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New M8 or 5D Mk II?
- Thread starter durrIII
- Start date
Chuck Jones
Subscriber Member
Well, let's see.... Speaking for myself, if I already had two of the best Leica lenses made, and nothing Canon, I think I would be looking REAL hard at that $1,500 rebate <Grin>. Coming from an M6, you clearly are already a rangefinder shooter. So why even consider changing what is obviously already working for you? I am a strong believer in maintaining the use of a system that does the job for you, and working to master it first, before expanding out into unknown territory. My advice would be to leverage what you have already invested a great deal of time and money into. As you can tell from many on this forum, you won't be sorry, and you are not jumping into a brand new system that right now nobody knows very much about. The M8 may not be perfect, but you couldn't prove that looking at what everyone on this forum is shooting with it!
Durr, Chuck makes an excellent point on glass and leveraging it.
My first question would be what do you want to shoot? If you need long lenses and fast AF, the answer is clear... However, the fact you own the M6 indicates you know what living within the RF world is all about, and if you already do most of what you want to do with it and those two lenses then the M8 becomes pretty obvious choice.
My first question would be what do you want to shoot? If you need long lenses and fast AF, the answer is clear... However, the fact you own the M6 indicates you know what living within the RF world is all about, and if you already do most of what you want to do with it and those two lenses then the M8 becomes pretty obvious choice.
MoJo
Registred Users
I'd get the 5D MK2, no question. Then you'd have the best of both worlds, the M6 for that rangefinder style of photo shooting, (scanning the keepers) and the Canon for the do- everything, high res, sophisticated workhorse. I have the current (old) 5D, and an M6, and love my 5D for most shoots.
Z
Zeiss
Guest
Depends on what you want to do with it. I used to own a M8 as well as a D5. Now I own 3 film Leicas, MF cameras, Nikon film and D700.
Sold the the M8 because of the low light performance.
Sold the D5 because of the overdone AA filter (waxy smooth digital images), ergonomics that I could never get used to and other minor issues.
D700 with Zeiss glass combines the best features of M8 and D5 for me.
Sold the the M8 because of the low light performance.
Sold the D5 because of the overdone AA filter (waxy smooth digital images), ergonomics that I could never get used to and other minor issues.
D700 with Zeiss glass combines the best features of M8 and D5 for me.
Bill_Green
Member
Well, I have no idea what you shoot or how you plan to use the cameras, but personally I would go with the Leica because I need a compact, light weight SYSTEM for travel. Nothing really wrong with the Canon, but as a complete system it doesn't do what I need.
Tough call. I will throw in my 2 cents, for what little they are worth...
I am huge M8 fan, always preferring my M8 work to my Canon 5d...
However, I bought a new 5D2 and have been running it through its paces. I am most impressed with the very obvious increase in overall IQ with the 5d2. This is seen in the low ISO shots through the high ISO shots. Skin is vastly improved from the original 5D. The noise pattern is much more "film like" or "analog-looking", reminding me of the noise seen in the M8. Plus, you do gain 1 and 1/2 to 2 stops of ISO. Translation, ISO 4000 on the new 5d2 looks much, much better than ISO 1600 looked on the 5D. I shot a bunch of lower-light stuff at ISO 2500 a few nights ago with fantastic results.
Tough one. I really enjoy using the M8 -- It is a wonderful experience that you can not replicate with an SLR. But, oh, the image quality of Canon's new wunderkind.
I am huge M8 fan, always preferring my M8 work to my Canon 5d...
However, I bought a new 5D2 and have been running it through its paces. I am most impressed with the very obvious increase in overall IQ with the 5d2. This is seen in the low ISO shots through the high ISO shots. Skin is vastly improved from the original 5D. The noise pattern is much more "film like" or "analog-looking", reminding me of the noise seen in the M8. Plus, you do gain 1 and 1/2 to 2 stops of ISO. Translation, ISO 4000 on the new 5d2 looks much, much better than ISO 1600 looked on the 5D. I shot a bunch of lower-light stuff at ISO 2500 a few nights ago with fantastic results.
Tough one. I really enjoy using the M8 -- It is a wonderful experience that you can not replicate with an SLR. But, oh, the image quality of Canon's new wunderkind.
You know what the M8 is all about, it's strengths and limitations ... the 5DII is a different camera altogether.
If you're shooting with-in the ISO range of the M8, and don't need macro or tele, and mostly use basic focal lengths ... with a preference for smaller gear, then it's the M8 all the way IMO. If you definitely need any of those missing elements, then it's the 5DII.
This is a assuming that you already have some Canon glass, as well as the Leica optics.
What would I do? Neither.
If you're shooting with-in the ISO range of the M8, and don't need macro or tele, and mostly use basic focal lengths ... with a preference for smaller gear, then it's the M8 all the way IMO. If you definitely need any of those missing elements, then it's the 5DII.
This is a assuming that you already have some Canon glass, as well as the Leica optics.
What would I do? Neither.
woodyspedden
New member
I'd go with the M8 no doubt. Also neat is that with the $1500 rebate you can have the camera upgraded to the new shutter, frame lines and sapphire crystal. So it looks like a win to me.
Woody
Woody
Very similar situation for me. Shot with a Canon 5D for 2 years, went with a Leica M8 and Zeiss lenses for a year or so and now shoot with a Nikon D700 and Zeiss lenses.