I would love it if...

Gauges for me too. I simply love them on my R-D1. As Rex said, they're intuitive to read, easily read at a glance, and they rev up like the dials in an AC Cobra. All you'd need is the rev'ing noise of the engine in the background to imagine you'r at Le Mans. :)
 
J. Borger said:
I really hope there is NO advance lever to cock the shutter.
I still miss a lot of decisive moments after using the R-D1 for 1,5 years as my only camera because i forgot to do this and the camera was not ready.
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Did this happen to you when you were still shooting film? If so, it's a thing you'll have learn to live with. If not, however, I think you've set your mind into digital mode. Yes, I too sometimes forget to cock the shutter but I also sometimes forgot to advance the film before I started using the R-D1. I'm just trying to make it a habit to always advance the lever right after taking a shot, whether with the R-D1 or a film camera.
 
I got use to the advance lever but it is kind of dumb. But what if the advance lever would charge a little capacitor, eliminating the need for batteries?

Rex
 
Whoops I forgot pathological chimpers like myself. That is unless I was willing to advance the lever 20 times between shots!

Rex
 
Bob Ross said:
There seems to be two approaches to this in current DSLRs, the full LCD display and the mono LCD panel. I have cameras with both and I hope the go for the mono LCD panel on the top deck. Using the full LCD display makes the camera like a neon advertisement, especially in low light. An easy custom WB and EV adjust hopefully come out of beta testing and maybe the rewind knob will be the comand dial. It will be the back of the camera that changes the most.
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I think battery life is going to be, if not an issue, then at least something to keep in mind while working with this camera. The Epson R-D1 is bigger than we expect the M8 to be and there's only space in it for a single Li-Ion battery, which provides just 1/4 of the battery capacity of the Nikon D2x.

That's why I'm surprised they are using a motorised shutter and I can't imagine you will need to use the LCD to check key parameters which I agree can be obtrusive in low light conditions.

An (optionally backlit) LCD panel makes sense, I'd quite like to see it projected into the viewfinder when you press a button on the camera.
 
Battery life will be an issue because there will only be room for one Lithium Ion battery, like the R-D1. However, modern electromagnet shutters are not energy hogs. Look at the R3a that uses one piddly little button thingy that lasts for months.
LCD screens are the culpert. I would hope that the chimping screen be keep fairly simple. Stepper motor gauges are also very energy efficient. Unfortunately, the "correct" feature set didn't seem to help Epson much.

Rex
 
Alright, it is going to be an issue. Battery life on the R-D1 is already marginal and by comparison, the M8 will have a motor wound shutter, a larger LCD screen, higher resolution implying more memory and higher clock speeds and the hope is it will be smaller than an RD-1, none of which work in favour of long battery life.

It would good if Leica were thinking about a battery pack which could attach to the bottom of the camera like a Leicavit and provide extra power.

One report said they were working on improving battery life, which is already better than the DMR but there's only so much they can do.
 
One area they might surprise me with is to go with an OLED display for lower power consumption. Some of the MF backs use them. If they have to go with a smaller battery, they may have looked at OLEDs really closely.
We'll know there is a problem when they pack two batteries in the box....:)
 
I know it's too much to hope for but my blue dream is for the M8 to run on NiMH AA batts, like the Fujis. How cool would that be? Cheap, never need to worry about replacements if a batt or the charger goes bad far from a Leica dealer or if Leica goes bankrupt, and in a pinch you could always get a limited # of shots from Lithium or even Alkaline AA. Maybe there will be an accessory battery holder like the Dslrs have, for using AA. that's about the size of the current Leicavit?
 
I think we is gonna be sooooooooooooooo dissapointed.
But please don't start, it's only my opinion. I use Leica M & R & also digital so I have nothing against film or digital, each one is better than the other for different purposes. I think they will exist together for a long time to come but digital cameras are becoming like software. Why oh why do we keep having to accept a product that needs to be fixed or updated?

