What is the M8's shutter life?

[hamzaaytac]

Dear Friends,

I did not find any info about shutter life of M8. Canon 5D has 150,000 MarkIII has 300,000... But M8???

[cam2000]

Even from Leica's reps...... I was never quoted a number of shots the Leica M8 shutter can take before breakdown. I wish Leica did give us some guaranteed figure on the life of there shutter.

[andybarton]

Are the Canon figures MTBF? They won't be guaranteed.

The shutter used in the M8 is also used by lots of other manufacturers too, IIRC (Nikon?) It will have a life no shorter than any of theirs, and the M8.2 may have a longer life since it doesn't have the 1/8000 any longer.

[marknorton]

Nikon has similar figures - 150k for the D700 shutter, 300k for the D3/D3x shutter but as Andy says, these are the design lives and the failure rate over a large population will exhibit the familiar bell curve.

I also agree the reduced stresses in the M8.2/M8u should help. When you hold an M8 shutter in your hand, feel the strength of the springs and the force required on the cocking lever, then gently touch the featherweight curtains, it's a wonder it works and stays in one piece at all.

Copal - who make the M8 shutter and shutters for Nikon - do not have a shutter catalogue. Instead, each type shutter is designed to meet the customer requirements using, presumably, an array of standard parts and, especially, assembly processes and jigs to make the thing.

Consequently, the shutter will be a relatively inexpensive thing to replace, as evidenced by the M8.2 upgrade cost which, if you look at the different costs, suggests the shutter upgrade costs about €400 which will include a new shutter speed dial also.

[coup de foudre]

Originally Posted by marknorton

Consequently, the shutter will be a relatively inexpensive thing to replace, as evidenced by the M8.2 upgrade cost which, if you look at the different costs, suggests the shutter upgrade costs about €400 which will include a new shutter speed dial also.

if only that's all they charged -- i'd do it in a heartbeat!