M 8 in Limbo ?

[Ben Z]

I paid 4192 Euro for my first M8 three years ago, my M9 cost me 5500 Euro - yes, somewhat more expensive, but still in the same league. It is rather that the dollar crashed - and it does not seem fair to hold Leica responsible for that.

I paid $4800 for my M8 in July '07 and the M9 is $7000 here. That's a factor of about 1.45 vs 1.3 in Europe, so not altogether horrible by comparison. Plus, most of the price hiking took place while the M8 was still in production (last price was IIRC $5400 here), and the M8.2 came in at $6300 IIRC, so the M9 really wasn't raised very much considering it has the full frame chip and some considerable R&D. In fact it's less of a jump than there was from M8 to M8.2 and that was a very minor upgrade by comparison. Admittedly Leica did cheapen the M9 by removing the sapphire rear screen and the battery/frame indicator on the top plate.

That said, the MSRP here in the US of an all-new-design 2010 Mercedes E-class is almost to the penny what it was for a like-equipped 2003 (which was also an all-new design) back in Nov of 2002 when I bought mine. So though I agree Leica can't be held responsible for the dollar crashing, it was their decision to pass it on to the customers. It's particularly notable in the price of lenses. I know a lot of fellow Leica enthusiasts here in the US who say they no longer choose to afford new lenses. From that I have to suspect Leica has lost a great deal of lens sales in the US, but without hard figures I can't state it as a fact.

 

[jaapv]

But a camera is not a car - If Leica would subsidize the USA market out of rest-of-the-world sales they would be shipping quite a few back to Europe through B&H. A Mercedes is a bit too heavy for that.

 

[nobbylon]

What pessimism! Leica will support the M8 for at least a decade. And what do you mean it leapt? I paid 4192 Euro for my first M8 three years ago, my M9 cost me 5500 Euro - yes, somewhat more expensive, but still in the same league. It is rather that the dollar crashed - and it does not seem fair to hold Leica responsible for that.
As for repairs, even if one would be come neccessary, there is always the option to buy a reasonably priced used M8.....

This last sentence makes me laugh! Are you saying that it would probably be cheaper to get a s/h M8 than get Leica to repair one? S/h M8's are still in the 1500-2000 euro level and by many accounts not selling at this. Should I then expect if unlucky with an M8 purchase, to right off this amount in either repair or replacement?

 

[jaapv]

Depends on the repair- The most expensive one that happened to me was 1850 Euro...😱

 

[nobbylon]

Depends on the repair- The most expensive one that happened to me was 1850 Euro...😱

I know that you're a big fan of M8's and now the M9 too but do you really and truthfully think that it's acceptable to have to pay that in repair costs for a camera that costs as much as they do anyway? That repair cost is the same as a NEW D700. I'm sorry if this offends anyone but to my mind, Leica are really taking the @@@@ out of their customers charging for repairs like this. I'm happy for anyone who can afford an M9 and the expensive repairs that go with these M8's but sometimes 'reality' is obviously not a word in the Leica dictionary.

 

[jaapv]

You don't know what the repair was: New front bodyshell, new bottomplate, new top plate, new bpttom shell, new shutter, adjust sensor, adjust RF mechanism and sundry small stuff. I might add that a D700 would have been in small pieces all over the landscape.

 

[nobbylon]

You don't know what the repair was: New front bodyshell, new bottomplate, new top plate, new bpttom shell, new shutter, adjust sensor, adjust RF mechanism and sundry small stuff. I might add that a D700 would have been in small pieces all over the landscape.

Well I'm not going to get into a 'my camera's stronger than yours' debate. However it seems to me from your list of bits that this particular precious Leica, DID end up in small pieces requiring this expensive repair so your arguement is arbitrary.
Oh and in strength and ability to keep shooting I'd bet on a D700 over an M8 any time. If I could choose one camera for a once in a lifetime trip it would be a Nikon Dslr or a proven Leica FILM M. 🙂

 

[Ben Z]

But a camera is not a car - If Leica would subsidize the USA market out of rest-of-the-world sales they would be shipping quite a few back to Europe through B&H. A Mercedes is a bit too heavy for that.

I had to pick a watch up from service this morning. The store is an A/D for dozens of high-end watches and has an e-commerce website and a large presence on eBay. I asked if they've been getting a lot of orders from Europe, considering that the Swiss watch industry has also chosen by and large not to kill their US market by passing on the dollar devaluation. They said no, because of very high customs duty. They do sell to Europeans who visit here though, who toss the box and paperwork and wear the watch through customs.

I honestly think it comes down to Leica doing what they know they can get away with. Leica buyers can be remarkably forgiving.

 

[topoxforddoc]

I was being pressurised to place a replacement as new value on my discontinued M 8 .
This brought home to me that there is no longer a ... serious Amateur digital Leica - the M 9 has leapt into stratospheric Pro Country .
The M 8 now seems abandoned and out in the cold ... a niche market , now become a bleak market .
I wonder how long I will have the pleasure of mine ? Repairs are bound to become hideously expensive .

Dee,

The replacement value for a new M8 is a M9, as that is the nearest replacement for insurance purposes. The M8 will still have a stable value as people will see it as a way of getting into digital M shooting. I don't think many people complained much about the IQ of their M8 images. It was the faff with filters, coding and less than stellar high ISO performance. But hey, I still love my DMR, in spite of all its failings, as the IQ is tremendous.

 

[dee]

Thanks everyone - my M8 is very much my once-in-a-lifetime dream camera - whether I will ever afford to fix it , as and when , is another story ...

 

[woodleica]

I was being pressurised to place a replacement as new value on my discontinued M 8 .
This brought home to me that there is no longer a ... serious Amateur digital Leica - the M 9 has leapt into stratospheric Pro Country .
The M 8 now seems abandoned and out in the cold ... a niche market , now become a bleak market .
I wonder how long I will have the pleasure of mine ? Repairs are bound to become hideously expensive .

Perhaps a reassurance might be that the same thing is bound to happen to the M9? 😀

Seriously though - if you are happy with the images why care? Buying Leicas is like buying a european car. They are a pleasure to feel and use and feel solid like nothing else. They depreciate the minute they are in your hands. They halve in value in 2 years. They are super expensive to repair. People who hate this buy japanese.