Short Affair

I bought an M6 for exactly it's reputation...a camera for life. It's full-frame, by the way. And future-proof, if scanner technology takes an occasional step forward.

I'm afraid the digital photography ship has sailed, and Leica missed it. If you want a tough, reliable, existing-light digital full-frame, buy a Nikon.
 
JNewell said:
The objective factual basis for this assertion???
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peterm 1 said:
I own a 1936 111a (73 years old and counting) and while the technology is out of date the thing is still as solid and reliable as the day it came out of the factory in Wetzlar. All it needs is an occasional service and its good for another decade.
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I have a 1953 IIIf RD, and it's still going strong. If it needs repairs, it can still be done, and even at a reasonable cost. Even if you can still get an M8 repaired 10, 20, or 30 years from now, do you think the cost to do so will be reasonable?

That's the factual basis. Buying a Leica used to mean the cost was justified for several reasons and one of the big reasons was you just got more bang for the buck. The camera was built well and would easily last as long as the photographer. Where is the practical justification for the price of an M8?
 
JNewell said:
The objective factual basis for this assertion???
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Two decades of experience in the I.T. industry and one decade of experience with digital cameras. Who is making a digital camera with an open architecture? - i.e. that can be upgraded as new sensors and processing power becomes available. No one. Its in the interests of the manufacturers to make equipment that is totally superceded by the next big thing - regular as clockwork, every 18 months. At which time (or shortly thereafter) they cease to sell the spare parts for the old equipment. Which eventually become useless when things break and can no longer be replaced or at best they are curios. Why will M8s be any different? Oh I would like them too but dont believe it is likely.
 
Goes back to my assertion that you should not do any processing in the camera at all. Capture it and let the PC, Mac or Cloud do the rest. Simple, safe, very upgradeable and much easier to build and test.

Time for more drugs, never mind.....

On the positive side of the ledger you must remember that you did not have to have anything burned off of you, get any shots or take any pills, be happy.

B2 (;->
 
And future-proof, if scanner technology takes an occasional step forward.
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Pigs will fly first 😉

I think it is quite unlikely that this generation of scanners will be improved upon, simply because the market for high end models has shrunk so much. Plus film and processing are likely to become more expensive and inconvenient to access in the future.
 
David_Manning said:
I bought an M6 for exactly it's reputation...a camera for life. It's full-frame, by the way. And future-proof, if scanner technology takes an occasional step forward.

I'm afraid the digital photography ship has sailed, and Leica missed it. If you want a tough, reliable, existing-light digital full-frame, buy a Nikon.
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You mean the M6 - the camera with the worst reputation for electronic failure of all Leica cameras, including the R3 and R4 and M8?. The only thing that saved it was the lack of internet back then.
Have fun with your purchase. You bought a fine camera like any other Leica.

And btw, I was not aware that Nikon builds digital rangefinders....
 
jaapv said:
So the OP bought a second hand camera that turned out to be a lemon - well now we know why it was second hand. I bought a Saab once - but that is another story, for another forum....
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Sorry, Jaap...M8 tales-of-woe are one thing, but no Saab stories allowed here. 😉


- Barrett
 
tom.w.bn said:
Could you please explain what you mean? Change the mind in what direction? On the page I see a good picture #1128 and many conventional landscape photos. Not special M8ish there.
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While I have written below saying I dont think I would personally buy an M8 as it is unlikely to have the longevity of its film predecessors, I cannot agree that there is nothing special about some of these images. While some topics are pretty mundane, I have to say that some of the rendering is superb. The tonal qualities in the best of the images seem smoother and much much nice than say my D200 is capable of. (Perhaps this is not a good comparison as a $7000 camera should be capable of better results than a $2000 one.) But in any event there are several pictures in that thread that knocked my socks off - for the appearance of the image, f not the subject. The photo of the guitar on page one for example.
 
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Call me silly, call me a fool; but to me, I know that it was worth it. Each step teaches one something and I don't want to be bitter nor draw far reaching conclusions. I don't think experience with one Beauty is anything indicative of .. well, anything. Drawing bitter conclusions? What is it good for?

