How many of you will buy the M8 or Digital M

How many of you will buy the M8 or Digital M

  • I have my unit pre-ordered already.

    Votes: 122 15.1%

  • Need more cash

    Votes: 141 17.5%

  • Will buy it for sure sooner or later

    Votes: 234 29.0%

  • Not interested or have no plans to get one.

    Votes: 311 38.5%
  • Total voters
    808
I have my name on the waiting list at Cameras West. I plan on trading in my beloved Canon 1D Mk II + harem of lenses for the Leica M8 plus a 50mm f 1.4 to start. The Canon takes great pics but it is a tremendous load to have to drag around especially to trade shows.
 
I'll be spending my $5,000 on a car, unfortunately. But the car will get me out of town to a better job, and that job will get me money for school, and school will get me a better job, and that job may get me the camera of my dreams. I don't think it'll be the M8, though. By the time I can get one, it's more likely to be the M10. 😀
 
Jorge Torralba said:
Yes,

Another poll. With the digital world becoming the mainstream, I am curious how many woll but this new digital rangefinder camera.
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It is not a question of whether to buy the new M8 but how many bodies you need to buy to ensure always having one available. My Digilux 2 was returned to Solms for warranty repair in June it will not be returned until mid September at the earliest . The problem is Solms have been waiting for new CCD boards. and they are two and a half month late! This is the worrying part of Leica developing digital cameras they will always be buying in the most important parts. If the supplier decides to stop production of certain items you could have a non-usable very expensive camera.
 
frobson said:
It is not a question of whether to buy the new M8 but how many bodies you need to buy to ensure always having one available...... If the supplier decides to stop production of certain items you could have a non-usable very expensive camera.
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Hopefully, the M8 will be less suseptable to this problem. A adequate supply of parts and a dedicated service staff is supposedly a given with the M8. This is not a throw away point and shoot.

BTW, it is precisely Epsons lack parts and service that drives most of us RD1 users to the Leica. There is nothing wrong with the camera, per se. Actually its a great camera, but corporate backup is sorely lacking.

I'm going to use my RD1 as a backup to the M8. In fact, if I had the M8, the Epson would be at DAG having a wonky rangefinder aligned. I'll be zone focusing till then.

Rex
 
I voted for "not interested" because I can't justify the investment in a camera that will soon be made obsolete by new developments. I still get satisfaction from using Barnack Leicas. Is it my imagination, or do others find that the late model Leicas need a lot more service than the LTM Leicas? I can't see an advantage to making a larger investment to gain less reliability. Just my two cents!

Jim N.
 
You're absolutely right, Jim.
The word LEICA stands for 35 mm film in simple and reliable cameras, served by the best glass money can buy.
nuno
 
I don't know that I could ever justify the cost of one, but it certainly interests me. I'll be keenly following the reviews. One part of me worries that if this cam isn't successful, Leica, as we know it, may not survive much longer.

Gene
 
What i find realy amusing is that people who shoot 30 year old Leicas, Canonets etc and want a digital camera to be as basic as can be .. with zero to none facilities if possible...... are the same people who are afraid the M8 will be obsolete in short time?

It will be just the same camera as an M7 with some digital facilities ... meterig will be the same in a couple of years, the histogram will look the same, the viewfinder will look the same too.
The sensor is just a filmtype ..... and 10MP will outperform scanned film in a couple of years too.

I am ready for the M8 .. sold my Canon 1Ds and assorted L glas last week ... my hands are free now!

I am sure the M8 will be a huge succes ..... i just hope Leica can fullfill demand in a reasonable time.
 
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A cropped sensor will be a tricky buy. it would loose alot of value when a full frame M9 comes out.

But people should know the megapixel war is over. so when leicas comes out with a full frame camera it will retain value, since few people will ever need more features. A full frame sensor with 20 MP will surpass film and full frame wil allow all legacy lenses to be used. I for one cant think of anymore i wish for in a RF digital.
 
Nachkebia said:
Of course it is not, film camera has a physical cool value, digital camera does not 🙂
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That's where your wrong. Have you ever handled and RD1? Believe me, the RD1 has as much fondle value as any film camera that is constructed of metal and has an analog interface. The N90 was a film camera and had about the same fondle value as a Digital Rebel. The fact that it is film or digital doesn't have anything to do with it. It's all materials and clean, intuitive, analog interfaces. And of course craftsmanship.

Rex
 
well, can you change sensors? you can not, until you will be able to change sensors like you could change film or developing or printing chemical to suit your needs don`t talk about long lasting value 🙂
What if I don`t want to use kodak sensor, I want to use fuji sensor instead? what if I prefer, smaller megapixel count with better iso performance?
 
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Nachkebia said:
well, can you change sensors? you can not, until you will be able to change sensors like you could change film or developing or printing chemical to suit your needs don`t talk about long lasting value 🙂
What if I don`t want to use kodak sensor, I want to use fuji sensor instead? what if I prefer, smaller megapixel count with better iso performance?
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Well the post processing stuff (developing the film, printing) we do in photoshop. As for the analogy between film and the sensor, the digital photographer can change "film" from shot to shot, at least with regards to the ISO.

In any case, if you could get only one film, say Tri-X, would that reduce the "lasting value" of your film camera?

Don't get me wrong, I love film. I love it for its tactile value, you can hold it and feel it. I also enjoy developing the film myself. Its so easy to get beautiful, scratch free negatives while watching television or typing this prattle on the internet. And, I still have a wet darkroom for making prints (aesthetics but mostly I hate scanning)

Anyway, I expect the M8 to have more fondle value than any camera I own with the exception of my mint 1926 Zeiss Ikon "Nixe" 9cm X 12cm folder. Of which I can get no film for . Talk about obsolete

Its your turn

Rex
 
You said it 🙂 nothing to add, just improvising you know 🙂 anyhow, just hope there will be small companys who will sell film and chemicals 🙂
 
someday, there will be a digital rangefinder from leica (kodak sensor), fuji (fuji sensor), canon (canon sensor), nikon (sony sensor)...so on and so forth.
 
Nachkebia said:
You said it 🙂 nothing to add, just improvising you know 🙂 anyhow, just hope there will be small companys who will sell film and chemicals 🙂
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I'm kinda worried about color film, even negative. I expect B&W will be around forever as almost anyone could manufacture it. Developing it you could do with teabags and drainc cleaner.

I'm thinking about trying to develop color negative film again. It wasn't that hard but its been since I was in high school and if nobady makes the film, whats the point? I hate scanning anyway.... and there is NO chance color paprer and chemicals will survive.

Kind of depressing

Anyway, now you know the most important reason I am getting the Digital M!!

Rex
 
It will completely depend of the specifications and price. I'm currently using an Epson R-D1 and am very pleased with it. However, I would be interested in the M8 if it comes in with more megapixels without an increase in noise, maintains Leica's legendary durability, and it's priced at a reasonable level. I will not however, convert to a Leica just for brand purposes.
 
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