bpalme Posted August 18, 2011 Share #1 Posted August 18, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I was just wandering if you folks think Leica will still support this camera 10 years from now. You would normally think a digital camera such as this wouldn't be used in ten years at all. But there are some advantages that can not be denied... Depending on your shooting style and favorite focal lengths of course. For instance you could be married to the 67mm F 0.95 and the 100mm Summilux. Anyway I'm of course speaking about the 50 Noctilux and 75 summilux. Maybe a reason to not sell your M8 when upgrading. Of course you can alway crop it I suppose. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 Hi bpalme, Take a look here Will the M8s be collecting dust in 10 years?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted August 18, 2011 Share #2 Posted August 18, 2011 Yes, they will Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted August 18, 2011 Share #3 Posted August 18, 2011 Yes, they will ...meaning collecting dust, or still in use and supported? I suspect you mean the latter. Just hope Leica is still thriving. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted August 18, 2011 Share #4 Posted August 18, 2011 I would expect that sensor failure will turn your M8 into a very nice Leica paperweight/doorstop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thighslapper Posted August 18, 2011 Share #5 Posted August 18, 2011 10 years is a lifetime in the digital world...... If there is a successor to the M8/M9 line with all the things we regularly grouse about sorted then I am sure mine will be in the 'just in case' pile with all my other redundant photo gear that I cannot (illogically) bear to part with....... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted August 18, 2011 Share #6 Posted August 18, 2011 I would expect that sensor failure will turn your M8 into a very nice Leica paperweight/doorstop. But the question, as I read it, was whether Leica would still support it. Are you saying that a sensor repair or replacement, even if the camera could still be serviced, would be cost prohibitive? Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpalme Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted August 18, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) 10 years is a lifetime in the digital world...... If there is a successor to the M8/M9 line with all the things we regularly grouse about sorted then I am sure mine will be in the 'just in case' pile with all my other redundant photo gear that I cannot (illogically) bear to part with....... Sounds like me.. I tend to hand on to stuff until it's not really worth selling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joop van Heijgen Posted August 18, 2011 Share #8 Posted August 18, 2011 But the question, as I read it, was whether Leica would still support it. Are you saying that a sensor repair or replacement, even if the camera could still be serviced, would be cost prohibitive? Jeff Service or repair will be not economic....like the R7, R8 at the moment:cool: That's the big difference with the mechanical M cameras, in fact still economic to service and repair...Even a Leicaflex SL is still often economic to repair.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 18, 2011 Share #9 Posted August 18, 2011 Leica has promised at least a decade of support after discontinuation of the camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted August 18, 2011 Share #10 Posted August 18, 2011 Dust. Same as M9. Maybe they run out of spares and can not get more at an affordable price. More probably, repairs will be more costly than a new camera. Repairs are already outrageous if out of warrantee. Doubt this, well toss out what you paid for out of warrantee repairs on digitals. I am not talking RF adjustment. I mean new shutter or sensor replacement or try to get water damage repaired. And there are always batteries. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted August 18, 2011 Share #11 Posted August 18, 2011 But the question, as I read it, was whether Leica would still support it. Are you saying that a sensor repair or replacement, even if the camera could still be serviced, would be cost prohibitive? Jeff Yes, but also that at some point it is inevitable that sensors will no longer be available. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted August 18, 2011 Share #12 Posted August 18, 2011 Leica has promised at least a decade of support after discontinuation of the camera. Yes and there are still excellent reasons to choose a crop camera actually. Suffice it to compare the size and weight of lenses like Summicron 75/2 or Tele-Elmar 135/4 to those of a Summicron 50/2 or a Macro-Elmar 90/4 to see how handy it may be to use the latters with an M8. Cropping prints will never change this for those who consider composition as one of the most important parts in photography. Also Leica have decided to discontinue the M8, for fear of cannibalizing the M9 presumably, but another APS system is expected from them and the latter will be able to use M lenses as far as we can foresee. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 18, 2011 Share #13 Posted August 18, 2011 Yes, but also that at some point it is inevitable that sensors will no longer be available. Yes. But it cannot be too difficult to calculate a failure rate and thus plan the stock of spares. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 18, 2011 Share #14 Posted August 18, 2011 Dust. Same as M9. Maybe they run out of spares and can not get more at an affordable price. More probably, repairs will be more costly than a new camera. Repairs are already outrageous if out of warrantee. Doubt this, well toss out what you paid for out of warrantee repairs on digitals. I am not talking RF adjustment. I mean new shutter or sensor replacement or try to get water damage repaired. And there are always batteries. Let's leave water damage out of it, as that is not a repair job but resurrecting an electronic corpse. There have been too few cases to say anything sensible about it anyway. I have not yet seen much evidence of outrageous repair costs yet, and the point of perception of outrageousness is highly personal. And batteries? Depends. There are sufficient M8 and M9 cameras out there to make production commercially interesting for a long time to come. And who knows how many years this form and specification will be used in next models? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_Thompson Posted August 19, 2011 Share #15 Posted August 19, 2011 Solms is still reparing Digilux 2 cameras and they didn't even manufacture them. What makes anyone think the M8 will be orphaned anytime soon? As long as there are parts to be had, Leica will keep repairing them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted August 19, 2011 Share #16 Posted August 19, 2011 True. And no problem getting brand new batteries. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted August 19, 2011 Share #17 Posted August 19, 2011 The problem of repairs to any item or electronic equipment is twofold, first is component availabilty, without parts its a goner. The secind is economics, whether film or digital if labour charges are so high that cost exceeds value, as at least one of our moderators has found with a film R8, then only sentiment will make a repair worthwhile. This makes for a totally different ball game between mechanical leicas which potentially will go on 'for ever' and for which reoairs are available at relatively modest cost from independant repairers, and electronic or digital leicas Gerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leicamr Posted August 19, 2011 Share #18 Posted August 19, 2011 Mine already collects dust. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sblitz Posted August 20, 2011 Share #19 Posted August 20, 2011 i would worry about it when it becomes something to worry about. in the meantime, who cares. 10 years is several lifetimes for most people and given the average age of a leica owner, you may be more than willing in 10yrs to give up the m8 to be a paperweight to own the new Mxx rangefinder with autofocus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJP Posted August 20, 2011 Share #20 Posted August 20, 2011 I still have and use a stereo set (i.e. not 5.1 or whatever) that I bought when I was 25. Most of my computers (PC) last about 10 years before I want to replace them. I still have (and use) a HP calculator that is about 30 year old, I am sure I will retire with it in 15 years time. Maybe I will need to replace the batteries for the 3rd time, but I am not sure. So far the 2nd set are still going strong. Answer obviously = no, the M8 makes brilliant pictures now and will remain to do so. No! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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