Are they really that bad?? Please let us know.

[dougdarter]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hi,

 

I've only been a member a day or so, and already I'm thinking about deleting this forum from my favourites:(

 

Why??

 

The continual and incessant 'trashing' of the M8, for whatever reason. It's pretty dispiriting, especially when I have nothing but praise for mine. Perhaps it's because I'm an ex film photographer, who has used M's in the past, and I can work with, and see through their idiosyncrasies.

 

Is it perhaps a case of only those who have a faulty copy who post, as one may expect, and those that are happy with theirs generally keep quiet?

 

I would like therefore, those that are happy with their camera, to please go on record here, and say so.

 

I am aware of perhaps 20 or so in the UK for sale used since they were issued, there may be more of course, but I can't find them.

 

As an ex Canon 'tog, I know of many more 1D MkIII's that are being disposed of, and these are newer than the M8!

 

So please, if you appreciate your M8 for what it is - an excellent tool, and not just a piece of jewellery, please post here, and let those others know that it's not all bad.

 

Please don't let's start another 'trash the M8' thread, with all the horror stories, just those which are M* friendly and positive.

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

[hdrmd]

The files are beautiful when corrected, the handling and build quality is superb, and the lenses are as good as their reputation. The firmware has been slow in coming, the White balance is erratic. and the filters and coding are a nuisance. But, overall I am quite poitive about the M8, and I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine . Regards. Dr

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[lars_bergquist]

I have owned my M8 since February. I am not only satisfied with it, I am continually amazed by it. The only remaining problem by now is the auto white balance, and that is a problem only for us who use the JPEG format. I got a colour temperature meter (a used Minolta) and learned about colour temperature. But out of doors, Daylight and Cloudy handle most situations. I think the M8 is a howling success.

 

The old man from the Age of Kodachrome

[stunsworth]

Of course it's not as bad as you'd think from reading some posts.

[Jamie Roberts]

Hey Doug---

 

A lot of early adopters got a pretty bumpy ride with the M8. And yeah, as a film guy too, there were a lot of unmet expectations, let me say.

 

The outlook now is a lot better, but remember, there are folks here who went through a hardware recall here on their new M8s When something else more normal happens, they're already worried about the thing being a lemon.

 

Now--coming from Canon and the whole 1ds2 dropping images thing--heh heh heh. I didn't think the M8's woes were that big a deal and the good news was that Leica did exactly what they should to fix the problem!

 

And I really do feel bad for the 1d3 shooters out there (not that I don't think Canon will fix the problems, they will. They just won't say anything about it officially).

 

So you have to be a bit tolerant of the community here: once burned, twice shy, you know

 

Having said that, there are the usual trolls on leave from dPreview who've never owned an M camera, never shot an M8, and don't know their, um, ash from their elbow with digital imaging. Welcome to the 'net.

 

But don't go away so soon--this is actually a great community!

[erlingmm]

Got mine in April, very happy, have hardly touched my 5D since. I also used M8 in harsh contitions (cold, mountains, wind, humidity), camera worked fine, but had to keep battery in pocket to keep it warm. Beautiful images, using LR, very little postprocessing.

 

- ErlingMM

[dougdarter]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I'm very encouraged so far gents. thanks. Keep the good reports coming in!

[Iron Flatline]

It's kind of odd, it goes in waves. We didn't have any weirdness here for several weeks, but over the last few days there was some trolling and trashing. Weird.

 

The bottom line is that this community is a GREAT resource not only for Leica cameras, but for photography in general. You're going to begin recognizing names very quickly, and soon after that you'll see who has which particular leanings, etc.

 

I would advise you to stick around - and just ignore the extreme posts. Most of the really bad trolls disappear after a while anyway.

[larry]

Doug,

 

It would be Bush-like denial (sorry, had to do that) to say the M8 has been problem-free. But there are some people who have experienced serious problems who believe everyone else whose cameras are reliable must be lying or oblivious. These are people who are likely to position themselves at the center of the universe. And there are a few who drop in to spread rumors and stir the pot; then wait for a flame war. Of course, they're commonly referred to as trolls -- fortunately, there aren't too many here.

 

I've had my M8 for eight months and it's been reliable and a delight to use. Stick around and enjoy the community.

 

Larry

[farnz]

Doug,

 

I've had my M8 since February and I'm chuffed to bits with it. I'm approaching 7,000 images with it and the only other camera I've used since February has been my D2 for occasional macro shots.

 

I have not had a single serious problem - perhaps I'm lucky; there are a few minor things that I would change but I just can't go past the gorgeous images it produces.

 

This is the first truly manual camera I've used since many years with a Pentax 67 and I enjoy not having the distraction of the bells and whistles of autofocus, autoeverything, autothinkforyou.

 

Me? Completely sold.

 

Pete.

[george +]

I got mine in early November, never sent it back to Solms and still like it and the pictures it produces very much.

 

Problems? I put IR filters on all my lenses. Sometimes the camera needs a restart. (off-battery out-on) Never lost a picture.

 

And yes, I would buy again. As to the trolls, dogs bark, the caravan goes on . . . .

[johnwolf]

...the continual and incessant 'trashing' of the M8

 

Gee, Doug, just the opposite seems true to me. An occasional rant, some well-intentioned criticism, but mostly high praise. Maybe you're oversensitive?

 

Not sure if you read other photo forums, but this is one of the most mature, respectful forums around -- especially concerning the M8.

