M8 in war zone article

[Nemo]

How can Kamber´s reply be too negative? Assuming that he tells the truth, where is the overstatement which would lend weight in the direction or being too negative?

It´s not really a matter of one agreeing with one or two points: it´s a matter of a camera that is patently not up to requirements. That others have had samples that work does not in any way negate the terrible QC problems that appear to exist back at the ranch.

But anyway, something else Leica-related.

Others hadn't examples that work. Kamber's M8 works just like that of Ashley Gilbertson's.

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4133/extre...m8-in-iraq.html

Kamber uses a previos version of the firmware, and he makes absurd comparisons (M8, 5D). He is comparing two "in camera" softwares for image processing, that's all. I cannot understand why he doesn't use DNG instead JPG. The image quality differences are huge, and he is complaining for image quality! The M8 has ergonomic flaws, obviously, but it has ergonomic advantages too. Etc.

I agree the M8 needs a revision, if Leica wants to sell it two years more at $5,000... but I cannot agree with Kamber's conclusions.

[wesley]

From his review ...

"Like many, I was enthusiastic about the release of the M8.  My Canon EOS 1Ds and 5D have done well for me over the past several years.  But I missed the Leica’s unobtrusiveness and precise focus.  The small size and quiet operation are something I very much need.  On many assignments I have to sneak photos day after day, frequently in front of armed men, both here and in West Africa where I was previously based.  In Iraq, it is now prohibited to photograph car and suicide bomb scenes, detainees, hospitals and morgues.  I often work un-embedded on the Baghdad streets, trying to shoot along the edges of a situation; I find it hard to blend in with a large SLR."
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likewise, I found that using a rangefinder in hospital to photograph a friend going through cancer treatment was the best choice. the nurses and doctors didn't take me for a serious photographer and i was able to document without hindrance. another friend with a normal slr got barred from taking pictures.

Wes

[schrodingerscat]

Others hadn't examples that work. Kamber's M8 works just like that of Ashley Gilbertson's.

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4133/extre...m8-in-iraq.html

Kamber uses a previos version of the firmware, and he makes absurd comparisons (M8, 5D). He is comparing two "in camera" softwares for image processing, that's all. I cannot understand why he doesn't use DNG instead JPG. The image quality differences are huge, and he is complaining for image quality! The M8 has ergonomic flaws, obviously, but it has ergonomic advantages too. Etc.

I agree the M8 needs a revision, if Leica wants to sell it two years more at $5,000... but I cannot agree with Kamber's conclusions.
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He doesn't exactly have the luxury to sit and twiddle with ACR. At the end of the day, it's shoot the files over the wire and try and get some shuteye after preparing for the next. And much of his time is spent just trying to survive in one piece.

His perspective is probably a bit different than most M8 users and his review is based on a different real-world than theirs. For him, the numerous problems with the interfaces are a matter of earning a living. And the comparison with the 5D is not absurd if the difference is between success and failure, and whether the equipment delivers his vision.

There was much hope from those waiting for Leica's digital M, but between the crop sensor and the AA filter snafu, to the poorly thought out controls, it fell just a bit short of the mark. A nice camera for sure, but there's a feeling of what might have been.

Hopefully we'll see it in the not too distant future.

[Nemo]

He doesn't exactly have the luxury to sit and twiddle with ACR. At the end of the day, it's shoot the files over the wire and try and get some shuteye after preparing for the next. And much of his time is spent just trying to survive in one piece.

His perspective is probably a bit different than most M8 users and his review is based on a different real-world than theirs. For him, the numerous problems with the interfaces are a matter of earning a living. And the comparison with the 5D is not absurd if the difference is between success and failure, and whether the equipment delivers his vision.

There was much hope from those waiting for Leica's digital M, but between the crop sensor and the AA filter snafu, to the poorly thought out controls, it fell just a bit short of the mark. A nice camera for sure, but there's a feeling of what might have been.

Hopefully we'll see it in the not too distant future.
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Well, he needs to sort and select the JPGs in any case, and Lightroom reads and sorts RAWs very quickly. A few presets for RAW handling makes the process even more simple. On the other hand, you can adjust the JPG parameters in camera, and get higher contrast of more saturated colors, if you like. In any case, JPGs imply a loss in image quality. I agree on the ergonomic, battery consumption or low light/wide angle problems... The importance of these limitations depends on the kind of work you do. The worse problem of the M8 (focus precision of long and fast lenses) wasn't mentioned though...