gloec Posted July 9, 2013 Share #1 Posted July 9, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi all, I am one of the first M8 owners having bought my camera back in February 2007. I use my Leica only in special circumstances and I am mainly a DSLR "shooter". One of those special circumstances will be next October when I will visit Mount Athos in Greece, where very closed and very strict Greek, Russian and Serbian Orthodox monk communities are located there. Mount Athos - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This will be my first time there and as far as I know photography is not permitted in the monasteries but at the same time is not completely forbidden.This means that a discreet camera could be used and of course after permission is given by the abbot of the monastery. Having said that, my Μ8 sounds like the ideal camera for that trip but there is only one glitch and that is the sound of the shutter. Having tested the camera under similar conditions in churches mostly, the sound of the shutter can easily grab the attention of anyone near me. For all the above I am considering the option to upgrade my M8 if this is still offered by Leica. Does anyone know whether this upgrade offer is still available? Any help will be much appreciated. Thank you, Nikos Athens, Greece Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 9, 2013 Posted July 9, 2013 Hi gloec, Take a look here Μ8 upgrade. Is this still an option?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
marknorton Posted July 9, 2013 Share #2 Posted July 9, 2013 I do not know for sure but I expect the programme has long since ended. Besides, it would not be sensible to upgrade the camera because you would end up with a camera which is worth less than what you have just spent to upgrade it. One option would be to look for a secondhand M8u or of course an M9. It sounds though that you do not use your Leica enough to justify investing significant money into the system. You may find that a mirrorless camera such as a Lumix MFT might be a better option. All will depend on what you have invested in Leica lenses. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted July 9, 2013 Share #3 Posted July 9, 2013 I think that spending your money on an X-Vario would be a very wise move. I found that the M8 upgrade or the M8-2 were not THAT more silent than the original M8. The click is still quite authorative. The first really silent digital M is the new Typ 240, but I expect that one is completely outsideyour sphere of interest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gloec Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share #4 Posted July 9, 2013 Thank you both Mark and Jaap for your replies. I would not like to spend that kind of money for either a second hand M8.2/M9 or the M240. I wish I could though especially for the M240 one! I already have spent more than €10K (camera and lenses) for a system that I hardly use however, it is an excellent feeling to have an Leica M system waiting for you! I will take my M8 with me and fingers crossed, I will have the opportunity to shoot some nice photos there. Nikos Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 9, 2013 Share #5 Posted July 9, 2013 The shutter sound itself is not the issue with the M8 (or any digital M other than the 240); it's the sound of the motor re-cock that is loud and disturbing. The upgrade does not remove the motor sound and, as Jaap says, the shutter sound itself is only moderately quieter. Some like the discreet mode offered with the M8, but I find it rather useless, as ultimately the motor has to go off after each shutter press. That's one of many reasons I'll be considering the new M, even though my M8.2 takes fine pics. As others say, there are other options these days that can offer a more discreet sound, and still offer high IQ, if that's a primary objective. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
desu Posted July 9, 2013 Share #6 Posted July 9, 2013 The Fuji x100 has a near silent leaf shutter. If you are comfortable with a 35mm lens then I would give buying it a thought. You could just buy it used for the trip and resell it afterwards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisHat Posted July 9, 2013 Share #7 Posted July 9, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) The Fuji x100 has a near silent leaf shutter. If you are comfortable with a 35mm lens then I would give buying it a thought. You could just buy it used for the trip and resell it afterwards. Exactly, I have both cameras and when I want to be really discrete my X100 is the choice. Sometimes I'm wondering if you took the photo In Greece you can find a Fuji X100 around 500-600 € and besides the low shutter noise you can take pictures in very low light as it has an f2 aperture and works great even at 3200 ISO So, you can use M8 during the day where noise is not a problem, and into the monastery's the X100 Another solution is the new Fuji X100s that has much greater resolution and even higher ISO capability's . With the combination of M8 and X100s, I don't think you will ever need a DSLR anymore Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientCityPhoto Posted July 9, 2013 Share #8 Posted July 9, 2013 The upgraded shutter along with a good half case will greatly reduce the shutter sound. It's still not silent. The x-vario comment doesn't make sense if you are shooting inside he monastery. Also, the m8 will struggle a bit if you will be shooting in dim light. I love the m8 and have been using one for years...but the dark is just not its friend. The double the x100 recommendation. The camera is dead silent. So much so that if I hand my camera to someone they often get confused and think the camera isn't taking the picture. No M camera gets close. The x100 is also fantastic in the dark. You can hand hold at 1/6th if you are steady. At f/2 6400 ISO you can get a lot of light in some dark places. The camera is fully usable all the way. I prefer the first version because of the sensor, but the s version has a lot of nice improvements. I don't think upgrading the m8 just for that shoot is worth it. Rent an x100 and take both. