So my Leica journey is now well underway. Camera quality check and first weekend of photos all complete, so what next? As mentioned below I loved the ergonomics and shooting experience, but now I know I have a bunch of things to practice and learn including:
- Metering - The center weighted meter of the Leica is new to me. I found myself hunting around in the frame to decide where would be the best part of the composition to meter. I did some research on the Leica M8 and RFF forums on metering technique. I definitely need to practice and test some results.
- Exposure compensation - Not sure where to set this just yet, and for now trying to focus on where to meter instead of adjusting the compensation. However, I find that most of my photos are a stop or two under exposed. Underexposed with digital is much better than blown highlights; especially with the M8 that retains a lot of the shadow detail.
- ISO - Still working on learning this setting. I wish the M8 had the ISO number visible without having to look into a menu because I tend to forget what I have it set to. Showing the value in the top display or under the shutter dial (like on the Epson RD1) would help.
- DOF (Depth of Field) - Using the manual aperture ring on the lens has been a great joy. I really love the analog feel and ability to see at glance what my aperture and shutter speed are. Awesome stuff. However, as with most things regarding exposure I am still learning about DOF and how to estimate it using the DOF scale on the lens vs. what mental image I have in my head for the shot.
- Exposure - I am currently reading the book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. Great book and its been very helpful to me in learning manual exposure, what to meter in scene, issues to avoid, etc. Highly recommended.
I read in a review somewhere that the "M8 in the right hands is an amazing tool but it takes no prisoners"... what a true statement. Overall I am not happy with the exposures I am getting, but I am getting better as I get more used to the camera. Lots of work to do to get the results I am after, however I am REALLY enjoying the experience of using the camera and learning. This camera really makes me want to get out and take photos ALL the time, and I am having a total blast with it!
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