Girls Just Wanna Have Fun..with an M8! By Micky Faas

From Steve: Today I have a treat for you guys! A wonderful article on the M8 by Micky Faas, a 21 year old artist living in the Netherlands. This one is heavy on the photos, just how I like it!  I hope you enjoy it as well. Micky obviously has loads of fun with her “Hello Kitty” M8 and it shows in her superb photographs. Thanks Micky for the fun and informative article!

Is the Leica M8 a women’s camera?

By Micky Faas

The presumption that photography is a men’s thing should well belong to the past by now. As a female member of a local photography group, I can say that about half of it’s members are actually women and that they are also among it’s most active participants. The one thing where men do have an edge over women, is when it comes to expensive gear. At a retail price of € 3000.-, the M8 really falls into this category. It is also a highly specialized instrument that is only for a very small group . But what the heck. I tried out if could be something for me.

I shall first introduce myself before getting away from the topic to much. I’m a 21 years-old self-taught photographer and painter living in The Netherlands. I do both as a hobby, while study is consuming most of the time. I’m not new to photography though. I’ve been making pictures for several years now, having owned a lot of cameras too, including two digital SLRs with countless lenses (I guess I’m some sort of a collector-type). I make pictures of basically everything and I print them myself. No, my memory isn’t that bad, but I simply LOVE pictures!

Since the time I read about the Leica M8, I’ve been intrigued by the little thing. I liked its minimalistic approach (I guess I’m a purist too) and its nostalgic looks as well. Moreover, I always hated the weight of my current camera, which weighted more without lens, than an M8 with lens attached! Of course, I couldn’t afford it as I was 18 at the time! So well, maybe when I ever get rich…. (which probably won’t happen).

However, when the second-hand prices for the M8 began to sunk, I started to think seriously about the ‘first digital M’. I tried it once at a local dealer (still unable to afford it) and fell immediately in love with it. My father who was with me at the store, instantly declared me nuts (among other things, which I won’t repeat here).

Windmills. Some hate their appearance. I think they make great pictures! M8 + Voigtlander Color Heliar 75/2.5

I few months later though, I responded to an ad from a German guy who was selling off his M8. I decided upon it and the same evening I sent him a whopping € 2000.- without ever seeing the camera. That was about a year’s salary for me! WAS I indeed going crazy? Well, it was definitely among the most stupid things I ever did. I didn’t tell anyone, of course. The man told me that he had sent the camera to me, but nothing happened. Two weeks passed and I had a total nerves breakdown! Oh my….how was I going to explain this? However, finally, after many nights bad sleep, I received the package. I was SO happy! Read on to find out if I still like it that much!

Traditional houses in Northern Holland. M8 + Voigtlander Super Wide Heliar 15/4.5


M8 + Voigtlander Color Heliar 75/2.5


Dutch mill. I didn’t code the 15mm, which gives those awful blue corners. M8 + Super Wide Heliar

Fashionable

If such thing as a handsome-looking camera exists, than the M8 is definitely one. It does away with all the button clutch of DSLRs that make them look like cheap calculators. It also lacks such things as a meaningless handgrip, which is to big for my hands anyway. I really hate those grips and I always thought that it was wasted space until I found out that in most DSLRs, it is where the battery goes – oh well. However, the M8 proves that it really is unnecessary when it comes to ergonomics, because it still holds really pleasant – if not better.

The M8 also has a cute retro look. Well, it isn’t a retro look, because the M8 actually inherits its appearance directly from its ancestors like the M6 – that’s long before my time anyway. This appearance means there’s no shiny plastic, but rather a robust looking metal (that feels so cold in the winter!). There’s also a rubber (or faux leather) strip that is wrapped around the entire camera. It give a nice soft feeling and makes sure the camera won’t slip out of your hands. For the same reason, a thin strap is provided to hang the camera around your neck. It’s definitely not the most handsome part of the kit (black nylon?). It also has some sort of rubber dots at the back that prevent it from slipping off your clothes. That tears the skin in your neck, however. I found it really unpleasant to use and replaced it with a wrist strap.

