larry_kincaid1

Based on responses to forum questions about "what else do you use?", I would guess that many, if not most, Leica M users would say pretty much the same thing. I still have my 1969 Pentax Spotmatic SLR with a recently (and irrationally) purchased 50mm F1.4 screw mount lens. Works as if brand new. No plans to ever sell it no matter how little I use it.

Let me try one more time. Once I switched from a Nikon SLR "everthing" film camera to the Leica M6, I had no desire to use a SLR camera again of any kind no matter what the technological or price advantages and differences. [The exception would be a need for a long telephoto lens for wildlife, which has not happened yet, and I have no interest right now in macro photography.] For me and for some time now, it is no longer a choice between these to types of cameras. So, when the digital M8 became available, there was never any comparison to Canon or Nikon digital SLR's. Only between the M6/M7 and the M8 regardless of price. If--and only if--the M8 met the minimal requirements for a digital M. Is this clear now? The comparison to any kind of SLR camera is irrelevant, so why do some keep insist on making it?

 

One more clarification. This does not mean I or anyone else here hates these digital SLR's. I recommended to my son that he buy a Nikon D40X and the zoom lens it comes with, for all the obvious reasons, as his first camera, to a great extent because of the total cost and value for the money. So, no one has to persuade me of this point either. I've already done the persuasion myself. When the next or next after improvement of the D200 or D80 comes out, I'm still planning to buy one and start using my Nikon 180mm f2.0 telephoto lens again. Part time. M8 full time.

Lee said "I agree, Brad." Brad never came up with the "number" that bothers him. Since Lee agrees, now he has to say what number he is agreeing to. The number who think they're good photographers because they own Leicas. I don't care if some collectors do put untouched Leica cameras in vaults, I would still guess that the number of people who by expensive Canon and Nikon SLR kits who think that makes them a good photographer is much much higher than those who do it with Leicas. How about the $30,000 Hazelblad digital camera. That would make you a truly great photographer. I personally think it's okay for people to do that. I don't think that this has anything to do with photography or the topic of film photography dying. I also don't see how film photography could possibly die before View Camera photography and oil painting dies, and I cannot see that happening any time soon. So, why does this unfounded fear keep coming up?

Okay, Brad, what exactly is that number . . . that distresses you so much? 3? 22? 134? 1,456? The number of non-photographers who have expensive SLRs and DSLRs is much larger simply because Nikon and Canon have sold so many more cameras. Why does Leica always get singled out for this sin?

 

I was beginning to think that no one was paying any attention to the Leica forum anymore. Next thing you know a Puts thread on digital versus film slips in and everyone seems to come out of the woodwork. That's kinda like magic too.<div></div>

"By the way, the other Ben Webster I know of played the saxophone pretty well." You forgot to mention Dexter Gordon, another great legendary saxaphone player. This kid may end up playing the saxaphone. You have a rare photograph there. It's very hard to get a great photograph right after a baby is born. Everyone is usually tired and ragged. But somehow you've managed to capture the underlying beauty of the moment. Congratulations. We look forward to the next one, and next one . . . all of the great ones.

Jim, it's not unethical to ask ahead of time if you qualify. Educational discounts are given because companies want to increase their sales and get their products in the hands of people who are in a position to favorably influence other buyers. It's not a gift; it's a business. So, just ask and I'm sure she'll qualify.

I just bought the new version of the 25mm CV Snapshot Skopar for my M8. I believe it has a "P" after its name to indicate that it is now connected to the Lecia rangefinder system and can be focused. It's quite small and delivers great photographs with the M8. However . . . and here's where I agree with the others . . . it takes a while to get used to a 24/25 and wider angle lens. Maybe your already used to them. I'm still trying to use it like a 35mm or even 50mm lens. You have to walk very very close to foreground objects to make full use of the lens. I'm attaching one I took in San Francisco. It took 5 shots, each time walking closer to the boat in the foreground, to use the lens correctly. The instant digital feedback of the M8 greatly speeds up the learning curve.<div></div>

That is one of Nikon's best lenses for portraits. I took the liberty of evening the score a bit by applying levels in Photoshop to increase the contrast to match the Leica photo more closely. I still prefer the Leica photo.<div></div>

