Help: M8d ($3200) or M9 ($8000)?

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Dear everyone,

 

Really really appreciated, very helpful information/suggestion/advise.

I do not do comercial, other than some wedding photography at my spare time. I do not do large prints neither. I am more hobbyist than professional, I am an architect.

The money I have saved from purchasing a M8 instead of M9 will go to a 28mm Summcorn, or maybe even a better one (Summilus 24mm?). I do not think that I will loss much (maybe couple thousands) by the time to upgrade to M9.2 or M10? My Canon G2 cost me over $1,000.00 9 years ago. I asked $20.00 at kijiji and no one even interested. I do truth Leica would hold some value.

 

Thanks again.

 

John

[DFV]

Smart move, but there is no Summilux 28 though. The Summicron 28 is good enough. Believe me, it is an extraordinary lens.

[jaapv]

definitely m9. i don't own either, but i will never touch an m8. when i buy a digital m, you can be your bottom dollar i will not be buying a non-FF camera that requires IR filters.

 

$3200 is still a lot of money. a lot of money for a camera that is obselete. an m2 or an m3 is an older model, it works just as well as an mp. an m8 is outdated and does not work like an m9. my opinion is that, i'd rather pay for a modern camera, than to 'learn' from an obselete camera that in many ways, is flawed.

You have a very polarized view of the differences between the M8 and M9 - Although I prefer the M9 over the M8 there is no reason to hype the differences up, the M8 is not "flawed in many ways" nor is it obsolete. Nor is the M9 in comparison a spectacularly "modern camera". It is in nearly all ways an evolution of the M8, that is all.

[JPH1962]

as some wrote before - I would go for the M9 as well!

 

After 2 months with mine, I had to use the M8 again during the last days as the M9 slipped out of my hand... beeing fixed just now.

 

Althoug I like the M8 very much, there is still a big difference beetween them:

- no ir filter needed

- better for high iso

- the lenses keep their original character

- for lenses with 35 or 50mm I prefer the finder of the M9

- once you get into wide angle, you have more choice at lower price for lenses on M9

- No coding problems anymore as you can select directly on the M9

 

My M8 will stay with me for black and white only - the M9 will do the rest.

 

For me the M8 is a very nice cam, the M9 is better.

 

But at the end - you must feel well with your choice...

[GFONG]

As a DSLR user, I think the problem of M8 is the crop factor. Crop is good for telephoto but not for wide angle or standard lenses. You spend more money on an UWA in order to get a WA. Your 35mm becomes 50mm. Like a lot of DSLR photographers, most of them will upgrade to FF subsequently. I would suggest to go for M9 because you can save the money on M8 and lenses. (Of course it should be within the budget.)

 

(Why save money on lenses? For example, in order to use 35mm, you need to buy the 24mm on a crop body. When upgrade to FF, you need to buy the 35mm and the 24mm will be kept in the box.)

[charlesphoto99]

Get the M8 and a used 28 cron (if tyou can find one). Great set up that took a lot of amazing pictures for me. Yes, I have an M9 now and sold one M8 (and will probably sell my other M8u) but that's me. The M8 is a great camera and certainly not "obsolete."

[gwelland]

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...

 

Leica M8d (as the original listing: ‘d’ is for distingué, and we believe it deserves stand-alone status. With its unique specs, eminent pedigree and unbeatable price, this ever-so-limited offer black Leica M8 will make it easier to own the very best. Fully upgraded with the improvements found on the M8.2, thinner bright line frames for more precise composition, quiet, low-kinetic energy shutter (1/4000 sec. top speed), sapphire glass LCD cover, and topped off with a vulcanite finish, these M8s are factory brand new and fully Leica-USA warranted.)

 

WTF? That's way too pretentious for me. It's an upgraded M8 that's all.

 

Presumably you can only produce Gicclé prints from it - unlike the ink jet prints the rest of us print

 

Anyway, as far as value for money is concerned, the upgraded M8 is probably as good an M8 as you can find. The M8.2 realistically only added some useless features like stupid mode that you'll never miss.

 

Btw, does it really have the full 2 year Leica warranty? Was this a last ditch effort by Leica to pimp out the last of their M8 stock with upgrades after the M8.2 was released? I hadn't heard of this one.

[SJP]

As a very happy M8 user (not M8d, M8u, M8.2 etc.) I can confirm that it is not obsolete and indeed is not better or worse than any other M camera, a bit different maybe due to the crop factor but who cares about that? Not me.

 

I use a M2 on occasion for nostalgic reasons, and that is not obsolete either (What no light meter!?? Yep, I can guess the required lighting in 85% + of the situations and it is not that difficult to learn.)

 

With the M2 I normally use a 35 mm (summaron f/2.8 from 1963) & on the M8 a summicron 28/2 ASPH. I have other lenses but these are the ones for me.

 

Maybe I will get a 50 lux ASPH sometime but I am not in a hurry.

