M8 Shutter Life

[tardegard]

Hi everybody, I am new in the range finder world, I don't even own a ranger finder camera indeed (not yet).
I would love to find ad affordable Leica M8 or M9, and just found an M8 that has done 50.000 actuations.
Are they too many?
Would you get it, guys?
Many thanks in advance.

 

[doitashimash1te]

According to another thread on this forum, approx. 100,000 cycles, and a shutter replacement wouldn't be that expensive.

Edit: the information I found here is less reassuring though...

 

[tardegard]

According to another thread on this forum, approx. 100,000 cycles, and a shutter replacement wouldn't be that expensive.

Edit: the information I found here is less reassuring though...

hahaha... yeah, I found that too.
And wouldn't believe it.....

 

[Rob-F]

I think I would feel more confidant buying a camera with a lower shutter count. 20,000 or less wouldn't scare me.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

50K is marginal for any digital camera with mechanical shutter. But most likely it might do another 50K.
First M8 is slightly different due to over tensioned shutter. But even for M8 I have seen user report with shutter quitting at huge number of actuations.

You should also ask yourself - how much I'm going to shot it. 5K per year is not something very limiting, but it will take ten years to get another 50K.

 

[tardegard]

thank you all guys

 

[x-ray]

Nikon and Canon rate their shutters at 150,000 for the consumer models up to 250,000 for the professional models. They're not going to break necessarily at that number but that reflects the number they were tested up to. I've personally had Canon and Nikons go well beyond that number and never had a shutter failure.

Regarding the M8, why would you buy a camera that some parts are unavailable for and is stone age technology. The M8 was behind the technological curve by at least ten years when it came out. As to the M9, it wasn't any technological marvel at the time ether. I bought a new one but was seriously disappointed in performance. It was only slightly better than the D1 Nikon of ten years earlier with regard to noise and the LCD screen and buffer were about the same level of performance as the D1. Couple all this with the world's worst service, why throw money into an M8 or M9? Buy yourself a new Canon or Nikon with a warranty and state of the art technology or even a used 1D Canon with a 1.33x ccd sensor for a few hundred dollars for a Nikon D700 for little to no money.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Canonikons have nothing to do with Leica RF.
I purchased M8 in 2017. Very nice and classic Leica. Why? Just because I din't need another bulky DSLR.
Regarding Canon 1D series they are huge and ugly, but maybe Nikon Dxxx are better. 🙂
And last time I checked, M8 shutters were still available...

 

[Rob-F]

Canonikons have nothing to do with Leica RF.

This is what really matters. There is only one way to get a digital RF Leica. Just as there is only one way to get a real Jeep. A Jeep is not the most reliable car, nor the most reliable 4x4. But it is the best at what it does best. You want a Jeep, you gotta buy a Jeep. You want a Leica, you gotta buy a Leica.

 

[BLKRCAT]

You want a Ferrari, you gotta buy a Ferrari.

Fixed 😀

10 characters

 

[x-ray]

This is what really matters. There is only one way to get a digital RF Leica. Just as there is only one way to get a real Jeep. A Jeep is not the most reliable car, nor the most reliable 4x4. But it is the best at what it does best. You want a Jeep, you gotta buy a Jeep. You want a Leica, you gotta buy a Leica.

Actually I own 2 Jeeps, aWrangler unlimited 2014 and a 2016 Wrangler. Actually I've owned 4x4's since 1973 and outside of my International Scout II the Jeeps are as good as they get and I use them off road on trails often.

Also I'm a longtime leica user of 50 years and used them professional all a long. As to reliability, my film bodies have been excellent but no better than the Nikons I've used side by side with them. The worst camera of all, The M9 I owned for a couple of years.

You want to compare Jeeps and Leica digital, the M8 is comparable in performance to the older 4 cylinder models built some years back by Chrysler with the square headlights. They're not well made, under powered and not very fast but Jeep parts are easier to get than back LCD's for the M8 and a lot more fun. The old American Motors 4 cylinder model's weren't anything to brag about either.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I don't see problem with people driving it:

And I don't see problems with using of M8.

 

[David Hughes]

Hmmm, it all depends what you want to do. If I was going to take a young lady for a drive in the country a Stanley Steam Car would be my preference.

Getting back to the M8, it all depends what you want to do with it. And what you want to pay and what lenses you have and so on. In other words it's the same decision process as any other purchase.

So draw up a list and compare it. Or get one anyway because it's what you want; life's too short to dither but please don't blame me for pointing it out.

Regards, David

 

[Zhengyang]

Hi everybody, I am new in the range finder world, I don't even own a ranger finder camera indeed (not yet).

I would love to find ad affordable Leica M8 or M9, and just found an M8 that has done 50.000 actuations.

Are they too many?

Would you get it, guys?

Many thanks in advance.

I have seen someone's M8 over 110000 and still working.


从我的 iPhone 发送，使用 Tapatalk

 

[willie_901]

I have seen someone's M8 over 110000 and still working.
...

Over 150K would not surprise me at all.

 

[TR3B]

If you want to try a digital rangefinder, I think M8 is a decent start.
Find a clean one for $900-$1100 and have some fun. Nice cosmetic condition can say a bit about it's use or abuse.
Surprisingly this camera has held it value fairly well over the last couple of years.

I have two M8's and a Sony A7II- sold the Canon stuff.
Sony for full-frame and lens versatility regarding manual focus- I own no auto focus lens for my style of shooting.
Leica M8 because I love the simplicity and the look of the files with particular glass.
Try and get one with box and all contents for future sale if possible.

Works for me!