Why are M8 prices still so high?

[GLAUMAX]

I had a M8. Sold it to "upgrade" to a M-E (same as M9).
Sold the M-E to come back to a M8.2.
Now I have two M8.2. I will keep them as long as possible.
For me, the M9 (or M-E) is not a real upgrade. Ok :it is full frame but I like the M8 rendering better (in B&W or color).

 

[Ruhayat]

I think it's because it is a Leica and M cameras are rather unique. The M8 was a camera I hated using -- too heavy, too big, too fat, too noisy. In short, it's not a film M. And yet some of the best photos I have were taken with that camera with either 35mm Summilux ASPH or 75mm Summicron ASPH. I sold mine for $1,000, bought it secondhand for $1,500, used it for 4 years. Not quite an investment, but an attrition rate of $250 a year is not bad, considering I bought my Canon 5D for the same price, sold 4 years later for $500.

 

[Ruhayat]

In a desperate attempt to push down M8 prices, RFF has now grouped the M8/M8.2 cameras with Ricoh GXR!

Leicas and other Leica Mount Cameras > Leica M8 / M8.2 / Ricoh GXR

Maybe it should be called plainly "Leica Mount Cropped Sensor Cameras". Then you can include the Epson, too.

 

[E__WOK]

Ebay prices have lowered and are now rising.

 

[Chromacomaphoto]

It still takes the same great pictures that it did when it was released and they can still be great images now.

Lots of people want to shoot Leica glass digitally and don't want to mess around with adapters on other various bodies that were not designed purely around the M lenses. They want a Leica body yet they also don't want to pay out the mega bucks for full frame, newer Leica models and that doesn't leave any other viable propositions.

Plus, although it might be bottom rung on the M digital ladder, it's still a ladder made by Leica = expensive.

 

[robur]

I´ve owned a M8 for two years. I made a huge economical effort to buy it for 1,400 euros and I hated shooting with it. Too fat and noisy for my taste. Finally I sold it a month ago for 900 euros.
On the other side some of my favorite photos were taken with it.

 

[_goodtimez]

You should try an M8.2, same excellent output and nicer to use than the basic M8.

 

[RichardPhoto]

I had a M8. Sold it to "upgrade" to a M-E (same as M9).
Sold the M-E to come back to a M8.2.
Now I have two M8.2. I will keep them as long as possible.
For me, the M9 (or M-E) is not a real upgrade. Ok :it is full frame but I like the M8 rendering better (in B&W or color).

That's quite worrying to hear - I just sold a mint M8 and will be getting an M-E next week! Quite happy I've made the right decision though.

 

[Oscuro]

That's quite worrying to hear - I just sold a mint M8 and will be getting an M-E next week! Quite happy I've made the right decision though.

Sometimes it's just the time it takes to transition.

When we got rid of our D2 bodies (4 of them!!) and replaced them with D3s, all of us wanted the D2s back again!

The D3 is by far the superior camera but we'd wrapped ourselves around the quirks of the D2. We got over it in a few days - we work a lot.

I now happily work with my "old" D3 bodies. We also have two D4s but until something breaks (and even then I'll probably just get it fixed), I'll stick with the older model.

 

[B-9]

I don't see how the prices are "high" I could not sell mine for 1100$ here, absolutely zero interest from members.

I too paid more, only to realize I have absolutely no patience for post processing software... Im more of a hands on type.

The photo's the M8 is capable of (jpeg for me) speak for themselves, and I have nothing bad to say about the camera.

Maybe ill have better luck passing on this jewel next go around.

 

[boliston]

Had my M8 now for 13 months and can't see myself upgrading unless the camera stops working - the newer digital leicas don't offer me any advantages over the M8.

iso160 is fine for the shots I take (when I shot film i almost always used iso200 film which worked fine)

it has a battery meter and shot counter

it is slow to buffer images but I don't shoot multiple shots in a row often

1.3x crop works well with my 28mm lens

flash sync is 1/250s (faster than the m9) and I use flash a lot

 

[jchfriis]

I had a M8. Sold it to "upgrade" to a M-E (same as M9).
Sold the M-E to come back to a M8.2.
Now I have two M8.2. I will keep them as long as possible.
For me, the M9 (or M-E) is not a real upgrade. Ok :it is full frame but I like the M8 rendering better (in B&W or color).

Almost the same story for me, except I never sold my M8 which I bought new in 2007. A few months after having bought the M-E, I realized it was just a GAS attack, so I sold it. The difference in output was too small to justify the investment for me.

 

[user237428934]

I bought an M8 in 2008 and upgraded to the M9 a year ago. After the upgrade i was really angry with myself because I waited so long. For me the upgrade was a big step forward.

Still got a reasonable price for the M8 because there are a lot of people out there who just want to try the Leica or even think 10MP + crop is enough..... and the camera holds it's value.

 

[maitani]

the only Leica with 24mm framelines in the finder

 

[pepeguitarra]

I sold my M8 because I bought the M9, however....!

I sold my M8 because I bought the M9, however....!

When I sent the M9 for sensor replacement to Leica, it took about 3 months for it come back. In the meantime, I bought a M8.u for $2,000. I do not regret it. Some of my best photos have been taken with the M8.u. The M9 came with new sensor and no problems any more. I now keep both. I cannot sell my M8, it is my back up and it works wonderful with the old lenses.

 

[Doug]

I have two M8 bodies, and figure they would sell for less than they're worth to me in use. Both were bought used in early 2008 (wow, 8 years ago!) two months apart; one chrome, one black... I tend to buy things in pairs! The chrome one developed a sensor column fault and on its trip to New Jersey was upgraded to M8.2 specs.

A couple years later I traded a Nikon S3 2000 kit +$$ for an RFF member's M9, which 3 years later I sold via eBay for a surprisingly high price. But then at this time in late 2013 the M9 sensor corrosion issue was not well-known yet. The money went toward a new M240.

But again I kept the pair of M8s... for one thing I find the 18, 21, and 25mm lenses more often useful on the M8 than on a full-frame camera, and without color shift issues. And as the 240 goes in for service soon, they will pull backup duty.

I like the M8, worth keeping!

 

[jaapv]

the only Leica with 24mm framelines in the finder

Yes. But you do not get a 24 mm on FF angle of view, so that is rather self-defeatng.😛

 

[Doug]

Yes, the angle of view of the 24 framelines is about 32mm equivalent... If this is a disadvantage, it's offset by being easier (for me) to see fully than FF 28mm frames!

 

[Austerby]

I've had mine since 2010, bought secondhand, and like the others commenting here, it hasn't been a camera I've loved but I have loved many of the shots taken with it. Its rendering is what has made me keep it and I still struggle to see the real benefits to me of upgrading to an M9 or later as the M8 works so well for me in the way that I use it.

 

[jsrockit]

the only Leica with 24mm framelines in the finder

Except you can't use them with a real 24mm... only a cropped version.