an ode to the M8

[Firefly]

My first digital Leica purchased late last year, originally looking at a M9/M9P then the sensor story broke cover. Put me off one and did me a favour because I get great files and saved loads of money by getting an M8.
Keep reading all the negatives but you still get great files which ultimately is what it's all about, regards Rob

 

[_goodtimez]

Thanks. Do I have to repeat these steps each time I use the camera?

Hi Folks, could someone elaborate abont the service menu? Should You start this arrow sequence from the basic menu ? I tried but did not Succeed to bring up any specific Screen.

 

[boliston]

Hi Folks, could someone elaborate abont the service menu? Should You start this arrow sequence from the basic menu ? I tried but did not Succeed to bring up any specific Screen.

i do the arrow button presses with the menu switched off - its only when i press "set" that the menu actually switches on

 

[Cyriljay]

Long live the M8 ...... It is too my favourite and since I got it upgraded to M8U it works far more better in all the performance .

 

[David Strachan]

bought a second body

bought a second body

I like the M8 so much I bought a second body in January.
Now have a black, and my new silver with <5,000 clicks.

My range of lenses suits the crop factor so don't really miss that at all.

Great not having to buy new chargers, batteries, etc in an upgrade.
The APS-H size sensor suits me well, and don't really see the need to go FF (at the moment )🙂
Personally I reckon the UV/IR filters are a blessing in disguise, tuning the light to the sensor.
all best Dave S

 

[maitani]

share the M8 joy.

super nice brochure:

http://author.leicam.esc58.com/res/dnl/de/LEICA_M8_Broschuere_dt.pdf

super nice video, by wim wenders, one of the best ever made for a camera imo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2tBlEt6Too

after all the years,
I'm still using the M8 daily it's my go everywhere camera, and remains besides many haters/and online reviews, an extremely capable image maker until today. I had for sure 20+ digital cameras over the last years, shorter or longer, but the M8 files in colour, remind me of good slidefilm. and the bw conversions out of it are beautiful.

IR error is an asset for BW work, it' does colour and BW greatly
crop factor 1.33 is not as penalizing as the 1.5/ 1.6/ 2.0 crops of other systems. it takes the sweet spot of most older glass too, so a non issue at least for me, ir/filter solution controls the error well if it's a problem for critical colour work.

only digital leica (besides R9/DMR) to do 1/8000 sec, great for the noctiluxes on a bright day.

DNG files are future proof, and very high quality is possible with a good raw converter as capture-one or similar.

it takes the 'modern' SD cards, and has come down so low in price, you don't feel guilty owning two.. less than half price of an M9 but for sure not less than half the camera, actually, the difference beween the two is negligable.

battery life is as good as M9/MM , no wonder, same battery,

framelines and rf patch is superb, very crisp and clear. easy to work with (choose between M8 or M8.2 if you prefer the 2m accuracy framelines)

the M8 is basically, what Nikon tried to do with the DF, just in 2006!
pure essence and joy in photography without diving through endless menus and settings.

please keep this topic pacific, M8 negatives have been documented all over the internet, but I'm interested why do you LOVE yours, let's make this a positive-vibe M8 topic

forgot to add, it also has the round battery indicator/counter led display on top -> removed in the M9, and yes frame selector ->removed in the ME 😱

 

[Doug]

The 1.3 crop can be beneficial... it avoids the red edges wide lenses often produce on full-frame. And allows more use for 15, 18, and 21mm lenses than I would get with full-frame... where for me they're a bit extreme. Fortunately I have appropriate accessory viewfinders for these lenses on the M8.

The M8 is a great camera IMO once you accept and embrace the need for UV/IR Cut filters and 6-bit coding on the lenses.

 

[noimmunity]

or rather the Party is over

well, everybody knows, after parties are sometimes the best.

 

[tah]

Started with the Epson RD-1 and then the M8.2, both with the great Voigtlander 28/1.9 as the only lens.

Both the M8.2 and the lens is now worn and brassing but still going strong and making great images so no reason to stop using it.

Tore
https://www.flickr.com/photos/taherman/

 

[maitani]

forgot to add, unique on the M8.2:

put the dial on S (this snap automatic-something-mode..)
press menu, then set to black+white

now A allows you to shoot colour aperture priority, one dial-turn to S allows you turn the 8.2 from colour to a monochrome (jpg) machine with no effort. very quick and intuitive if you want to switch between colour and bw (without diving the menu's) it's my default setting.

