How to Re-Cover your M8 yourself

[farnz]

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Very nice, Jaap, and I think that the black dot looks much better than the red dot with this combination.

 

Pete.

[Shootist]

I still like the look and the feel of the black GripTac. Although on the black M8 the black GripTac looks a little grey. I now have it on both M8's. took me a little longer then 5 minutes, it took that much time to get the old cover off and I removed the frame lever.

If I recover any of my other M's it will be with the black GripTac.

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[monza]

I too like Griptac. Where does one obtain a black dot?

[Shootist]

Most people paint there red dot black. Other order one from DAG or try to get one from Leica.

[farnz]

I too like Griptac. Where does one obtain a black dot?

Last time I looked they were no longer available from DAG but there's one here if you're prepared to pay the price ... (I have no connection.)

 

LEICA M BLACK DOT - SCHWARZER PUNKT (Logo) SEHR SELTEN on eBay, also, Leica, Kompaktkameras, Foto Camcorder (end time 01-Jan-08 11:54:55 GMT)

 

Pete.

[jaapv]

I got mine from DAG about five months back

[marknorton]

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Looks nice, the chrome cameras carry the change in colour better that the black ones. I'm covering my chrome camera in the slate blue, though expect to find more than 5 minutes to do it. I don't have a queue of people waiting in line to have their teeth drilled....

[JimP]

Anyone know if the frame lever from the M6/M7 will fit the M8? Was thinking of swapping if possible. Thanks.

[gravastar]

Last time I looked they were no longer available from DAG but there's one here if you're prepared to pay the price ... (I have no connection.)

 

LEICA M BLACK DOT - SCHWARZER PUNKT (Logo) SEHR SELTEN on eBay, also, Leica, Kompaktkameras, Foto Camcorder (end time 01-Jan-08 11:54:55 GMT)

 

Pete.

If they really are discontinued and if you replace your red one with the black - keep the original red in case your camera needs to go to Solms for service. People have found they will replace the black dot with a new red one!

 

Bob.

[Shootist]

Anyone know if the frame lever from the M6/M7 will fit the M8? Was thinking of swapping if possible. Thanks.

Looking at a image of a M6, mine is stuck in UPS HELL, and looking AT my M8 it looks like the frameline selector is much closer to the lens mount on the M8 then it is on a M6.

There is no real space between the lens mount of that lever on the M8 and there is a visible space between them on the M6. Also the lever is wider at the top of it on the M6 type and the M8 is more like a M3/2, much thinner at the top of it. So I would say no because then the lever might not move all the way to the position closet to the mount.

Moving my M8 lever it comes very close to the mount at that position.

The only real way to tell is to try it.

Other then those differences I think they would be the same.

[Shootist]

If they really are discontinued and if you replace your red one with the black - keep the original red in case your camera needs to go to Solms for service. People have found they will replace the black dot with a new red one!

 

Bob.

DAG lists them as "Coming Soon".

I asked Leica NJ to replace my red with a black when it was there last month and they said they didn't have any.

[jaapv]

If they really are discontinued and if you replace your red one with the black - keep the original red in case your camera needs to go to Solms for service. People have found they will replace the black dot with a new red one!

 

Bob.

 

No they don't I just got mine back which even got a new top cover - with a new black (!) dot on.

 

Looks nice, the chrome cameras carry the change in colour better that the black ones. I'm covering my chrome camera in the slate blue, though expect to find more than 5 minutes to do it. I don't have a queue of people waiting in line to have their teeth drilled....

 

I covered my other one in "Black Beauty" but it did not really impress me esthetically. It is a lot better than the original plastic, but I am thinking of putting Granite Grey on that one.

Very important if one does not remove the frame selector lever:

In that case start on the side of the lever, leaving the backing foil on the other side in place. You need to wiggle a bit to slide it under the lever and that is very difficult to do if the other side of the leather is already stuck in place.

[Paul Hart]

This helpful thread - and particularly Mark's helpful pictures - has persuaded me to do my black M8 in black kid leather. As for my silver MP - something more adventurous may be called for...

[jedi996sps]

Mark,

Excellent and thank you for the time and effort taken to record and post this...perhaps one day, with your helpful thread, i will cover mine, and as u say, if u tire of it, u can always change it again. AND if u really want it back as standard, no doubt that could also be done.

 

ali

[fordfanjpn]

I was inspired by Mark's original post to take a crack at changing the skin on my M8. It turned out to be easier than I expected, and the Griptac makes a big difference in the handling of the camera. One question though, when I stripped off the old skin, I found a hand-written number "2" on the front of the body. Anybody have any idea what that might mean?

 

Bill

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[Shootist]

IIRC my black M8 also had a 2 written in almost the same spot.

I would think it is mark of the person doing the final assembly.

[Dantist]

Very nice shootings, Mark. Thank you for posting. Sweet colors, good combination of lines, perfect contrast...

 

Let us know, please, how you got the strong purple light merging out of the lenses. Is it a secret story ?

 

Happy new year

[carstenw]

Well, it took a long time for me to decide to do this, even after buying two copies of the black Vulcanette C from cameraleather.com. I need to send the camera in for service at some point, but it takes nice enough photos, and I think I will now wait for the update, and maybe do everything in one go. Today I am at home ill, so I decided to do it.

 

It was a little tricky, and the fit isn't perfect everywhere (my fault; not the covering), but it is so close that you would really have to look closely to see it. Specifically, there is a little too much room around the bayonet, the bottom edge isn't 100% perfect everywhere, and there is a small rip next to the USB door where I had to back up a little and it gave way too quickly for me to react, but even that is barely visible, even when looking directly at it.

 

The feel is *much* nicer than the standard covering, and surprise, even feels better than the M6 covering I wanted to get closer to. I still find the M8 too large, preferring the size of the M6, but this helps a lot.

 

Here is a photo of the final result. What a beauty, and I look forward to handling it more.

 

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[stevelap]

I was inspired by Mark's original post to take a crack at changing the skin on my M8. It turned out to be easier than I expected, and the Griptac makes a big difference in the handling of the camera. One question though, when I stripped off the old skin, I found a hand-written number "2" on the front of the body. Anybody have any idea what that might mean?

 

Bill

I wonder if the '2' could refer to 'Q2? ie a camera that has been through final quality control for a second time, probably after being returned to Leica by a dealer for rectification work.

 

Steve

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[roofus]

That's how rumors get started. Why would someone write a 2 under the covering? That's about the lamest explanation possible!