I am about to buy an M8!

Bingley said:
And Raid, just think of how much you will enjoy using an M8 on your next trip to Cairo! (not trying to be an enabler or anything... just saying):)
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Steve,
I do not think there will be any trips to Cairo. I had three invitations, and the grant is over. Your point is undstood.
 
crispy12 said:
Disagree, the experience is completely different and irreplaceable for someone looking for a rangefinder experience. I'd get the M8 over the M8.2.

I went through the same process myself, and based on reading the forums I noticed just as many M8.2 and M9s going through equipment failures. As both the 8 and 8.2 would now be out of Leica warranty, I put aside the money that would've gone to an M8.2 for 'repairs money' in the rare case it actually fails. In fact if that was a major worry I think you'd be even more upset if the M8.2 developed problems. Recommend very very much that you bring a laptop with you when you test the camera, or get it from a dealer with a full refund policy. Check for dead pixels, red/blue lines in both raw and jpeg and shutter count (sellers with those 40,000 low shutter count cameras)!!

The only plus I see with the M8.2 is the accurate framelines, lack of 1/8000 is big drawback imo!

Either way get the camera you feel most comfortable with, that let's you go out and shoot without worry, I don't regret mine one bit!
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no offense but you sound a little bit like seal
 
raid said:
With the 1.3. Crop, they would be similar to a 35x1.3 focal length with DOF like a 35mm lens. I see it not as an advantage but as a lesser evil.
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yes Raid I get your point. Since I am more into land/city scape shooting, the DOF of the 35mm is very welcome to me..for portraits I use the Jupiters 3.

(btw for narrow cityscapes I use the Biogon 25mm - best lens in my bag and great on the M8.2, should be very nice on the M9 too though)
 
This thread has confirmed to me to go ahead and get an M8. The opinions are mixed, and there is no absolute truth on what is really the best for the money. Luck plays a role here, and I have been a rather lucky man in my life.
 
Another happy M8.2 user here. I bought it rather than the M8 mostly for its framelines, which are more accurate at a distance than either the M8 or M9. It also has the sapphire glass LCD panel, and the better shutter; both were points in its favor, but the framelines were the main deal-maker. Some of my favorite lenses with it are the 15mm CV (20mm equivalent); 21mm (28mm eq.); and 28mm (37mm eq.).

For me, my M8.2, plus an M7 and a few lenses, make for a very compact and effective travel kit!
 
JSU said:
I felt I wasn't making a fair contribution so I deleted my post.

If you want to check the number of actuations, this works well:

Turn the camera on.
Press the right arrow key 4 times.
Press the left arrow key 3 times.
Press the right arrow key 1 more time.
Press the info button.
Scroll down to body debug data.
Press Set.
Scroll down to NUMEXPOSURES.
Turn camera off to exit

The M8.2 and M8u shutter should be good for many tens of thousands of actuations. I haven't heard any data on the original M8 shutter with the 1/8000 upper limit.
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Thanks JSU, this is helpful.
 
I just bought an M8 Friday. Beautiful camera. Between the amazing number and types of lenses that I can put on this body and the sensor with its lack of an AA filter, plus the rangefinder experience in general (which I happen to love) I feel as though I couldn't possibly achieve the same sort of results with anything else (save an M9 maybe). I'm beyond happy. I hope that I get a year or two out of it without any trouble. We'll find out...until then, I'm very happy.

Here she is:

with the Aki Asahi #4034 I put on it yesterday

Leica M8, with new clothes. by Michael Hulcher, on Flickr

And an image from yesterday (with a crazy Jupiter 8 - interesting bokeh and cool 'glow'

Madelena by Michael Hulcher, on Flickr
 
raid said:
This thread has confirmed to me to go ahead and get an M8. The opinions are mixed, and there is no absolute truth on what is really the best for the money. Luck plays a role here, and I have been a rather lucky man in my life.
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I think you'll be happy, Raid. Whatever quirks, the files are superb and it is a rangefinder. With 28 and 35 you'll be all set... I actually really enjoy shooting 50s on mine–it's a very natural field of view for me–so I recommend experimenting for sure.

If it's not a hardship, do consider paying a little more from a dealer to get some kind of warranty, and make sure of course to have a good return policy and test it out well beforehand.

Good luck!!!
 
I am seriously considering buying an M8 once the potential seller(s) have the information needed to set a selling price that works for both sides.

There are several nice RFF members here who may sell me their M8. I need one

Dealers may offer a warranty. I understand this important point.
 
