j0hnbarker:

I currently use a Nikon D60 DSLR, but have been tempted recently to step back in time and buy an old 35mm SLR. Seen as there are a few Leica fans on here, what do you guys reckon to the R6 or R8 camera bodies?

The R6 and R8, are great bodies.

The lenses are pretty cheap too, used that is. Much cheaper than M- lenses. But just as good.

The R8 and R9 are really stunning, would like one myself, but one system is enough right now. And I don't see any point going back to film. (for me)

If you don't have a lot of Nikon glass that is compatible with older nikon film SLR's I wouldn't hesitate to get a Leica R8/R9 and a few nice lenses.

The first thing you'll get struck by is the bright and large viewfinder.

Canon 50D

Selling the default 17-85mm (great lens) and Ive already replaced it with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM which is amazing!

Im after the Canon EFS 10-22 for those wideangle scenary shots... I should uploads some of my B&O bokehs :)

bayerische:

I'm a keen photographer, I've been using the Leica M8 for 15 months now, and I love it. Before that I had the Epson RD-1 and Leica M6.

Again we are in the same course

I was use to useing Epsn as well and now Leica M6, Leica D1, and intend to buy Nikon D300 ....

But I'm long time Leica fan !

bayerische:

mhodges:

I just realized that I'm probably going to get flamed for misrepresenting the cost of a Nikon system in my previous post. I do realize that you can get a quality Nikon/Canon system for far less. However, in the context of the top of the range SLR system (that would be acceptable on agency type shoots) I feel this is an accurate reflection of the costs involved. Ironically, most clients seem to like the M8 as some sort of "true artists tool" much the way most Leica nuts do (myself included) as long as it is accompanied by many thousand $ of lighting and grip.

Michael, are you also on l-camera-forum.com ?

I'm a member since 2002 I think

I do it for a living, too (Nikon DSLR stuff). My vote goes to the Panasonic DMC-FX3. It's a fantastic camera - no grief, just great results.

jamlip:

I do it for a living, too (Nikon DSLR stuff). My vote goes to the Panasonic DMC-FX3. It's a fantastic camera - no grief, just great results.

jamlip & mhodges : you're talking about the Panasonic LX3 (and Leica D-Lux 4), right?

I also like this camera very much, but I don't have it (I intensively tested the LX3 of a friend...), I shoot with a Nikon D300.

I just bought a used Nikon F80 film camera(N80 in the US) with some zoom lenses, a flash and some filters for £100. At that price I simply could not resist, although I like and use my Nikon D50 alot. It is fun to be shooting film again, and not use half of the time looking at the lcd. Does anyone have experience about scanning negatives?

best regards

Christian

I used a Nikon D70S and some Tokina Pro lenses.  Not too happy with Tokina right now, but I love the Macro 100 f2.8 with extension tubes.  I love macro photography and have posted some very nice closeups of my BM8000 LEDs before I replaced them.  You can see some of the pictures near the bottom of this thread.  http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/t/24203.aspx  It is a picture of the factory LED on the BM8000 display using a 36mm extension tube with the Tokina 100 Pro.

@mhodges, or anyone else who might have one

tell us more about the leica. c-lux or d-lux? what number?

i am thinking about one or the other for a pocket camera. beats lugging the mamiya or the nikon around (e.g.) in amusement parks, etc...

thanks!

I have a D-Lux 3, not exactly a pocket camera, but stunning results.....

Bought my wife a Panasonic DMC-FX35 which is a pocket camera and really good as well!

oops, i did it again.

having sold my hassy v series (c/m) in december, i was heartbroken.

i have replaced it with a v series (el/m).

woohoo!

I've realised I havent given this thread my full input, been reading it but not posting! Anyway since my initial post, I purchased a Leica Digilux 3 in June 08, for quite a reasonable price. Only using the kit 14-50mm (28-100mm equiv) f2.8-3.5 lens on it, had considered the 25mm f1.4 lens, but its quite expensive for what essentially seems like a system on the way out (4/3rds). 

I will in the future sell and upgrade to a Leica M system, here in the UK Leica are offering £500 cashback on purchases of M8's before the end of June, which puts the body price approx £2400. Still expensive I know considering you need to add a lens, (probably would get a summarit 35 or 50mm as a first lens), not a purchase I could make right now I reckon. One can dream though!

