M8 Screen Supply

[Lord Lucan]

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I dont have M8 and I am reluctanat to buy because of one or the other things could go wrong anytime.

Lets begin with screen first.

Do you think that someone might reproduce compatible screens in future? Like compatible spares for old cars?

[david strachan]

As far as I know it's only LCD screens unavailable for replacement.  Shutters are still available.

Leica will still service the M8.

 

Keep in mind it is an old camera.  However I have two, which haven't missed a beat.  For a very few, screens have suffered from the "coffee ring" effect...and have usually self cured over time.

 

For most people they continue as an excellent and reliable camera.

 

all best...

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[Ko.Fe.]

Where are compatible spare parts for old cars, parts manufactured in third world countries. Cheap spare parts for now cheap cars because they are old and not collectible, but used to be mass produced as new. M8 is old but not cheap and it wasn't as mass produced as Canonikon DLSR. So, M8 screen could be "reproduced" at reasonable price if it was originally taken from mass produced Canonikon parts. But if it was custom made, it has to be custom made again. In spare parts for old cars situation in means, not $$, but $$$$.

[earleygallery]

If Leica couldn't source a new screen I don't see how anyone else will, I mean Leica would probably have made a reasonably large order. The original manufacturer no longer makes a compatible screen so I think the answer is a resounding NO.

[lct]

Ditto

[-Lss-]

I dont have M8 and I am reluctanat to buy because of one or the other things could go wrong anytime.

Lets begin with screen first.

 

 

Realistically, you should not buy anything ever again if things going wrong worries you. 

 

No screen supply is factored into the 2nd-hand price of the M8. Try to bargain, if you want one and consider the price too high. Chances are you won't find a seller, though.

[Lord Lucan]

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_Lss_, I think you understood me but I feel there is a hint of misunderstanding

[enboe]

Let me pull the old soapbox out of the closet and pontificate for a bit:

 

The M8/M8u/M8.2 continue to be wonderful imaging tools, and now being 11 years old, can be had for $1500-2300 range depending on condition and features/trim.  They are unique in their B&W and IR cabilities due to the lack of IR coverglass and a CCD image capture chip.  They are robust and reliable, with only a hand full being reported to have failed screens or failed shutters.  The M8 provides an entry point into Leica M digital operation at a more affordable price point.  If you are choosing one due to the lower cost of entry, perhaps pay a little more to purchase from a store that will give you 90 days of warranty.  That should be more than enough to wring out any issues.

 

However, if cost, B&W, and IR capabilities don't matter, an M240 can be had for $3500 or a little less, and an M9 for $1000 less than that.  The newer models will give you full frame and a couple of stops per generation higher ISO performance.

 

Eric

[sodark1828]

It would be great if they stii have the screen. My M8 screen is cracked, well its actually the first layer (mica), and not the LCD. So I'm not worry.

 

E-mailed Leica Singapore to ask the screen. Havent got the reply yet

[jaapv]

Sorry to dash cold water, but the LCD screen is a complete replacement. Individual components have never been available. The best thing you can do is find a good screen protector like Giotto, remove the cracked cover and stick the screen protector on.

Even if the screen is available, it is doubtful whether replacing it would make economic sense. It is quite a costly repair.

[ellegant]

About five years ago I bought a used M8.2. It worked fine until several weeks ago. I turned on my M8.2 and when I pressed the Menu button instead of the display I got a screen full of barcode like stripes. From my research on the internet this may not be an uncommon issue! And of course no replacement LCD screens are available. Bah humbug! I have a ten year old Canon A710is that has never given me a lick of trouble. Works as well as when I first took it out of the box. If Canon can could do it, why couldn't Leica? Reminds me of the advice some give to never buy a new car the first year it comes out. Well I now have a classy paper weight. Maybe back to film in my fifty year old M4...and yes I am the original owner of the M4! Wonder how many rolls of film I could have had developed and scanned for the price of my used M8.2. I understand Leica may offer a credit towards an upgrade...don't think I would take it. 

