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Poll on absolute reliability


enboe

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My questions for you:

1) How long have you owned your M8

2) Approximately how many frames have you shot

3) Has the camera malfunctioned during this time

4) How frequently has it malfunctioned

 

 

1) since feb 2007

2) 1400

3) it drained the battery and got warm, replaced battery since then no problem

4) only the one time as described

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1) How long have you owned your M8

>> 8 months

2) Approximately how many frames have you shot

>> 10,000

3) Has the camera malfunctioned during this time

>> First two cameras were defective and swapped immediately. Third camera has had some issues, described below

4) How frequently has it malfunctioned

>> Camera locks up, requiring battery removal and replacement approximately once a week.

>> Data write error on second or third shutter click when the buffer is still writing to the card - approximately once every three weeks (yes, I am using approved cards).

>>The ocasional oddball capture. For example, I had one last week that was monotone - only the blue channel was present.

 

I enjoy the M8 but have 10k shots on Canon 5D and Nikon D2X with zero malfunctions and go that route when I feel that I have to get a shot.

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1) How long have you owned your M8

2) Approximately how many frames have you shot

3) Has the camera malfunctioned during this time

4) How frequently has it malfunctioned

 

1) six or eight months

2) I don't keep count. One or two thousand, perhaps (including some quite nice pictures, though I say so myself).

3) Yes

4) Two or three freezes provoked (I strongly suspect) by pressing too many buttons while the camera is writing to the card and cured by removing the battery. One or two instances of red venetian blinds. No problems with focusing (but no [NS].{3}ilux lenses!).

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1) How long have you owned your M8

2) Approximately how many frames have you shot

3) Has the camera malfunctioned during this time

4) How frequently has it malfunctioned

 

1: 2 months

2: ~ 3000

3: About 6 images have minor artifacts;

Truly an excellent camera to use despite minor quirks. Worth twice the cost.

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1) I've had my M8 for about 8 months.

 

2) Since then I've taken 8273 pictures. Every one a keeper...

 

3) The only time I've seen the lock-up problem is a couple occassions immediately after power up. It happened when I started punching buttons before the camera completed its boot-up routine. Pulling the battery fixed it. Otherwise, except for dust from shooting in filthy environments, I've had no problem.

 

4) The camera has always been ready to go and anything that's gone wrong has been on account of operator error.

 

I consider my M8 to be highly reliable in a large part because it is the simplest digital camera I've ever owned or operated.

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1. One year.

 

2. 7000 shot?

 

3. Had to be returned to Solms for streaking/blooming from bright lights.

 

4. Other than that virtually no problems. Occasional window blinds. One or two lockups fixed by removing the batteries.

 

I love the camera. So simple and undistracting to use. For me so far reliable. Great results.

 

Best,

 

Mitchell

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Well, I suppose if you've kept them, then by definition.....:D

 

I was recently reading a book by David Hurn. He discusses his approach to photography, printing and editing. He suggests that he gets one 'keeper' in every 3000 shots (by keeper he means a picture he'd be willing to print and exhibit). Reading his anecdotes, he's very much of the opinion that the better the photographer the more they throw away.

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Hrumph

2 bodies, 25,000 images? (I'm not certain as I reset numbers each month and I only keep the ones that work - which is less than 1/4)

I guess I've had to remove the batteries 6 times - I think I've lost one image that I would blame on the camera

 

I would say that ALL of the digital cameras I've owned have misbehaved at sometime or another - my computer crashes occasionally as well.

 

One or two of the images are quite good (but of course, I blame these on myself, not on the camera:) )

 

As far as trivial bugs:

Venetian blinds - 345X

Camera freeze - 6X (see above)

Wrong image on review - 4825X

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Since March 1st, 8 month and a week

Almost 10,000 shots

About 5 venitian blinds

3 or 4 times had to remove the battery for camera to shut down, it restarted as soon as battery was in again. No waiting time.

1 weird picture with strange color effect

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One year since November 8th.

 

Two bodies and approximately 4000 images.

 

Lots of annoying stuff e.g. venetian blinds, scrolling menus etc but no failures at all.

 

Aside from awful white balance no real issue with getting great files

 

The M8 is a keeper in spite of itself. But the R9/DMR is even better so hopefully Leica can learn from itself!

 

Just remember they said it could not be done but we do have a digital M with all the great glass that goes with the system. Whatever will be the second generation nothing would be possible without the original M8. Like loving your baby. You live with the warts because it is your child and I know I will get flamed for this crass loyalty............so be it

Woody Spedden

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no one asked but as a comparison... I have had my M6 for many years, probably over 40,000 pictures, never had an issue except for a dead light meter battery which still allowed me to get all my shots on "gut" readings, it works when wet, when cold, when dry , when hot, even when banged against a fire truck ladder in a rapid descent...so why do I still have the urge to get an M8? no.. it is not a rhetorical question. thanks. ch

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no one asked but as a comparison... I have had my M6 for many years, probably over 40,000 pictures, never had an issue except for a dead light meter battery which still allowed me to get all my shots on "gut" readings, it works when wet, when cold, when dry , when hot, even when banged against a fire truck ladder in a rapid descent...so why do I still have the urge to get an M8? no.. it is not a rhetorical question. thanks. ch

 

I suggest the reason is because "no one camera fits all". Not even an M6 (but it must go close:D )

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I should, since I am here attempt to fill in the "questionaire".

Cam # 1: 12 months (one of the first releases)

Returned for upgrade.

Thousands of pics, typically 1000 per many assirgnments, but not all.

Currently returned for self inflicted damage repair. (dropped)

No other issues of note.

Cam # 2: Impressed enough with # 1 to buy another (backup & dual use).

Had it for abit over a month.

1000's of exposures.

Zero problems.

WTG

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2 bodies

#1 - 11 months, usual minor scroll / venetian blinds ZERO show-stoppers

#2 - 8 months. same story.

 

ISSUES

- I shoot RAW, AWB's not a real problem

- I want QUIETER if at all possible through firmware - PLEASE someone tell us if it's even possible...

 

Otherwise it works. Some assignments I do M7, some M8, some DSLR, but never SLR film - pity - I liked my Eos 1v. Never did use medium format, never did work in a studio - that's just my story. Do I want a better M8? Not really - I'd in fact be really grateful if Leica could stay with this format, pixel size and the rest, iron out the wrinkles and NOT force us to chase down a digital upgrade primrose pathway.

 

Best

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Hi Eric

i have had 3 M8's. Each failed in various ways and at various stages of ownership. I have returned the last M8 and got a refund, i will now use this towards a D3. I agree with you that the reliability issue is key and i need to have cameras that work with a far geater percentage than the M8.

My advice is go for the D3 and forget the M8 until such time that Leica can demonstrate a better degree of reliability.

Regards

Jim:mad:

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I owned my first M8 from late January until it failed in early August - shutter locked and failed. It had the usual venetian blinds, white balance, scrolling menu problems but worked pretty well for about 8 - 10,000 pictures until it just died. Leica replaced the camera and the replacement has worked well for one month and now exhibits a red line in the lower right quadrant of the picture which is about one pixel wide and extends about half way up the picture. I think it is failed row of pixels on the CCD. The camera is on its way back to Solms tomorrow. I have shot perhaps 2,000 pictures with it. Changing SD cards and upgrading the software did not eliminate the line so I conclude it is hardware based. Maybe I will be third time lucky.

Cheers

Howard.

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