Is it true that Leica has stopped making M8 & M8.2?

[MikeMyers]

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Maybe in their mind, the X1 will be that lower-priced alternative. And because it has a fixed lens, nobody will complain later if they decide to change the format, or stop the X serie.

 

Lucien

 

 

I had the X1 in my hands at the recent Photo Expo in NYC, and I was not very impressed. I don't see it as a lower-priced alternative to a Leica M camera, any more than a small P&S Nikon would be a lower-priced alternative to their D3.

 

At any rate, the guys at the Leica booth told me the M8.2 is still a current model Leica, so at least for a while, people still do have a choice. It's also still listed for sale as a current camera at B&H (Leica | M8.2 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black) | 10-711) so officially it's still available. As to whether Leica is still manufacturing them, my guess is that will be based on user demand.

[Leicaiste]

The lack of diverse offerings really speaks to the general weakness of Leica as a company. But obviously, that's nothing new. The company's financial woes are there for everyone to see in its financial filings.

 

I don't really care what the company's "budget" (hard to call a $2,000-$3000 camera "budget") model is called. M8.3, M10, M-whatever. But they need some way to keep reaching new users.

 

When you compare the prices of the MP/M7 with the M8/M9, you can see that there is not much room for a cheaper M.

 

As long as it is a real M.

 

Now if you remove the state of the art rangefinder and put a live view.

 

But if it means finding a maker for a CMOS sensor with offset lenses...

 

Lucien

[tbarker13]

When you compare the prices of the MP/M7 with the M8/M9, you can see that there is not much room for a cheaper M.

 

As long as it is a real M.

 

Now if you remove the state of the art rangefinder and put a live view.

 

But if it means finding a maker for a CMOS sensor with offset lenses...

 

Lucien

 

Hmm. Not really sure what you mean by there not being room for a cheaper M. My argument is that Leica needs more than just a full-frame digital rangefinder that it sells for $7,000. If the M8.2 is still being made/sold new, then they've got one. But there seems to be some question about whether Leica is still making the M8.2.

I believe that Leica would be making a mistake by not offering some sort of lower-priced camera along with its flagship model.

[andybarton]

Leica don't have the capacity to make both models. They can't make enough M9s to satisfy demand, so diverting resources to make M8.2s wouldn't help that situation at all.

 

Technicians who have the skills to make such cameras don't grow on trees either and aren't just hanging around on street corners in Portugal or Solms, waiting for the call.

[wda]

I am not sure that they need a current M8 to accomplish that, especially since the M8 has a mixed reputation. ....

Carsten, I feel your statement is rather sweeping! Certainly the early launch models had a troubled time, but once Leica had sorted out the unnecessary teething troubles I believe the M8 has proved to be a very popular and reliable camera. I am sure there are very many more satisfied M8 owners than dissatisfied ones.

[carstenw]

*I* am a satisfied owner! Very! But look around anywhere outside this forum, and it is clear that it will take an M9 to clear Leica's reputation.

[john_newell]

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Actually, almost every M camera going back at least to the M4 had teething problems. The M5, which was arguably the best designed and built film M camera ever, landed with about the same general 'thud' as the M8 and is still hated by many. That continuing hatred doesn't affect its quality or utility, however.

[ShivaYash]

Interesting reading, but given time, won't the price of a FF sensor come down, making FF the standard?

[tbarker13]

Interesting reading, but given time, won't the price of a FF sensor come down, making FF the standard?

 

One would think so. But thus far, Leica has only shown an inclination to raise the prices on the digital rangefinders it brings to market. Of course that's an unsustainable tactic over the long haul. It'll be interesting to see what their next offering is in this arena. Will it be an even higher-priced M9.2 or will they bring a new model to market? The M10?

 

But if Leica can't meet the demand for its cameras, perhaps it's time to ramp up production capacity. Unless - and I'd guess this is probably the case - they expect the demand to be pretty short-lived.

 

I still just can't get past the nagging feeling that this champion of mechanical cameras is still trying to find its way in the digital world. Unfortunately, the realm of technology is not a kind place for slow-moving companies.

 

(At times like this, I always feel like I need to say that I have been a fan/user of Leica gear for more than two decades. I adore the company's products. And it would be a sad day for me if this company ever went away)