[david strachan]

The M8 has been one of the most reliable cameras by Leica.

Very few screens have caused problems.

 

Still a most excellent camera.

 

...

[lct]

I don't know how many Leica screens have caused problems but i cannot refrain from recalling the dreaded "coffee stain" issue of M8 and M8.2 bodies. My M8.2 has been affected but the stain disappeared a couple of years ago fortunately. Sorry for your experience ellegant but a s/h M8.2 wouldn't cost much more than i repair i suspect.

[farnz]

Perhaps worthwhile mentioning that the LCD screen wasn't manufactured by Leica, which was let down by the supplier of the screen as they ceased production of the screen and held limited replacements.  The buck ultimately stops with Leica who designed, manufactured, and sold the M8 but there are some things that are sometimes beyond a vendor's control.

 

Pete. 

[earleygallery]

LCD screens are generally very reliable things so that wouldn't put me off buying an M8 now, if I wanted one.

 

As mentioned above the cost of repair (if it were possible) would most likely be much the same as the cost of another M8.

[Tom R]

Sad news, in many respects.  I wonder if Leica can rectify this situation, and if so at a price less than the value of the camera? And this question, I suppose, begs the question of how "valuable" this camera is to you---which is a question that only you can answer.

 

This forum is rife with similar questions and concerns--mostly from owners of M8.x and M9 cameras. I wonder if so many of these aren't really a matter of the disconnect between expectations, which are somewhat reasonable given Leica's history,  and realities---which are beyond the control of any one manufacturer? 

[Guest]

As prices for used M8 continue to decline with age, any opening and repair attempts by Leica itself will be more expensive than the residual value.

Perhaps it will be possible for experienced electronics technicians to replace a still working display of an otherwise defective M8 in a still well-preserved M8 with a defective display.

But if that will be cheaper than getting another M8?

[sixteen pads]

 

As prices for used M8 continue to decline with age, any opening and repair attempts by Leica itself will be more expensive than the residual value.

Perhaps it will be possible for experienced electronics technicians to replace a still working display of an otherwise defective M8 in a still well-preserved M8 with a defective display.

But if that will be cheaper than getting another M8?

 

 

I honestly have not noticed them declining at all. 

They seem to be 200$ or so more expensive than 3 years ago. 

 

Where do you see them declining ?

[jaapv]

About five years ago I bought a used M8.2. It worked fine until several weeks ago. I turned on my M8.2 and when I pressed the Menu button instead of the display I got a screen full of barcode like stripes. From my research on the internet this may not be an uncommon issue! And of course no replacement LCD screens are available. Bah humbug! I have a ten year old Canon A710is that has never given me a lick of trouble. Works as well as when I first took it out of the box. If Canon can could do it, why couldn't Leica? Reminds me of the advice some give to never buy a new car the first year it comes out. Well I now have a classy paper weight. Maybe back to film in my fifty year old M4...and yes I am the original owner of the M4! Wonder how many rolls of film I could have had developed and scanned for the price of my used M8.2. I understand Leica may offer a credit towards an upgrade...don't think I would take it. 

Did you explore whether this is really a defect in the screen? It might as well be a loose flex connector, or a faulty circuit board, etc. Which, as such, would be a more economical repair than an LCD replacement, which at close to 1000 $ would exceed the value of the camera anyway. 

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[Guest]

I honestly have not noticed them declining at all. 

They seem to be 200$ or so more expensive than 3 years ago. 

 

Where do you see them declining ?

 

It seems to be dependent on the region.

At some dealers I last saw M8 for about 800 - 900 €, while two years ago I didn't see any below 1,000 €.

Of course, I can't say anything about the conditions of these offered copies, since I haven't looked closer.

In general, dealers complain that M8 would be difficult to sell or almost unsalable.

Maybe they want to lower the prices for offered M8.

But those who here want to buy a digital Leica-M make their decisions - for understandable reasons - better for a newer, more technically advanced camera.