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted July 9, 2013 Share #9 Posted July 9, 2013 You may have missed the XVario threads. Despite an understandable knee-jerk reaction to the rated lens speed it turns out to be quite capable in low light due to a good ISO performance and a lens that performs excellently wide open. f 2.0 on the X100 is not all that impressive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gloec Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share #10 Posted July 10, 2013 The Fuji X-100 appears to be an excellent option and I am strongly considering it. I could find a used one for €600-700 in Greece. Last night I sent an email to Leica asking them whether the upgrade is still available and I am waiting for their response. Does anyone know if the upgrade "renews" the warranty of the camera? If yes then it could also be good reason to do it and in combination with what AncientCityPhoto said about the half case, to have a good alternative solution. I will also contact the governing body oh Mount Athos to inform me of the existing rules of photographing monasteries and the activities of the monk communities. Nikos Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Lss- Posted July 10, 2013 Share #11 Posted July 10, 2013 Besides, it would not be sensible to upgrade the camera because you would end up with a camera which is worth less than what you have just spent to upgrade it. I have an upgraded M8 and the total on the receipt is significantly less than the typical price of an M8 without any upgrades. Have they increased the price since the program started, or are you just making a point (that, just to make it clear, I agree with)? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gloec Posted July 11, 2013 Author Share #12 Posted July 11, 2013 I sent an email to Leica asking them if the upgrade is still available and they replied that they do not offer it anymore because they do not have any spare parts in stock. I asked them if they could offer any other upgrade option like for example a reduced price for an M9 and since I was any early adopter of the digital Leica M era if they could make such an offer but I got the answer that there are plenty of cameras to replace mine (M9, M9P,M-E and M Typ 240) like I didn't know. In any case I have plenty of time till October to decide what to do... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Gunst Lund Posted July 11, 2013 Share #13 Posted July 11, 2013 I did a full upgrade on my M8 some years ago, very happy with the performance of the M8u, even for pro work. LPS stil does full service on the M8 series so no worries, except for the parts they dont have, like the LCD. Nothing wrong in bringing your M8, if you have the cash I would reccomend to buy a second hand M8u to bring along... Actually I might buy another one for myself come to think of it WIth all of the WA Italian flag problems of the M9 and M I have no intension of dealing with that, I just accept the 1.33 crop and UV/IR filters hassel, and the occational need for super nice B&W is added bonus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientCityPhoto Posted July 11, 2013 Share #14 Posted July 11, 2013 X100 at f2 glows when close up. At moderate distances I find it perfectly usable and decently sharp in the center. The look is great, especially for a camera that actually dis in your pocket. Personal preferences. The M8 is great with fast lenses. Any way to gather more light will make your high ISO shots that much better. A perfectly exposed iso2500 shot is perfectly usable with slight noise reduction. But it's a trade between that and shutter speed. I can hold an x100 still at 1/6, the m8 only at 1/15 generally. M8 is much heavier than the x100. Ideal setup for m8 in the dark is a fast wide lens. Shooting a 50 or 75mm lens for me at shutter speeds slower than 1/90 is difficult to not see slight hand shake. A 35, 28, 24, or 21mm lens at f/2 or preferable 1.4 is your best bet with the m8. Being able to keep at iso 1250 for longer is a plus. A 24mm summilux would be perfect on an m8, pricey, but great for shooting well into low light handheld. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted July 11, 2013 Share #15 Posted July 11, 2013 I sent an email to Leica asking them if the upgrade is still available and they replied that they do not offer it anymore because they do not have any spare parts in stock.... Mention was made of using the Discrete mode. While not perfect, it would be worth experimenting with to work out your own technique. You can delay the rewinding noise until some other noise is able to mask it. The camera could also be back in your bag to hide the noise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted July 11, 2013 Share #16 Posted July 11, 2013 I have an upgraded M8 and the total on the receipt is significantly less than the typical price of an M8 without any upgrades. Have they increased the price since the program started, or are you just making a point (that, just to make it clear, I agree with)? IIRC, the cost the upgrade shot up to a boggling €2000 before it was killed off, presumably to flush out any ditherers. M8s can be had for much less than that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Lss- Posted July 12, 2013 Share #17 Posted July 12, 2013 Ok, the full upgrade price was about 1100 euro in 2008. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Gunst Lund Posted July 12, 2013 Share #18 Posted July 12, 2013 Yep, definetly worth it at the time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlorianM Posted July 18, 2013 Share #19 Posted July 18, 2013 FWIW, I second the X100 idea, it's a truly remarkable camera, if you'd be happy with a fixed 35/f2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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