyed photographers? There isn't any question you'll be 
> nose greasing the viewing screen at the first shot you make. Maybe Leica 
> could have a special deal for left-eyed folks with a special Kleenex kind 
> of tissue and a Leica logo to go with every purchase by left-eyed folks. 
> ;-) Trust me you will be wiping a fair number of times.
>
> Now that's absolutely a nickel and dime observation as it's no big deal, 
> as all the rightie eyed's don't have this happen. :-)
>
> I suppose like the old saying. ..."You can make a product perfect for some 
> of the people but you'll never make a product perfect for all the people" 
> will probably apply here when it starts appearing on the street.
>
> But as far as I'm concerned I'm about as ready as I can be to order 3 of 
> them as I usually do when I change cameras under these conditions.
>
> ted
>
> Ted Grant Photography Limited
> 1817 Feltham Road
> Victoria BC  V8N 2A4
> 250-477-2156
>
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