Leica Akademie

AusDLK

Famous Photographer
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I was recently informed that I was able to secure one of the precious few seats at a Leica Akademie presentation of the M8 at the end of the LHSA affair and photokina in and around Cologne come this October.

That means little ole humble me will be one of the first mortals to get his lunch-hooks onto an M8 and make some pictures.

How cool is that?
 
Oh well.

Oh well.

I'm not jealous. At all. No really.

You lucky, lucky, lucky so-and-so. :D

Do let us know how it went.

Doctor Zero
 
I've had a huge grin since I first heard about it, in fact I've been selling off stuff and scrimping and even bought a used 20D instead of a new 5D. But the snippets of info that have trickled in so far have pulled the corners of my mouth down a notch with each one. I fear I'll be in full frown before too long, and back to plan-B, which is to sell off all but one M film body and 2-3 lenses to be used with film until said medium is no longer a viable option; and put my money full-force into Canon as far as digital is concerned. My aging, aching back would definitely not like me to have to do that :mad:
 
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Ben Z said:
I've had a huge grin since I first heard about it, in fact I've been selling off stuff and scrimping and even bought a used 20D instead of a new 5D. But the snippets of info that have trickled in so far have pulled the corners of my mouth down a notch with each one. I fear I'll be in full frown before too long, and back to plan-B, which is to sell off all but one M film body and 2-3 lenses to be used with film until said medium is no longer a viable option; and put my money full-force into Canon as far as digital is concerned. My aging, aching back would definitely not like me to have to do that :mad:

I might be interested in some of your M film gear should you still want to sell.
 
Ben Z said:
I've had a huge grin since I first heard about it, in fact I've been selling off stuff and scrimping and even bought a used 20D instead of a new 5D. But the snippets of info that have trickled in so far have pulled the corners of my mouth down a notch with each one. I fear I'll be in full frown before too long, and back to plan-B, which is to sell off all but one M film body and 2-3 lenses to be used with film until said medium is no longer a viable option; and put my money full-force into Canon as far as digital is concerned. My aging, aching back would definitely not like me to have to do that :mad:

Don't!!! I went that road with a 10D when it came out and traded all my Leica R stuff.
I was wildly enthusiastic with the results then, but now.... Technically still superb, but uninspiring. I moved back to Leica and the Digilux2 with all its "low level" specs and horrible high-Iso/long exposure noise etc. gives far more exciting photographs, The m8 should double that feeling. Ask any RD1 owner. Specifications are not everything you know.
 
I had the chance a couple years ago to pick up a very extensive R8 system at wholesale price (the store had it ready to wholesale to KEH and sold it to me for $200 over their quote). I kept it for a year and a half in anticipation of the DMR. What I found was that as good as it was I just couldn't handle the weight of it all. My wife had a Canon Rebel with a few lenses and regardless of optical and build issues (and frankly those Canon primes are darn good and those "plasticky" lenses have never failed), to me a camera is useless if it's sitting at home because I can't carry it. I had to give up my trusty Pentax Spotmatics, which were great optically and just the right weight, because I couldn't get a diopter into the finder and still see it with my glasses (I need both). Eventually I sold all the R outfit and have been using the M for almost everything. I like the Canon 20D but it is, to me, bigger and heavier than I want as are the lenses (bigger, maybe not heavier). So I would really like to stay with the M, which is ideal for my use. I really don't have a problem staying with film if the M8 doesn't suit me, the problem is only that I shoot color slides and the infrastructure for that is getting slimmer. I'm not going to stress out over it, if the M8 pleases me I may get one eventually. If not, well, there are other options and may very well be more on the horizon we don't know about yet.

And in addition I get the feeling that a lot of these "issues" surrounding the M8 are the result of misinformation, mis-translation, and lack of specific clarification from Leica.
 
"... lunch-hooks..." I love this term!

Enjoy Solms. I'm saving the $3G I'd blow on this same LHSA trip for SOME digital gizmo or other at year's end. Might be the Leica version of the Panasonic L1 or, if I sell a good deal of my current Leica M-tele lenses, a legal, new M8 body early next year as they become available.

Hmmm...
 
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