 

[kknox]

Love my M8, sold the first one and then bought another. Click the link below to see some of my M8 jepgs. There also are some Fuji X, Leica & Rollei film photos also.

https://slate.adobe.com/a/7YZ5X

 

[dee]

I was scrolling through some M8 images non of which were shot with anything more special than a 35mm Color Scopar / clean Summitar / amazing FED collapsible plus more recently J8 / J2 and Helios with adapter and there is just 'something indefinable about the images that my modern Sony a35 with 50mm just cannot aspire to.
I suspect that deliberation has much to do with it because taking out Emma8 is always an occasion as I wish to preserve my once in a lifetime inheritance purchase .
Howver, for an admitted snap shooter, there is something special about this outdated and much maligned camera
dee .

 

[drec]

Arvid's unlocking of the RAWs is awesome!

Arvid's unlocking of the RAWs is awesome!

Hi all,

Have owned my M8 for a couple of months. Finally downloaded Arvid's converter for the RAW files. Wow! My files look like they have gotten at least a stop better in terms of noise... No big deal for users of current era cameras, but a big deal for the M8! I will probably use this function indoors, and the regular Leica-made 8-bit DNG for outdoors.

I should add that I'm pretty-well computer illiterate in terms of manipulating lines in DOS. The installation process was about as painless as it gets; I think it's worth a try.

Thanks Arvid!

 

[mingkookoo]

Hope you will get it back soon Helen 🙂

Great pic of Eric(?) by the way.

 

[Range-rover]

Hi Helen,

Hope you get it back soon, It really is a great looking camera, but calling
them dinosaur's I don't know, when I called Canon a while ago about my
EOS1DS the rep called it a Dinosaur, but they still great cameras and take
great pictures.

 

[raytoei@gmail.com]

hi,

i sort of came to the same conclusion (on why M8) a while ago and pulled the trigger on an m8. i am now waiting for it to arrive. One question that has been bugging me, do i have to use the Lens detection or lens coding features OR can i just pluck in a lens and use it as-is ? i do mainly B&W with a smattering of 50 and 35mm LTM lenses (as well a m-lenses).

tks!
raytoei
(who almost uses only film cameras)

 

[pepeguitarra]

It is simple, it produces the perfect colors, and B&W

It is simple, it produces the perfect colors, and B&W

I had a new one for two years, then in 2012, I sold it to buy the M9. Used the M9 until now. Sent the M9 for three months to Leica for sensor replacement and bought a used M8.u, to be used for the 3 months. However, I am now keeping the M9 and the M8.u. The one I take with me 24/7 is the M8.u. Only in special occasions, I use the M9. Also, I shoot mostly B&W on the M8.

 

[Range-rover]

hi,

i sort of came to the same conclusion (on why M8) a while ago and pulled the trigger on an m8. i am now waiting for it to arrive. One question that has been bugging me, do i have to use the Lens detection or lens coding features OR can i just pluck in a lens and use it as-is ? i do mainly B&W with a smattering of 50 and 35mm LTM lenses (as well a m-lenses).

tks!
raytoei
(who almost uses only film cameras)

I just received one myself and as you said just pluck your lens on and
the pictures in B/W come out great.

Range

 

[Austerby]

28mm is Lovely

Helen is right - I rarely use my 28mm on film but on my M8 it's lovely. I have the Voigtlander 28mm f2 m-mount and really rate this lens.

Looking back through my old photos using it with the M8 shows they can produce lovely summertime monochromes of dappled sunlight through foliage, and I usually just use the out of the camera b+w jpeg settings.

 

[macgeorge]

hi,

i sort of came to the same conclusion (on why M8) a while ago and pulled the trigger on an m8. i am now waiting for it to arrive. One question that has been bugging me, do i have to use the Lens detection or lens coding features OR can i just pluck in a lens and use it as-is ? i do mainly B&W with a smattering of 50 and 35mm LTM lenses (as well a m-lenses).

tks!
raytoei
(who almost uses only film cameras)

Oooh! There will be a cheap sale @ "clubsnap dot com" soon, I think 🙂

M8 + Canon LTM 35/1.8