Leica M8 is a good Buy?

[anonimo2003]

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Hello to all,

I wanted to ask a few questions on Leica M8, it is still up to date?

You think it is a good buy? My indecision is with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II ...

My main problem was that the heaviness of the outfit bring me back to take pictures especially on vacation and traveling around the city ..... 24-70? and 70/200? and the 85mm? Well maybe I do that kind of pictures ... and so too many pounds! I wanted a decent goal handyman cotruzione / image quality and 24/105 f4 canon seemed the right choice then coupled to the FF 5D mark II I looked great for 90% of the situations, and then I was tempted ... and a leica? ? small manageable, I certainly have not the zoom, fixed lenses ... but only Cartier Bresson has photographed all his life with only one focal ... and considering that my kind of photos are landscape, portraits and photos in the city (street photo) ....

Some hang around one side to the other ... more

[iedei]

Hello to all,

I wanted to ask a few questions on Leica M8, it is still up to date?

You think it is a good buy? My indecision is with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II ...

My main problem was that the heaviness of the outfit bring me back to take pictures especially on vacation and traveling around the city ..... 24-70? and 70/200? and the 85mm? Well maybe I do that kind of pictures ... and so too many pounds! I wanted a decent goal handyman cotruzione / image quality and 24/105 f4 canon seemed the right choice then coupled to the FF 5D mark II I looked great for 90% of the situations, and then I was tempted ... and a leica? ? small manageable, I certainly have not the zoom, fixed lenses ... but only Cartier Bresson has photographed all his life with only one focal ... and considering that my kind of photos are landscape, portraits and photos in the city (street photo) ....

Some hang around one side to the other ... more

 

here's how i see it from my point of view and as an amateur who recently (August?) bought their M8.1 (M8u).

 

A) it is old and it is certainly out of date

it is VERY minimalist/simple in its features

C) it often takes magical photos

D) it is beautifully built and fantastic to use

E) it feels special

F) Leica (and some non-Leica) M-lenses are incredible

G) it fires up the imagination

 

the bottom line is, if one is concerned about having the 'latest thing' or is worried about what features it has---it will likely not be the camera for them. If one just wants to take great photos and enjoy photography----the M8 is a great place to start within the Leica world.

Edited February 1, 2013 by iedei

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[anonimo2003]

Thanks for the answer, do not look for the latest model with the latest, but wanted to make sure he still had a good chance in taking quality photos, so to speak, I would not spend money to get the same quality that I would get with the machines good but today.

what you picture there shots?

[tobey bilek]

It is heavy as a dslr, but smaller. Lenses are the same issue compared to primes.

 

It is a crop sensor so 35 mm is normal focal length. You MUST use the UV/IR filter to get proper colors. It is not just blacks that can go purple. All the colors are off to some degree without.

 

Now once you add the filter, the corners go cyan on 35 mm somewhat and shorter lenses more so. The camera has software to correct it if the lens is coded, ie 6 bit code. Corner fix free program if you want to do it manually. It works perfectly if you set it up correctly.

 

All that said, I kept my M8 whenI got the M9. If you overcome the above, the pictures are great.

 

Rangefinder photography is different, I suggest you rent/borrow one before committing. Even buy a film RF from wherever for $100 to experience it. It is different from DSLR land.

 

Canon is a great camera also. The beautiful colors can be had from it also if you do the proper post processing, ie setting black point, white point, and white balance. Leica requires the same. There is significant work to getting digital correct no matter the camera. Done well, they all produce more than acceptable results. If you think you can just make a snap and get pro quality results, you would be wrong.

 

I use photoshop CS6 and am trying to use LightRoom. So far I do not have the same control. We will keep working at it.

[dpitt]

+1 about the quality thing.

 

If you want to get into Leica Digital M, it is the cheapest entry.

Combine it with a jewel lens like Summicron 40 C or Summicron 50 collapsible for best price quality performance.

 

 

Ideal for traveling and such and not comaparable in weight and bulk with the 5D Mk II. Can give te same, if not better performance IMO

 

 

If you take only B&W foto's you do not need the IR cut filters. Shooting color demands them iMO

 

 

Any lens shorter than 50 needs digital coding for optimal performance on the M8 since you can not set the lens manually like with the M9 and younger.

[anonimo2003]

Thank you all for the valuable information :-)

I understand from your answer that the quality is there and that tweaking a little 'Shooting will be able to take out beautiful photos, I now use Lightroom as a program. I've heard good Voigtlander 40mm f1.4 lenses also that the crop would become a 53mm, has anyone ever tried them?

[earleygallery]

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Anyone thinking of buying an M8 should be aware of the fact that Leica cannot repair/replace the LCD screen on the back of the camera if it becomes faulty or you break it.

 

Buy one from a dealer with a warranty.

[lct]

Hard to find one with warranty since those LCD problems though.

[dpitt]

I would not worry about the LCD issue. Actually I was lucky to have it on my M8.

Of course it meant that I had to do a forced upgrade to a M9, but it is a great feeling to have bought a M8 and then with only 1600 Euro in addition acquiring an M9 full frame camera

 

As long as you do buy an M8 that is sold after 2009 your better than fine. Even one from 2008 would give you a fair deal on the upgrade. Of course upgrading will at least mean that you pay an additional and considerable sum in advance. The M9 can be sold or traded in for an other M8 if you feel the M9 is tying up too much money.

