M8 - Reassurance Required

[AbbeyPhoto]

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My M8 has been perfect, the only thing that tempts me about the M9 is the quieter shutter, but that's only because I'm primarily a wedding photographer and churches are very very quiet. The M8 is still quieter than my Nikons. As a personal camera I think the M8 is unbeatable, and the money you save over the M9 buys lots (ok - several) lenses, which wives don't seem to notice as much as actual cameras

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[jevidon]

I have had my M8 for several years. Last year I treated it to a viewfinder/shutter/LCD upgrade by Leica New Jersey. Even before the upgrade, the camera has never failed me and I have never lost a shot due to the camera. Due to me, maybe, but never due to the M8. Go ahead and take the plunge. Check the Leica website to download and install all firmware upgrades. The worst that can happen if it is a good example is to have it CLA'd by one of the Leica specialists listed elsewhere in this forum. I don't think you will ever regret buying an M8.

[brunop]

i bought an m8 off of ebay 3 or 4 months ago (about 4500 shutter actuations) and couldn't be happier! yesterday i suddenly figured out full manual! i was shooting exclusively aperture priority setting. i got brave and went for it and now i'm fully confident in full manual at all times.

 

get the m8. it will elevate your excitement for photography.

[ramosa]

I've had my M8 for more than three years. Bought new. No problems. Love it.

[Timmyjoe]

Just picked up an M8.2 yesterday. Originally purchased in August 2009. Only had 1600 actuation's. Almost doubled that in the last twenty four hours. The camera is an absolute joy to shoot with, and the images are stunning.

[terrycioni]

I purchased the first M8 to arrive in my neck of the woods - Nov. 9/06. It has gone back to NJ twice - the first time was the original recall, second time was just prior to the warranty ending as it had a minor problem. NJ provided excellent quality service. The M8 has been a stellar performer and has been a constant solid performer for me - albeit I am not in a war zone but it does get used.

 

I do have and use an M9 and Andy is right in his advice (if your wallet will let you)... no filters, no crop factor, manual lens select menu, and a full frame sensor, much better access to on the fly EV changes and the list goes on.

 

That all said an M8 or M8.2 are both excellent choices.

 

Best regards, Terry.

[george +]

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I got my M8 one day before Terry. November 8, 2006. But we are further East from him.

 

And it has been working fine since then.

No return, no hardware updates, no fixes. Just firmware.

 

I am keeping my fingers crossed. And recommending it as one fine piece of equipment.

[!Nomad64]

Bought my 2nd hand M8 back in May 2009. It was in pristine conditions then, it's still pretty good now.

Never had a hitch. Not a single one. I successfully upgraded all firmwares. I'm tempted to upgrade the hardware because of the noisy shutter and in the hope of having more accurate framelines, but I just can't part from her for one month. I use her on an almost daily basis. Few actuations but constantly.

So far I haven't been tempted very much to buy the M9. The output from the M8 is already pretty good and the new camera wouldn't turn me into a better photographer. Furthermore I happen to love the silver chrome finish and for the extra premium I'd expect to have something better than paint, no matter that someone recently said it's well finished.

I don't give a darn f*ck about purple being the new black. When it occurred I usually had however in mind a B/W picture. Problem solved. For me at least.

I'm not disturbed by the noise appearing at higher ISO. Contrarily to my ex Nikon D300, the noise of the M8 resembles pretty much the film grain and I like it. As said before, I solve the color noise problem with a B/W conversion. Not for everyone of course, but OK for me.

So far crop factor didn't prove an issue. I'm rather a tele guy and the 50 that is a 66.5 is OK with me.

I have a 'lux Pre Asph, so the crop helps keeping out the weaker performance at the corners.

If I had to ease the discomfort of partying for the sake of above said upgrades I'd rather buy an M2 or an M3. So I'd quench my thirst for FF and would however keep a foot in the film pond.

 

Cheers,

Bruno

[BJDrew]

Reassurance?

Well - if it breaks, you can have it repaired by competent technicians, and it'll probably be financially worth it to do so.

I got a new/used M8 and ended up with the red-line defect. You know the possible issues off the bat, so take a chance and jump in.

 

If you're looking for film M reliability - you won't find it in the M8. Let's be honest, across the board they aren't the most reliable camera in the world. But Leica stands behind their cameras and there's nothing to stop you from owning and enjoying an M8 for a long time!

[Clook]

Bought an M8 in 2008 followed by an M8.2 in 2009. Use both as 'bread & butter' cameras along with a 28mm and a 50mm lens for all but sports photography (for which I use Nikon D300's). The M8 required a minor fix regarding a loose top plate which I could have fixed myself only for it still being within warranty. As time rolls on I have become more and more confident and reliant on the M8's. They are my system of choice. The Nikons, during this time have become almost un-used and seriously de-valued in comparison to the Leicas and when I do use them (the Nikons that is) I have become very critical of the quality of the results, this includes a borrowed D3. I personally cannot fault the M8's. I am confident that they will see me through to the next M9?/M10 model upgrade and maybe beyond. This is my personal opinion obviously, but my accountant and bank manager are not complaining about the M8's either!

[hhanebeck]

I second all of the positives that have been listed about the M8. Mine has had a known shutter recocking issue lately and is at Leica at the moment. NJ was extremely helpful and they have even comped their time! In any case, I would not trade my M8 for anything. The image quality is great, having 1/8000 allows for very good DOF in daylight and the B&W capabilities are stunning, specifically without UV/IR filters. It will complement your M7 very well in that you get quanity and also the special rendering that film offers when you carry both. I have a M7 as well and have never felt that the crop difference is an issue.

 

It is obviously anyone's guess what the Fall in Leicaland will bring in regard to an M9.2 or M10. However, the next model will not be widely available for a while after it has been announced e.g. you won't have to get your elbows out to obtain one in less than a year from now. Considering this, you will find no better value for your money than with the M8. And if the next digital M only offers incremental improvements, then you are all set for a good, long while. More money for that special glass we all crave!

 

Cheers, Chris