Would you buy a used M8 now?

_mark__ said:
Apologies for my M8 bashing, I had some very negative experiences with one and I'm allowing it colour my opinion of them all, which is unfair, they are after all a leica M.
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I fully acept that you had a bad experience, you would not be the only one, and this goes for any camera on the market. It would help if you explained, though.
 
A buddy of mine has an M8, I played around a bit with it in NY and it seemed like a great little camera (he just needs to get an IR filter 😉 ). In fact, I just came across a nice deal on an EX condition M8 and decided to go for it.
The plan was to save up for an M9, but for now I think I can live with the crop-factor and perhaps pass it on in a year or so and go for an M9 if I've decided that I like digital enough. Now I have some extra cash to spend on a nice holiday or maybe some wider glass than the 35mm I'm using now on my M6.
 
I have an M6 and an M8 and I use them both. As far as digital goes, the M8 is very nice, produces great images right out of the box, and I don't mind the crop factor (assuming you have the lens focal length covered for your style of shooting). All this is affordable, especially when compared to the price of an M9 now. However, the M8 lacks the "feel" in my hands that the M6 has. Anyone else experience this?
 
lagrassa said:
I have an M6 and an M8 and I use them both. As far as digital goes, the M8 is very nice, produces great images right out of the box, and I don't mind the crop factor (assuming you have the lens focal length covered for your style of shooting). All this is affordable, especially when compared to the price of an M9 now. However, the M8 lacks the "feel" in my hands that the M6 has. Anyone else experience this?
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I know what you mean. I have and use both. I guess for me it has to do with the m6 having a mechanical "heart" instead of a digital one, and the fact that the m6 is smaller. Also, I have a black m6 and a chrome m8 and somehow the chrome of the m8 makes me more visible to people, compared to the m6. M6 is more ninja..
 
lagrassa said:
I have an M6 and an M8 and I use them both. As far as digital goes, the M8 is very nice, produces great images right out of the box, and I don't mind the crop factor (assuming you have the lens focal length covered for your style of shooting). All this is affordable, especially when compared to the price of an M9 now. However, the M8 lacks the "feel" in my hands that the M6 has. Anyone else experience this?
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Yes. I like the camera very much but it does feel a bit different.
 
I just got one a little over a month ago for less than $2000. I hope to get two years out of it (touch wood) and for it to pay for itself through work.

I figure for the money I paid if I can get that much work out of it then i will be happy. It's a good camera (thus far) and it's nice to be able to work digitally using the M format...
 
I'm thinking of buying a M8 used with one year warranty.
Just to be prepaired for shooting in my favourite length I bought a used 24mm Elmarit asph. to get appr. 32mm view.

A Nikon buddy with tons of Nikkor glass has put his crop D2/S and others on the shelf and uses his M8 exclusively.
He had issues with his 8 but he still feels very comfortable.

My point is that the real difference to competitors is the glass. My experience in buying glass for my M6 or Bessa is that prices are going up steadily. At first the prices for wide angle (crop 1.33) and now for the normal lenghts.
Bodies come and go it's the lens, dude.....😀
 
yes, I've had an 'old' beat up M8 for 6 months and I love it, 1/2000 old style shutter is great and I would not upgrade. Considering the price compared with an M9 (even an 8.2) it is an absolute bargain, go for it, and spend the money you've saved on Leica glass - if you've tried an M8, you'll be hooked.
 
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I've thought about it and asked the store manager of one of NYC's best know camera stores (that is not one of the 2 very large ones), which digital Leica I should buy if money was not the object. His response, "...the X-1!" He has a premier showcase for Leica equipment and told me that several of his best Leica collectors/users have compared the the M8's vs. the M9's and have chosen to buy the X-1 for their digital fix and stay with the M6 or M7.

For me...I am going to stick with my DLux 4 (I know that it is a rich man's P&S) until the M10 or M11 comes out.
 
I think I would only buy one if it had 20K + shots and no issues. Too much risk with the collector/fondler owned versions.
 
lagrassa said:
I have an M6 and an M8 and I use them both. As far as digital goes, the M8 is very nice, produces great images right out of the box, and I don't mind the crop factor (assuming you have the lens focal length covered for your style of shooting). All this is affordable, especially when compared to the price of an M9 now. However, the M8 lacks the "feel" in my hands that the M6 has. Anyone else experience this?
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true, somehow the extra mm make for small differences, my M2 feels cute, and MP somehow more 'solid' and compact in the hand than the M8 - which in itself is a heap better than any DSLR...😉😀
 
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