Should have waited?

[Ben Z]

I don't have an M8, and have no intention of getting one, but reading through this forum makes me wonder if for once, Leica jumped the gun. It seems there have been complaints about them ever since they came out.

"Ever since"? The M8 has been available for sale for approximately 10 months at this writing. Complaints seem to have subsided in the last 2 months. That's why I finally bought one

I have an M4-2. It's reaching 25 years old, but has never presented any problems. Of course, it's what Leica made long before the M4-2, so by then they had long experience.

You do know don't you that people are still complaining about the M4-2? It's considered by many, including some respected repair techs, to be the low point of Leica M quality. History shows it saved the company from bankruptcy, and most people who have them today are satisfied, but during it's introductory period there were a lot of problems with them. Sound familiar?

I don't mean to sound dubious, but digital just isn't what Leica did for 80 years.

Neither is it what any camera maker did for pretty much all of the 20th century. But those that want to survive today have to do it, there's really no alternative, not even for Leica. Their film body sales were at a snail's pace, they were on the verge of closing shop.


In re the M8 (or 5D or even 1DS) vs MF debate (and I'm a MF fan myself), I think those cameras get a lot of "help" in that comparison because so many people are scanning MF film, and the scanner's performance is a strong variable.

 

[jaapv]

The M8:
1. is quiky
2. has taken everything users have thrown at it
3. is well supported by the factory
4. is demanding in terms of user ability
5. delivers outstanding results

In short is a pure Leica M series camera