Serial Number start for "New" M8?

[vikasmg]

The local Leica dealer has generously agreed to swap my just purchased M8 for a new, supposedly :fixed" firmware, M8. Is there any way to tell the "Old" and "New apart?

Does anyone know what serial number the M8s with the new firmware start from and what the new firmware version number is?

Thanks in advance

- Vikas

[danielt]

My M8 purchased on 15.12.06 with firmware 1.09 is serial number 310249X

Cheers

[fotografz]

These can simply be the original version which has the new firmware factory installed ... and would be no different than earlier M8s with the firmware updated by the user.

Or am I wrong on this? Is the hardware fix been made to any returned or shipped cameras yet?

The M8s we all want are the ones with the hardware fix to correct the banding. If, or when those are shipping, and from what serial number onwards, I have no idea. The rest of us have to send in our cameras.

Anyone know? Would Leica even tell us?

I guess I'm confused.

[vikasmg]

My new Camera's firmware also says 1.09. Is this the updates firmware version?

Thanks.

- Vikas

[guywalder]

Vikas,
do you mean firmware or hardware?
you dont need to change camera to get the latest firmware, you can download it and install it yourself.
I guess your dealer is talking about the hardware update. In this case I dont see how the camera serial number helps. There will be early cameras that have not been updated yet, early cameras that have, and there will (soon??) be cameras built from new with the fix. In this last case knowing the serial number cut off for the last group would be interesting, but I doubt Leica would feel the need to publicise it...
Either way, if you are being offered an improvement I would take it and be happy!

[vikasmg]

Well, I guess I was talking about both the new firware and the hardware fix (I hadn't realised there was one). What I'm told I've been given is the new series of "fixed" cameras. The firmware says 1.09 and serial number is 31022XX. ANyway, it's a new camera and I wasn't particularly unhappy with the first one! Not too many synthetic black fabrics in my life I guess ;-)

[scott kirkpatrick]

A better question would be what are serial nos for the "old" M8's which needed a trip to the factory. Mine is 31025xx and it reached the store in the US around the 20th December.

scott

[scott kirkpatrick]

A better question would be what are serial nos for the "old" M8's which needed a trip to the factory. Mine is 31025xx and it reached the store in the US around the 20th December. I assume it has the new components, but can't be sure.

scott

[carstenw]

I've got a very early shipment with 310223x, which went back for the fix.

[DaveEP]

I would also like to know the first serial number that had the hardware changes as a production model - so that if a dealer offers me one, I know it it's old (needs to go back) or new production. I don't see why Leica would need to keep this one a secret. It's pretty important, otherwise how will people know to sent theirs back or not?

[marknorton]

We don't know if Leica actually makes cameras in serial number sequence - in particular, the black and chrome cameras may be in different serial number groups - so I expect it's difficult to establish an exact cut-off. Also, it was said at the time that Leica were recalling as many unsold cameras as possible and it's likely these were the first ones to be fixed and re-shipped, before any first-wave cameras were sent in.

My dealer told me he had been expecting a demonstrator before Christmas, a reworked Photokina camera to avoid the need to use saleable stock for demonstration purposes but that has not yet happened.

Mine is 31010xx, chrome and needs fixing.

[DaveEP]

This may sound dumb, but (other than trying to cause the faults), is there any obvious way to tell if a body has been upgraded?

[wattsy]

Originally Posted by DaveEP

This may sound dumb, but (other than trying to cause the faults), is there any obvious way to tell if a body has been upgraded?

Probably not without taking it apart and examining the circuit board(s). It may be possible to connect to the camera via the USB port but you'd need the right diagnostic software to probe around. Mark Norton probably has a better handle on this.

[wattsy]

Originally Posted by marknorton

We don't know if Leica actually makes cameras in serial number sequence

I agree.

FWIW my M8 is black - serial number is 31013xx. It arrived during the very first week the M8 started shipping and is currently at Solms being fixed.

[marknorton]

...and Ian and I bought mine from the same dealer. But for the fact he was ahead of me in the queue, that black one would have been mine. LOL.

[scott kirkpatrick]

Originally Posted by DaveEP

This may sound dumb, but (other than trying to cause the faults), is there any obvious way to tell if a body has been upgraded?

You know, I'll bet there is an Easter egg which does what we want. On my Ricoh GR-D, I set it in an unusal mode and press three buttons in an unlikely combination and on the display I get to see six lines of internal information which includes the firmware level, the number of shots, etc. Carl de Bretteville did some reading of the 1.09 firmware and concluded from the XML that directs the installation that there were level numbers on the internal components, and one of them had reached level 1, while the rest are at level 0. That singles out the one changed component. Now is there some obvious and readable code in 1.09 which directs an output display given some odd-sounding initial conditions? A challenge for the weekend.

scott

[marknorton]

Originally Posted by wattsy

Mark Norton probably has a better handle on this.

... but not yet a tight grip...

The 1.09 firmware suggests it supports Revision 0 and Revision 1 of the sensor board (referred to as the CCD board) and Revision 0 of everything else.

From what I can see, there's will be some sort of magic startup sequence (such as select 1/15, press delete, menu and right arrows, then power the camera on) which will bring the camera up in diagnostic mode. I can see all sorts of interesting information in the firmware, such as the total number of pictures ever taken, the build dates of the various software components and so on. I expect it would also display the revision level of the various components so that a Revision Level of 1 for the CCD board would likely indicate a "fixed" camera. Looks like the sensor boards are just swapped out for speed as part of the fix and it may be the old ones are updated with the fix for re-use or they may be just binned.

Sadly, I have not yet found the magic combination which will be kept secret to keep people like me from meddling.

[Scott's and my replies overlapped... LOL]

[wattsy]

Originally Posted by marknorton

...and Ian and I bought mine from the same dealer. But for the fact he was ahead of me in the queue, that black one would have been mine. LOL.

Actually I think you were ahead of me in the queue. I was initially offered a chrome M8 and I asked if I could have an hour to think about it. When I called back the dealer had spoken to somebody ahead of me (us?) in the queue who decided he was happy to wait until the next shipment of M8s (not sure if that was a good or bad decision) and his black M8 was then offered to me.

[khanosu]

Since firmware 1.09 is available for public download a better way to see if you really got a newer version is to look for a pamphlet. There should be a pamphlet in the box inviting you to register for two free IR cut filters. If this is not there then it probably isan older model with the new firmware installed later.

Furrukh

[larry]

Originally Posted by khanosu

Since firmware 1.09 is available for public download a better way to see if you really got a newer version is to look for a pamphlet. There should be a pamphlet in the box inviting you to register for two free IR cut filters. If this is not there then it probably isan older model with the new firmware installed later.

Furrukh

I agree, the pamphlet is the best way to tell if your camera is a newer one. If Leica is similar to other manufacturers I've visited that produce products in hand-assembled batches, serial numbers (in this case, on the accessory shoe) and associated stickers aren't necessarily used sequentially. Typically they're also batch manufactured, bundled together, and then pulled out of a parts bin and attached to the product and box at the last stage of assembly. My new chrome M8 has a very low number (31002xx), but exhibits none of the problems that were corrected and it was packed with the free filter pamphlet. Leica probably made two or three thousand serial number sets for its initial production run.

Larry