Who intends keeping their M8 FOREVER?

Who intends keeping their M8 FOREVER?

  • Yes ... I will keep it forever.

    Votes: 125 48.1%
  • No ... I won't keep it forever.

    Votes: 77 29.6%
  • I haven't decided yet!

    Votes: 58 22.3%

  • Total voters
    260
... (and, clearly, the M8 is a computer with an optical input device) Electronics are such an ephemeral thing!

Pau,

I do not regard my M8 as some sort of computer (well, I shouldn't - I shared my bed with it :D:D:D).

My 12 years old laptop is still running with its old software, but would not run with any current software. The M8, however, will still produce nice files which I can easily print @ 30 x 45 cm² in a couple of years time, no matter how "advanced" other cameras will be then.

Cheers,
Uwe
 
The usual life span of a computer is 3 years.

My DSLR is 17 years old. The Computer I am using to type this is 9 years old. Nina just bought a new computer with 8GBytes of RAm for less than I paid for a an 80386 upgrade for my $3500 80286 Zenith 241. I do not use the 241 any more, but still have a $2,000 Z80A based system. It still works, bought it in 1982.
 
S-100 forever, I say! I need to dig out my Imsai 8080A and see if will still fire up. The Processor Technology VDM-1 video board was getting flakey the last time I tried it.
 
As happy I was to adopt the 1.33x crop M8, I was even happier to accept the full frame M9. Although I swear my M8 would outlive me, I sold it yesterday.

That 1/3 makes all the difference.
 
I will keep mine till it stops working. 2nd Hand prices are a complete joke.
The R-D1 kept its value much better and longer.
I do not see me invest in repairs of the M8 however: not economical giving the going rates of hardly used M8's. When it stops working it's right to the bin or sell it to whoever wants a defect M8 .
 
The only thing that died on one of my digital cameras so far was the shutter - has anybody had a M8 shutter replacement that wasn't covered by warranty yet?
 
pkreyenhop, I shot the shutter out of a Canon 10D once. It's probably not worth the cost of replacing a shutter in any out of warranty digital camera, Leica or otherwise. On the other hand, shutters are pretty durable in modern cameras.
 
At the moment I will give my M8.2 the biggest chance to stay ever made to one of my cameras

(and I think my very nice R-D1 has definitly to go soon if someone comes along :)
 
If I had an M8 I would sell it like NOW!!...After seeing & reading Ken Rockwell's photos & review of the M9 I am, like Ken convinced that it's the best digital camera in the world!...and I'm serious! Those photos he took with it while he was on vacation are stunning & it blows the Nikon & Canon full frame dslr's away! An M8 is no where in the class of an M9 and doesn't even measure up to a RD-1 for black & white.
 
If I had an M8 I would sell it like NOW!!...After seeing & reading Ken Rockwell's photos & review of the M9 I am, like Ken convinced that it's the best digital camera in the world!...and I'm serious! Those photos he took with it while he was on vacation are stunning & it blows the Nikon & Canon full frame dslr's away! An M8 is no where in the class of an M9 and doesn't even measure up to a RD-1 for black & white.

I'd love to follow your advice, but I if I sold mine, it would take me about 4-5 years to save up for the difference :eek: Constantly thinking of ways to raise money for an M9 of my own...
 
I'd love to follow your advice, but I if I sold mine, it would take me about 4-5 years to save up for the difference :eek:

I don't think things are that grim...in 3 years the M10 will be "the best digital camera in the world" and you'll be able to buy a lightly-used M9 for half what it costs today...;)
 
Let me extend my support to the 'keepers'. I intend to keep my Epson R-D1 forever since I love a lot of things about this camera. In fact, I am looking for a second body which I intend to mothball until the first one meets his maker.
 
If I had an M8 I would sell it like NOW!!...After seeing & reading Ken Rockwell's photos & review of the M9 I am, like Ken convinced that it's the best digital camera in the world!...and I'm serious! Those photos he took with it while he was on vacation are stunning & it blows the Nikon & Canon full frame dslr's away! An M8 is no where in the class of an M9 and doesn't even measure up to a RD-1 for black & white.
Having both M8 and M9, I'm touched by your enthusiasm. Yes, the M9 is an even more desirable camera than the M8, and certainly the RD1, and in my world there is no DSLR that comes close, but in the end, at the top, there comes a point of diminishing returns.
 
An M8 is no where in the class of an M9 and doesn't even measure up to a RD-1 for black & white.

And where does he say this?! Ken doesn't like the M8's crop factor or use of IR filters. Beyond that, he says little about image quality between the two cameras.

In his review, Ken states he actually prefers his film Ms. After using those film Ms and doing my own darkroom and print work for 25 years, I couldn't be happier with the resultant 8x10 or 13x19 b&w prints I get from my M8.2 (and great Leica glass).

But, craftsmanship involves more than the camera and glass. I can attest that the M8 is a fine enough tool, used with proper methods (including computer software, papers, inksets, drivers and profiles), to produce some astounding prints.

And, all that fancy equipment used improperly will produce crap. Don't believe me or Ken...try it yourself.

Jeff
 
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I spent three years reading that the M8 was the "greatest camera in the world." Now Ken's telling me the M9 is the greatest. It's getting hard to keep score! ;)
 
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