I doubted long between the silver or the black version of the M8. In the end, I got no choice at all, because I bought it second hand. I think both of them look cute, with the silver one being even more ‘retro’. It’s a pity there’s no silver version of the M9 (which I won’t be able to afford anyway, but still).

The M8 is also a wonderful camera to pimp. If there’s something you dislike about its looks, why not just change it? It easy to change the neckstrap, so that’s one problem less for me. I’ve also seen people put black tape on it in order to make it draw less attention or even change the faux leather with a crocodile print. Personally, I prefer Hello Kitty 🙂 but your mileage may vary. Although the M8 doesn’t fit in a purse, I manage to squeeze it in my coat pocket with a small lens. I keep mine in a small red shoulder bag most of the time, which wasn’t possible with my D200 because it was way too heavy!

Cute yes. Practical nope. I prefer the plain M8. It already looks gorgeous when naked.

Abandoned fishing barn, shot at dawn. M8 + Voigtlander Nokton 35/1.4

Ergonomics

For me, the ergonomics of a camera are largely determined by its weight. Luckily, the M8 weighs ‘only’ 580g without a lens. That’s still a lot more than an average compact-camera, but then, it makes much better pictures too! On the other hand, my Nikon D200 almost weights one kilogram. Because the lenses recess deeper into the camera than with a SLR, they can be much smaller too. Lenses such as the Voigtlander 15mm or the 28/3.5 are really tiny beings compared to their SLR equivalents.

These lamas are probably held for their wool. M8 + Voigtlander Color Heliar 75/2.5

Like I said earlier, the M8 has no handgrip. This makes it (for me at least) better to hold than a SLR. It has nice round corners that make it really comfortable in your hand. It feels a lot ‘harder’ than my SLR though, which has some sort of soft rubber all around it. Another drawback of the metal is that it is extremely cold in the winter. When it freezes, you almost can’t get your hands off the thing. However, because of the big (and few) buttons, the M8 is easily usable while wearing gloves.

Winter can be gorgeous at times, but why does it have to be that cold? M8 + Voigtlander Super Wide Heliar 15/4.5

Because the M8 is a manual-focus camera, you always need two hands when operating the camera. This can be a problem sometimes, especially when you want to influence your scene with one hand (here kitty kitty) and take a picture with the other.

With animals you have to be quick, there’s no time for focusing. M8 + Voigtlander Nokton 50/1.5

Picture quality

I make my own prints and enlargements with an (rather old) Epson 2100 printer. It can make prints up to 13” wide (A3+). Though it can be expensive at times, I find it really enjoyable to make my own enlargements. With the M8, there’s plenty of detail in the pictures to print even a lot bigger.

There’s already a lot written about the image quality of the Leica M8, so I won’t duplicate all that stuff right here (besides, I don’t feel I have the proper knowledge to do so either). However, I’d like to invalidate some strange myths that I heard about its quality. For example, when I told at my photo group that I had bought an M8, people were surprised and asked why I would spend so much cash on a camera with such a horrible image quality. ‘I though the M8 was a complete failure’ or ‘it’s bad because it’s only 10 megapixel’ they said. I’d like to prove the opposite, however.

Here’s a picture that was shot under ‘studio conditions’ (tripod & flash) with a Voigtlander 75/2.5 Color Heliar. Following, there are three cropped images of 700×500 pixels. One at 100%, one at 200% and one at 400%. The enlargement was done in Adobe Photoshop. The photos were imported from DNGs files from the camera.

BELOW, A 100% CROP

A 200% CROP…

and finally, a 400% crop

Alright, I assume one would print at a typical resolution of 300ppi and that your monitor has a pitch of 96dpi. This means that you’re looking at these crops as if you were looking through a 3x magnifier.

The 100% crop would print to about 13”x9”. Look at the amazing detail of the fabric! You can also see all the tiny bits of texture in the eggs (not shown here). Of course we’d like to print larger than this! The detail, especially at higher ISOs, is much better than my D200 – which also has 10 megapixels. This shows that the amount of megapixels cannot be used as a measurement of quality!

The 200% crop would print to about 26”x 17”. That’s around A2 size I think (bigger than my printer can do). The detail is still magnificent, even when seen from close-up. Remember, you’re looking with a 3x loupe here!

