How much are you willing to pay for a M8?

How much are you willing to pay for a M8?

  • Not buy M8

    Votes: 77 24.9%

  • Will buy M8

    Votes: 17 5.5%

  • May pay more than 1,000 US$

    Votes: 49 15.9%

  • May pay more than 1,250 US$

    Votes: 37 12.0%

  • May pay more than 1,500 US$

    Votes: 77 24.9%

  • May pay more than 2,000 US$

    Votes: 75 24.3%
  • Total voters
    309
  • Poll closed .
What's most intriguing about this is how well R-d1 prices have held up. I regretfully sold mine (tax bill) nearly two years ago for $1500; people are still asking similar prices today. On eBay, they've gone unsold for $1350, but sold at $1200; a 20% depreciation, in two years, for a digital camera is pretty good going.

So the real question is, will the M8 hold its value like the R-D1?
 
Paul T. said:
What's most intriguing about this is how well R-d1 prices have held up. I regretfully sold mine (tax bill) nearly two years ago for $1500; people are still asking similar prices today. On eBay, they've gone unsold for $1350, but sold at $1200; a 20% depreciation, in two years, for a digital camera is pretty good going.

So the real question is, will the M8 hold its value like the R-D1?
Click to expand...

In these two years, the US$ has been almost halved in value compared to other currencies. So, what do you mean by that it has 'hold it's value'? You could buy a lot more stuff for those 1,500 $ than - than now. Over here the price of a RD-1 has been - about - halved in this same time....
 
this might be a repeat of what I wrote before, but here it is again: strange survey as it is binary - who would not buy an M8, and who would spend at least $1000. Think about what this survey is asking. Hint: Market survey -- it has nothing to do with the increments of price everyone seems to provide.
 
I can report that the 2.hand market of M8s are still very slow here in Norway. One buyer wants to pay 10.000 NOK while the sellers want 14 - 15.000 NOK minimum. And more cameras are coming into the market....
 
I just sold an M8 for $2350. It had fewer than 2000 shutter actuations, since at present I still shoot film more than digital when taking myself seriously. I think the buyer got a reasonably good deal on a camera that is lightly used, takes beautiful images, and takes the world's best lenses.

The sale is all part of a personal project to pay for the M9 that's on order. It will be a companion to my M6TTL. I can swap lenses back and forth without changes in format and without juggling those stupid filters. I will be happier. Financing the M9 also involved selling off assorted other digital cameras, none of which have any faults really, but all of which I can live without.

For the time being my kit will be the M6TTL, the M9, various lenses, a G1, and maybe another m4/3 camera. (I do not have any very practical excuse for another m4/3 camera.) I'm excited at the prospect of shooting with the M9/M6TTL combination.

Tom
 
Some time ago I had a moment when I thought that I should buy M8, but the moment was gone fast due to the crop factor and I took M7 0.58 instead to accompany my old M6 0.85 and I do have M9 on order. So no M8 for me even if the price goes down, not even as a backup camera. Real backup would be another M9, and if M9 is that good as people say I will gladly sell my Canon system to finance it.
 
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I make exhibition and competition prints with the M8 that are 20-30 inches, and the quality is stunning at low ISOs. The prints are equal to any current high-end dSLR (and also the M9).

There are a lot of M8 users, like me, who looked long and hard at the M9, and then decided that the advantages were minimal. In other words, we asked ourselves "Would an M9 increase the quality of our photographs?"

Erwin Puts backs this up by stating that the M8's dynamic range and noise is better than the M9: http://www.imx.nl/photo/leica/camera/page159/page159.html. Of course, the M9 files, having 18 MP compared with the M8's 10 MP, will need less enlarging when printing, giving some advantage above ISO 1250 that may be visible when printing larger than 20 inches.

At low ISOs, the advantages are minimal, and the M8 prints may actually show better shadow and highlight detail than the M9 (as per Puts's tests)!

The only major advantage of the M9 is for photographers who prefer the full-frame format as opposed to the M8's 1.3 crop format - and there isn't that big a difference between the two. However, there are many photographers, like myself, who are perfectly happy with crop factor cameras.

In short, there are a significant number of M8/M8.2 owners who have no intention of selling their cameras (perhaps when the M10 comes out in 4-5 years...?).

Yes, an M9 would be nice - more pixels means more scope for cropping, and having an internal IR filter is a definite improvement - but hardly worth paying $4000-5000 for (price after selling my M8). And I suspect a lot of M8 owners have come to this conclusion.

M8 prices may show a dip for the next few months while they're being offloaded by those buying M9s - but I predict that the price will stabilise at $2000-3000.
 
I never contemplated buying an M8 - that crop factor would have driven me nuts. Basically I want a 50mm lens to be a 50mm lens. Now that the M9 has come out, I will buy this - this is the Leica M I've been waiting for, and 18mp is perfectly fine for my work. I wouldn't waste my time on an M8 now (just my opinion, based on my own work, as well the equipment that I currently have).
 