 

If I had to choose now between a M8 or a M9 I would probably go for the M8, just because I would be able to get one lens extra (or a better one). Digital M's come and go (to some extent, esp. financially) lenses remain.

 

Go for the M8 and stop worrying, all the stuff made by Leica is fantastic.

[cheewai_m6]

You have a very polarized view of the differences between the M8 and M9 - Although I prefer the M9 over the M8 there is no reason to hype the differences up, the M8 is not "flawed in many ways" nor is it obsolete. Nor is the M9 in comparison a spectacularly "modern camera". It is in nearly all ways an evolution of the M8, that is all.

 

Absolutely...

 

And as M8 image quality remains in the top echelon, there are a lot of people still very happy with their M8's, and some, like me, have deliberately not bought the M9 because they prefer the feature set of the M8 or M8.2. Some may prefer the M9 for various reasons (colour rendition, full frame, more MP, etc.), but a preference for the M9 over the M8 hardly makes the M8 "obsolete"...

 

i respect that you respect my view, even though it's different to your view. and i have seen many times on this forum, just cause 2 views aren't the same, the poster gets smashed for it. good to see there are at LEAST two nice characters around.

 

i guess my reasoning is quite straight forward and black and white. but that is how i see things in life. i would spend extra money to get what i feel/think is better and last longer. i seriously considered buying an m8 because of the drop in value. but the ir filters crop factor were the 2 reasons i didn't. seeing how i have a 50mm and a 35mm, the crop factor would require me to buy more lenses. and seeing how i got an m6, if i want to shoot 35mm on the m6, i won't have a 50mm equal on the m8. plus my lenses aren't coded.

[j_lir]

i would go with the m9.

 

i'm selling my m8's, i have one m9.

i'll eventually grab another m9.

 

for the time being i am making things work with my d3 + m9 combination.

i use my xpan as well when working festivals.

 

i digress.

 

the m8 was / is a great camera, however the m9 is much better.

the ISO performance, lack of filters, the image files, the prints, and the rangefinder magnification are all much better.

 

using a noctilux or 90 apo or 75 lux does not require the use of an external magnification.

 

id say buy the m9 and enjoy yourself.

its very expensive, but it' much closer to what i'm after with a m digital body.

 

they need to come out wtih a leicavit / m-winder style battery pack and the next model needs an advance lever. then the m digital will be where it needs to be! also - some a la cart options need to be opened up.

 

i digress.

 

either way if you want to buy an M8.U please let me know, or a M8 Panda.

 

I have 2 M8's for sale and I'm keeping my M9.

[jaapv]

Well, yes, I can see your point, but it wouldn't apply to somebody starting up a system or planning to buy lenses anyway. I solved the differences between M8 and M9 by buying my M8 a new lens. As I use it as backup and as drop-in-the-pocket pre-scratched camera, I bought a Color-Skopar 35-2.5. A miniscule lens that requires no coding and it will function as M8 lens cap. If I were buying into Leica M digital now, I am not sure whether I would get an M8u or an M9. Having used M8 cameras with great pleasure over the last three years, they have been written off and I vastly prefer the M9., without even thinking of selling the M8s. There will be an M8 in my bag for the forseeable future.

[jonoslack]

Hello everyone.

 

I am new here and do need some helps.

 

I'd been using M7 for a while, and it is the time to upgrade for digital. I have two choices now:

 

1) a used (mint) Leica M8d (as the original listing: ‘d’ is for distingué, and we believe it deserves stand-alone status. With its unique specs, eminent pedigree and unbeatable price, this ever-so-limited offer black Leica M8 will make it easier to own the very best. Fully upgraded with the improvements found on the M8.2, thinner bright line frames for more precise composition, quiet, low-kinetic energy shutter (1/4000 sec. top speed), sapphire glass LCD cover, and topped off with a vulcanite finish, these M8s are factory brand new and fully Leica-USA warranted.) @ $3,200.00 Canadian.

 

2) a Brand new Leica M9 @ $7,600.00 Canadian.

 

I have a Summilux 50mm 1.4 and Summarit 35mm 2.5. Most for street and landscaping photography.

 

A $4,500.00 different. Justify?

 

Appreciate your suggestions.

 

John:confused:

That's a good price for the m8 upgraded.

I think it depends on what focal lengths you intend to use. If you want wide angle, then the M9 is much easier, and the lenses tend to be smaller and cheaper. However, if 35mm equivalent is as far as you're going (i.e. 28mm on the M8), and you don't expect to print bigger than A2 (I think the m8 is fine for A2). Then the M8 is okay.

 

If you're planning to keep shooting some film, then I'd have thought you would be better to go for the M9 and keep the 'culture' the same.

 

all the best

[Jack MacDonough]

If you hadn't said you already had a full frame M7 and it's lenses, I would have said go with the M8. But if you already have those lenses, you will end up spending $$ on lenses for the M8 that you would not have needed if getting the M9.

