Leica M8 First Impression

[apophoto]

Shooting outdoor with the DNG raw setting with my Tri-Elmar 28-35-50mm I found there is minimum post processing to get nice film-like simulation photos. Or am I getting psyed up just because this rig costs much more than the typical 10mp DSLR? C & C appreciated.

[Hacker]

Were you using a UV/IR filter?

[apophoto]

No UV/IR filter used except for the normal UV filter instead. I have yet to ascertain how bad is the magenta issue on certain lighting situation and would probably rush to get one from Schmidt later! My only reservation is a spare battery is really expensive comparatively with other brand name.

[cocoa]

the color looks weIRd leh

maybe it's the weather

[Hacker]

Originally Posted by cocoa the color looks weIRd leh maybe it's the weather

No UV/IR, just as I thought.

[milaurie]

Originally Posted by apophoto No UV/IR filter used except for the normal UV filter instead. I have yet to ascertain how bad is the magenta issue on certain lighting situation and would probably rush to get one from Schmidt later! My only reservation is a spare battery is really expensive comparatively with other brand name.

I got a 3rd-party one from eBay, really cheapo ($20 IIRC). Works fine, just that it can only last about 200 shots (original one is about 300+). Not bad I must say.




Laurie

[NorthernLights]

I think the colours are perfectly ok to me.

[bernards]

Personally, I find green foilage look slightly yellowish without the UV/IR filter. Kind of like overcooked vegetables.

[NorthernLights]

Yum yum can eat liao.

I don't recall that foliage had been an issue. It's always been black surfaces or black textile.

Maybe recently also dry and warm weather. The trees and grass have turned yellow?

Or the converter the OP used? Capture One or Adobe Photoshop. Which colour profile?

[Hacker]

Greens are affected because plants are affected by UV (chlorophyll fluorescence). There are technical discussions on this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared_photography

[nordleadx]

does having a ir/uv helps????

generally i find the white balance in M8 very bad. Color always off but I seen pics in flickr of M8 that rocks !!! and theres a 3D effect that I got from M8 that rd1 never has..

Anyone has tips on getting better colors ??? software or setting???

I brought some 3 nd party batt also. 2 for less than 20 bucks. Good and cheap. is there any 3nd party battery charger in the market???

[apophoto]

I gave the M8 another workout with these garden shots with the Tri-Elmar. At jpeg fine setting only with some pp with CS3. I thought the colours look perfectly acceptable without the UV/IR filter. C & c welcome with honest views appreciated.

[nordleadx]

looks natural to me.

[apophoto]

Tried out this shot indoor with flourescent lighting. Jpeg fine setting with minimal CS3 pp. Visoflex 3 with Oubio 16466 adapter and 200mmF4 Telyt screw-thread mount lens. Exposure at F5.6/1.5 second with rig mounted on tripod. While not perfectly sharp, the colours came out surprisingly clean.

[NorthernLights]

Originally Posted by nordleadx does having a ir/uv helps???? generally i find the white balance in M8 very bad. Color always off but I seen pics in flickr of M8 that rocks !!! and theres a 3D effect that I got from M8 that rd1 never has.. Anyone has tips on getting better colors ??? software or setting??? I brought some 3 nd party batt also. 2 for less than 20 bucks. Good and cheap. is there any 3nd party battery charger in the market???

Agreed. I did not get the 3D effect as well on the RD1s with 50mm C-Sonnar - always seemed flat, maybe due to the 1.5x crop. On the 1dmk2, 5D and M8, yes. The M8 with the 28mm summicron aspherical. But the 5D with TS 90 f2.8 cost way less than the M8 with 28 cron.
M8.

Did not buy 3rd party batteries. Bought 1 original at 53 pounds or 120SGD.

Generally, I find RF very difficult. I still cannot shoot naturally and struggling with the frame lines. With the EOS, I can concentrate on framing any subject and catching expressions otherwise impossile witrh manual focus - because of my poor skill. Also no spot metering. Cannot see the justification using manual focus, manual exposure with 1 fixed lens and at the end get worse pictures. Cannot imagine going to a wedding assignment with an M8 wit 28 cron and 50 summicron rigid vs 1dmk2 with trusty 24-70L.

The RF is slow and got poorer WB compared to the 2004 1dmk2. Other than being small and light, I do not see any advantage. 3D-wise, cannot beat 5D with 35 f1.4L wide or 85 f1.2L bokeh for tele.

M8 with 28 cron



M8 with 28 cron



1dmk2 with TS 90



5D with TSE 90



5D with 70-200 f2.8L non-IS

[NorthernLights]

These are my very frank opinion on the M8 as first impressions after 3 weeks fresh into RF.

1dmk2 with 85 f1.2L



shallow depth of field and bokeh king with the 85 f1.2L. Don't see how the Noctilux can beat this.

[gommy]

Originally Posted by NorthernLights ........Cannot imagine going to a wedding assignment with an M8 wit 28 cron and 50 summicron rigid vs 1dmk2 with trusty 24-70L. ..........

M8 Wedding Photographers:

http://www.still-photo.net/wedding/home.htm

http://www.riccisvalladares.com/#mi=...&p=-1&a=0&at=0

[joshlty]

Originally Posted by gommy M8 Wedding Photographers: http://www.still-photo.net/wedding/home.htm http://www.riccisvalladares.com/#mi=...&p=-1&a=0&at=0

lovely natural wedding shots

[chiif]

Originally Posted by NorthernLights These are my very frank opinion on the M8 as first impressions after 3 weeks fresh into RF.

Personally, I don't think gears play the only part in making good pictures. I believe if a photographer is comfortable in using any gears, even a holga, he might produce even better pictures than someone who handles a Linhoff or Sinar for the first few times....

From your pictures, I can clearly see that you are very comfortable with the Canon gears and that's why you excel in producing beautiful images for your clients. Give yourself a few more months... you might grow to like your M8 more and more and maybe, I say MAYBE, you might use the M8 for your primary gear for shooting weddings.

I know of photographers who cover weddings with only the M film bodies at this digital age. Though the M8 is considered a "half frame" camera by some people with it's 1.3x crop, it does offer the kind of convenience that people in the digital world has taken for granted for so long.

Well, if you really want to explore the "true beauty" of Leica glasses, you might want to shoot film and get a good scanner to digitize to share on flickr.

[nordleadx]

I agree with what chiff say

Slr has many advantage compare to RF so do RF to SLR.

My thing abt M8 is the frame line. On my M6,the frameline I see and snap is what I get on the film but on M8 the pic is slightly bigger than my frame. Than again after a few shots and days of understanding the camera, not much a problem. I find its easier to focus on subjects which are off center compared to RF too.

NorthernLights nice pics, ur 85mm dam poison. Any example with 35mm f1.4??? Dam keen to get also... Got my 50mm becos its my fav focus length.

M8 with f0.95 that has very bad front focusing now sended to Cam X. Every time before I shoot need to do correction in focus.



M8 with f0.95 off focusing



5D with 50mm f1.2 L. Has the famous front focusing autofocus problem but I manual all the time when shoot wide open with skills pick up from rangefinder camera.



I find the harder to use equipment more fun to use.. Anyone has tips to get good color out from M8???