Used M8 or Refurb M8.2?
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colonel
Established
yes, however I still think the M8 is a fantastic camera
My personal view would be to go for the M8 and use the difference in price to fund a lens purchase... but obviously others will have other priorities
The difference in cost between the M8.2 and the M9 (almost double) still makes the M8.2 a good buy.
Its not like if you are getting the M8.2 you might as well get the M9, at least in the UK and from what I have seen in the EU!
Jim Evidon
Jim
Go for the M8.2. I have an M8 which I had Leica upgrade to the M8.2 specs for the better viewfinder, shutter and sapphire LCD screen. Excellent features. I'm glad I did it and you can just go for the 8.2 and have it all.
semordnilap
Well-known
Man I hate gift cards...
$5k seems like a lot for the M8.2, especially when you can still get the upgrades directly from Leica, plus a year warranty, for less than the difference between the two. And if you don't like the M8 you can sell it for closer to what you paid for it than you'll be able to with the M8.2.
$5k seems like a lot for the M8.2, especially when you can still get the upgrades directly from Leica, plus a year warranty, for less than the difference between the two. And if you don't like the M8 you can sell it for closer to what you paid for it than you'll be able to with the M8.2.
Jim Evidon
Jim
It might make some sense to buy the M8, providing it is from a reputable dealer that will take it back if not satisfactory.
I paid $2150 to upgrade my M8 including the new discrete shutter, viewfinder and sapphire LCD screen. Work was done by Leica New Jersey. If you go this route, get it CLA'd at the same time if not included in the price. But when you add the $2500 to the $2150 to upgrade, it comes to $4650 and for $350 more you say you can get the M8.2 refurbished from Leica with a 1 year warranty for $5000. I still say it's a no-brainer to go for the M8.2.
BTW, KEH is very reputable and usually under rate their used equipment if you buy the M8 from them. My M4P that I purchased from them was rated as E, but I found that is was closer to near mint except for a very tiny rough area in the paint on the rear door that was barely noticeable. Good people.
I paid $2150 to upgrade my M8 including the new discrete shutter, viewfinder and sapphire LCD screen. Work was done by Leica New Jersey. If you go this route, get it CLA'd at the same time if not included in the price. But when you add the $2500 to the $2150 to upgrade, it comes to $4650 and for $350 more you say you can get the M8.2 refurbished from Leica with a 1 year warranty for $5000. I still say it's a no-brainer to go for the M8.2.
BTW, KEH is very reputable and usually under rate their used equipment if you buy the M8 from them. My M4P that I purchased from them was rated as E, but I found that is was closer to near mint except for a very tiny rough area in the paint on the rear door that was barely noticeable. Good people.
huntjump
Well-known
Wow Leica NJ charges $2150 for the upgrade? I'd scrap the m8 and get an M9 at $4650. . .
Since you have a gift card that forces you to shop through Amazon, i'd forgo the $5k 8.2 and get the m8. Then sell the m8, even at a slight loss, and then use the money how i want. That is the only way to extract the gift card money and then be able to still hunt for a good deal (not on amazon).
Jeff S
Well-known
No reason to buy an M8 and then get it upgraded by NJ. That strategy may have made sense when it was the only option. Now one can buy from a reputable dealer and get a fully upgraded M8 for under $3k, and a mint M8.2 for around $3400 (as I did, with dealer backing).
Jeff
Jeff
justinj
Member
Just an update on my situation. I picked up a silver M8 earlier this week for $2.1k, and I am very satisfied with the one I received. Took about 50 photos to test it out. Definitely a keeper.
Couple questions that came to mind..
serial is numbered 3109xxx. Is it within the bad batch?
the firmware is 2.000 .. is it important that I upgrade firmware? Is it life or death for the M8?
my Leitz ver III Elmarit-M 28mm lens has a hood that looks crooked on the M8. Is this normal for this lens on the M8?
since my 28mm is not coded, are the framelines in the M8 going to be set for 28mm or is it set for the last coded lens used on the camera?
Couple questions that came to mind..
serial is numbered 3109xxx. Is it within the bad batch?
the firmware is 2.000 .. is it important that I upgrade firmware? Is it life or death for the M8?
my Leitz ver III Elmarit-M 28mm lens has a hood that looks crooked on the M8. Is this normal for this lens on the M8?
since my 28mm is not coded, are the framelines in the M8 going to be set for 28mm or is it set for the last coded lens used on the camera?
