12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worthy first book on the M8, June 30, 2009
This review is from: Leica M Digital Photography: M8/8.2/M9 (Lark Photography Book) (Paperback)
For the first book based on Leica M8, this is as good as it gets. I have read some unfair reviews here and elsewhere on this title, which I think is quite unfounded. So let me say this here and now - this is not the missing manual that Leica should have included with your M8. There is no extensive 'how to' ala the Magic Lantern series and if you expect some gold nuggets on how to make great photos with the M8, this is the wrong book for you.
So what is this book about what is it good for?
As I've said, this is the first Leica book that's anchored on the M8. In my opinion, it is an introduction to the world of Leica M, with emphasis on its latest offering - the digital M8 rangefinder camera. The book, in a nutshell, contains:
(1) A brief description on the M8 camera with an overview on its features and functions, including a short introduction to rangefinder cameras. This is more useful for people who do not know much about Leica and may be interested in getting an M8 but would like more information, than for owners of M8s or long time users of another M camera.
(2) A description of Leica lenses on some background information on why they are so good, ie the aspheric elements, apochromatic lenses, etc, without being too technical. This is useful for those who are new to Leica or wonder how the lenses would work on the non-full frame M8. It also features the latest crop of lenses, ie the pair of Summiluxes (f/1.4) 21mm and 24mm, Noctilux (f/0.95) 50mm, etc, introduced at Photokina 2008 and images captured with them. Older lenses, including the screw mounts and Visoflexes are also featured.
(3) A list of the accessories that M8 owners would want to consider from viewfinders and magnifiers to flash, filters, cases, software programs, etc, are briefly touched on and then in some detail in the following chapters. This is a good starting point for those whose photographic interests may require gadgets that complement the M8.
(4) Tables and charts on important things like filter sizes of popular M lenses, 6-bit code-able lenses, historical data on M cameras and lenses, etc. This is extremely useful information to have at your fingertips without having to go to several different sources for.
(5) Lots of nice images, some at full page size, peppered throughout the book. This is good for anyone who has not seen photos made with a Leica. Then again, I have seen better photos made with Leica elsewhere.
Granted that most of the information could be found for free online and other marketing paraphernalia. Be that as it may, the time and effort it saves you to scour the depths of the Internet and visits to Leica stores to amass this information, is well worth its price of ownership. I gave 1-star short of perfect for omitting key issues, especially shortcomings and flaws like the IR problem, etc, about the M8.
I would love to see an update to Gunther Osterloh's Leica M: Advanced Photo School based on the digital M cameras and the next Hove Collectors installment on Leica at some point in the near future. For now, Brian Bower's Leica M: Digital Photography fills the gap for both the uninitiated as an handshake with Leica in the digital age and full-fledge Leicaphile for its collectibility as the first book based on the M8.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brian Bower - Master of the Leica, October 22, 2009
This review is from: Leica M Digital Photography: M8/8.2/M9 (Lark Photography Book) (Paperback)
Brian Bower, a Fellow and Past President of the Royal Photographic Society, is a true master of the Leica. He has already proved this with his books on Leica film cameras, both reflex (R) and rangefinder (M). But this is his first book on digital photography and it is superb. It shows how to get the best from the Leica M8 & M8.2, and the matchless lenses which accompany these cameras. Amateurs, students and photographers, young and old, will relish the clear and concise text with its wealth of Leica wisdom based on first hand experience. Pros will find it an invaluable reference source.
The book covers the background to Leica, the features of the camera, its lenses and accessories. But I urge readers to turn to Chapter 10 - ACHIEVING BEST IMAGE QUALITY. Brian Bower knows how to do this and his superb illustrations prove it. If you own a Leica, this book is a must. If you aspire to own the camera, then the briefest glance at the book will convince you. Brian's mix of enthusiasm and sheer technical know how is irresistible and his book will be welcomed by Leica lovers everywhere.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Redundant, October 6, 2009
This review is from: Leica M Digital Photography: M8/8.2/M9 (Lark Photography Book) (Paperback)
Nope, not worth it. I was hoping for a compendium that would teach me how to extract the most from this delightful camera. This book just hits the high points, just barely. A better choice is the Leica M: Advanced Photo School (A Lark Photography Book) by Gunter Osterloh. It's a film camera book, but it really tells the "what is" about Leica M rangefinders.
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