Is the M8 still worth buying in 2022-2023?

[digitalistbesser]

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Hi there, 

 

I think all is said, bot not from everyone 🙂. So I add my opinion in short.

If you are looking for a good camera, Do not buy it!

But I love my M8. The reason is that I dont earn my money with this camera, and for me digital cameras are boring. I work my whole day with a computer, I am streaming films and music. I have a mobile  to take instant photos. When I take my cameras I dont want to think of which programme I should take. 

If you once had understood the principles of photography you will never forget them, and you will be able to use the camera instantly, without thinking where you can  choose the programmes. 

 Normally I use my film cameras, but it is easier with the M8, because it is a kind of film camera that makes digital photos.

Is it worth ans sensible to buy one? Probably not. But using it gives great feelings you dont have with any other, better, camera.

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[Bills go]

Hi, I've just bought a m8 with 1040 actuations and advertised as in excellent condition. Am hoping it will be ok . There is paint bubbling on back LCD  panel next to buttons which i will scrutinize upon its arrival. Hopefully it will be paint only job. Any comments or experience on this would be welcome. Have a Epson rd1 and love rangefinders. Photos are  wonderful. Dying to test it out. Bill.

[farnz]

2 hours ago, Bills go said:

Hi, I've just bought a m8 with 1040 actuations and advertised as in excellent condition. Am hoping it will be ok . There is paint bubbling on back LCD  panel next to buttons which i will scrutinize upon its arrival. Hopefully it will be paint only job. Any comments or experience on this would be welcome. Have a Epson rd1 and love rangefinders. Photos are  wonderful. Dying to test it out. Bill.

Welcome to the forum, Bill, and congratulations on your M8.  Just reading through the threads in this sub-forum should give you answers to most of your questions. 🙂

Pete.

[CGarrard]

Interesting reading through the various replies about the M8, there is quite a bit of misunderstanding about this camera on the internet in general ...and the same goes here (particularly with its image quality and unique characteristics).

Most of this is due to a lack of patience or experience using and understanding the M8. Leica could have done a better job explaining why they requested the customized sensor with the specs that they did, however over time people have learned a lot and the M8 is becoming understood more than it used to be. This is especially reflected in its resale value these days which is often even higher than an M9 or M240. For a long time the M8 was the most affordable way into digital M photography, that's becoming not the case anymore.

If you are going to ask the "is the M8 worth it" question, I suggest taking time to discuss this with those like myself who have a lot of experience with the M8 as opposed to reading misinformation about it on the internet. You may be walking away from something special as a result. 

I particularly think the M8 is a treasure ,it's unique in the digital M space, and like all cameras it has its strengths and weaknesses (even when you do fully understand it).

I wrote about it back in 2017: https://photographic-central.blogspot.com/2017/09/leica-m8-rangefinder-diary-of-realigned_4.html

Here is a quick blurb that I think is particularly relevant to the conversation in terms of "worth":

"And lastly, being able to shoot stellar monochrome, infrared, and rich color images in one camera make the M8 the most versatile M of all in terms of creative options. There's an advantage to its weak IR cut off filter for Monochrome images, the mid-tones show incredible depth that make this camera arguably the best M for monochrome work out of the box. Note for the color images in this article, none employed the use of a separate IR filter on front of the lens. I think the hype of color shift on the M8 was more of a press field day than a real practical issue. I do not worry about using an IR filter at all."

Edited September 16, 2023 by CGarrard

[lmans]

Funny...I am seeing people here who posted Jan of 2023 stating the prices should be below $2000 but now as I look online, Ebay or some dealer...the prices are way higher as some top $3000 for a normal M8. The M8 and M9 are not for the average Leica user even who loves sharpness, quick focus, video and all the crap that comes with the newer M's now....     But even for those like myself who like the characteristics and quirks of the M8 or M9, the prices of both are really high.....really high and going higher...

[farnz]

30 minutes ago, lmans said:

but now as I look online, Ebay or some dealer...the prices are way higher as some top $3000 for a normal M8.

Is that completed sales or just advertised prices?  If it's advertised prices then the actual selling price might be lower.

Pete.

[david strachan]

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On 9/16/2023 at 9:51 PM, CGarrard said:

...I think the hype of color shift on the M8 was more of a press field day than a real practical issue. I do not worry about using an IR filter at all."...

I don't know how you live with yourself Carl... 

[84bravo]

14 hours ago, farnz said:

14 hours ago, lmans said:

but now as I look online, Ebay or some dealer...the prices are way higher as some top $3000 for a normal M8.

Is that completed sales or just advertised prices?  If it's advertised prices then the actual selling price might be lower.

Pete.

The prices for sold cameras are quite high right now at around $1700 +. Three years ago one could find good used M8 bodies for $800 if you were patient. They were typically selling for less than $1200 then.

[lmans]

2 hours ago, 84bravo said:

The prices for sold cameras are quite high right now at around $1700 +. Three years ago one could find good used M8 bodies for $800 if you were patient. They were typically selling for less than $1200 then.

Very distorted now....but I don't think they are coming down. Why? ....if the price of apples isn't coming down, neither are optics! 

[CGarrard]

On 10/2/2023 at 7:06 PM, david strachan said:

I don't know how you live with yourself Carl... 