Congratulations Michael. So you chose the "plain" M8 and not the M8.2.
The 50mm lenses become short tele lenses for portraits.


michaelm6 said:
I just bought an M8 Friday. Beautiful camera. Between the amazing number and types of lenses that I can put on this body and the sensor with its lack of an AA filter, plus the rangefinder experience in general (which I happen to love) I feel as though I couldn't possibly achieve the same sort of results with anything else (save an M9 maybe). I'm beyond happy. I hope that I get a year or two out of it without any trouble. We'll find out...until then, I'm very happy.

Here she is:

with the Aki Asahi #4034 I put on it yesterday

Leica M8, with new clothes. by Michael Hulcher, on Flickr

And an image from yesterday (with a crazy Jupiter 8 - interesting bokeh and cool 'glow'

Madelena by Michael Hulcher, on Flickr
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raid said:
Congratulations Michael. So you chose the "plain" M8 and not the M8.2.
The 50mm lenses become short tele lenses for portraits.
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Thank you! I did - the M8.2 just seemed like way too much cash for too little. Now I do LOVE the black paint M8.2, but that's really the only crucial thing to me. I prefer the 1/8000th shutter for a couple reasons. Its the only 1/8000th M shutter, so that's cool. Plus it suits my style - shooting into strong light sources (like the sun) wide open. So 1/8000th will come in handy some day. I could care less about the 'loud' shutter. If it fails? I'll get it fixed. And save up for another M body someday.

The 50 field of view is indeed interesting on the M8! I prefer 35 for portrait work, so we'll see where I go from here. Good luck with your search.
 
raid said:
This thread has confirmed to me to go ahead and get an M8. The opinions are mixed, and there is no absolute truth on what is really the best for the money. Luck plays a role here, and I have been a rather lucky man in my life.
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This really sums it up as there is no hard facts just different experiences from users ...... here is part of an email I received from Leica in regards to some questions when getting my camera repaired ... I posted this over at LUF awhile back ...

Original Thread http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/184736-m8-shutter-just-failed.html#post1728491

I had the shutter in my M8 fail recently and had some similar questions and concerns before having it repaired .Here are some answers to those questions I got via email .......
The Email :
Below are a few questions that I have been trying to get answered for the past 3 months . It was never about not wanting to get he camera repaired , just wanted to make the right decision as to which way I should go .... repair the shutter or upgrade and why one over the other .

1 ) Is there a direct correlation between shutter failures and a particular setting on the camera ? No, there is no direct correlation between shutter failures or any particular setting on the camera.

2) What is likely to cause the shutter to fail and is there something the user can do that is preventive in use that would make this less likely to occur or is it completely random ? No, there is nothing that the user can do to prevent a shutter failure, this happens randomly sometimes.

3)Is the shutter upgrade a better shutter and less likely to fail or both shutter are of equal quality and free of defect and just offer different options to the M8 user ? No, the shutter upgrade is not necessarily better, it just offers different options to the user.

4) Do you recommended upgrading the shutter for the sole reason that the shutter upgrade is a more robust and refined shutter and less likely to fail ?
No, it would be up to you.

5) Is there a warranty on the new shutter, if so how long and what is actually covered under the warranty ? Yes, there is a one (1) year warranty on the billable repairs from Leica Camera.

6)What is actually done to the camera while being repaired ? Full CLA ... camera being completely cleaned and checked out ? The work will contain adjustment of rangefinder, focus, light meter and shutter speed.

7) Can I have a Black Dot in place of the red one ? .... just kidding ,well not really ; ) No, we do not have any black dots, our logo is the red dot.

The cost of the repair $650.00 (original shutter)
Shutter count was under 5000 before the shutter buckled .
The camera is now back in use and I could not be happier ... good luck with your repair
 
Whatever the reasons are, I received quite a few offers on M8 cameras today and yesterday.

It seems that a bargain M8 is below $2000 and a good cost M8 is $2200, while a costly M8 is $2500 and up.
 
lol ironic enough.

I just bought a used M8 for 1600 couldn't resist the price tag , all though slight brassing on the edges, looks lovely though.

Well it was either the m8 or the x100 in black and for 100 dollars more I couldn't resist!

produces lovely raw images.

I say go for it under $2000
 
raid said:
I have asked Alex if they offer an extended warranty or not. Is this a crucial factor?
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I would say absolutely. Three things about which I am glad with regards to my M8: 1. that I bought it, 2. That I bought it from a reputable dealer, and 3. That it had a warranty.

Brilliant camera and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, despite the minor quirks.
 
Oh, and one other thing... I use a luigi case with the built-in grip. I find it improves the handling of the camera immensely, and obviates the need for a thumb's up while protecting the camera.
 
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