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some question for M8


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I'm looking for a M8 for a while but I found that M8 have a lot of problems so, the question is

1.Is that true that M8 sensor can crack very easily? 

2.how to check for hot or dead pixel? and is there that much impact on the picture

3.what are the check list I should do before buy a M8 from seller

4.I heard that M8 have a very low durability. Is that true?

 

Sorry for a dumb question but I just want to know from the real user

Thanks.

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Had a M8 years ago with no Problems but noticed a dead Pixel when checking before selling it. So push ISO high and shoot something dark than you can see a bright (blue or green) line vertically marking the dead pixel. Solutions are either map it inside via Leica or create a correction mask via CaputreOne or some other Software. Actually I bought another M8 about a year ago, again the first Version with 1/8000 moaned to be unstable but everything is still fine.

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1. No.

2. You will see it immediately at high ISO. It can be mapped out or dealt with in postprocessing.

3. Not much. Does everything work (pay extra attention to the LCD, there is no supply of spares), is the camera well kept in general.

4. Absolute nonsense. If that were true, there would not be so many happily working after up to twelve years. It is built like a tank.

 

As for the shutter, mentioned above, the max speed was not reduced to increase durability, but to minimize noise. If anything, we have seen more shutter defects of the slower shutter than of the faster ones on this forum. Come to think of it, I have not seen any "broken shutter" post for the last few years.

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I had 2 x M8s and an M8-2. The only problem with them was that one of the M8s had to have a sensor re-map from Leica and all shot many images. Other than that they were trouble free. They are now getting on in digital camera terms though and spares such as rear screens are not available any more. So you need to be aware that you are buying an older digital camera and one which, if it needs any repairs which can be made, will be expensive to fix because Leica are not cheap for repairs. If you can pick one up for the right price though they are great cameras.

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1.Is that true that M8 sensor can crack very easily? 

2.how to check for hot or dead pixel? and is there that much impact on the picture

3.what are the check list I should do before buy a M8 from seller

4.I heard that M8 have a very low durability. Is that true?

 

1. No but the sensor filter is very thin so better take care when you clean it.

2. See Jaap's answer above.

3. Ask seller to confirm that the back LCD works fine and has no "coffee stain" issue. Important question since Leica doesn't have LCD spare parts anymore as you certainly know it. 

4. My M8.2 in from 2008 and works like a charm since then. Got the coffee stain issue though but the latter disappeared from itself and never appeared again for mysterious reasons. 

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PS: The M9 is both a better camera and more for the money if you are not interested in IR or want a cheap silver chrome camera.

 

It's probably not a better camera if you want the M8's B&W quality. It's also quite a bit more money.

 

Ernst

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I bought a M8 about a year ago after reading horror stories but thought I would take the risk ( wanted a M9 but didn’t have the funds at the time ) and don’t regret it at all. The images it produces are fantastic especially Mono, l recently added a M9 to my Leica collection but only so I could get the full benefits of my wide lenses, I actually took my M8 out with me today instead of the M9 as I was wanting to convert the images to mono.

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  • 2 weeks later...

All four are sorted out by now. 

 

I would check shutter count and RF vertical and infinity alignment. Take some pictures and see them on bigger screen.

 

I had M8 in 2017 and sold it because it was very close to M-E I have as well. I never get this hipe about M8 BW, but getting IR images was interesting experience. 

Edited by Ko.Fe.
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Almost 3 weeks on from the original post and the OP hasn't replied to or acknowledged the answers that have been posted...

 

Ernst

 

He(?) joined on 9th July, asked similar type questions about M6's and has had no forum activity since 26th July.  Just a tyre-kicker I presume.

 

Pete.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've got one new in 2007, an M8 which had only brightlines upgrade, and that works flawlessy since. Is a very strong camera and, if I may say, gave me much more satisfactions than the M240 i bought years later, that is a great camera as well but not surprising as the M8 was and is, even without all the improvements which the following Ms could benefit of.

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I've owned 3 M8's and 1 M9. Love the M8..never bonded with the M9.

Currently own a M8 with 508 original actuations..boxed and put away. High 33 serial number.

 

I keep staring at the box and thinking.....Well!

 

My Sony A7II and Canon 5DMKII keep me pacified.. but oh, that ccd. Those files in diffused light in the city,in the fall, are to die for.

 

Do you have any idea what it's like to have a M8 with that shutter count and sitting in a closet.

It's my illness!

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