I don't either, I should be ashamed

[goldenbear]

I just added a very lightly used (1,534 clicks), fully boxed M8.2 Black Paint to the fleet last week. The camera was serviced by Leica NJ in 2021: new shutter, new leatherette, cleaned sensor, rangefinder adjustment, etc. I paid $2,500 and couldn’t be happier. Looking forward to using this camera in conditions where it shines. 

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[farnz]

6 hours ago, goldenbear said:

I just added a very lightly used (1,534 clicks), fully boxed M8.2 Black Paint to the fleet last week. The camera was serviced by Leica NJ in 2021: new shutter, new leatherette, cleaned sensor, rangefinder adjustment, etc. I paid $2,500 and couldn’t be happier. Looking forward to using this camera in conditions where it shines.

I'm glad to see that Leica NJ left your black dot intact because there have been reports that Leica Microsystems GmbH, which leases the Leica brand name and logo to Leica Camera AG, didn't like the black dot and instructed that only red dots are to be used on Leica branded products and consequently black dots on serviced equipment were replaced with red dots.

Pete.

[goldenbear]

1 hour ago, farnz said:

I'm glad to see that Leica NJ left your black dot intact because there have been reports that Leica Microsystems GmbH, which leases the Leica brand name and logo to Leica Camera AG, didn't like the black dot and instructed that only red dots are to be used on Leica branded products and consequently black dots on serviced equipment were replaced with red dots.

Pete.

Very interesting. 

[chris_livsey]

 

The black version of the M8.2 came with a standard black dot but as noted the objection came from Leica Microsystems GmbH, but as seen here though that will be honoured as it was fitted from new. 

It has history, a lot:

The word Leitz in script first appeared on the Leica R3 in 1976 and the first production run of 100 Leica M4-2s in 1977. A similar black circle Leitz logo can also be found on the Leitz Televit rapid-focus device dating as far back as the late ‘60s. The red Leitz version was dropped on subsequent M cameras and then reappeared on the front covering of the M4-P in 1981.

The Leica M6 of 1984-2003 marked the transition from the Leitz red dot to the current Leica red dot. Early examples had the Leitz insignia, and  post-1986 models had the Leica red dot with the “swoopy-L Leica in script” logo (first appeared on the Leica II (model D) of 1932) in contrasting white, the first Leica with a built-in coupled rangefinder.
 

[Borna]

Prices of the M8 directly from Leica Classic website. These have been for sale during a longer period of time. I dont believe on Ebay prices, however if you want a specific model/serial/shape directly I guess ebay is where to go. 

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[Jeff S]

On 11/7/2023 at 6:31 AM, farnz said:

I'm glad to see that Leica NJ left your black dot intact because there have been reports that Leica Microsystems GmbH, which leases the Leica brand name and logo to Leica Camera AG, didn't like the black dot and instructed that only red dots are to be used on Leica branded products and consequently black dots on serviced equipment were replaced with red dots.

Pete.

True that they weren’t happy, but I never had an issue when I sent mine to NJ for service years ago.  I spoke to the service rep in advance and she ensured it would be returned as sold, which it was.  I think the edict applied only to subsequent models, but maybe the conversation helped. 
 

Jeff

[charlesphoto99]

The M8 took/takes stunning photos for what it is. Been looking back and came across this selfie from 2008. I'm also stunned by the quality of some Nikon D3 with Zeiss lens pics I took. Sometimes it's not about more megapixels. 

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[arthurpreston]

I just dusted my M8 off after 4 years of no use.  I had to buy a new battery (reconditioned, Amazon and it was reasonably priced) cleaned the sensor and all lenses and everything is like new.

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[markc2]

The M8 prices are around the price of a SL now, and man it's hard to justify being so close to the SL. I got to try out a 240 and an Sl, the SL with the AF lens was so fast at everything I felt like a butterfly flying around the camera store, stream of conscious shooting it felt like. The other part of me felt like the SL was a point and shoot of the very highest order. Then I tried the M240 and wow, I started to think about what I wanted to compose, all that manual stuff. At the same time I kept on thinking WOW what would the SL be like with a M lens on it. I'm still on the fence, about the whole thing, if I could find an M8 for a decent price not SL prices but reasonable ARGG decisions, decisions. 

and old S walks into the building with a decent price tag as well. Will it ever end 🙂

 

[Borna]

6 hours ago, markc2 said:

The M8 prices are around the price of a SL now, and man it's hard to justify being so close to the SL. I got to try out a 240 and an Sl, the SL with the AF lens was so fast at everything I felt like a butterfly flying around the camera store, stream of conscious shooting it felt like. The other part of me felt like the SL was a point and shoot of the very highest order. Then I tried the M240 and wow, I started to think about what I wanted to compose, all that manual stuff. At the same time I kept on thinking WOW what would the SL be like with a M lens on it. I'm still on the fence, about the whole thing, if I could find an M8 for a decent price not SL prices but reasonable ARGG decisions, decisions. 

and old S walks into the building with a decent price tag as well. Will it ever end 🙂

 

In the Nordics, the M8 is basically the same price as an M240. Also the M-P 240 is getting the level of M9. I sold my M-P 240 to just use my M8 and M6.

I did not like the digital files from the M-P too be honest, specially coming from an M8 it was too much of an culture clash. M8 has super genuine feeling in what it delivers in comparison to the more modern M-models.