M8.2 announced by norvegian news service

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All this talk about the M8.2 made me go to my dealer and take them up on the "M8 Test Drive." I mainly shoot an MP with 50 Lux ASPH. I am only an amateur and take mostly pictures of my family. I use Tri-X and print in the darkroom 90% of the time, but I need to shoot color film for vacations, etc. as my family is not too fond of BW.

The M8 test drive demo came with the 75 and 35 summarits. I didn't bother with the 75 as the framelines are too small for my taste. I used my seldom used 35 cron instead, fitted with a Leica UV/IR (from the 35 summarit).

Mainly from an ergonomics perspective (the film v. digital, IQ versus other cameras have been debated to death), I have some minor concerns.
a) Shutter sound. This thing is just a little too noisy compared to the MP. Even my kids noticed the crunch sound.
b) Framelines are too close. Having programmed my brain to look for the outside frame lines when usong the 50, the inside frame lines of the 35 are confusingly close to the outside frame lines.
c) The M8 is a little too fat for my hands and there is no place to hang my thumb. Not a problem with the 35 cron, but the 50 Lux ASPH feels front heavy.
d) The shutter is not very smooth. I have a TA softie that I never use with my MP. On the M8, it is a great addition.

I can live with and get used to (b), (c), and (d). However, audible noise is a major concern for my use. I can only take one picture before my kids notice I am taking their picture. If Leica can fix that in the M8.2, I will be very tempted to get one. Otherwise, I will get another MP or the new Nocti. If Leica offers a choice of uncluttered framelines, so much the better!

Overall, the camera is great and I have no problem with ISO 640 and below. While I have some concern with ergonomics compared to an MP, the M8 is the most fun digital camera I have ever used. I borrowed a friend's D700 for two days and I wanted to return it on day one, LOL. I still have one day left on my 3 day test drive, and I am already wishing I don't have to return it. Now I know why lots of owners are very happy with their purchase.
 
However, audible noise is a major concern for my use. I can only take one picture before my kids notice I am taking their picture. If Leica can fix that in the M8.2, I will be very tempted to get one. Otherwise, I will get another MP

I don't have small children but I have occasion to photograph other peoples' kids frequently. What I find is that either they're making enough racket to drown out any camera on the market, or so silent that an MP (which I owned two) can be heard across the room. And in either case if they're engrossed in what they're doing, they're oblivious to everything, and if they aren't engrossed, there's no way they don't know I'm taking their picture even before I press the shutter. Of course, your kids may be different.
 
Hi Ben. My kids are 8 and 15 year old boys. They seem to notice when I am firing the M8. I also used the M8 in the church and the local Barnes and Noble, and I don't feel comfortable with the sound, especially inside the church. I might get an M8 anyways as who cares with sound when on vacation -- cheaper than slide processing in the long run.

I am not a street photographer, nor I am as good as the majority of posters here. However, I like taking "forbidden shots" from time to time. Below is a picture from the Goya exhibit of the Prado Museum. The relatively small area was dark (1/15, f 1.4, 400ASA), very quiet, and photography was strictly forbidden. However, I wanted to take a pic of "Saturn Eating His Son," one of my favorite Goya piece. There was a guard eyeing my camera, but I was able to fire the MP when she turned her back on me. I don't have the guts to try that with the M8.

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Nice choice Pat, and nice shot. The guard couldn't have made you "delete" the photo either if she had caught you in the act :angel:
 
The Leica M8.2 and the new lences were announced by the german photoscala.de

http://www.photoscala.de/Artikel/Leica-M82-und-neue-Objektive

The data are the same as already mentioned at thie thread by Harry Lime some days ago.

The costs:
M8.2 Euro 5000
M8 will be still produced for Euro 4000. Owners of M8 can update to M8.2

Noctilux-M 0,95/50 Asph. Euro 8000
The new Elmar-M 3,8/24 Asph.Euro 1800
Summilux-M 1,4/21 Asph. and Summilux-M 1,4/24 Asph. Euro 5000 (each…)

Prices include 19% German VAT
 
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They must have unsold stock of the M8 they need to unload to keep both of them out there. Otherwise it really doesn't make sense.
 
Please don´t hang on the price in Norway . This country is a high price country - and almost nothing is economic over there.

haha. its expensive, but then again wages are up to 3 times higher here, then, say the rest of europe, let alone the US.

-do the maths!
 
The Leica M8.2 and the new lences were announced by the german photoscala.de

http://www.photoscala.de/Artikel/Leica-M82-und-neue-Objektive

The data are the same as already mentioned at thie thread by Harry Lime some days ago.
It is not exact.
Photoscala paraphrases an article of the german print magazine ColorFoto edition 10/2008.
It was delivererd today by mail to the subscribers- and will be available on Monday 15th fore everybody at the desk (It is usual in Germany to mail journals one or twa days earlier because our privatized mail is´nt as realiable as in former times)
ColorFoto isn´t a high reputated journal but the core of information is the offical one.
On sept 15th ends the NDA and Leica will held a Press conference
 
haha. its expensive, but then again wages are up to 3 times higher here, then, say the rest of europe, let alone the US.

-do the maths!

This was interesting so I did some digging. It turns out that the average adjusted wage is actually 25% higher in the US than it is in Norway.
It is more complex than that, and the lowest wage earners in Norway apparently have a better standard of affording goods, but at the median level the USA's workers not only earn more - but good are significantly cheaper.

Now if you look at the top wage earners ( it did not say what percentage) then the USA is twenty fold ahead of Norway in income. WHoa. Maybe that's skewed by Bill Gates? :D

The only way Norway is ahead here is at the minimum wage level and with the fact that americans tend to work longer hours.

Those are the numbers it would seem, except they are even worse if you take taxation into account. Oh well ... at least Norway has more pristine places to take great shots in .... once you steal a new Leica. :)
 
i read that their sales have been down. bringing out an m8.2, which partially brings the m8 up to original expectations, at a higher price...well, at best, this is a novel move.
 
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