The 400% crop would translate to a size of 52”x34”. That’s a real museum-sized print! The detail starts to look really muddy right now, but it still has an unprocessed, analogue feeling to it. I think I wouldn’t hesitate making a print this big. And again, you’re looking with your 3x magnifier right now! You’re probably going to view a print this big from a larger distance as well.

My conclusion: up to 26”x17”, the M8 is producing excellent prints that leave nothing to be desired. If you want museum sized prints, they will be coarser, but still great. Period. If you want that plastic, grain-less kind of image, you’ll need to look further!

I’ll leave the rest of the pixel-fondling to the tech guys right now 🙂

Viewfinder, rangefinder

Having used two different SLR camera’s, I wanted a rangefinder camera for a very specific reason. Before I decided I wanted to buy an M8, I initially went looking for a good compact camera. I tried dozens in the store, but unfortunately none of them pleased me (apart from their low weight). This was mainly due to the lack of an optical viewfinder. I find an LCD insufficient for taking pictures.

SLR vs. phone camera vs. RF? M8 + Voigtlander Nokton 50/1.5 at 1.5

The viewfinder of an M camera (or any RF-camera) has some special qualities to it that no other camera has. With a SLR, you have a narrow, tunnel-like vision that is limited to the attached lens. An M gives a HUGE bright vision that includes most of your surroundings (the M8 gives the equivalent to a 28mm lens on a SLR). Inside the frame, you see exactly (well, that’s debatable) outlined what portion of the world you’re capturing. You have the feeling that you’re inside the world, instead of looking at it from a distance. I find that this unique experience of photographing isn’t offered by any other type of camera.

It was HOT here. Without an IR-filter, the coals would have been white. M8 + Voigtlander Nokton 35/1.4

Of course, a rangefinder won’t let you use long telephoto lenses, which can be a pity some times (I like to shoot animals!). You’ll always have to use a SLR to these things, which is why I kept mine with only one lens 🙂


Unnoticed

One type of photography I’ve been discovering lately, is taking pictures of people while they don’t notice (yes, that’s pretty much called street-photography). These portraits usually come out more natural and spontaneous than a posed picture.

I definitely don’t want to end up in a suit like this. M8 + Voigtlander Nokton 50/1.5 at 1.5

I’ve been surprised by possibility of being unnoticed when using the M8. Because of its small size and sober design, it doesn’t draw nearly as much attention as an SLR does. On the other hand, the M8 isn’t a quiet camera. Even with the ‘silent-mode’ enabled, it still produces a fair amount of sound when pressing the shutter release. When it gets noticed though, people tend not to take it that seriously. Or maybe they don’t take ME seriously? Well, for most people, it looks like a cheap compact camera. Now that’s a real advantage!


I find it sometimes scary to photograph people without asking them, but the results can be so rewarding. In this case, it’s just my mom and our dog…

In the dark

I have always liked shooting pictures with as low light as possible. I know that the M8 has a reputation of not quite being the perfect low-light camera. It’s actually far from that. However, it’s about one ‘stop’ better then my D200 and with a good lens, I can’t complain. In low light I use both the Voigtlander ‘Nokton’ 50/1.5 and the ‘Ultron’ 28/1.9. I really love these lenses as they give such beautiful images. I especially like the blurring of the background that these lenses give at bigger apertures. Steve will agree with me 🙂 (Oh yes, I do!..Steve)

My grandma posed for this one, albeit a little unwillingly. Taken at ISO 1250 1/30s

Conclusion

Well, as you’ll probably know, the M8 isn’t a camera that everyone will appreciate. That is largely due to it’s high price, but also because it is such a specialized instrument. That’s why I can’t really answer the title question, but for me, it’s the best camera I’ve ever owned.