I believe that the M8 is a fine camera. I'm not sure I can blame Leica nor Leica service. All I know for sure is that the one I received had an issue.

Heck, who knows. Perhaps FedEx dropped her on her maiden voyage. Abuse tragically doomed her to a life in institutions. I don't know. But I do feel that both Leica and Leica repair treated me as well as I would ever want. I know that they wanted the issues gone as much as I. It just didn't work out. I do believe that many, are having no issues just as they say. And so I still believe in women ... errr .... I mean ... Leica. (no my priorities are NOT mixed up! 😀)

But while brief and sad, the relationship, in that awful cosmic way, showed me that if the M8 be a redhead, and redhead was why it was not to be - that redhead is for me! Hey ... I'm a guy ... I'm not supposed to be smart!

Sure; once bitten twice shy. But once you get a taste ... !
So I tell myself I'm done. Done for good. Who wants that kind of trouble? RedHeads who needs em! NOT ME!!

Yeah right! 😀


So, in conclusion, - the only thing I'm concluding is that my particular beaut was not for me. But! I hear that She's got some hot sisters .... and a rumored cousin, who, if you spend the cash on her, is da bomb!

Time, and a couple of beers ... heals all wounds. 🙂
 
And besides, on a serious note, kind of as Roger alluded to ... these are cameras we are talking about. Not cancer or a meteor heading for Earth. Right?

Heck ... the fact that my nine year old daughter loves to read is more important to me.

Win some, lose some. Play again.
 
Pavel+ said:
And besides, on a serious note, kind of as Roger alluded to ... these are cameras we are talking about. Not cancer or a meteor heading for Earth. Right?

Heck ... the fact that my nine year old daughter loves to read is more important to me.

Win some, lose some. Play again.
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Absolutely. Can I tell you how refreshing it is to read your posts? It's very refreshing to find someone with such down-to-earth perspectives - especially on an internet forum! Blessings on you & yours!
 
jaapv said:
Nor with my M8 cameras. These are technical tools, not mistresses fcol! Actually I had an M4 that was hopeless this way. I got rid of it through selling it to a Leica dealer at a loss. I suppose they sold it to somebody like Pavel, which is not a nice thing to do. I really feel sorry for his experience, but it is one of the risks of the second hand market. Maybe the original owner was a secret member of the M8 dunking club.
So the OP bought a second hand camera that turned out to be a lemon - well now we know why it was second hand. I bought a Saab once - but that is another story, for another forum....
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Jaap, So, you're saying, "never buy a used M8?" Seems to me that would depress new M8 sales a bit. Why would someone concerned about the value of the camera holding up buy a new one knowing they'd have a hard time selling it later?
 
peter_n said:
I stayed away too. And if/when the M9 comes along, I will not be an early adopter either.
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That´s exactly what I´m doing/thinking too ...
... and meanwhile I´m very happy with my R-D1.


jaapv said:
...
So the OP bought a second hand camera that turned out to be a lemon - well now we know why it was second hand. I bought a Saab once - but that is another story, for another forum....
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Don´t compare Leica and Saab. 9-3 is the best car I ever owned and I know what I´m saying, cause I´m driving a V70II now :bang:
 
phototektour said:
That´s exactly what I´m doing/thinking too ...
... and meanwhile I´m very happy with my R-D1.
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And I'm happy with my Fujifilm S5. 🙂
phototektour said:
Don´t compare Leica and Saab. 9-3 is the best car I ever owned and I know what I´m saying, cause I´m driving a V70II now :bang:
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I'm driving a V70XC from Sweden, and it has been perfect. Was your V70 made in Belgium? I had a Volvo from Ghent once and it was a dog.
 
peter_n said:
And I'm happy with my Fujifilm S5. 🙂I'm driving a V70XC from Sweden, and it has been perfect. Was your V70 made in Belgium? I had a Volvo from Ghent once and it was a dog.
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Yes, for bodybuilding I´ve a D300 too, but it is getting more and more a lot of dust while only hanging around. And yes, it seems to be Belgium. But it (V70AWD) is more and more on a good way after some good contacts to VCC.

R
 
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