Jeff S
Well-known
Congrats.
Wise to update the firmware. (Not much in photography is life or death, unless you're a war photojournalist.) This will just help your camera perform at its optimum. Each upgrade was done to correct problems and/or add functions. Just update the latest one (2.014 on the Leica download site) and you'll get the benefits of all prior updates.
Regarding the coding and frame lines, I've quoted from Andy Piper's post on LUF, since he explains it as well or better than I...
"Coding does three things:
1. Stores the lens type in EXIF data so one can tell what lens was used later during processing.
2. Allows the camera to correct for corner vignetting due to focal length.
3. Allows the camera to correct for greenish corners with wide-angles caused to the internal IR-blocking filter.
The frameline setting is used in conjunction with the coding to tell the camera what lens was used - i.e. a lens must be coded as a 28 - AND bring up the 28/90 framelines - to be recognized.
The coding does not affect the framelines - that is still purely a mechanical link as in any Leica M going back to the M3."
I will just add this...coding is not really needed for lens corrections (only for EXIF data) on lenses beyond 50mm IMO. This was confirmed by a Leica NJ technician when I posed the question. Your 28 Elmarit will indeed bring up the 28 lines (if all is working correctly).
Jeff
Wise to update the firmware. (Not much in photography is life or death, unless you're a war photojournalist.) This will just help your camera perform at its optimum. Each upgrade was done to correct problems and/or add functions. Just update the latest one (2.014 on the Leica download site) and you'll get the benefits of all prior updates.
Regarding the coding and frame lines, I've quoted from Andy Piper's post on LUF, since he explains it as well or better than I...
"Coding does three things:
1. Stores the lens type in EXIF data so one can tell what lens was used later during processing.
2. Allows the camera to correct for corner vignetting due to focal length.
3. Allows the camera to correct for greenish corners with wide-angles caused to the internal IR-blocking filter.
The frameline setting is used in conjunction with the coding to tell the camera what lens was used - i.e. a lens must be coded as a 28 - AND bring up the 28/90 framelines - to be recognized.
The coding does not affect the framelines - that is still purely a mechanical link as in any Leica M going back to the M3."
I will just add this...coding is not really needed for lens corrections (only for EXIF data) on lenses beyond 50mm IMO. This was confirmed by a Leica NJ technician when I posed the question. Your 28 Elmarit will indeed bring up the 28 lines (if all is working correctly).
Jeff
justinj
Member
Thanks Jeff!
I am in the process of updating the firmware right now. Just to clarify, I meant life or death for the camera - not myself. 🙂
I am in the process of updating the firmware right now. Just to clarify, I meant life or death for the camera - not myself. 🙂
filmtwit
Desperate but not serious
Fuji X-pro 1
Jim Evidon
Jim
My M8u is s/n 3110xxx and has worked like a charm before and since the "u" mods were done. I can't speak for s/n 3109xxx, but I believe that the problems were with the initial run of M8's and elsewhere on this forum or on the Leica Users Forum I'm sure you can find a thread that addresses the s/n's. I am also sure that if you call the Leica service department in New Jersey, they can tell you what s/n run had the problems.
Admittedly, I really didn't need to do the upgrades, and aside from the fact that the shutter was quieter than my Nikon DSLR and most other cameras but much noisier than my M4P, I went for the discreet shutter and then decided I'd go for the works. Practically speaking, it doesn't take pictures any better than before I upgraded it, but the new frame lines are an improvement and the LCD is now scratch proof. Did I need to do it? No. Am I glad I did it? Yes. And $2150 cost me less than trading in the M8 and buying a new M8.2 at the time when I had the mods done in October 2009.
Addendum: To JustinJ
I just found this on another thread in this forum regarding the s/n's of the problem M8's. I pass it on without endorsing the statement for your information:
"Those, up to about 3106000 need the T2 upgrade to avoid sudden death, which was caused by a faulty transitor, of which a few slipped into a batch. Most have had it, as Leica do that as routine. But they do not need the extra mass connection that the earlier series needed.
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