How the M8 changed my style of photography? Well, a lot I think. Because of it’s smaller weight, I tend to take it with me much more often. It also inspires me to try other types of photography as well, such as portrait photography which I didn’t try earlier (people tend to hate my big Nikon flash). The image quality combined with the wonderful Voigtlander lenses I have (I know Leicas would have been even better), simply give so much fun that it is hard to put it away. Lastly, because of its manual operation, it really slows you down. This can be frustrating at times when you miss a shot because of the lack of auto focus, but it can also force you to think more about your decisions. Although that won’t make you a better photographer right away, in the end it does lead to better pictures.

It’s a pity that it’s still a very expensive camera, haha 🙂

4s exposure in almost complete darkness, I love the star-shapes in the lights!


I like:

  • Size and weight
  • The huge viewfinder
  • The style of focusing, even if it’s manual
  • Images are gorgeous
  • It looks so cute 🙂
  • It’s plain fun to use!

I dislike:

  • It’s loud
  • I want ISO 100,000!!
  • It’s SO expensive
  • Silly dust keeps getting onto the sensor 🙁
  • One tends to want more and more lenses for it

Valves of an old steam train. M8 + Voigtlander Nokton 35/1.4


Train interior. M8 + Voigtlander Nokton 35/1.4




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38 Comments

  1. Goed gedaan Mickey.Ik lees het nu pas in NOV 2014.Inmiddels is de M8 veel goedkoper geworden,rond de 1200 euro,en is het kleurprobleem met een IR/UV filter ook op gelost.Ik heb zelf een zwarte en een zilverchrome uitvoering zodat ik geen lensen meer hoef te wisselen ivm stof op de sensor.Door het weg laten van al die verschrikkelijke filters voor de sensor kun je het aantal pixels makkelijk interpoleren naar 16 of zelfs 18 megapixels.Zelfs op 100% blijft de beeldkwaliteit nog goed.Het is een prachtige praktische kleine camera en in een kleine fototas kun je al gauw 2 bodys en 4 a 5 lensen kwijt.Ben verder benieuwdt wat je vandaag de dag aan aparatuur hebt.Veel succes met fotograveren en groetjes uit Enschede.

  2. Oops sorry for not spelling your name right Micky…:-/ Luckily I haven’t written my very own name right either…..damned iPad!

    Vincent

  3. Hi Mickey, I don’t think I have anything to add to all these kind comments on your review and photo’s….;-). You sure have the writing AND photography skills! Nog heel veel fotoplezier Mickey en ook ik ga je op Flickr opzoeken!

    Vincenf

  4. Mickey, so many lovely pictures! You’re off to a spectacular start. Enjoy this success and keep it up!

  5. What a fun article! I loved the pictures and the excitement you experience comes through. I confess I’ve always been minimalist with my Ms; if I carry more than 2 lenses I feel overburdened, but each to his, or her, own!

    I’m still with my ancient M 3 while waiting for my 9 to arrive. If it doesn’t come by the time I’m going on my next trip you have made me think I should consider a bargain used 8 meantime.

  6. Hello Micky and thanks for your very heart felt experience and I know there are many more to come. I feel great things coming your way in the future. Your eye for detail and passion have impressed us all as you can see. Love the photographs and love your spirit. And for me seeing the Hello Kitty trinket on your camera…. you’re so like a girl 🙂
    Take care, Pete

  7. Lovely pics and nice review.I’ll wait for the M9 to come onto the 2nd hand market and then ask you to help out with the lenses !

  8. A good M8 orientated photohistory of a young, intresting talent. I’ve noticed much of the same things while shooting with an M8 during these past few months myself. I especially noticed how darn cold the camera gets during the winter 😀 Thankfully the buttons are large and the aperture and focusing can easily be adjusted with gloves on.

    Thank you Micky and thank you Steve, keep these coming.

  9. Hi Micky (and Steve of course 😉 )
    Nice article! It was great to read. Also a thumbs up for the photographs. I especially like the train interior photograph.

    Greetings!

  10. Re Zach: *whoops*, I meant IT already looks gorgeous… well you probably figured that already. Steve, you checked for typos right? :3

    Thanks for the comments again!

  11. Hey Micky great article and love your pic’s. Agree with Dutch you are one talented artist! Also luv the way you have personalized your M8. Maybe Steve could run a competition with his readers to submit pics of their Leicas that have been customized. Thks for sharing your work.

