M8 age?

[Robinyuill]

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Meant to ask in an earlier post but can anyone age my used M8 from a serial number starting 333xxxx. I think its quite a late model from what I can gather. Regards... Robin.

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[ho_co]

Robin, someone can probably give you a ballpark from the serial number, but remember that Leicas are generally produced in batches, not necessarily in serial number order.

 

Maybe a better gauge of its previous life experiences is the "Unique Image ID" from the EXIF. That's a hex value that increments by one each time the shutter is fired.

 

If you don't have a hex > decimal converter at hand, just Google "hex converter."

[Nicoleica]

If you don't have a hex > decimal converter at hand, just Google "hex converter."

 

If you are using a Mac, then the Calculator application is a very good hex converter. (Not the simple calculator on the dashboard, but the all-singing-and-dancing one in the applications folder.) I believe that Windows has a similarly featured calculator too.

 

However, if you are in Pennsylvania, you might try one of these....

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[williamgm]

In the course of looking for a used M8, I checked the hex values of several cameras to establish the image count. On looking through the exif data (using Graphic Convertor on a Mac), I notice that in each case the Image ID number (approx 20 lines below the Image Unique ID hex number in the exif data list) gives exactly the same number as that obtained by converting the hex number. Is this a reliable & simpler way of establishing the actuation count?

[bocaburger]

Robin, someone can probably give you a ballpark from the serial number, but remember that Leicas are generally produced in batches, not necessarily in serial number order.

 

Batches of M8's (original, not 8.2) seem to have serial # blocks beginning with 3,10x,xxx, 3,19x,xxx, 3,2xx,xxx and 3,3xx,xxx. The blocks appear to run chronologically even if the serial #'s within the blocks don't. At least that's the way it has been going back to Barnack's time.

 

There are other variables that would concern me if I were looking for a used camera including the actuation count, but unless it had been through the upgrade program or otherwise serviced by Leica, I would personally prefer one of the last 2 blocks. A very early 3,10x,xxx with a very low shutter count would worry me, unless there was proof it had been serviced, because it probably hasn't been "driven" enough to turn up any latent issues. Again, just my perhaps overly-conservative bias.

[jaapv]

The technical differences between early cameras and late ones are minimal and irrelevant for reliability. There are two things to consider: that a camera from the series 3100000 to 3101500 has had its factory recall ( I don't think there are more than one or two that haven't) and that cameras from Jan 2007 till April 2007 have visited the factory once, when they will have been given the T2 upgrade. For the rest I would not worry at all about the age.

[photoshutter]

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Meant to ask in an earlier post but can anyone age my used M8 from a serial number starting 333xxxx. I think its quite a late model from what I can gather. Regards... Robin.

 

I have camera with the same 333xxxx number, it is 1,5 year old, has serviced once, new CCD.

[Photon42]

If I'm remembering correctly, therre's a possibilty to read out the sensor's version number. It is a normal EXIF tag, I believe, but unfortunately I cannot check it now.

 

Regards

Ivo

[jaapv]

The sensor is always the same. There are different versions of the motherboard, the first change was after 3101500 to accomodate the extra mass connection that had to be installed manually on the first series cameras, the second change was sometime halfway 2008 iirc, as Leica's supplier changed the architecture of the board slightly, without making any changes to the functionality. The changes are irrelevant for the functioning of the camera.

[Photon42]

OK Jaap - excuse my ignorance when it comes to electonics I thought this version number could give additional hints re: age or factory visits. My M8 had it's version num changed after the dentist.

 

Rgds

Ivo

[jaapv]

Well, mine had its unique image ID set back after a factory visit, so all this exif reading is not very productive