CDs and DVDs are too small and too much trouble. Get a 300 or larger gigabyte hard drive and attach it as a permanent back up to your entire hard drive. Software automatically backs it up every week or so, or on demand. Then purchase a small, portable hard drive just to backup your photos and other secure documents. Store the portable hard drive in some other location and periodically recopy all your main photo files onto it. I just bought a 120 gigabyte portable Western Digital drive for $80 at CompUSA, on sale for $40 off the normal $120.00 price. Cost per gigabyte of storage is very low, and the prices are falling as the sizes increase. These portable drives are small enough to fit into a woman's purse. When it fills up, buy another one. Keep them up to date. Before they become obsolete, copy all contents to the newest storage technology, ad infinitum.

Here's what the Ritz Nikon website says about the Nikon 18-200mm VRAvailability: Ships when received from manufacturer - Order Now! Did your see the lens in a Ritz camera store?

Clive, it may look like she's grabbing the guy she's with, but she's really just checking on the money.

Can anyone recoat these lenses with modern coating?

Ilkka, You must have superman's X-Ray eyes or your using a magnifying glass to look at prints. I've never seen any dots on my HP prints, nor has anyone else complained about dots. I just examined my last HP8750 color print "with my eyes," and I cannot see a single dot. How are you able to see dots?

"Another issue is the cost. For a 1/3 of the price of used Leica 75mm f1.4 I can have Contax 139Q with 85mm f1.4 which is superb lens from what I hear." Did you really have to remind of of this (true) fact? This is totally taboo on this forum. Just kidding; we can face the truth even if it hurts. 85mm f1.4, hmmmmmmmmmm.

No one would want dozens only to find out that they use 2 or 3 with one body. But . . . how do you know when you start out which body and which lenses will end up being the small set responsible for 90% of your work? Experimentation that no one else can do for you. That means acquiring a variety of equipment and spending many years figuring out what works for you. So, the real question is why we still keep all the other gear we've now figured out that we're not going to use much.

Agreed. But isn't that how the world should work? I did give away my Nikon all automatic last generation film camera and one lens, but still have 3 other lenses waiting for . . . not sure what. The last generation Nikon digital camera ever made and selling for $200.00?

 

But I cannot image getting rid of my 180mm Nikon lens. It's just too good to give away cheap. It's still looking for a camera to attach itself to. I replaced all my Leica cron lenses with lux lenses and sold them off. That kind of duplication I don't need. Since prices have all gone up, no loss of money. Then there's the relatively new but last generation Panasonic TX1 digital P&S that I supposedly bought for my wife . . . but is clearly just a backup toy for myself. Hey, a 35-350mm zoom toy that takes good images of gargoyles at the top of European cathedrals (try that with a 35mm lens). But looking at middle ages church gargoyles is only a 0.001 percent activity at best. The couple who ran out into the rain in Madrid just to kiss one another is also a low percentage occurance, but he Leica was designed for that one (okay, admittedly, the Leica was not out in time for that photograph either. Unfortunately, I'm still thinking about it. If I can dig up the "post-kiss" shot, I'll post it some time under Street Kisses).

 

I bought a 50mm f1.4 Pentax screw mount lens for my old Pentax Spotmatic SLR even though I knew I wouldn't use it much. I just always wanted one, and to get it off my list I bought a used one for $ 40.00. Worth the relief it provided. None of that Pentax equipment is worth much money, so I see no problem admiring it on the shelf and offering it to future generations who undoubtedly don't want it.

 

However, you're leaving out experimentation. I broke down and bought the new L mount 25mm skopar to try out on my M8 camera. Very hard to get used to, but fun experimenting with it. But it will definitely fall into your 10% or less use category. At least it's not a $ 2000 investment. On the other hand, I expect its value to decline. But even a 50% decline is only a $ 200 loss. Well worth the 10% experiment time.

I like the photograph quite a bit. Very nice light, composition, and the focal point, of course, the smoke. Nice b&w.

Funny, I missed the reference to the M8. I thought you were using film. I think (hope) that the M8 has managed to avoid producing those cartoon-like images that most digital cameras produce. I liked the first photo a lot. What lens did you use?

