lifetime camera?

[dojuve]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

hi everybody,

 

for a while now i am contemplating to jump into rangefinder photography and buy a M8. one question i would lke to hear the opinion of long time M-users is the following: all in all the M8 seems to be a great camera, but do you expect to use it in 10, 15 or 20 years time just as you would still use the M3's, M4s or the likes today?

Do you consider the M8 as a lifetime-camera?

 

interested to hear your views.

, bernhard

[Guest guy_mancuso]

Well my answer is very simple, No i don't but I will jump on the next one if it proves to be better and I don't expect touse a digital more than 2 years becuase of technology but that is from a Pro point of view that needs to keep looking for the Holy Grail. For hobbyist a completely different story

[george +]

If you can consider today's digital components of your camera as somewhat equivalent to yesterday's film

 

then

 

you can consider an M8 a lifetime investment if you would be happy with the film quality of eons ago.

 

And in my personal opinion one could do much worse than use 15 ISO Kodachrome. It will have limitations compared to the product of the day - but it will be usable.

[stuny]

I see two possible limitations:

1. Will there be sufficient service for it one, two or three decades from now?

2. Will there be hardware to accept the SD card files?

[cocker]

Bernhard,

 

Two things I consider a lifetime time commitment - my wife and my cat And my cat will last another 12-15 year at most. (I hope my wife lasts a bit longer! She's 45 and I'm 53) Seriously, I hope my M8 lasts for as long as another more advanced M- Leica camera doesn't tempt me. I have a Nikon D2x and already I'm thinking - "should I sell this and my lenses" - I don't think I'll be ready to sell the M8 18 months after I bought it! But things with electronics in aren't built to last and be repaired as mechanical things were. And that's a great shame I think.

[Iron Flatline]

I consider no camera a life-time camera, but I expect the M lenses to last a long time.

 

I have the same expectations of the L lenses I buy for my Canons.

[StS]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Looking at all the digital cameras on the market, I would say the M8 comes closest to a lifetime solution.

 

However, this depends on how your expectations of a camera will change in the future.

 

Future sensors will surely be better in terms of dynamics, however in terms of resolution I have the impression the limit is reached if one doesn't want to compromise in noise. Ideally the company will offer a sensor upgrade for the M8 when the time comes.

 

Availability of interfacing to future computer worlds has been already mentioned as a possible issue. One needs to find either a card reader or an USB plug.

 

Your lenses will certainly last longest, as long there is a body to adapt them.

[losta]

hi everybody,

\

Do you consider the M8 as a lifetime-camera?

 

interested to hear your views.

, bernhard

I'd consider no digital camera to be fully funcitional for a lifetime. Technology changes so fast, the problems will be software related, even now the possibilities of opening RAW files from Nikons and Canons in 7-10 years is doubtful unless you convert to DNG and migrate to new media every 3-5 years. At least M8 shoot DNG but media changes, connections and devices change it could work but I'm certain it will be superceeded by many greater devices in time.

 

The best the about Leica M are the Lenses as many have pointed out. That is the reason to get an M8 but in 5-7 years the M8 may be like a D30 yes you can shoot with it still, but there are so many better options available.

[DaveEP]

I don't see any digital camera being with me for life. Electronics break, get replaced by superior models etc etc. It would be nice, but alas I really don't think so.

 

I would be suprised if the M8 holds it's value as well as (say) an M3-M7 does. the one thing about the M3-M7 (and MPs) is that they improved over time because the 'film' improved. There is no way to improve an M8 (assuming the firmware reaches as good as it gets soon), except by replacing it with an M9, M10 etc etc....

 

However, I believe in living for now, and for the immediate future. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

[ho_co]

Nothing lasts a lifetime, not even you: You're not the same person you were 20 years ago and you're not the same person today you will be in 20 years.

 

And by the way, the original Kodachrome was ASA 10.

 

--HC

[george +]

Nothing lasts a lifetime, not even you: You're not the same person you were 20 years ago and you're not the same person today you will be in 20 years.

 

And by the way, the original Kodachrome was ASA 10.

 

--HC

 

Sorry about that. I was thinking of KR25 which was 15DIN.

[Rona!d]

I expect to enjoy my M8-shots i did nowadays in maybe 25-30 years - THAT counts for me.

I also do expect to use MP, M3, IIIa etc. in some decades (if I feel well enough and get some films!).

 

If somebody plans to buy a camera today, he should do that for TODAYS photography!

I know, that i will have another "stillvideo-camera" in the far away future

[hankg]

Nothing digital will last a life time. The card formats, image formats, etc., will all be ancient history 20 years from now. Of course if Kodachrome was your favored media that didn't last a lifetime either. You should get a good run from the M8 ( 8+ years?) and a lot longer from the lenses.

[stevem7]

The M8 could be a lifetime camera for me, IF It would indded last that long without breaking down! Ill keep mine until it dies and then Ill get it fixed until it costs too much to fix, and when that happens Ill buy the next in line wether it is still the M8 or M9 or whatever. As far as quality goes, I see no need for anything better than what the M8 gives me, so I could be happy for my lifetime with what it gives me.

[wilfredo]

As long as they can be repaired, I don't see why I wouldn't keep using it well into the future (hopefully for the next 10 or 15 years). Realistically speaking, I suspect improvements will probably move me in the direction of buying the next M or the one after that :-)

 

Cheers,

Wilfredo+

Benitez-Rivera Photography

[Stephen.s1]

I'm breathing hard on 74 years... So, the jury's out on whether or not the M8'll be a lifetime thing for me..

[hammam]

I could live happily with the M8 for the rest of my life, especially since I am over 60 only I have the feeling it's a much more fragile piece of equipment than, say, an M3 or even an M7. All this electronic circuitry must be prone to corrosion, breakage, electric shocks, short-circuits... And the cost of repairs will probably be much higher than for mechanical cameras because they will change the whole board, not just a tiny condenser or resistor. And they won't soldier a connection back. I don't think an M8 will last what an M3 has lasted.

[robertwright]

The Hasselblad almost fits the criteria of a lifetime camera, the mount C series mount is the same, they have digital backs for the 503CW. How long has this stuff been in manufacture, over 50 years?

 

I think the Leica is in the same league, the mount is unchanged in 50 plus years, and the lenses are the significant investment.

 

Nikon is pretty good in this regard too. Worst is Canon really, but they went their own direction.

 

Pentax too, the K mount is very long lived.

 

I know this is not an exact answer to the question, but lifetime camera is dependent on lenses.

[Guest stnami]

.................depends on how old you are

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[rwfreund]

Your lifetime or its?

-bob