Catastrophic shutter failure

[Ben Z]

I hate to say it but I'm 100% positive that canon/nikon do not have anywhere near the reliability issues the m8 has

According to what I read in the supermarket checkout line, there are lots of people who are 100% positive Elvis is still alive The M8 uses some generic major assemblies (for example the Seiko shutter) found in some other digital cameras, and in fact none of the digital-related components in the M8 are manufactured in-house, so like most electronic devices today, they're much more different outside than inside. Another thing is that Canon and Nikon together sell probably 500-1000X more units than Leica, but there's probably only 100X more forum participants. So what we're seeing on forums is a much smaller percentage sampling of Canon/Nikon.

I appreciate it, and want to support it but its just a low end sensor

Actually IIRC it's a cut-down version of the Kodak CCD used in high-end medium-format digital backs.

in a very expensive shell. Yes it's sharp due to no AA filter

It's also blessed with a wider dynamic range with significantly more ability to record shadow detail. It can be underexposed to preserve highlights and recover much more shadow detail in post than on other digitals I've used. A fact I consistently forget out of habit, and blow the highlights :bang:

but is it worth it for all the disadvantages?

The M8 is the best (and I had an R-D1) solution for me as a traveller, despite its high cost. But frankly I don't think any camera is worth more than a grand in the broader perspective of things. Is a $250,000 Rolls-Royce worth more than a $50,000 Mercedes? To the guy who buys it, probably.

 

[splitimageview]

Of all the problems that M8s have had, a failed shutter is one I would consider the least important. Yes, it results in a non-working camera, but it's just a failure of an electronic component. They ALL fail given time. It's actually quite good that it's an off the shelf mechanism because that means its had a chance to be improved over many units of production, as opposed to some of the components that are specific to M8s only.

The key test is not the failure itself; it is how quickly Leica responds...

 

[boilerdoc2]

Re the failed shutter: Yes they all fail over time but not after ~6000 actuations! It was a big deal when it happened. Christian Erhardt offered me a loaner on the spot but I had just gotten a second body so I turned him down. Maybe i should have taken him up on it because it (the broken M8) is now on its way to NJ/Solms for repair. And who knows how long that'll be. I suspect a replacement body since it's under warranty. I'll let you know.
Steve

 

[splitimageview]

Yes, obviously some *do* fail early, as the evidence shows. Uncommon though it may be, it happens.

 

[rpsawin]

Agreed, point taken.

BTW I don't own an M8.

Jan,

But you still might be on their payroll....

Bob

 

[rsl]

I think the main problem is the myth of Leica (spreaden by many protagonists like Erwin over several decades) in the head of the most of us. We always anticipate flawless cameras when the name Leica is mentioned.

Leica itself isn't a myth. If you ever owned one of Leica's film M's you found that it was the most reliable instrument you could buy at any price.

But the idea that Leica, after trying to ignore the digital revolution for years, -- as did Kodak -- suddenly could come up with a digital M of the same quality as their film M's, is very much a myth. They couldn't do it. The camera came with a variety of flaws that make it unusable for someone doing professional work -- unless that someone has a battery of bodies in case one or two fail. In addition, it's become clear that Leica doesn't know how to "fix" the M8.

But don't give up on Leica. As someone on this thread pointed out, unless Leica goes under because of the failure of the M8, they'll be out with a successor built on lessons learned, and it probably will be a world beater.