TWO new cameras, in one week!

Iron Flatline · Jan 4, 2007

This post is simply an effort to share my happiness:

I can't explain to you how I got the Diana clone - it's a big secret project that is too much fun for words. All I can tell you is that it says "Shakey's" on the camera, that it's from the 1960s, and that a number of us photobloggers were each given one of these for a project.

The other is a Leica M8. It's equally hard to find right now - heck, a well-working Diana clone is probably easier to find. Unlike the Shakey's Diana, the M8 has a 28mm Elmarit 1:2.8 Aspherical lens on it.

I think you can understand why I'm extremely happy this week.

On Sunday I'm leaving LA. I'm going to NY, then Amsterdam, then Berlin over the next two weeks (as I do every four weeks) and I'm bringing these two babies.

myopia · Jan 5, 2007

you gotta be f'in kiddin me. :hail:

Alex_B · Jan 5, 2007

congratulations

Jeremy Z · Jan 5, 2007

Does the M8 force you to use the viewfinder or can you compose using the LCD?

It is beautiful, but somehow, it doesn't look quite right without the film advance lever.

I borrowed a Leica from the camera shop I used to work for to shoot a roll at lunch one time. I really like the feel & the build quality, but that oddball film loading is for the birds. (not a problem with the M8, I'd guess) I don't care how traditional it is. Sorry for the rant.

Big Mike · Jan 5, 2007

Leica M8

CMan · Jan 5, 2007

Oh my god. Leica M8... :drool:

:stun::hail:

I hereby appoint you camera king of the forums.:king:

Mitica100 · Jan 5, 2007

OK, so which one do you like the best?

I'm effing envious, brother... Can you tell??

darin3200 · Jan 5, 2007

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little bit jealous

Don Simon · Jan 5, 2007

Some cultural trivia for those who did not grow up in the United Kingdom in the past couple of decades.

jammy dodger n. 1. proprietary name of biscuit containing jam. 2. exceedingly lucky person.

You, sir, are a Jammy Dodger! :thumbup:

Iron Flatline · Jan 5, 2007

Thanks all!

No, Jeremy Z, you must compose in the Viewfinder, which is different than SLRs. What you see is not all going on the picture. You have little lines that approximate what you'll be capturing.

Oh, and no Auto Focus. Gotta do it by hand. Makes shooting a whole different thing, a lot more deliberate and contemplative. It has Av mode, but is really a manual camera.

That body and lens right there (it being one of the simplest lenses they have) cost mroe than my D5 and my three L lenses put together.

Yikes.

usayit · Jan 5, 2007

Very nice!!!! Congrats.... a black M8 is in my sights as soon as Leica addresses some of the issues that have come up with the first batch. Love my rangefinders....

For now, I've been enjoying my R-D1...

Iron Flatline · Jan 5, 2007

usayit said:
For now, I've been enjoying my R-D1...

Dude, those are legendary. Keep that close by. In the years to come, that will be one of the collectible digital cameras.

usayit · Jan 5, 2007

You better believe it will be at my side for a long time.....

Legendary and a soon to be collectible for being the first digital rangefinder. Epson made this wonderful camera back when Leica was saying it wasn't feasible nor practical.

The design is absolutely PERFECT. Feels like a Cosina-Voigtlander film rangefinder all the way down to the analog dials and film advance. Unfortunately, its implimentation (quality control) and marketing was way off and i believe Epson got burned.

I've been lucky so far in terms of quality and durability. It was the camera I brought with me to the hospital to photo my newborn's birth.... it served me quite well (quiet, no flash, compact). I've been too busy doing diapers and bottles since then...

Iron Flatline · Jan 5, 2007

Ah... had to show me the Noctilux lens, eh? Hard to get me jealous of anything at this point, but that's getting awefully close.

:mrgreen:

For those of you who like "fast" lenses... that's a f/1 right there.

My understanding is that the R-D1 was developed by some of the Leica people to prove that it could work. They were worried about using the Leica brand name after some of the other digital crap they initially cranked out.

The M8 is pretty good, and the software really compensates nicely for lenses it can identify - which is almost any since 1946 except three of them. All lenses need to be marked, and all new lenses are sold marked. That means digital identifiers, which the firmware then knows to compensate for at the edges for possible vignetting.