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This is driving me INSANE!!

I know a lot of you have both species, so I guess I'm looking for some straight up input here.

I have a D700 and will need a second body soon. But before soon, we are going to Cambodia/Laos for two weeks. I feel I do pretty OK with the D700. I'm a big guy at 6'3" 200+ lbs so a D700 doesn't feel big to me.

I'll admit it. I've been bitten by the M8 bug. I can't afford an M9 now. In fact, if I get a used M8, I could only get one lens and was thinking 25 biogon. I like the shutter quietness and the rendering. But then again, things render pretty well with my D700.

The other night, I was out shooting for fun and I thought I was being pretty discreet and this girl (early 20's) said kinda rudely, "what are you taking pictures for?" She was about 20' away and I was shooting from the hip, but she heard the mirror slap cannon fire from my D700 while yammering away on her mobile. I was mortified. All I could muster in response was, "for fun". Hmph.

Part two of the dilemma, is I can pick up a D3 and have my two body one system thing solved for less than the M8 and CZ. Ugh.

SO in short, for those with both, what would I gain by going with an M8? Or lose for that matter? Or do I do the smart thing and get a D3 and pray for a 35 1.4G? Or??? Ugh.

Lastly, I hope to recoup some trip costs by selling images when I return. Don't know if that plays into this or not.

Whew... Rant of distress over until one of you comes back with a brilliant question or 5. I actually didn't sleep last night because of this.

I guess I should have titled this, "I have $3500, what do I do?"

Oh.. for glass I have a CZ 21, 28-70, 35-70 (my lil travel zoom), 50 1.4 and 105 DC.
 

Terry

New member
The M8 shutter that has not been upgraded is not so quiet. So if she heard the D700 I would bet she would have heard the M8 as well. I don't think I would simply rush to get an M8 right before the trip and then rely on it to get images that you can sell. I would think you would want some time with it first. Perhaps I'm a wimp.
 

simonclivehughes

Active member
Jason,

OK, I've had a couple of the M8s and I currently have the D700. Personally, unless you're specifically wanting the Leica, I'd suggest either taking the D700 and/or getting a Micro 4/3's body, perhaps the GF1 and a couple of lenses. You'll have a small, fairly quiet kit with a good chunk of that $3500 left over.

Cheers,
 
Thanks for the quick replies!

This camera would be in addition to taking the D700. The M8 would be a day/street kit and the D700 would be landscapes, low light stuff.

I think I'm back towards leaning towards the D3 and saving for an M9.

I haven't looked at a GF1 tho... thanks!
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
I would take the D700 with the lenses you have except the 28-70 (too big for my taste when traveling). Your photos will not be a result of what lenses you bring, but what you see with your eyes and how you relate to people you meet. My travel kit in this region is usually a DX body with a Tamron 17-50, a Nikkor 85/1.8 and a Nikkor 70-300. The long lens is useful sometimes, but I don't use it much.

As for shutter sound, I preferred my almost silent E-1 to the Nikons, but these days, I don't think much about it anymore, except in temples and other places where there's supposed to be silence. You take a photo = you make a sound. Nobody will be surprised. If you want to make a secret out of it, buy one of those "Jame Bond hidden in a wrist watch" thingies. I would skip the D3 for this kind of travel though. The shutter sounds aggressive, almost like a gun, and what will it offer that the D700 can't do?

My ideal travel kit? A Pentax K-x with some Limited primes (15, 43 and 77 probably) or the 16-50/2.8 instead of the two shortest primes. I would add the 50-135 if I needed the extra reach.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I agree with Jorgen - stick to what you have and perhaps go with the D3 if you prefer a full size DSLR.

I personally find that when I travel I take either my Nikon outfit OR my Leica outfit and I'll shoot lots of pictures. When I travel with both I find that I end up using one camera system and the other ends up being carried around like a boat anchor. I also probably end up taking less shots overall. There's some credence to the 'less is more' mantra and this applies not just to the cameras but also the lenses.

If you have large hands you'll probably appreciate the D3. I just traded my D700 back for a D3 to go along with my D3x. I find the ergonomics far superior to the D700/D300 series although I am biased from a lot of years shooting with the D1, D1x, D2x, D3, D3x (and D3s soon). The biggest differences being with the full bright viewfinder and the more natural control layout such as bracket & flash mode.

Enjoy the trip!
 

Steen

Senior Subscriber Member
(...) There's some credence to the 'less is more' mantra and this applies not just to the cameras but also the lenses. (...)
Stick with what you have for as long as you can and save the money for a major upgrade (like D4).
Until then borrow or rent or buy a used D700 or D300 if you just need a backup for a shoot.

There's a Nikon press conference scheduled for February 3rd. That's only two weeks from now ... :angel:

Btw. I have owned the M8 and a couple of Leica M lenses but I chose to keep my D300 and sold off the M8. (The M8 was overpriced, in my humble opinion).
I still have the M lenses and I may buy a cheap used M8 for the lenses at some point, but as Graham says: Less is more. So I'm more likely to sell the M lenses as well and buy some of the new Nikon AF-S primes hopefully announced at the 3rd of February. Just my 0.02
 
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Thanks everyone, for pulling me back into reality-ville.

I still have a touch of Leica lust. Maybe after a few big jobs and a major price drop, lottery winning or distant known rich relative leaving me an inheritance, I'll get a proper M9.

Till then, I'll hope for some good prime news in Feb!
 

Lars

Active member
Carrying multiple systems is for me confusing, I stay in gear mode rather than turn on my imaging mode, so to speak.

As complement to my D700 I now have a Canon G11.
 
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