 

John

[asfeir]

Got mine on December 28, 2006. Second batch, so no banding. In May my M8 developed the SDS syndrome, and went to Solms. I had it sent from Europe, the guys at Solms immediately sent me a mail saying it will take 10 days to fix. Eight days later the camera was back. I did get the free filters, and a 90 mm Summicron Asph at 30% discount.

 

Now that the SDS is behind us (or so I understand as the faulty part has been identified), I see no reason for concern. Picture quality is superb, no glass comes near Leica's.

[pklein]

Doug: This is probably the best place on the Internet for information and tips about the M8. Do stick around.

 

I'm basically happy with my M8. What I get from it outweighs the annoyances. The detail is incredible, it's a rangefinder, it handles like an M and can use my M and screw-mount lenses. I do view the camera as a work-in-progress, and a lot of the progress shows up here first. There are several people here who Leica listens to, and those people listen to us.

 

As others have posted, some people have had serious problems with the M8. Most of the worst ones occurred on early cameras, and have been fixed by sending the camera back to Solms. There is some residual anger and uncertainty that is often amplified by human nature and the nature of the Internet. There are also many new M8 owners who never shot film and never dealt with a rangefinder before. Inevitably, some of them start comparing M8 operation and features with Brand C and Brand N DSLRs and conclude they've been somehow taken.

 

Some people are still upset about the IR filter/cyan corners/coding issues. They can be worked around, with some fuss and additional expense. Leica has not been able to code and adjust lenses quickly enough, or in some cases accurately enough. And now we find that our fastest lenses, for many the raison d'etre of Leica, have focus shifts that make middle aperture use a bit of an issue.

 

The lingering issues are sufficiently complex that some people just don't get it. And Leica is expensive enough that some people feel that "there's no excuse" for the M8 not being perfect. Then there are the people who just like to bash Leica cameras and their owners because they think they are bashing the filthy rich, and it appeals to their inner egalitarian.

 

That said, you will find far more frequent and contentious exchanges on dpreview and photo.net. The LUG can be a curmudgeonly place as well. So this is probably the best place to find out the latest and greatest about the M8.

 

Welcome aboard. Hold onto the handrails.

--Peter

[Skippy Sanchez]

I would imagine if high-speed internet and forums such as this existed in the 1940's > '80s there would have been a similar proportion of whiners and naysayers. the information age has pitfalls as well as blessings.

 

when i read SD card file storage complaints, i'm glad i don't have to reload film every 36 frames.

 

when people bitch about auto white balance, i'm glad i can press a couple buttons without having to swap out half-rolls of daylight to tungston to b/w film. not to mention changing ISO.

 

so what if it's a $5000 camera? i've saved that in film & processing just this year alone. and (i'm just guessing here), dollar-for-adjusted dollar, i doubt that it cost much more than my F3 or F4 Nikons or my M4 did when they were new.

 

my M8s are MUCH better than my old Nikon D1s, which spent more time in repair than they did in my hands. i have not had a single issue with either M8 since i got them. my MP & leicavit, on the other hand, have been in the shop twice in less than a year, & i've only put maybe four rolls of film through it in that amount of time.

 

there are brand-loyal leicaphiles who might suggest that the camera is entitled to it's eccentricities, no matter what; i think they're doing as much damage to the M8 reputation as the leicaphobes.

 

All cameras have thier eccentricities. if there were a perfect camera for every taste, that'd be the only one we'd need.

[Riccis]

Since early April 100% of my professional wedding work has been done with the M8... I wouldn't put my reputation (and livelihood) on the line if I wouldn't believe the M8 delivers. Of course, I put mine through the paces for about 3 months before making the jump, but so far I have no regrets.

 

Cheers,

 

Riccis

[Jamie Roberts]

{snipped}

All cameras have their eccentricities. if there were a perfect camera for every taste, that'd be the only one we'd need.

 

Perfectly put!

[bebert]

I purchased mine late December 2006 (former M6 user for the last decade). Still amazed as a child by the features of the M8 and currently printing A2 on an Epson 3800 with so much sharpness...!

 

My only question would be : where are the limits of this 99% perfect tool (even in very deep shadows in very underexposed pics details are here). The only point is your knowledge in raw converters (C1 Pro 3.7.7 is perfect for me) and the correction of the White Balance (which is sometimes very surprising).

[jaa]

Hi,

I would like therefore, those that are happy with their camera, to please go on record here, and say so.

 

 

I'm very sorry but I can't do that. I'm not happy with my M8. Not at all. I'm still waiting for it to arrive from Solms. It's been more than a week since I ordered it and the dealer assured me it would be fast...

 

 

 

 

 

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[luigi bertolotti]

If there wouldn't be the posts that deal of problems, this wouldn't be a forum, but simply a celebration of Leica gear : and is at all natural that threads on problems get more space than other : if I post about a problem, I'll receive answers about, similar experiences, workarounds and so... if I post how happy I am with my M8 (AND I AM A LOT, FOR MYSELF) well... I simply can expect some "mee too" answer. I have not made any deep computation about, but many posted problems are simply for one hopes to have some good advice about things you know that, someway, can be adjusted : I made post on sensor cleaning... surely not a M8-specific issue; I saw lot of posts about the Voigt 15... nothing strange that a 3rd party product has some problem; color fringes in strong reflected spotlights... do you expect nothing in such a situation ? ... the green banding ? Has became a matter of joking...

On the contrary, I red few posts that definitely say "m8=LEMON" : I think that, to celebrate the 1st birthday of M8, moderators could envision a sort of simple poll with a simple vote 1 to 10 or similar for M8 users... I'd bet for a medium in the range of 8 to 8,5...