Sub-$2000 M8's, what's next?

Kiyoshi said:
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 :eek:
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The problem will be getting SD cards small enough to be compatible with older cameras.
 
SD cards are re-usable. You will not have any problem finding usable ones for the next 20 years. I have no problem coming up with PCMCIA memory cards for my DSLR, the largest that it can accept is 256MBytes.

Finding 7-track reel-to-reel Mag Tape for the first digital sensor that I worked with could be a problem. But it was dismantled in the 80s.
 
To answer the original question with sub-$2000 M8's becoming available: They will be bought and used. I'm using mine, which was mint in the box with under 400 shots on it, came with extras, and was under $2500 7 months ago.
 
Unlike film Leicas digital Leicas' price will go down over time mainly for two reasons:
(1) Depreciation - electronics tend to have more problems as the circuitry gets less responsive/more problems.
(2) new system boards, processors and other forms of 'upgrade' will increase the demand of the new model, reduction in the demand of the relatively older models. Consequently, the price of older models (used ones) will go down. This is a common trend for almost all electronics.
 
ashfaque said:
Unlike film Leicas digital Leicas' price will go down over time mainly for two reasons:
(1) Depreciation - electronics tend to have more problems as the circuitry gets less responsive/more problems.
(2) new system boards, processors and other forms of 'upgrade' will increase the demand of the new model, reduction in the demand of the relatively older models. Consequently, the price of older models (used ones) will go down. This is a common trend for almost all electronics.
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agreed.
but we're talking about a Leica M here, digital or not! :rolleyes:
 
Mister E said:
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.
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That being the case then its up to the user to get as much value out of the M9 in those 5 years as possible.
Of course for those of us who don't make our living's from photography and can't duct the cost of gear as a line item on a tax form determining the value we've gotten from something is a question that we each have to answer for ourselves.
BTW I don't agree that the M9 will be worthless in 5 years.
 
Perhaps if Leicas start depreciating like any other camera, folks will stop treating them like fetishes and actually only buy them to shoot photos with. And perhaps folks who actually shoot photos can afford to buy them.
 
Pickett Wilson said:
Perhaps if Leicas start depreciating like any other camera, folks will stop treating them like fetishes and actually only buy them to shoot photos with. And perhaps folks who actually shoot photos can afford to buy them.
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Perhaps some of us have been doing that for decades.

Cheers,.

R.
 
My 3 year old Mac Mini is also "worthless" in the second hand market but I used it everyday since new and I got full value out of it even if it stopped working today. Digital cameras Leicas or otherwise are to be used and if you are not prepare to accept that then don't buy one.
 
Pickett Wilson said:
Perhaps if Leicas start depreciating like any other camera, folks will stop treating them like fetishes and actually only buy them to shoot photos with. And perhaps folks who actually shoot photos can afford to buy them.
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+1

Reading brian's post that he bought a digital cam with under 400 accuations really bought this point home.
 
stompyq said:
+1

Reading brian's post that he bought a digital cam with under 400 accuations really bought this point home.
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And mine has many thousands of actuations. What conclusions can we draw from these two examples? That all Leica users are fondlers? Or that all Leica users take lots of pictures with their cameras?

There's no logic in this. People think what they want to think. "My mind is made up: do not confuse me with the facts."

Cheers,

R.
 
The M8, 8.2 and 9 have been a fabulous success for Leica.

Just imagine for second how that success has translated into increasing new lens sales and renewed interest in the film Ms.
OK So the M8 isn't holding it's value compared to the film cameras but it's still a great tool.

The future is going to be very interesting for Leica fans.
 
Roger Hicks said:
And mine has many thousands of actuations. What conclusions can we draw from these two examples? That all Leica users are fondlers? Or that all Leica users take lots of pictures with their cameras?

There's no logic in this. People think what they want to think. "My mind is made up: do not confuse me with the facts."

Cheers,

R.
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Maybe we should start a poll?:D. I'll wager money that the majority of Leica M8's out there have very low accuations.
 
I think it's become clear that digital cameras have the same economic model as a laptop. Once a standard sensor size for better-than-equal-to 35mm, and the light bandwidth issue is fixed, I think a standard will be reached for the expected quality of a given format size.. and then, maybe a bottom line value will be established for the value of a quality used-older camera.

I've noticed that film camera prices are going up locally (SF west coast) as the photo students at the local art schools are shooting more film and scanning the images. A local film camera repair shop/ camera dealer, thought he was going out of business a couple of years ago. He has seen a fresh influx of film camera users in the last two years and is prospering. p.
 
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