I think there are a few more things to consider.
1) I live in Argentina -one of the so-called third world countries-. Here, only 25% percent of people have access to a computer (and that 25% percent includes the ones that may not have a personal computer but can access one in a cafe, etc). 70% of people have taken at least one picture in their lifes. Here, the result of the incoming digital era is that fewer people have access to photography. Digital cameras everywhere, while film cameras are getting scarce. There is a social issue with this... I don't think most people here know in person this regions, but you give a person who has no knowledge on computers a film camera and a nearby lab, and this person will show you some pictures next time you see him. At worst, will give you film with 36 exposures. Give him a computer and a digicam, and probably the computer will die in less than a year, and they won't use the digicam because most of the time they forgot to recharge the batteries or erased everything in the memory. Heck people, photography is a way to communicate things. Digital photography restricts the access to this kind of media. I still have to found a digital camera that renders the same image quality of a 30USD Olympus Stylus Epic P&S and a roll of Velvia or XP2 Super.
2) Not everyone makes backups often, not everyone even knows that oxidation can -and will- kill a CD or any metal-based storage (hard disks are supposedly vacuum closed, but the seals will eventually die). Even my girlfriend think that recording info in a CD is safe at long term (and when I say long term I mean, for example, that I will record the files I have got from my first semester at university and when I finish university that CD will be readable). If I take one seagate 256 MB 15 year old HD which hasn't been used in the last 12 years, and I'll be lucky if the MBR is readable. And I'm sorry, but all advances in HD technology have been related to their capacity and their data transfer speed. The magnets have remained the same.
3) Always remember to tell someone, of all your HDs, which one is the older one so who takes care of your stuff will back up that one first, then inform this person about the particularities of each one -different transfer speeds, different interfaces, etc (thinking a little, I better leave my girlfriend and start dating someone who's a computer enthusiast), then inform what the heck is in each one of those -let's assume, given the storage capacity increase in the last years- 5 Terabytes hard disks, and don't forget to explain the criteria you used to organize everything in those disks -date, topic, camera, etc-. Just in case everything goes wrong and you're not there to take care of your images. By far I prefer to get someone to look at my negs holders and have an idea of what the heck did I shot, with the security that, except a flood, a fire -which, by the way, would also kill my computer- they'll be fine in the holder. I just have to leave a little paper bag of silica gel and it's done. I'm pretty sure that if my father would have shot digital pictures of me when I was 2 years old, I wouln't be seeing those beautiful colors in very nice optical made copies with the negs just in the end of the album in perfect shape.
I'm not saying "hey, let's flame digital". Heck if I'd work at a newspaper, I'd have a digital for sure. I just think that there are some points off in this discussion -as the impact of the digital era in the access to photography, the storage longevity and the personal care you have to take-.
Sometimes, specially at forums, I ask myself "-really, everyone has a computer in those countries? but if poverty is killing everyone, not to talk about famine"... I know history tends to be eurocentric -yes, we all know who was the king of the German Empire in 1447, or that in 1648 the most important international fact was the Westfalia peace. But very few know the Chinese dinasties at those times, what was happening in Asia, the American civilizations (ok, by 1648 most american civilizations were converted to christianism and made slaves, but that's another story). But, do we still need to be so technology-centric? As I said... I prefer to get someone to look in my negs holder and know what did I shoot, instead of having someone to dig in my HD for a folder that, I forgot, was on the other HD... wait, which one? I also forgot to label them after the last backup...
Now... back to Tom's report.... No one sounds astonished by the quality of the M8. I think we all -and I include myself, even if I have no chance of spending 5000 USD AND a lens in the camera- expected that when Leica released their digital camera it would kick the ass of every other digital camera in the market and made a proper use of that 35mm f/2 summicron worth 2000 USD. And Erwin Puts said it clearly -in real life, it's the almost the same as a 5D, in numbers the 5D is better-. Considering what the camera is, I think it's awesome. A digital rangefinder with analog controls for shutter speed and aperture. Ok, we had that in the RD-1, but it was a 5MPixel camera, now outdated, with some issues. Leica must got it right. Heck, it's not full frame. Ok... half way between the 1.5 CF of the RD-1 and full frame, fair enough if you want to put 5000 USD in that.
Personally, I'll wait. If it was full frame, and if I only had the money, I'd go for it.
Cheers everyone,
Sebastian.