RichC said:
I make exhibition and competition prints with the M8 that are 20-30 inches, and the quality is stunning at low ISOs. The prints are equal to any current high-end dSLR (and also the M9).

There are a lot of M8 users, like me, who looked long and hard at the M9, and then decided that the advantages were minimal. In other words, we asked ourselves "Would an M9 increase the quality of our photographs?"

Erwin Puts backs this up by stating that the M8's dynamic range and noise is better than the M9: http://www.imx.nl/photo/leica/camera/page159/page159.html. Of course, the M9 files, having 18 MP compared with the M8's 10 MP, will need less enlarging when printing, giving some advantage above ISO 1250 that may be visible when printing larger than 20 inches.

At low ISOs, the advantages are minimal, and the M8 prints may actually show better shadow and highlight detail than the M9 (as per Puts's tests)!

The only major advantage of the M9 is for photographers who prefer the full-frame format as opposed to the M8's 1.3 crop format - and there isn't that big a difference between the two. However, there are many photographers, like myself, who are perfectly happy with crop factor cameras.

In short, there are a significant number of M8/M8.2 owners who have no intention of selling their cameras (perhaps when the M10 comes out in 4-5 years...?).

Yes, an M9 would be nice - more pixels means more scope for cropping, and having an internal IR filter is a definite improvement - but hardly worth paying $4000-5000 for (price after selling my M8). And I suspect a lot of M8 owners have come to this conclusion.

M8 prices may show a dip for the next few months while they're being offloaded by those buying M9s - but I predict that the price will stabilise at $2000-3000.
Click to expand...

I agree with this.

Since I have a WATE in combination with my M8, the crop factor isn't that much of an issue for me. Nor is total resolution. But better high ISO properties was something I was hoping for. Sure. The M9 do offer lower noise on high ISO. But only through a total number of pixels. Very much like the upgrade Canon made from 1Ds II to III. Which isn't that much.

I am sceptical to the M9. Much due to the price. Which I think, - for once, is all too high.

I have two camera systems; Canon 1Ds III and Leica M8. Both with a range of lenses. Well, actually I have three systems. I also have a range of Hasselblad cameras. Which I also hope to extend with a 2.hand digital back. The M8 will do fine for a good while.
 
The claim that the M8 can print as large and as good as the M9 (large), is just plain wrong. The prints will look as good up to a certain size for sure, but seriously? comeon...
 
Oslen - similar boat here. It's taken a me while to get used to crop factor and collect lens for the m8. But I'm now happy with it!

Main thing I'm after from the m9 is the 1ish stop better iso performance and shutter refinements. Both of which are significant and tangible to me / my shooting style when i tried an m9 at the london store.

But can i justify the price difference? Still mulling over it.
 
I just purchased a excellent condition one for 2000 from a l-camera-forum member. I love it. I think it is worth every penny and 2000 is the right price for this camera IMO. Obviously 1500 will be better in 6 months but I am happy here. I also got a great 28mm Elmarit Canada Mk III which is a perfect focal length for the cam.

I posted the first set of shots and a review on my blog:
http://danielvalentephotography.com/2009/10/leica-elmarit-28mm-review-for-m8/
 
I have had a Cron 35 mm 2,0 that I bought 2.hand with a MP a year back. A month ago I found out that it has never focused right. So, I sent it in for repair, to Leica, Solms, through the local Leica dealer here in Oslo. Got it back last week. Leica had it fixed 'free of charge'. I did not even pay the transport! Here Leica is far better than any camera brand I know of. (Canon's service department is outsourced to an independent company, so, just forget about any favourable 'deal' to satisfy a angry customer).

Anyway...

Now I have an excellent 35 mm 2,0 to use with my M8. It gives me a sort of 50 mm field of view, but with a larger DOF, which is what I have always wanted. Leica Cron 35 mm 2,0 - what a lens!

Daniel,

2,000 $ is indeed a 'right' price for a digital camera. I bought my M8 - very early, new, for something like 4,000 $. Since then the price just increased, much due to the currency situation.

By the way...

My neighbours son is attending a collage in Omaha, Nebraska, and living with a mormon family - they are all George W. Bush/Palin fans, he says, - which we regard as all facists over here. - So, we are worried. He is doing well as 'kicker' on the football team since he is a good soccer player over here, though. It's a long way from Omaha, Nebraska to Oslo, Norway....
 
Dan,

... not longer way than that I am playing Chick Corea Return to - Return to Forever, Montreux 2008 consert on a old Phase Linear 400 amp.... Excellent amplifier.
 
$2000 is right for me too! I could use a chrome M8 in nice shape!

$2000 is right for me too! I could use a chrome M8 in nice shape!

On another post, I compared the M8 with the M9 and have come down to the conclusion that this is like comparing apples and oranges! So here, a used M8 becomes a much more attractive buy to me so I can have a backup camera. I would love to find a very clean chrome M8 or M8.2 at a decent price ($2000-$3000?).
 
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