Looking to buy a M8

[hepcat]

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IMHO more than 10000 shots can be a little too much to trust in ...

 

I find this interesting as well. Most consumer camera shutters have a MTBF of 50,000 clicks. Most "pro" cameras now have shutters with a MTBF of 150,000 and I believe that the flagship cameras from Canon and Nikon are now up to 300,000 clicks MTBF. Commonly pro Canon and Nikon bodies with 50-75k clicks are selling for 70% of their new value.

 

Unless there's something I don't know about the Copal shutters in the Leicas, I'd expect at least 150k (MTBF) clicks out of the M8 and later cameras. 10k clicks should be just getting broken in. Leica's advertising says "Compact, Built for a Lifetime, and Enduring in Value. The digital components and shutter assembly of the M9 and the M9-P are similarly constructed with a lifetime of endurance in mind." The M8 advertising is no longer availalbe on the Leica website so I can't quote from that.

 

Certainly there have been failures in the M8 shutters, and there will be failures across all brands of cameras that don't reach the expected MTBF. Unfortunately when shutter failures are reported there's no way to know whether it was from the camera being subjected to unreasonable use (regular use near sandy beaches as an example) or it just failed. I once ground the nylon gears of a Rollei 35t to dust from using it in the desert on just three trips. That wasn't the camera's fault.

 

In any event, I should expect that 7k clicks on a body of this caliber would be inconsequential. Am I missing something?

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[ray*j*gun]

Based on everything I have read, I believe that < 10k clicks on an M8 is nothing at all. I wouldn't let the actuations get into the equation unless it were over 100k.

[lct]

As far as sales on e**y are concerned, most M8s have less than 10,000 actuations actually so i would be reluctant if i were offered a body with a higher shutter count unless it's been recently checked out by Leica.

[Albek]

I just bought a used M8 (therefore also new to this forum).

Only 1030 actuations and in mint condition - as new - and at a very fair prize at a Leica store. I guess I was just lucky.

 

I sold my limited Black Edition X100 with extras to raise the money. I am still waiting for the lens to arrive, but the feel and quality of the M8 body alone tells the difference to me.

 

I was quite happy with the X100, but missed the opportunity to work with "old fashioned" lenses, simplicity, and of course a superb quality build camera.

 

The X100 delivers very fine pictures, but too many buttons and too easily making a wrong setting because wheel and buttons are easily toughed unnoticed. Looking forward to the M8-highway.

 

Regards

Morten Albek

[iedei]

I just bought a used M8 (therefore also new to this forum).

Only 1030 actuations and in mint condition - as new - and at a very fair prize at a Leica store. I guess I was just lucky.

 

I sold my limited Black Edition X100 with extras to raise the money. I am still waiting for the lens to arrive, but the feel and quality of the M8 body alone tells the difference to me.

 

I was quite happy with the X100, but missed the opportunity to work with "old fashioned" lenses, simplicity, and of course a superb quality build camera.

 

The X100 delivers very fine pictures, but too many buttons and too easily making a wrong setting because wheel and buttons are easily toughed unnoticed. Looking forward to the M8-highway.

 

Regards

Morten Albek

 

congratulations. you will love it. it's one hell of a camera.