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M8. Should I?


Robinyuill

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Hi there. I have a chance to buy a M8 from a dealer, not a Leica dealer but one I’ve known for years. I believe it’s from year one of production from serial No3110::: so it’s old but in great condition. I’ve already got M9p and Monochrom but it’s a good price and I’m sentimental after selling my first M8. Daft eh!

It’s had a new sensor in 2004 for a dead pixel line, the rear screen is perfect, but usual info button is dead. If I send it to Leica any idea if it can be fixed and would it be prohibitively expensive? Any info/ thoughts?

Regards Robin.

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Ok. In answer to the comments. The post was asking for approximate costs from Leica for a fault. The dealer had a years warranty and he fixed it so the cameras perfect. He’s been repairing cameras like Leica etc for over 40yr so knows the score. And it would have cost £1000 UK price. Anyway, I can afford it if I need to send it to Leica and yes emotion when buying kit can overcome logic. Enough said. Bye all.

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On 11/16/2018 at 2:31 PM, maxpachernigg said:

Why would you want that old thing? 

Just go on a decent trip for that money and take one of your other M's with you …

Best, Max

Why would you not want 'that old thing'? It's still one of the best imaging digital Leicas around.

Ernst

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It's a pretty good infrared camera with no conversion. It takes very good pictures, though I didn't upgrade to later Ms for nothing. I did keep the M8 because of its infrared abilities.

 

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I'll never forget the day I used my M9 for the first time. I was one of the lucky ones to receive the camera just a few months after it's release. Previously I'd read all the M9 forum posts here, I'd sold my beloved M8.2 and was looking forward to owning the M9 which had a "better IQ than the M8"..apparently!...My first emotions and feelings on seeing the first photo's taken with the M8 were that they lacked the gentle beauty of the M8. The M10 files were harsher and cooler and lacked gentle beauty. My upgrade was a downgrade. 

If you can find a good, little used M8.2 (.2= stronger shutter) then grab it I say.

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Film and processing got too expensive, so my film equipment is collecting dust. I recently got an M8.2 in order to experience rangefinder focusing with a digital camera. SERENDIPIDY! It not only operated similarly to a film M camera, but the images have a certain subtle quality which seems very film-like to me. If anything ever happens to my M8.2, I would have to get a replacement! 

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1 hour ago, david strachan said:

Good one Trivette.

 

One of the bonuses is the camera uses the central "sweet spot" of the lens...no corner smears, no CA, no colour edges, just a great image which prints very well.

 

I still use mine a lot (have two) even though i also enjoy my M-P typ 240.

 

...

Thanks David. Being restricted to the sweet spot of the lens by the sensor (1.33 crop factor) doesn't bother me at all. Of course, 35mm film lenses weren't originally designed for a digital sensor anyhow. I'm using Zeiss Biogon 35mm and 28mm lenses, and an Elmar 50/2.8. (My Summicron 50/2 was badly damaged by virus during years of neglect.)

Off topic suggestion: Any photographer living in a warm, humid environment should consider getting an electronic dry box. A relatively small outlay for the box could potentially save thousands of dollars.

 

 

Edited by Trivette
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  • 1 year later...
On 11/16/2018 at 6:31 AM, maxpachernigg said:

Why would you want that old thing? 

Just go on a decent trip for that money and take one of your other M's with you …

Best, Max

It's an old post but I, for one, would want that old thing.  We can't all love the same woman.  And this lady sings such a sweet song.  I just got mine and put the Voigtländer 35mm 1.4 MC II on it and am pleased with the very few pictures I have taken.  When we get some sunshine here I will be out taking as many pictures as I can to see how she works.  I like the color and definition on that Kodak CCD sensor.  It is the reason I bought the M8.2.  For the same price I could have gotten an M 240 but it does not give the same picture.  

So while you may disdain this grande dame I think she still waltzes beautifully.  

Tschűß

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Well, I've owned an M8,2 for a few years. I bought it as a "scratch pad" for trying ideas, but have found it capable of producing reasonable images. I have heard many people extol its benefits for tasks such as infrared or panchromatic images. Don't know about infrared because I haven't done that in years (since Kodak discontinued their infrared films). For panchromatic images, it does reasonably well. For color ... well, it's a digital camera and that's a whole different discussion. 

I'm sure you know all about the "coffee stain" issue with the rear display, and you know about the discontinued CCD sensor. I think that Leica might still replace shutters at a cost in cash and time, but I am not sure of this. You'll need to invest in UV/IR cut filters and live with the 1.3 crop factor. There seems to be some question as to whether it's worthwhile having lenses 6-bit encoded .... I haven't. But my primary concerns are questions of durability and maintenance. 

Maybe buying such a camera is like investing in the stock market: only invest what you can afford to loose.  (That being said, I've never purchased a camera as an "investment.") When this camera becomes a "brick," I will likely NOT replace it with a digital Leica. Depending upon when that happens, I might just pick up the slack with my film bodies ... I'm retired, after all, and, with rare exceptions, have time sensitive (or format sensitive) requirements. But your needs may dictate otherwise. 

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