I've had one and used it as my primary camera (over 90% of photos) for over a year now and can comment on all of these points:
1. I don't find this to be the case in the slightest. Once one learns how the meter on the M8 functions (how much of the scene it is metering) it functions perfectly. If you're coming from a DSLR with matrix metering then you may experience a bit of a learning curve, but if you're used to the meter in film Ms (or any older center-weighted meter) you'll be fine. I dial in - 1/3 EV to protect the highlights, but I do that on my Nikon as well. From the review it seems like the reviewer simply didn't understand the differences between the M8 meter and others. And seemed to think that having to compensate manually for situations that fool pretty much any meter was a design flaw.
2. AWB was admitedly a bit wonky in previous versions of the firmware but is spot on with the current one. It was never really a problem in my usage (and I think entirely overblown in the internet discussion) as I always shoot in RAW and any WB problems were corrected then. I have to say that, with the latest firmware, I have to manually adjust the WB in probably less than 1% of images, no matter the lightsource.
3. Except in extremely back-lit situations where the chance of reflections/flare is greater (theoretically, I've never experienced this in practivce) this is a non-issue. Would it have been better to somehow integrate the IR filter into the body, yes. Should Leica have worked this one out before releasing the camera, yes. Does it effect how I shoot in the slightest, no. I used UV filters on my lenses beforehand in any case, now it's just an IR/UV filter.
4. As the reviewer correctly states, image quality is as much a function of lens as it is sensor. While other camera makers produce some fine lenses, the newest Leica lenses consistently outperform them. Sometimes this is splitting hairs, though. Do a search for image comparisons: there are plenty out there between the M8 and the 5D, D300, etc etc. The M8 more than holds its own.
5. Noise on the M8: well, at 160 it's non-existent; 320, barely noticeable to the point of being non-existent; 640, it's certainly there but nothing to prevent you from using it whenever required; 1250, a good deal of noise on the screen at original resolution at 100% but in practical use on the web or in a print, nothing to worry about; ISO 2500 is pretty chunky looking and you probably can get better results underexposing 1250 by a stop and fixing it in development--that said, in a print it looks generally fine.
At 1250 and 2500 there are better performing cameras out there, but for the type of work I do it's really not a problem. Shooting with an M6 and in color slides the fastest film I worked with for years was ISO 400 pushed to 800 and never felt like my worked suffered creatively because of it. With the M8 that's like shooting at ISO 640. Sometimes I do get a bit envious that other cameras can shoot up to ISO 12500 without too much noise, but then I remember that I've never had need for that speed with film or in a digital camera in over 10 years of shooting, so why should I need it now? That said, your needs may be different than mine...
As far as nothing "Leica-ness" about it: utter cr*p. If you've shot with a Leica M you can pick up the M8 and start working with it immediately without even looking at the manual. It's slightly thicker than a film M, but other than that feels nearly identical. Nothing mechanical about it? The rangefinder is entirely mechanical, as are the frame lines, shutter dial and focussing. The only thing which I will say is a departure is the sound of the shutter. It's certainly louder than a film M, and was slightly disconcerting at first, but not once have I found it to be a practical hindrance on my photography.
Don't give this review much credence. As many of the comments have stated, this reviewer really doesn't seem to have any experience with the M system or understand the niche the M8 was designed to fill--which it fills quite well. There are things I would change about it, but nothing that makes me not love the camera. If you are capable of stomaching the price tag (which is certainly considerable) and are familiar with all the advantages and disadvantages of the M system, then buy one with confidence.
