Leica M8 field test: Iraq

[liam__]

I thought some of you might be interested in this piece:

 

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4133/extreme-field-test-leica-m8-in-iraq.html

 

Best, L

[elmarfudd]

Cool. Lack pictures of magenta burkas though.

[xi_amblin]

nice pictures, but only 14 is not enough, any more to come ?

-----

 

 

by the way, i like that thing in pic #6. a mobile retina scanner.. cool...

[chromatic-aberration]

$7000 for a camera that doesn't provide adequate cover in a firefight? ;-)

[el_fang]

<i>"Cool. Lack pictures of magenta burkas though."</i>

<p>Probably edited out. As mentioned in the "review": "With no filters to compensate for the color cast, the magenta tone that runs through dark synthetic materials was evident, and at times actually quite entertaining."

 

<p>Maybe it's just me but the pictures themselves, even disregarding the fact that they're part of a camera review (pfft) aren't even all that great. James Nachtwey, who last month added yet another award to his already impressive list of accomplishments...

 

<p><a href="

target="_blank">TED Talks: James Nachtwey</a>

 

<p>...seems to have no problems doing his work with "a camera as big as my head" (as Ashley Gilbertson puts it).

[john_layton]

Don't have an M-8, but I often have the same problem with my D-200, getting appropriately into a challenging shoot, only to realize later that some crucial setting(s) had been inadvertently changed. This is always my number one hassle, and I think on all pro-level digital cameras there should be a "lockdown" button (which would itself be lockable) to lock all desired settings, which would absolutely insure against this problem.

[liam__]

It's worth looking at Gilbertson's coverage of Fallujah, for which he was awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal in 2004. Here's a link to his site:

 

http://www.ashleygilbertson.com/

 

Best, L

[alokppatel]

El Fang,

I must respoectfully dissent withoyour conclusion that the pictures are not that impressive. I was totally impressed with the coverage. There are some striking images, but some images in his collection that are impressive in that they show a mundane side to war. However, you are of course free to your assessment of his work, I just appreciated the variety of shots he presents.

Alok

[jtk]

I don't know what it takes to "impress" people in 2007. We seem to to be making a virtue of dead feelings.

 

There was a ghastly image on one of the Arabic sites this morning, children and adults gaping at exploded automotive rubble, a foreground lake of brilliant red filling the digicam's lower quarter-frame. No $7000 advertising props needed.

 

I'd have vomited my guts out. No Robert Capa necessary for that shot, though his own most bloody image also held that lake...in B&W...in Paris, as Nazis left. I don't think today's lake held similar promise.

[Craig_Cooper11664875449]

<i>I must respectfully dissent with your conclusion that the pictures are not that impressive.</i>

<p>

<i>I don't know what it takes to "impress" people in 2007</i>

<p>

I find this is VERY unimpressive journalistic photography from any perspective - war or not/Leica or not/digital or film! In summary I find it a collection of very uncompelling imagery on any level; a collection of failed attempts at trying to compose elements into something effective, a frequent feeling of <i>not close enough</i> to the subject; a frequent feeling of <i>what is the subject?</i>; and all of this resulting in a very unemotive series of images

[jacob_brown]

"I was totally impressed with the coverage."

 

I wasn't. Not bad, but certainly on par with any decent coverage we've seen from the area, with a smattering of cliches thrown in.

[boris c umanso]

With should have some respect for any photographer who puts their life on the line in Iraq

(Dmitry Chebotayev, killed on Sunday, is the latest photographer to die there) but these

are very

ordinary photographs, and, given the low technical quality, not a great advert for Leica.

These recent photographs by Yuri Kozyrev weren't taken with a Leica, but they're worth

looking at:

 

http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2007/kozyrev_qubah_multimedia/

[jerry_kirkwood]

<i>these are very ordinary photographs, and, given the low technical quality, not a great advert for Leica</i></p>Maybe Leica's marketing department can persuade Mr. Bush to start another more photogenic war.

[boris c umanso]

"Maybe Leica's marketing department can persuade Mr. Bush to start another more

photogenic war"

 

Maybe your marketing department can tell us how the visual quality of a war, photogenic

or otherwise, has any impact on the technical quality of a digital file.

[Spearhead]

<i> These recent photographs by Yuri Kozyrev weren't taken with a Leica, but they're worth looking at:

<p>

http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2007/kozyrev_qubah_multimedia/</i><p>

 

Much stronger photos, thanks for posting.

[boris c umanso]

It's a pleasure Jeff. Also at Time, Tony Suau's take on things:

 

http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2007/war_home/

[michael s.]

More photos by the same photographer, Yuri Kozyrev, are here -- no narrative at this location, just the photos: <a href=http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2007/war_of_shadows/>Link</a>.

[michael s.]

boris wrote:

 

<< ... Tony Suau's take on things ... >>

 

"The War at Home" -- for those considering clicking on that link, they are not battle sequences taken overseas, but rather photos taken in the US.

 

Very heavy. Excellent, disturbing photos.

[Brad_]

Not compelling and not even very interesting. Some technical aspects were lacking as well - perhaps a dSLR would be a better tool.

 

Would these even be discussed here if they were captured with a different camera?

[jtk]

Brad, IMO those M8 photos are mildly interesting as images, but the topic wasn't "compelling," it was "field test."

 

I don't think this particular photographer was recommended as especially compelling. He was, however, taking his life in his hands.

 

His soldier associates were probably toting digicams...it'd be more interesting to see their shots.

[jerry_kirkwood]

<i>Maybe your marketing department can tell us how the visual quality of a war, photogenic or otherwise, has any impact on the technical quality of a digital file.</i></p>I'll try to learn the HTML code for sarcasm so you won't get left out of the loop next time.

[mark_petrie]

Nice work Liam and thanks for a review! This thread seems to have taken a life of its own, nevertheless, I enjoyed some of the links provided. My hats off to anyone willing to risk their life to tell a story!

[eric rose]

Whatever happened to f8 and be there? Seems the old timers were able to get some pretty impressive stuff with Speed's and old time 35's.