As a novice to 21-25mm lenses, I would appreciate anyone who would like to

share one of their best photograph examples from a wide angle lens, with

comments about how you like to use a wide angle lens and why you think the one

you've shared works for you. This seems like the fastest way for me to figure

out how to use my new 25mm lens.

 

Gandy has just received some of CV's new range-finder coupled versions of the

25mm P f4.0 lens. I purchased one to use with my M8. I felt like I needed

something wider than the M8 cropped 35mm lens. I have unpleasant memories of

trying to photograph Amsterdam's Dam Square with a 50mm lens, backing up until

I was completely out of the square. I'm basically a 50mm perspective

photographer who gradually got used to 35mm on the M6. The perspective of a

25mm wide angle lens is still a problem for me. The lens, by the way, seems

to work quite well on the M8. Focuses well, but I've quickly discovered that

you don't need to focus it very well in many situations. I'm attaching a test

I just did with the lens in a local park. I set the lens for either 7 or 10

feet. Kept it at waste level, then still walking clicked the shutter when the

walkers got within range. Would it be blurred, poorly framed, out of focus?

No. I tried this all the way around the lake and the technique seemed to work

well enough. Now back to the streets. Now what else can I do with 25mm?<div></div>

We have to be careful about what the topic is here. The quality and reputation of the Noctilux ASPH is well docmented and needs no further comment. That leaves the subject of the photo (portrait, in this case) and how well it works on the M8 and its sensor in color or b&w. In this case color. I transformed my M8 example into color, so color was not an issue. Color is still an issue with the M8 regardless of the lens. Any post-processing tips would be useful to all of us. Every once in a while on this forum, experts in PS will take someone's example and try a variety of tweaks in PS and then repost the same photo for everyone to comment on. Anyone want to do that for the original Noctilux example? Remove the orange cast?

"None of the portraits match up to some of the excellent captures we have seen from you with the same lens on film. . . I wonder if you are being a bit less careful because of digital, high ISO capabilities, post processing possibilities, etc."

 

I tend to agree with Vivek. Additional post-processing in PS would make a difference. Does this imply that scanned film images need less post-processing for optimal imaging? It's also hard to ignore the irony of demanding super sharp portraits from a Noxilux when many portraits are blurred on purpose for effect.

Response to Portraits with the M8<div></div>

. . .<div></div>

Jared,

Could you clarify for us what you just said. You "purchased both a split screen and an non-prism screen version of Katz Eye," but then you said that the "matte screen without the split prism is much brighter than the stock screen and you can use it at any f stop without the view being impared." Which is which? Or neither. Is the the matte screen without the split prism the same as the split screen or the non-prism version of Katz Eye? And is this the one you would recommend?

In spite of what's been said, I still think that this is a tricky decision. I have purchased all used Leica lenses and M6 with the exception of one new lens, 35mm Lux ASPH (couldn't find a good used one), and every item is worth more today on the used market than what I originally paid. That makes the Leica equipment an investment as much as a "consumption." That' why it makes no sense to rent Leica equipment; it's cheaper to buy and resell. But who wants to invest that much cash just to get started in RF photography? If this is simply out of the realm of possibility, then a nice compromise to me would be to buy the Zeiss RF camera and the best used Leica 35mm lens you can find. On the other hand, if a good used M6 is available for not much more than the new Zeiss RF, then you might as well buy the Lecia M as well. After a rocky start, it looks like the M8 is becoming quite desirable. That means that a lot of old Leica RF users and new M8 users will be looking for lenses. These Leica lenses are in short supply today, so prices should go up even higher. To get around the $2600-$2900 price for a new Leica 24mm f2.8 ASPH lens for my M8, I just purchased a new (rangefinder coupled) Cosina 25mm f4.0? lens from Gandy for under $500. This will be my first experience with this wide of a lens, so I decided not to "invest" more money than that for now. But as mentioned above, if I really like a 25mm on the M8, then I'll will suffer from intense desire to fork over the $2600 for a Leica lens which has been labeled one of Leica's masterpieces. As said many times here, if you don't like this process, don't even get started using Leica equipment.