I was happy with the M8, but I then spent thousands to adjust for my focal lengths I wanted in cropped frame. Given that you have a choice, go M9.

[Jager]

If you hadn't said you already had a full frame M7 and it's lenses, I would have said go with the M8. But if you already have those lenses, you will end up spending $$ on lenses for the M8 that you would not have needed if getting the M9.

I was happy with the M8, but I then spent thousands to adjust for my focal lengths I wanted in cropped frame. Given that you have a choice, go M9.

 

+1.

 

The M8 remains an exceptional camera. I'll be keeping mine and using it much like Jaap describes - as a knockaround camera to take when you normally wouldn't be taking one. It and the 35 CV pancake lens he describes make for a tidy little combination. I'll be using that combo in lieu of an X1.

 

That said, that usage will be quite limited. my M9 will continue to go with me just about everywhere - it's simply too exciting a camera to leave at home. I heartily recommend it to anyone who can somehow scrape up the dough for it.

[flipper231]

Hello everyone.

 

I am new here and do need some helps.

 

I'd been using M7 for a while, and it is the time to upgrade for digital. I have two choices now:

 

1) a used (mint) Leica M8d (as the original listing: ‘d’ is for distingué, and we believe it deserves stand-alone status. With its unique specs, eminent pedigree and unbeatable price, this ever-so-limited offer black Leica M8 will make it easier to own the very best. Fully upgraded with the improvements found on the M8.2, thinner bright line frames for more precise composition, quiet, low-kinetic energy shutter (1/4000 sec. top speed), sapphire glass LCD cover, and topped off with a vulcanite finish, these M8s are factory brand new and fully Leica-USA warranted.) @ $3,200.00 Canadian.

 

2) a Brand new Leica M9 @ $7,600.00 Canadian.

 

I have a Summilux 50mm 1.4 and Summarit 35mm 2.5. Most for street and landscaping photography.

 

A $4,500.00 different. Justify?

 

Appreciate your suggestions.

 

John:confused:

 

Here are my finding in Canadian Money:

M9 $7495

35mm f2 3145

50mm f2 2124

=12760

 

M8.2 $4500

35mm f2 (46mm)=$3145

28mm f2 (36mm)=$4241

=11886

 

This was to show that the difference is not theat big. With the M8-M8.2 you need to buy wider leenses which are at least $1000 more a pop than the larger equivalent. Then you need an extra $300 of filters (most likely included). All cams are new. Lenses are new, so my M9 starter kit will go for $9619 (M9+Cron 50) and my M8.2 will go for $7645 (M8.2+cron 35) the difference is $1974. If I settle for the Summarit 35, then the M9 kit is cheaper than the M8.2. M9 high Iso is better that M8 so 2.5 might be fast enough and there are no summarit 28mm (36mm equiv) so you have to either stick to the $4000 cron or the $2100 slower (by a fraction of a stop) Elmarit 2.8. All in all I think the FF is worth the extra $$ and you can use the Nokton 1.1 if you want a cheap fast lense otherwise it is the Nokton 35 f1.2 which is bigger than the 50 f1.1. I dunno I have not decided yet but buying the M8 and a 35 or 28 will force me to buy a 50 later or a wider angle if it is the 35. Then I would have 21 (new) 28 and 50(new)... Quite crowded quiver. In your case, you 50 will be 65mm and your 35 is now a 46mm so you need a wider lense which are...the most expensive. Add $4000 to the price and see if you still like it. Gee I am long tonite.

[newyorkone]

No IR filters, full-frame, more accurate and easier focusing...priceless.

[swamiji]

I am actually on the other end of the spectrum. I have a M7, M8, & M9. Now that I have started to get used to FF, I find it difficult to go back to the M8. Even as a backup camera. I find I would rather use film, than deal with the Filter issue, or calculate the Crop factor. I some times think that I keep the M8 around just to for IR photography. When switching to the M9 certain lenses I passed by are now my best friends, so a total rethink of my lens kit had to occur. So I have to completely agree with Sanyasi.

[milyovsky]

All the above comments make a lot of sense. However, as a practical matter, I have an M8 and an M9 and only use the M9.

[davek]

John,

 

I am/was in a similar situation I was a long time M7/35 Cron user traded them for Canon DSLR gear and have fumbled around for last 6 months contemplating a move back to Leica it just suits my style better but I struggled with the M8 having used FF for ever.

 

Well two weeks ago I traded all my Canon DSLR gear for a 50 Lux Asph;

35 Cron Asph and a deposit on a M9 I live in Toronto 4-6 weeks for the lenses and 3-6 months for the M9. I am very close on a used MP or M7 and just ordered a Nikon scanner frankly I am not sure I will get the M9 in the short term and enjoy my Leica film camera but will in the future buy a M9 and use the MP or M7 as a back up.

 

Long term I see no reason why one will not be able to get a M8.2 for $3500 and the M9 will see the same depreciation when the M10 comes out but that may be a long way off.

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