Jono,
first off, ignore the flat comment -- especially in comparison to the DP1. Sigma tends to over-sharpen and the files naturally have more pop. however, it would also be very difficult with that camera to get the delicate tonalities you achieved here -- which i think is much more in keeping with the subject matter. not to mention how perfectly easy it is to get flat files from film. it's all in the processing....
one day on, and i'm quite amazed at the tonal values the M8 is capable of. very different from any other camera i've used and i was quite taken back by the gentleness of the files. definitely much more filmic than any other....
and i am totally with you on the randomness of your shooting style -- finding things rather than going out in search. it is often my whimsical shots (one i'd never dare "waste" on film) that are my best. there is a place for digital, no doubt.
however, i'm not giving up my M2. i love what film can do and am not going to abandon it. i plan to take it out now again and force myself to shoot as normal. this will keep the cost down (it really is disgustingly expensive here -- i could never shoot only film!) but allow me to still play in that medium. i also think there are days when i'll take it out in tandem with the M8, pulling it out for shots where i know it will excel.
i'm actually happy with my arrangement, but i got an M that cost much less than the one you had your eye on so i don't feel that pressure. i think you might, eventually, decide to go at it again and be pleasantly surprised. i know you've worked hard to get a flow going where you don't have to spend much time on each photo, but mixing it up can be good for the soul.
dabbling in analogue may keep you from complacency (you know pretty much what you're going to get whereas the M8 is still an anathema to me). get a beat up meterless cam and play. there's a joy in not having the foggiest idea of what you're going to get and it's amazing how much nicer an M2 feels in the hand....
first off, ignore the flat comment -- especially in comparison to the DP1. Sigma tends to over-sharpen and the files naturally have more pop. however, it would also be very difficult with that camera to get the delicate tonalities you achieved here -- which i think is much more in keeping with the subject matter. not to mention how perfectly easy it is to get flat files from film. it's all in the processing....
one day on, and i'm quite amazed at the tonal values the M8 is capable of. very different from any other camera i've used and i was quite taken back by the gentleness of the files. definitely much more filmic than any other....
and i am totally with you on the randomness of your shooting style -- finding things rather than going out in search. it is often my whimsical shots (one i'd never dare "waste" on film) that are my best. there is a place for digital, no doubt.
however, i'm not giving up my M2. i love what film can do and am not going to abandon it. i plan to take it out now again and force myself to shoot as normal. this will keep the cost down (it really is disgustingly expensive here -- i could never shoot only film!) but allow me to still play in that medium. i also think there are days when i'll take it out in tandem with the M8, pulling it out for shots where i know it will excel.
i'm actually happy with my arrangement, but i got an M that cost much less than the one you had your eye on so i don't feel that pressure. i think you might, eventually, decide to go at it again and be pleasantly surprised. i know you've worked hard to get a flow going where you don't have to spend much time on each photo, but mixing it up can be good for the soul.
dabbling in analogue may keep you from complacency (you know pretty much what you're going to get whereas the M8 is still an anathema to me). get a beat up meterless cam and play. there's a joy in not having the foggiest idea of what you're going to get and it's amazing how much nicer an M2 feels in the hand....