Btw, the Digilux 3 is the camera in my avatar!

Robert.

Robert:

I will in the future sell and upgrade to a Leica M system, here in the UK Leica are offering £500 cashback on purchases of M8's before the end of June, which puts the body price approx £2400. Still expensive I know considering you need to add a lens, (probably would get a summarit 35 or 50mm as a first lens), not a purchase I could make right now I reckon.

Other than my Noctilux (thank you Ebay)  I got some of the new Zeiss wide lenses in M mount.  They are very nice and are a bit cheaper than Leica for the M8.

My five year old found my Mamiya RZ and the Polaroid back in storage and begged me to take a picture.  We spent part of the morning teaching him to focus the big thing and using some out of date B&W polaroid film to take shots of him his brother and me.  I had completely forgotten about the technology that was faster than digital and easy enough for a child to use.

Being on a bit of a RF kick, I also picked up a Hasselblad X-Pan and I am looking REAL HARD at a Leica M6 or M6TTL.

As there are several M users here, either 6 and/or 8, I am stumbling over glass.

My choices are:

1.) Leitz -probably in the f2 range.

2.) Voigtlander (Nokton) -brilliant in f1+ range at great prices!

3.) Zeiss -ZM... big fan of Zeiss having shot them on the Hassy MF cameras.

With a mu43 adapter, I can throw any of them on the PEN as well! Any thoughts?

burantek:

Being on a bit of a RF kick, I also picked up a Hasselblad X-Pan and I am looking REAL HARD at a Leica M6 or M6TTL.

As there are several M users here, either 6 and/or 8, I am stumbling over glass.

My choices are:

1.) Leitz -probably in the f2 range.

2.) Voigtlander (Nokton) -brilliant in f1+ range at great prices!

3.) Zeiss -ZM... big fan of Zeiss having shot them on the Hassy MF cameras.

With a mu43 adapter, I can throw any of them on the PEN as well! Any thoughts?

Leica M6 *drool*

ChrDH:

I just bought a used Nikon F80 film camera(N80 in the US) with some zoom lenses, a flash and some filters for £100. At that price I simply could not resist, although I like and use my Nikon D50 alot. It is fun to be shooting film again, and not use half of the time looking at the lcd. Does anyone have experience about scanning negatives?

best regards

Christian

Yes I do.

Get a decent film scanner first. I bought the HP scanjet G4050 and it does the job very well. It can take slides and negatives + alot more.

One big point is that any old scanners only scan with 3 colors. The G4050 scans with 6!

I've had mine for some years now and its been very stable. It takes its time the higher quality you want but the results are great if the negatives are great.

That's 2 old slides from the '70s.

Nice pictures.

Digital capture is something I have always wanted to get into with all my photographs, slides and 8mm from the late sixties and seventies.

Two questions (very off topic!)

1. were the two photos taken with the same film ? The bottom photo seems like an Agfa colour balance (?) to me, and

2. it would be interesting to see a "today" era shot of the bottom picture to see how much urban development has taken place !

elephant:

Digital capture is something I have always wanted to get into

It can be quite the chore from a time standpoint, not to mention a surprisingly steep learning curve to get great results.

The Nikon 9000 is held in high regard but pricey and VERY hard to find. The Epson 750 is a 90% solution at about 1/3 the cost... it was my choice.

Thank you.

I must correct the shooting year on the top one as its from France 1982.

The bottom is from Rom 1981.

So it must be 2 different films but AGFA I can agree with that. Whatever my grandparents bought before they went on holiday.

Back when my grandmother on moms side died she left alot of boxes of slides but we could not watch them in a big format as there were no screen to set up. So being curios I found out that the HPG4050 scanner could get these slides on pc which is the best format these days.

The above is France in 1973.

Those are great pictures; very evocative -- thank you for sharing them !!

I bought my wife a Panasonic DMC-ZS3 awhile back for our anniversary. She loves it. I think it's pretty awesome for what it is. The lens is made by Leica. It's sort of a cross between a camera and a camcorder. It's pretty cool. EATS through the batteries though.

Jon