Is this the little boy

[torben_daltoft]

telling about the Emeror's new clothes?

 

http://www.completedigitalphotography.com/?p=518

[torben_daltoft]

read: Emperor's

[blakley]

The little boy isn't a terribly reliable reviewer; he accuses the camera of overexposing in shutter-priority mode - a mode which the M8 does not have.

<p>

He also says that "by design, the camera is not capable of accurately reproducing all colors". Whatever this tortured phrase might mean grammatically, it's intended as a slap at the M8's IR sensitivity problem. That problem is NOT a white-balance issue, though the reviewer desribes it as such. When the reviewer does get around to discussing the M8's actual white balance performance, he describes a problem which no longer exists, probably because he's using an old firmware version. Given that the review is dated March 11, 2008 - by which date the firmware version which fixes this problem had been available for more than two months, this section of the review does not inspire a lot of confidence in the accuracy of the rest of it.

<p>

The reviewer provides a photo exhibiting incredibly bad noise performance; he claims this photo was produced by the M8 at ISO 640. The noise in his sample photo is worse than anything I've ever experienced at ISO 1250 on the M8; either his sample is defective, or he's exposing improperly, or his RAW converter is doing a terrible job.

<p>

And then there are patent absurdities, such as this one

<p>

<i>...for many types of shooting, especially event photography, the M8 is completely impractical because you can?t work quickly enough with it to get the job done.</i>

<p>

What he appears to mean is that you can't use a manual camera for event photography. The legions of photographers who did this perfectly comfortably for many years before autofocus was invented will of course be surprised to learn that they were doing something impossible. Here's one of many event shots taken with the completely impractical M8.

<p><center>

<a href=" title="L1010694 by blakley, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2050/1937620180_1c24f038c4.jpg" width="400" height="500" alt="L1010694" /></a></center>

<p>

Overall I'd say it's a lazy review by a lazy photographer. The M8 produces much better results when it's used by someone who knows what he's doing.

[joel aron]

I agree with you Bob.

 

When I first started w/ the M8, having been use to my film M's, there was a bit of a curve to climb to get use to it. So I can understand where this guy is coming from.

 

That being said, little boy came across as someone that did spend time with the M8, but went into the review with the intent on comparing it to a consumer level dslr. The entire review read like a 'Consumer Reports' review of a new Porsche Carrera GT. Meaning, it was reviewed for its practical uses, not for what it's capable of doing in the hands of a seasoned rangefinder user. He may have spent time with M's, but I honestly don't believe he loved his time with them. To make my point, his note about the bottom plate and why it should even be there was the silver bullet. That was the *first* thing that I loved when I first saw the M8. You put the damn plate in your mouth like every other M you've used in your life! ;) ..you (Leica) leave things in place to hang on to what photographers you may shake from the tree when you release a digital version of a camera that's been around for over 50 years.

 

He did have some valid points, and I do agree with a few of them (shutter noise, grain..etc..the usuals we all dealt with), but all in all, this review should not be suggested to anyone that has experience with an M (or any rangefinder for that matter). This review is for the photographer that wants to feel good about their RebelXTi purchase.

 

In the end, it's the photographer, not the camera that takes the picture. Not to compare the Porsche Carrera GT to the M8, but most seasoned automobile journalists stalled the car before ever getting rolling for their test drive on the track. The M8, and rangeinders in general, can't be driven like an economy rental car.

[jtdnyc]

Surely this "review" was meant for publication not in mid-March, but on April Fool's Day. What other explanation could there be for all the errors?

 

He seems to misundertand the circumstances in which zone focusing might be appropriate, and his claim that third-party lenses are "similarly expensive" as Leica lenses is laughable (except for two made-in-Germany Zeiss optics). In that context, his failure to mention compatibility with 50 years of used lenses -- even more, if you use an adapter -- shows that he either doesn't know what he's talking about or has an axe to grind.

[neilambrose]

Agree with the general consensus. The only thing clear form this article is that the reviewer

isn't much of a photographer. He seems to have little idea of how to use a camera, has

trouble metering simple scenes and evidently can't focus a rangefinder properly. And the

claim that the M8 is unsuitable for event photography is ludicrous - it's developing a real

following with wedding photographers precisely because it's so well suited to this type of

work. Sounds to me like the reviewer's main frame of reference is a digital point and shoot.

[vivek iyer]

<i>The only thing clear form this article is that the reviewer isn't much of a photographer.</i>

<p>

Isn't that the case with most of the online "reviews"? :)

[charles_hess2]

While his review was laughable, the bottom line is that the M8 is still a VERY expensive camera for what it is.

[doug herr]

"<I>the M8 is still a VERY expensive camera for what it is</I>"

<P>

So is a Porsche if all you're doing is going to the grocery store.

[blakley]

Charles is right, though; the D3 is much more camera for a little less money - and I'd happily use it instead of the M8 if it would only take the M lenses.

[doug herr]

I suppose it all depends on whether you'd rather use a Suburban or a Porsche. Each has its place (and neither the D3, M8, Suburban or Porsche suits me).

[blakley]

More discussion of the review <a href="http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/49411-another-view-m8.html">here</a>. The Leica Forum audience wasn't impressed either.

[jay_goldman3]

I've used Leica M's for over 40 years. My wife insists that I always have an M since the

few times I used other stuff, I did nothing but grumble about not having a Leica.

 

Nobody mentions that the D3 and 1Ds Mk III are monsters. I can walk around all day with

my M8 on my shoulder or around my neck. With the monsters I would last about 5

minutes. You get the picture when you have the camera with you. I hear lots of pro's say

that when they are traveling and not on assignment, they would never carry their

monsters with them. There are things on the M8 that annoy me, but overall I would not

give it up.

 

I'm fortunate that I can afford the M8 (or almost any other camera) and that I already had

my M lenses, so my comments are based on what is the best camera is for me.

 

I shoot jraw + B&W jpgs. I'm amazed the the quality of the jpgs. they often don't need

any post processing.

 

Oh yes, a camera w/o an optical viewfinder is a deal breaker for me and the M8 has by

far the best vf around.