 

If I would buy an M8 now, I would worry most about the shutter failure. Having a cost of about 1000 Euro it would make an old M8 almost total loss since you can probably find an other aged M8 around that price now if you look hard enough.

[luigi bertolotti]

Benvenuto nel Forum !!!!

 

I have a 6 years old M8 : it works perfectly and makes beautiful pics... provided that I am able to take them... .

 

It is reagrded as an "old" and (see LCT's warning) CAN suffer of some urepairable problem, which forces Leica customer Service to offer a new model (at the moment, M9 or M9P) at a special price (in the forum there are many posts on this topic, with some examples on quotations given by Leica for those "exchanges")

 

I think that the real problem is that you regard to a DSLR as an alternative... I think that they are such different ways of photographing (me, for instance, almot NEVER used a SLR) that you must think with care at this basic choice : if you decide for Leica, then it becomes just a matter of money : a used M8 MUST be rather cheap, a used M9 about doubles the cost and have some pluses etc....

[lct]

Yes and cheap Leica lenses are not that many. Beware of GAS my friend. Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here!

[luigi bertolotti]

Yes and cheap Leica lenses are not that many. Beware of GAS my friend. Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here!

 

My compatriot - new forum member is from GENOVA : people that are considered, in Italy, VERY careful on spending... (there are lot of jokes on this topic, in our Country... )

But, also, Genova is the "birthplace" of Leica in Italy... the first importer (Cattaneo) was in Genova, and all Italian Leicas passed from him until 20 years ago or so...

Edited February 2, 2013 by luigi bertolotti

[wda]

Anyone thinking of buying an M8 should be aware of the fact that Leica cannot repair/replace the LCD screen on the back of the camera if it becomes faulty or you break it.

 

Buy one from a dealer with a warranty.

I think for the benefit of the OP, one should emphasize that the more likely LCD problem is that known as 'coffee stain' (search for threads). If you do subsequently suffer that minor defect, be aware that it does not affect the quality of the pictures you take with the camera. At worst, it is an irritant. Having said that, I suffered twice and Leica repaired them. The replacement stock is now exhausted, so an upgrade is offered. Again, search for discussions on this eventuality.

[lct]

My compatriot - new forum member is from GENOVA : people that are considered, in Italy, VERY careful on spending....

I must have some Genovese blood then...

[hepcat]

"Good buy" is very subjective, but I recently bought an M8 and an M9P and I enjoy them both. I use the M8 primarily for personal work and a backup to the M9P which I use primarily for paid commercial work because of it's larger files. "Old" and "up to date" are also pretty subjective terms.

 

The M9P is faster, has better function control through the menus, has a dedicated "ISO" button, a larger file size, and doesn't require the use of UV/IR cut filters. I really like the M9P, but the M8 holds it own quite nicely. I leave the UV/IR cut filters on all of my lenses for both bodies, so other than the initial expense of acquiring them (they're more expensive than plain 'ol UV or Sky1A filters) that's really not a problem. As a matter of fact, I like how the M9P renders with the UV/IR cut filter on. The colors are spectacular.

 

There are those purists who will tell you that you must have Leica lenses, and there's no doubt that they're the best, but five of my seven lenses are Cosina-Voigtlander and from my perspective, they are on par with the best glass from any other Japanese manufacturer. They are fine lenses in their own right, and can be had at a small fraction of the cost of Leica lenses which really eases the pain of buying a Leica body.

 

Yes the M8 may have some repair issues down the road, but they can also be found now for around $1700 USD, so buying one without a warranty isn't as big a gamble as it once was.

[lct]

Faster M9 really?

[DirkB17]

...Leica M8, it is still up to date?

 

NO, definitely no. May be it has never been up to date. The key factor of an M8 as I understand it is that it is just a basic tool. Aperture, speed, ISO and your done.

 

If you surf this forum you will notice that not too many of us still like the M8. Why?

 

• crop factor 1,33
  
• need of uv/ir filters
  
• no repair of display possible
  
• coffee stain
  
• shutter loudness
  

 

All of this is true. I have although chosen the M8 as my starting point into the Leica M world in november last year. And for me it works perfect. This camera being just simple helps me to learn how to take pictures. If something is wrong, than its my fault. Easy.

 

However, GAS is an issue with Leica. This idea of just owning one lens is just one of these Leica myths. I thought that it might be a good idea to start with two lenses (35 and 75). Now I own four (25, 35, 50 and 75). All bought used.

 

...it is a good buy?

 

Depend on how you measure this. It is now used more or less the same price than a new Nikon full-frame D600.

 

I love my Leica M8! Its my personal trainer for photography.

[hepcat]

Faster M9 really?

 

Really. There is a noticeable difference going back and forth between the bodies.

[lct]

In what operations if i may ask? Just curious.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[hepcat]

File operations seem to be faster, as well as the menu performance. I'm not in a position to quantify the difference, but the M9P performs noticeably faster in those areas than the M8.