"Changing" from Canon to Leica, which 35mm?

Hi Christian, I do understand and to a certain degree agree with you.

While I am the happy owner of a new 40D I find the Canon lens system seriously lacking so for now its a stop down manual focus 21-35 Leica R

I am sure Canon would be able produce better optic even the primes do not work for me.

But then I am looking forward to a new ( 5D? ) I like macro macro and long lenses + FF. But if wide is your most importand lens the M8 has it

none of the Canon lenses do. Weight is a problem my other camera is a Baby Linhof V with lens and grip its just 2.4kg , may be not your average shooter but the results with Astia will blow anything clean out of the water.

Most folks I know who own a rangefinder also have an SLR. It's not necessarily an either /

or decision.

For less than half the cost of the M8 body you could get a Canon 40D and a 24 f1.4L Canon

lens. GREAT combination. It's a fine walking around camera. You'll love it. The cache and

motor almost match the old 1DmkII. I don't use my mkII anymore after getting two 40Ds. It's

a bargain. For the cost of an M8 & 28 you can get two new 40Ds, a 24 f1.4L and an 85 f1.2L.

Two cameras, two lenses - all you need. Don't get me wrong. I have a number of M Leicas

and I use them all the time. But for the cost of an M8 and 28 there are options. BTW, this

answer is based on your saying you want to keep your 70 to 200mm.

I agree. Most people who do a reasonable spread of photography find that a rangefinder can't do everything they need. And in the long run it's about the pictures, not the equipment.

Hi again everybody,

thanks a lot for your insightful responses. And I do agree, it's not about the equipment, it's about the pictures. I probably suffered from the widespread aflliction of thinking that ONE camera could do everything, or maybe everything. But providence intervened, and just today I got a sizeable tax-refund, so I'm keeping The Brick for tele AND getting an M8 :-) I'm looking at a possibly good deal on a used M8 that still has warranty, so I should be safe, and then I'll get a 35mm and I'll be a happy camper. Thanks again everyone, looking forward to future discussions.

Christian,

 

How did that 4x5 Cambo Wide and 6x12 Horseman back, that you bought and were asking

about on the LF forum a couple of weeks back, work out for you?

" In other words, am I insane?"

 

No, you arn?t. Live is to short to own tools you don?t like to use. If you can afford the M8 go for it. If you find out RF isn?t for you sell it again and by a 1Dmk25 (or whatever is en vogue then).

 

I used to have two EOS 3 bodies and 7 lenses at the end of 2001, got a used Hexar RF in Jan. 2002 and sold the whole Canon stuff within two months...never looked back..never missed it.

I just added a Canon 5D with grip plus a 24-105/4 (not much smaller than the 24-70) to my existing Canon film system. But mostly I shoot with a pair of M6TTL bodies, which I intend to continue to use. I do not think it odd at all to combine the Canon plus Leica systems -- they complement each other. Different tools for different situations.

I'm probably insane, but I have an M8 and have owned various Canon and Nikon bricks

over the years (still have a MKII 1DS). Haven't owned a ranger finder since the '60s.

Probably an Instamatic back then. I love the M8, it goes everywhere I go. I won't use the

Canon for anything but shooting birds and macro. It's not just the weight. I have one of

those little Rebel XTIs and it's not the same. I won't reiterate what's been written 1000s of

times on the difference between a rangefinder and an SLR.

 

As far as 35s go I have the 35mm ASPH Summicron. It's one of my favorite lenses. Doing

unscientific testing between that and the Canon 35L on the 1DSII (shooting the same

scene with the same lens at roughly the same ISO), the Summicron comes way ahead.

 

Good luck!

The EOS 1D Mark II and the M8 are different tools, with different strengths, and perhaps best when used for different things. If you have any doubts about your choice between them, you might want to do a trial run before making a full commitment. I would suggest getting a used M2 or M4 body, a used 35mm non-aspheric Summicron and a hand-held meter, and shooting with the combination for a month under varied conditions. While not a digital camera, an M2 of M4 would provide you with a good sense of what working with a Leica rangefinder is like, and it would cost you a lot less than a new M8 and new 35mmASPH. At the end of the month, should the Leica suits your way of working, you could sell the Canon and the used Leica, buy the M8, and be certain that you would be getting what you want. If, on the other hand, shooting with a rangefinder for more than just a couple of days turned out to be not quite what you expected, its strengths didn't match yours, and its limitations are greater than you anticipated, you could keep the Canon and sell the used Leica for most of what you paid for it, and chalk up the experience at much lower cost than if you had sprung for the M8.

Nine months ago I did exactly what you are considering now: I traded my Nikon D2x with several zoom and other lenses for a Leica M8 with 28/2.8, 35/2.0, 50/2.0 and 90/2.8. I am using my camera mainly for travelling photography, street photography and portraits. I must say that - although the D2x is a wonderful and very reliable camera - I am very happy now. The M8 is perfect for my type of photography and due to its small size and low weight I carry it with me all the time (usually with the 35 mm or the 28 mm attached).