  12. Great article Micky! Lots of inspirational shots that make me want to go out and shoot (and buy an M8), you’re a very talented artist. I hope you keep enjoying your photography and sharing your work.

  13. Nice shots, natural look, I like the tech talk also, not too overpowering but informative. Thanks for sharing. I am planning myself to jump on the M bandwagon, M8-M8.2, a Cron 35 a CV15 and a Nokton 50 1.1 maybe an Elmarit (or cron) 75 or 90 (not sure what size they have.

  14. Very, very impressing: The pictures, the experiences, the writing, the engagement and passion for photography. You have got it!

  15. I’d like to thank all of you for the extremely kind comments so far! Great to see that so many people from The Netherlands are actually watching this site!

    About the voigtlander lenses: all of those that I’ve used have been really gorgeous lenses so far. I didn’t own them all at them same time. I guess I’ve got the same selling-buying-selling habit as Steve got. I bought most lenses for under €200.- second-hand, including the 15/4.5, 28/3.5, 28/1.9, 35/2.5, 50/1.5 and 75/2.5. I’ve only bought the 35/1.4 new (the only one over €200), but I sent it back because I had problems with it. After three samples I decided to give up in favor of a 2nd hand 28/1.9 and 50/1.5. I didn’t regret as those are my favorite lenses now!! (I know a lot of people have very good experiences with the 35/1.4 though, it could have just been bad luck).

    Anyway, your reactions really inspire me for a sequel :3 !!

    ~Micky

    • Funny. I read this article back when it was first published. Consequently (after getting infected with Leica fever), I bought an M8 as well. I just realised that I, too, exchanged the 35/1.4 Nokton for a 28/1.9 Ultron + 50/1.5 Nokton – two really great lenses!

      Btw, I just found your flickr account — I really liked your pictures in this article, and am curious to follow your work on flickr!

      All the best, Felix

  16. Micky / Steve
    love the picture in the under “studio conditions” as it explores the M series for other than street photography. Quite amazing and love the results of the Voigtlander lenses…… very well done and a great story to share.

  17. Mickey great story, loved the shot of the chair in front of the old house the tone of the picture is great. It is always nice to hear stories from young people who are so excited about what they are doing. Keep up the good work.

  18. Great story and great images! Steve, thanks for bringing this story and images to us. I just continues to reinforce to me that good equipment is important, but being a good photographer is even more important. This makes me wish I had a M8 right now!

  19. What an *excellent* piece!

    So interesting, 1st hand user info, great range of shots and the major clincher for me was the total use of CV lenses as well which I found most interesting. As regards the 35mm Nokton a Lot of people reckon the 35mm Skopar II is even better for less money Steve. I’m pretty happy with mine and they seem to suffer with less backfocus issues when comparing users notes on those who’ve used both.

  20. I also love the train interior shot and notice it was shot with a lens I really enjoyed and WILL buy one day, as soon as it is back in stock 🙂

  21. Hey there Micky,
    I’d say you made the right decision with the M8. Not because it’s a M8 or a Leica but because it works for you and more importantly, you know how to work the camera. Love your train interior shot!
    Keep on rockin’ !

  22. very nice photos , I like to see more of you photos , thank you steve for this site and how can I help you in this side ?

  23. Nice photos – when you can afford one you should get yourself a Luigi “Half Case” – it will help with holding your Leica in the cold and also cure the bad neck-strap problem.

  24. I’m also very intrigued by the M system. I currently own a Alpha550 & a GF1 with the 20mm lens… Since I’m still new to photography, the Leica M camera’s prices are just too high for me as of now. But even if I was to save up enough for the body, the lenses will still cost me thousands. I guess my question is where were you able to get all those lenses? Did you also buy them 2nd hand? How much do they cost?

  25. Mooi verhaal! Very nice photo´s, I like your toned down color shots, I am waiting (as many others) for my M9.. 12 weeks now!

    Do you not think your M8 is much quieter than any of your SLR´s or DSLR´s ever was?

    Keep on going with your street photography!

    Bas

  26. Nice story, nice review, very, very nice pictures !
    Congratulations Mickey.
    You have inspired me.

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