[Leica] Question for M8ers

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Ric Carter asked:

>> Okay, I have a pretty good feel for the physics of full frame versus M8
cell conversion -- 1.3 multiplication -- field of view versus focal length
-- that stuff. That's not what I'm looking for here.

 

Now the question for M8 users.

Did your favorite or standard or most often used lens change from classic M
to M8?

 

If you used to like 50s , have you switched to 35s? If you old favorite was
35s, are you using the 28 mostly now?

Did 50 lovers stay with 50?

Are you less likely to use 90 or 135?

Are you more likely to use ultra-wides?<<<<

 

Hi Ric,

All conversion numbers aside, I guess as usual I'm the odd ball out in
having any concern over which lens I was concerned with in the conversion.
WHY?

Well it's simple really, . I use whatever lens the assignment dictated, not
what I liked.

Yep lots of times I'd shoot Noctilux dominant, but that was because of the
light levels or me wanting to drop backgrounds out of focus to remove
clutter if that were the case. Or anything from 15 to 90! Never longer than
90 on an M. Anything longer went to a SLR Leica R.

On another shoulder would be an M with VC Nokton 35 1.2 as matching lens to
the Noctilux. And probably a 21on another M hanging off neck or shoulder
just in case.

Along came the M8 and yes things changed, but it never was a conscious big
deal change, once again the scene being shot dictated what lens to use. So I
quickly changed to wider lenses without much thought and carried right on.

I don't bother wasting time thinking about this kind of lens stuff because
getting the picture is far more important. 

The M8 automatically dictates one goes wider, so go wider and just get on
with the shoot! I don't consider the M8 a whiz bang view finder compared to
a film M, probably because I used the distinct film M's viewfinder for close
to 50 years plus, like day after day, week after week!

But what I'm trying at the moment is, a wider, 28 and internal 35 viewfinder
frame lines as a quick look. Or a 21 with the external view finder in the
hot shoe, focus with the internal viewfinder and wing it through the outer
finder instead of the regular 35 because this allows for the M8 frame
clipping without thinking about it. Seems to work fine, yep on occasion it's
a little loosie-goosie, but as long as you end up with the main motivating
moment on the card who cares? It's called cropping!

Besides if one wishes to shoot tight frames they should be working with a
DSLR and I don't care which one as they're changing faster than a hookers
pants on a Saturday night!

It's all part of the KISS outlook! Have I missed any in this fashion? Oh I
suppose close, but no disasters yet. :-)

ted

Tedgrantphoto.com