Robinyuill Posted November 14, 2018 Share #1 Posted November 14, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) 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. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 14, 2018 Posted November 14, 2018 Hi Robinyuill, Take a look here M8. Should I?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
silverchrome Posted November 14, 2018 Share #2 Posted November 14, 2018 Anything can be fixed if you're willing to pay for it, except the LCD. Only worth buying if it is stupidly cheap and you're prepared to write off whatever you paid for it in the event the camera develops a significant fault. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted November 16, 2018 Share #3 Posted November 16, 2018 I would never buy a faulty camera without knowing the repair cost personally. Not sure i would buy anything to a dealer selling faulty cameras w/o giving a repair estimate either but it is another story. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
analog-digital Posted November 16, 2018 Share #4 Posted November 16, 2018 Am 14.11.2018 um 14:48 schrieb Robinyuill: Any info/ thoughts? Tell us more numbers ($$$$) otherwise your question is useless. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cp995 Posted November 16, 2018 Share #5 Posted November 16, 2018 vor 4 Minuten schrieb analog-digital: Tell us more numbers ($$$$) otherwise your question is useless. If this camera deal is based on emotions for him, the $$$$ numbers are not very helpful for us Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinyuill Posted November 16, 2018 Author Share #6 Posted November 16, 2018 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. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
analog-digital Posted November 16, 2018 Share #7 Posted November 16, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) They are, of corse, they are. Without to know his offer price for the M8 we can't judge anything. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
analog-digital Posted November 16, 2018 Share #8 Posted November 16, 2018 vor 1 Minute schrieb Robinyuill: And it would have cost £1000 UK price £ 1000 = € 1150.- Plus the repair cost? Too much, way to much. I have one for sale for much less, CLA done! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted November 16, 2018 Share #9 Posted November 16, 2018 Confused - the dealer has fixed it and it's perfect, but the info button doesn't work? I'm assuming £1000 is the purchase price? Personally I wouldn't pay that for a possibly faulty old digital camera. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxpachernigg Posted November 16, 2018 Share #10 Posted November 16, 2018 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 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernstk Posted November 18, 2018 Share #11 Posted November 18, 2018 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 2 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbon_dragon Posted November 18, 2018 Share #12 Posted November 18, 2018 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. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/291458-m8-should-i/?do=findComment&comment=3633079'>More sharing options...
Geoff Marshall Posted November 19, 2018 Share #13 Posted November 19, 2018 I have M8 and M9 besides film Leica’s and still use the M8 as much as the others, it is still as good a camera as the day it was released producing fantastic colour and monochrome images so I would not hesitate to recommend it to someone wanting to get a cheap digital M. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieB Posted November 19, 2018 Share #14 Posted November 19, 2018 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. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivette Posted November 20, 2018 Share #15 Posted November 20, 2018 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! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david strachan Posted November 20, 2018 Share #16 Posted November 20, 2018 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. ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivette Posted November 20, 2018 Share #17 Posted November 20, 2018 (edited) 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 November 20, 2018 by Trivette 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
analog-digital Posted November 24, 2018 Share #18 Posted November 24, 2018 (edited) And, Robin, what have you done? Edited November 24, 2018 by analog-digital Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
boojum Posted September 28, 2020 Share #19 Posted September 28, 2020 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 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom R Posted September 28, 2020 Share #20 Posted September 28, 2020 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. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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