Dave.
 
zanydave said:
I think we is gonna be sooooooooooooooo dissapointed.
But please don't start, it's only my opinion. I use Leica M & R & also digital so I have nothing against film or digital, each one is better than the other for different purposes. I think they will exist together for a long time to come but digital cameras are becoming like software. Why oh why do we keep having to accept a product that needs to be fixed or updated?

Dave.
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Who is "we"? Do you have a roll of Kodachrome 25 in your Pocket?.....LOL
So, you are expecting your expectations not to be fulfilled ;) My expectations are that Leica's QC and the extensive field testing will find all the things that might need to be fixed, before I do. As for "updating", I look at it as product evolution and proof that the mfr. is still involved in making sure the product meets my needs, or someone elses. You can always stop accepting. It is a sure way to reduce the agony of dissapointment :D
 
"We" Is me & the wife but why you needed to know that I'm not sure! :confused:

"Leica's QC and the extensive field testing will find all the things that might need to be fixed, before I do".... Have you not heard of the DMR? :eek:
 
Even though this might sound strange to anyone used to a digital camera, I would love it if it would replace the film with a digital sensor and that's it! No lcd screen at all, iso setting as usual, over- / underexposure as two symbols in the finder, a 'reverse' frame counter for the last 40 (raw + jpg) shots. O.k, some sort of an indication when the power goes down. As simple as that would be wonderful - just no more film cartridge handling and scanning.

Regards, Robert
 
zanydave said:
"We" Is me & the wife but why you needed to know that I'm not sure! :confused:

"Leica's QC and the extensive field testing will find all the things that might need to be fixed, before I do".... Have you not heard of the DMR? :eek:
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I was worried that your "we" might be meant to include me.... :D My digital venture capital coordinator has asked me not to mention her in the forums....oops..LOL
Lets hope the lessons that Leica learned on the DMR will be of some help with the M8. I think the M8 being an integrated digital unit, means fewer compromises.
So, where do you think your diapponitment will first show up? Do you think there is a week link in the M8 concept or its execution?
 
J. Borger said:
I really hope there is NO advance lever to cock the shutter.
I still miss a lot of decisive moments after using the R-D1 for 1,5 years as my only camera because i forgot to do this and the camera was not ready.

Agree totally. Having a shutter wind lever on a digital camera is one of the silliest things I have ever seen.
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Grober said:
Agree totally. Having a shutter wind lever on a digital camera is one of the silliest things I have ever seen.
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You obviously haven't used the R-D1. IMO the lever adds to the "rf" experience of this camera.
 
I agree, the lever is fine. The motor might add convenience but will add noise and increase power consumption. It's second nature to cock the shutter and good to be able to do it when you want. not immediately after the shuter has fired.

It will be interesting to see how quiet Leica have managed to make the M8. Metal shutter, motor wind, I cannot see it being quieter than the M7.

The R-D1 is noisier than I would like and the battery life is not as good as I would like. Plenty of scope for the M8 to improve on that.
 
Mark Norton said:
It will be interesting to see how quiet Leica have managed to make the M8. Metal shutter, motor wind, I cannot see it being quieter than the M7.
.
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Actually, if Leica would've made an interlock switch and perhaps a "dark slide" a la Mamiya 6/7 they could have used an electronic "shutter", virtually silent, and made the option of real-time viewing on the LCD. But perhaps they had a stash of paid-for R8/9 shutters they had to use up :D
 
Well, look at the Panasonic L1 which allows you to choose between "viewfinder" mode and "preview" mode. If you're in viewfinder mode, it's dim because the image goes off a hlef silvered mirror. If you're in preview mode, it has to switch to viewfinder mode to do autofocus and then back, which can take 5 seconds. Hugely compromised IMHO.
 
RML said:
Gauges for me too. I simply love them on my R-D1. As Rex said, they're intuitive to read, easily read at a glance, and they rev up like the dials in an AC Cobra. All you'd need is the rev'ing noise of the engine in the background to imagine you'r at Le Mans. :)
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oh great lets introduce more things that will break. I thought you ppl wanted your Leicas to become timeless..
 
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