watts

<p>I spent about an hour or so casually playing around with a Monochrom and filters last year – example <a href=" and <a href=" I keep meaning to do some more 'proper' planned stuff using the technique because I quite like the effect it produces.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Obviously written by someone who neither owns nor has used an M8 - and mixes a lot of opinion with information taken out of context.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Well aren't you a humourless arse. It was just a joke. I've owned and used the M8 since the first week it was available. (Incidentally, it's a bit weird that someone would quote a post of mine from a entirely different forum?)</p>

<i>Sure they are different branches of the company, but the point is that its the same company.</i><p>

 

But the point is that they are <b>not</b> the same company and haven't had any association for years.

Leica Camera AG (who make the cameras and binoculars) licence the use of the Leica brand (and

associated logotype) from Leica Microsystems. The other (also unconnected) company

which has a licence to use the brand is Leica Geosystems. Apart from the use of the

name/brand there is no legal or financial relation between the three companies.

<i>Because I am vat registered I can sell the camera at my local shop on commission and

recoup most of my dough</i><p>If you do your books properly, the VAT is irrelevant. I'm

VAT registered too but when I sell an item I've previously run through the books I am

expected to account for the VAT <b>on the sale</b> as well. Something tells me you didn't

bother raising an invoice when you sold the M7?

I think Jim was asking about stuff going on rather than things to see and take pictures of.

<p><a href="http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/whats-on.php" target="_blank">This link</a>

might help as a starting point.

The original version is rather nice - reminds me a little of working with large format polaroid.

 

Sorry Alex, I know you were working from a small web jpeg but the two revisions you posted

are a classic example of how to take all the 'art' out of something.

Does it matter which one you choose? If past form is anything to go by, you'll almost certainly

be selling it after a few weeks.

An MP and single lens is ideal as a 'snapshot' camera for personal work - especially as a last

hurrah with film. For me, the 28/F2 is a little wide (and physically large) as a single lens

choice but these are obviously personal things.

1. Top ten lists.

Both images look oversharpened to me (you've managed to give the shots a classic digicam

look) but this may be a product of the way you have downsampled them for the web. Were

you using the CS3 beta of Photoshop by any chance?

The highlight on Sawako's head has become totally blown-out and looks distracting.

 

I've had an M8 since the first week of November. In most respects it's a fine camera but one

thing you learn very quickly is that the M8 is useless shooting colour under artificial light

without the 486 filters. Messing around after the event in Photoshop seems such a ridiculous

waste of time when you consider how easy it is to get decent accurate colour under the same

circumstances from even the crappiest of P&S digitals.

In my experience, K200 goes noticeably magenta as it gets older (which can still be within its

"process before" date). If you haven't shot K200 before, you may be surprised by the size of

the grain - it is very grainy by modern standards for a 200 speed film. However, the grain is

very attractive and increases the sense of sharpness.

I'm not sure how I feel about the 50mm focal length on the M8. It is true that it feels like you

have a bit more reach but I find the '67mm' focal length a bit "neither here, nor there." The

35/F1.4 has quickly replaced my 50/1.4 as the 'standard' lens on my M8.

I owned a Noctilux a couple of years ago and felt at the time that was the last Leica lens I'd

ever sell. I eventually realised that it is really an ergonomically awkward 'special effects' lens.

Once you tire of the novelty of the F1 depth of field effects you begin to realise that a

mundane shot with a very narrow depth of field is still ultimately a mundane shot.

<i>Imitations of Eternity</i><p>

Did you mean "Intimations of Immortality" (after Wordsworth's poem) or is this a phrase of

your own?

The café is not connected to Classic Camera (though there is a more pleasant camera shop

about two minutes walk away which does have a café as part of the business).

 

My own take on the deposit issue is that, whatever the terms and conditions, Classic Camera

are being extremely foolish. Their reputation has never been that great and the bad publicity

they are now 'enjoying' is hardly going to help.

<i>Thanks and I just spoke to Dave Elwell at Leica camera USA who said that both the DMR

and the M8 have built in IR filters that make this additional IR filter moot!</i><p>Probably

spoke too soon.

<i>Maybe it's just me, but it looks like a paid advertisement?</i><p>Yes, there is

something a bit weird about it. I guess it's meant to be some kind of viral marketing thing

(though it's not like Leica need to boost demand for the M8 at present).

Arsenal mug?

Thankfully not everyone is a camera geek.

<i>VAT alone is 17.5 percent and import duty is even higher especially for a 'luxury' item

like a camera</i><p>

 

Duty on still cameras is 4.2%.

<i>The dealer is calling Leica USA on Tuesday morning to try to arrange for a

replacement.</i><br><br>I'm not sure what else the dealer is meant to do when he hasn't

got any other new M7s in stock. If it turns out that Leica USA are not very accommodating

why not just ask for a refund? You could always get another M7 elsewhere.

Your original posts mentions using the Domke inserts "for various bits and pieces in

various bags." It would have been useful if you'd made clear from the start that you

wanted the inserts for a hard case suitable for airline usage. Clearly, the sort of inserts

used in soft camera bags like Domke and Billingham, etc. are not going to be right for this

application.

 

Rather than fanny around trying to retro-fit dividers designed for other bags I would

advise getting your case(s) custom fitted with foam designed for the job. If you were in the

UK I would let you know of a couple of companies that I know which do this kind of thing.

If you ask around (foam suppliers, etc.) I'm sure you'll be able to find a suitable company

in Australia. Alternatively, you might consider buying the foam yourself and cutting it to

fit. it's not a difficult job.

<i>Billingham by comparison are (I believe, due to the compressability)open cell, at least

twice as thick if not more, and the inserts are a soft knitted material.</i><p>It depends

upon the Billingham bag. The little fart-arse bags like the Hadley or Alice have inserts

covered with a kind of soft felt material. The larger, traditional, pro bags have inserts using a

smoother (probably more hard wearing) nylon material (similar to the Domke insert material).

Personally, I prefer the latter.

Forget the arguments about Leica gestalt, etc. and ask yourself what difference this CV lens

will make to your photography. Unless you frequently need the stop and a bit extra speed,

the CV lens isn't going to make enough of a difference to warrant a trade. If you are

interested in the F1.2 lens for the narrower DOF effects that it makes possible bear in mind

that the novelty will wear off quickly and you will be left with a lens that offers nothing more

than your 'cron yet is at least twice the weight and bulk.