When to buy a used M8?

[Angelos Viskadourakis]

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someone who bought M8 and made the upgrades had paid within the last two years 5000-5700 euros (+40% in US $),must be very desparate or deeply wealthy to sell his M8 lower than 2300 euros today or in two years time or later,better keep it and use it as is a very capable camera for almost all situations that an M photographer is up to.I prefer to offer mine as a present to an upcoming photographer better in 4-6 years from now.

To see a real difference in image quality with the tech evolution speed we have to wait many many more years that many like to believe,and the evolution will not be in the image quality as many think, it will be in different shapes and sizes,as in film the same in digital and even more we need bigger photosites ,faster processors,larger lenses,bigger power sources etc,etc,etc.

Price for those they know will not change soon-i mean the next many years-because the quality didnt and will not change as soon as many believe,an M will be always an M.

The next step will be when we liberate the sensor from the Bayern pattern,when our processors will be 16 bit,when we see a new generation of AD converters, etc.

So is not very wise to be in such a hurry.Changes are not drastic and for most photographers with strong technique and post process background are not even noticeable.

Now if someone can find an M8 with 1800-2000 euros should immediately grab the bargain as will not last for very long-will only last up to the moment that the M8 seller will understand the photographic value and feature of his/her camera.

Prices will drop in general because of the economy crisis for new and used items at the same time -if they drop.

[!Nomad64]

Hi everyone--

 

I'm looking to pick up a used M8 in the next few months and wanted to tap the wisdom of crowds to see if I can get some advice for when I should look (if not constantly). I've only started following sales recently, so I don't know how the current environment compares to other times. It seems like there are more available now with the M9s making their way into the world. With more available, prices should theoretically be lower. However, I wonder if the effect of more time passing and the technology becoming older would have a greater effect on price. Anyhow, what do you all think? Will prices be any better in the spring or do you think they've stabilized for a while with the introduction of the M9?

 

Thanks!

 

Bought mine at the end of May 2009 and paid Eur 2,500 for it in mint condition. Now they're selling M8s at Eur 1,800. "Now" is 7 months later, meaning that if I'd been waiting till now I'd been 7 months without my M8 just to get a camera used 7 months more by someone I don't know.

The longer you wait, the less you pay and the more worn your camera will be. As usual, you get what you pay for. The rest is up to you.

 

Cheers,

Bruno

[wilfredo]

I just took a look at E-bay and the price of a used M8 seems pretty much as it was a couple of months ago when I last looked. I don't see any drop in price.

[EdLam]

looking at eBay right now and don't see a single M8 under $2000. An auction that began on Dec 29 is already up to $1700. Most BUY IT NOW options are in the mid 2000's. As I see it, prices have steadied above $2000.

[Bo_Lorentzen]

Hu....? Technically speaking the M8 is more than a RD1, so lets not expect it to suddenly sell for less than a RD1 in the near future.

 

I would not sell my M8 for $2000, so its sticking around along with the M9, Im guessing that most of the flash-sales happend when some shooters dumped M8's for M9 cameras, but Im also pretty sure most of those early "dumpers" have cashed out their M8 cameras at this point as most tried to dump them quickly once the M9 was for real. The ones who still are holding on either don't see a point in selling now or are keeping the M8 as a main camera.

 

a friend of mine bought a M8 for $2500 in the spring of 2009, that was cheap back then, but it seems to me that the price is pretty stable.

 

Stocks are not girlfriends, buy when the price is right, a gain is not a loss. to some having a M8 is a gain, I wonder how much one would appreciate this per month, $50.? $100..? is it worth having a new camera now or later and what will I pay to have it now.? :-)

 

 

 

.

[piblondin]

Thanks again, everyone. I decided to order an M8 today. Hopefully, my experience with it will be problem-free. I'll try it out for a few months, and sell it if it doesn't work out. But I have a suspicion that I'm going to really enjoy the experience of using it.

[Ecaton]

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I think there was a short period of oversupply of used M8/M8.2 because of people freeing up funds for the M9 on the one hand and depressed market demand in a recession environment on the other hand, thus the relatively steep recent price erosion. I would not be surprised if prices would stabilize at current low levels or even increase slightly.

[wda]

The longer you wait, the older and more used the M8s become!

[Bo_Lorentzen]

Ecaton,

 

I tend to agree, the bottom line is the M8 and the RD1 is the current entry level digital range-finders... and considered the RD1, the M8 is simply easy worth 2500 for most users, it is a very good camera, and I think price will hold, and as the market have been re-assigned after them M9, chances are the M8's will stop moving as much and those which do sell will be priced higher. A lot of shooters who pick up a M8 are going to find it is everything they wanted and that they have no interest in further upgrading. so some of these M8's will be valued and kept for a lot of years.

 

As long as the camera have a value position in the market, the price is not going to tank.

 

That will change with the M10, suddenly there will be a glut of M9 cameras and everybody takes a step down the latter, but I don't think it will go much lower, because new users will be snatching 3 gen M8's up.... sooo.