Mister E
Well-known
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/pho/1854442950.html
With M8's dipping below $2000 everywhere I look it's not going to be long when you can grab one for less than the price of an M6. It's a shame that digital rot will make the M9 a nice paperweight in less than 5 years.
With M8's dipping below $2000 everywhere I look it's not going to be long when you can grab one for less than the price of an M6. It's a shame that digital rot will make the M9 a nice paperweight in less than 5 years.
>Sub-$2000 M8's, what's next?
M8's cheaper than R-D1S's?
M8's cheaper than R-D1S's?
Kiyoshi
Convicted Film Addict.
i agree, prices have dropped just in the short time i've been shooting with a rangefinder.
so much so, i've considered buying a M8 just because of its now lower price.
however, if prices continue to drop, i won't be buying one if it can not retain its value (and i won't be able to get my money back if re-sold)
so much so, i've considered buying a M8 just because of its now lower price.
however, if prices continue to drop, i won't be buying one if it can not retain its value (and i won't be able to get my money back if re-sold)
tbarker13
shooter of stuff
Better not plan to buy one. Because there is no hope of these things retaining value. Just go to someplace like KEH Camera Brokers and look at all the rock-bottom prices on old Nikons and Canons that were once the top of the DSLR game.
Kiyoshi
Convicted Film Addict.
oh, for sure, agreed. digital anything will lose value due to newer technology, however, i didn't expect a Leica M to loose value at this pace. i meant the M8 retaining value as compared to other (film) Leica M's, not DSLRs in general.
i mean it's still a Leica, right?! that should count for something even though the digital technology in the M8 has fallen behind? (sarcasm intended) haha.
menos
Veteran
Maybe a sub 6.000,- EUR second hand M9
It is still really disgusting!
While shopping for a focus screen and scanning second hand lenses, I asked the camera dealers the usual question on available M9s.
Second hand: 6.200,- EUR firm, which is pretty good, as they had been offered at closer to 7.000,- EUR actually.
Criminals.
jarski
Veteran
depending what will be announced in Photokina, another dip may be just behind the corner (but dont tell my M8 its outdated, so it keeps making as nice files as until now )
)P. Lynn Miller
Well-known
I never had any urge to buy an M8... but if I could get one for sub-$2000... I may consider it. An M8 with my Ultron 28/2 would make a great snapshot kit to replace my very ancient Canon G2 that I still use on camping and cycle-touring.
Kiyoshi
Convicted Film Addict.
as much as I love film, the instant-photo convenience of digital will, in time, pay for itself. don't get me wrong, the M8 still produces awesome images...
my comment earlier on the M8's technology having "fallen behind" wasn't meant to say the M8 won't take great photos!
the M8 will always make images of "that" quality no matter how old it becomes. this, combined with the fact it is Leica M brand is why I am surprised at the price drop.
my comment earlier on the M8's technology having "fallen behind" wasn't meant to say the M8 won't take great photos!
the M8 will always make images of "that" quality no matter how old it becomes. this, combined with the fact it is Leica M brand is why I am surprised at the price drop.
Mister E
Well-known
Well only until you can't buy a memory card, battery, etc that will work with it.
Steve Ash
Established
It is up to you whether it becomes a paper weight after five years or not. I am pretty sure you get it serviced in five years time and it could well be utilized as photographic tool.
Regards
Steve
Regards
Steve
rxmd
May contain traces of nut
Incidentally so will analog, mechanical etc. anything. I got my Nikon F2AS off eBay for sub-$200. For a camera that was once the top of the SLR game.
Are we to call this "analog rot" now in the words of the original poster?
News flash: As technology progresses, things depreciate. The only way for things not to depreciate is if there is no progress. And even then it takes hype to keep prices up.
Kiyoshi
Convicted Film Addict.
true, but the same has been said about film.
V
varjag
Guest
How old your F2AS again?
menos
Veteran
The "shocking for some" news is not, "THAT" digital gear depreciates (as does any gear with falling market interest), but "HOW FAST" digital gear depreciates in comparison to "the old times".
The M8 camera is just 4 years old, which is an age of not having reached half a product cycle of the professional 35mm cameras from a few decades back and has also bottomed at all time low second hand prices, which make them very, very affordable (compared to their new sticker price).
The term "digital rot" (is this actually created by Ken Rockwell?) indeed fits very perfectly well - not only in terms of faster depreciation, but also in terms of potential unusability in the very soon future.
I have read with great interest Ken Rockwell's new review on the Nikon F5 and was amazed (or you can call it "woken up") by the fact, that you have to jump quite a few hoops, to make the digital connection between then modern camera and computer working with specific cable connectors, specific software suites, that ran only on the "then modern" operating systems.
These things will happen by design.
It is already difficult, to find straight simple SD cards, that can be read by older cameras. It indeed is luck, that the EPSON R-D1 uses a now still popular battery format, which is available for many other devices in South East Asia.
Having learned from the R-D1, I maintain a good stock of memory cards and batteries for the M8.2, as I really would like, to shoot this thing as long, as I like and not, as long, as the electronics do.
kzphoto
Well-known
I'm surprised Leica hasn't offered an M9 upgrade service for the M8 cameras. Drop in a new sensor, electronics, framelines and you'd be good to go. Would be cheaper than buying an M9 and increase the value on the used M8 bodies.
Matus
Well-known
Maybe a sub 6.000,- EUR second hand M9
It is still really disgusting!
While shopping for a focus screen and scanning second hand lenses, I asked the camera dealers the usual question on available M9s.
Second hand: 6.200,- EUR firm, which is pretty good, as they had been offered at closer to 7.000,- EUR actually.
Criminals.
What? In Germany new M9 can be had for about 4.600 € up to 5.400 €. I have seen the second one myself, the first one I have heard of.
So - in a few years, once the M10 will be about to come (MUST be less than 5 years from now) or at least new important updates will be implemented in the M9 - it will happen again.
Just imagine that the Foveon technology would make it up to full Frame with good performance - suddenly the M9 files would start to look missing detail, not reproducing the color as good as the new sensor, etc. - there is always room for improvement whether you need/want it or not.
Mister E
Well-known
As long as film is still made my film cameras are still relevant.
jarski
Veteran
IIRC this was debated here year or two ago, and consensus was that M8 upgrade would cost equal or more, than M9 (then still not heard of).
Kiyoshi
Convicted Film Addict.
absolutely. i'm saying there were/are those who preach film's "end is nigh" although the 35mm format has been around since the early 1900's (?) it's still going.
although RAM/flash memory related products develop much quicker, i'm hoping SD digital format will be around for at least my lifetime! firmware can always be rewritten and upgraded to accept higher capacity and faster cards as long as the physical format remains the same (SD).
batteries....that's a different story. let's hope for backwards compatibility or supply outlasting demand