I think you have hit the nail squarely.....the Canons and Nikons are very good "workhorses" as cameras go. The good thing about them compared to many others is the fact that they are so widespread, and if you need one in a hurry, that is possible. They work most of the time without problems. (Let's set aside some of the newest issues with the Canon 1DMkIII, as that is still a bit of a problem for many.)
They are not terribly exciting as toys go, but they can do the job that few others can on a very regular basis. The latest D3 looks to finally bring some much needed updating, improvement, capability and maybe excitement to Nikonians, as well as gear flippers. On the Canon side, the 1DsMkIII still looks to be an incredible fairly high resolution do-almost-all-of-it camera. The glass for both lines used to be a strength, but is now more of a compromise. Nikon has updated and released some new and exciting lenses, and Canon has been working on several themselves. That is the good part. The less good part is that so much of the rest of their lines of glass are left wanting, maybe with the exception of the super-telephotos.
I still have my several 1-series bodies (2x 1DMkII and a 1DsMkII), and use them extensively for my workhorse work. They never fail. They also rarely excite. They are still more capable for the widest range of capture of anything. Not all of that capture is going to be outstanding, such as the ultra-wide end of things, but they get the job done. I just find it very hard to pick any of them up for any pleasure or artistic shooting anymore. The M8 fills that bill. Will an R10 supplant my Canon stuff when it arrives? Probably not, as if and when the Canons break or have problems, I can get them fixed in a few days, or get a loaner very easily, thus allowing work to go on. So far, Leica has shown itself to be terribly underperforming there.
I am not bashing Leica, but really putting a working perspective on things. The Nikons I shot for 25+ years were workhorses. The Canons I have been shooting the past 5+ years are workhorses. The M8 is a more fragile, finicky machine, but a total pleasure to shoot and allows me the workhorse escape for creativity and such. I really cannot do without it at this point, but I also cannot count on it to deliver most of what I need the workhorses for. Just the nature of my shooting. I would hope for an R10 that could deliver the fun and excitement and image quality or better of the M8, but until it proves itself in the field, it will only be an added camera to the kit, and not the "grab it when you absolutely have to get the shot" camera.
LJ
They are not terribly exciting as toys go, but they can do the job that few others can on a very regular basis. The latest D3 looks to finally bring some much needed updating, improvement, capability and maybe excitement to Nikonians, as well as gear flippers. On the Canon side, the 1DsMkIII still looks to be an incredible fairly high resolution do-almost-all-of-it camera. The glass for both lines used to be a strength, but is now more of a compromise. Nikon has updated and released some new and exciting lenses, and Canon has been working on several themselves. That is the good part. The less good part is that so much of the rest of their lines of glass are left wanting, maybe with the exception of the super-telephotos.
I still have my several 1-series bodies (2x 1DMkII and a 1DsMkII), and use them extensively for my workhorse work. They never fail. They also rarely excite. They are still more capable for the widest range of capture of anything. Not all of that capture is going to be outstanding, such as the ultra-wide end of things, but they get the job done. I just find it very hard to pick any of them up for any pleasure or artistic shooting anymore. The M8 fills that bill. Will an R10 supplant my Canon stuff when it arrives? Probably not, as if and when the Canons break or have problems, I can get them fixed in a few days, or get a loaner very easily, thus allowing work to go on. So far, Leica has shown itself to be terribly underperforming there.
I am not bashing Leica, but really putting a working perspective on things. The Nikons I shot for 25+ years were workhorses. The Canons I have been shooting the past 5+ years are workhorses. The M8 is a more fragile, finicky machine, but a total pleasure to shoot and allows me the workhorse escape for creativity and such. I really cannot do without it at this point, but I also cannot count on it to deliver most of what I need the workhorses for. Just the nature of my shooting. I would hope for an R10 that could deliver the fun and excitement and image quality or better of the M8, but until it proves itself in the field, it will only be an added camera to the kit, and not the "grab it when you absolutely have to get the shot" camera.
LJ