Leica trying very hard.

[ptomsu]

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My contact in Solms Customer Service similarly responded "What camera ;-)" when I send a mail to thank them for the excellent work they did coding my lenses and CLA'ing one of them and mentioned "All I need now is a camera to put them on!".

 

I think it's incredible that in this age of the Internet, there isn't a single plausible picture doing the rounds; a few sighting reports, certainly, some of which may be valid but others may just be attention seeking by people who should get a life.

 

They've done a great job in keeping it under wraps. I expect the Leica stand at Photokina to be mobbed.

 

Folks,

 

while I am also very much awaiting the final M8 and how it looks and feels and performs, I must say that I love and fully understand that Leica is not publishing any information before their desired introduction point.

 

And - what is even more nice - this is possible in the days of Internet.

 

BUT I tell you one thing, working myself in one of the most progressive and innovative Internet companies worldwide, I really appreciate what Leica is doing. We need not always to know everything in advance and we need not to be involved in everything, sometimes it is wise to sit back, relax and take decisions then as they need to be done. I tell you, lot of things solve themselves by acting like that!

 

Peter

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[twom4]

We need not always to know everything in advance and we need not to be involved in everything, sometimes it is wise to sit back, relax and take decisions then as they need to be done. I tell you, lot of things solve themselves by acting like that!

 

Peter

 

100% agree with you Peter.

[peter55]

I'm new to Leica. I Started with the D-Lux 2 and now I have an M5 and a Chrome LEITZ WETZLAR SUMMILUX 1:1.4/50 I have found this Camera and Lens to be perfect for personal use.

 

I am interested in the M8. But I am so heavily invested in Canon gear that it will be a while before I can get it. Or I could just sell of all the Canon equipment and go for the Leica and another 3 lenses. Now that I have used a film Leica I believe the M8 would be enough to do anyhing.

 

For sale items removed by moderator.

 

Almost all of this was purchased this year. I just think that I missed the "Leica Time" for the M8 availability date. My fault or not I could not get the M8 now unless the Cannon gear goes. I made a very big push to turn pro. Looks like I will do it but with Japanese gear, well excepting my M5 and SUMMILUX.

[marknorton]

No idea about all this Canon stuff, but this is not the forum to sell it on, or anything else for that matter.

 

I expect many M8 users will be in the either Nikon or Canon camps as well for work where a DSLR make sense - I have a D2x - so an M8 is an addition to instead of a replacement for your DSLR stuff.

[stunsworth]

Peter, you've got some long zooms there. If you use them keep the Canon, Leica have nothing similar to offer in the M range.

[peter55]

I was just trying to make a point. I wish that Leica had brought out thr M8 sooner.

[ptomsu]

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I'm new to Leica. I Started with the D-Lux 2 and now I have an M5 and a Chrome LEITZ WETZLAR SUMMILUX 1:1.4/50 I have found this Camera and Lens to be perfect for personal use.

 

I am interested in the M8. But I am so heavily invested in Canon gear that it will be a while before I can get it. Or I could just sell of all the Canon equipment and go for the Leica and another 3 lenses. Now that I have used a film Leica I believe the M8 would be enough to do anyhing.

 

For sale items removed by moderator

 

Almost all of this was purchased this year. I just think that I missed the "Leica Time" for the M8 availability date. My fault or not I could not get the M8 now unless the Cannon gear goes. I made a very big push to turn pro. Looks like I will do it but with Japanese gear, well excepting my M5 and SUMMILUX.

Peter

 

also we are here in the Leica Forum, and I also love Leica, especially Ms, I only can recommend you continue using your C equipment for the moment. If you really want to becom PRO and you already own that then do not get rid of it. It is great gear and will allow you to cover all necessary photographic situations you run into as PRO.

 

Mas re wonderful, but I would only use them in addition to the C stuff you have and buy maybe in 1 or 2 years.

 

Best regards

 

Peter

[Guest guy_mancuso]

I agree as a pro myself , i can't imagine having only the M series. i certainly need the DSLR for everything 15mm - 800mm the M there is that limit of 15 to 90 for the M8. The M for me would be sort of the backup but more important for me , is a rarely go anywhere with a camera anymore except for working situations. The M is small enough for me to take a camera around and also a great travel and street camera the M will bring to the party. i have 2 DMR's and 10 lenses and when i go shoot the whole bag has to go . I want to get away from that a little. Now i had every canon made and switched to leica and the DMR and If you want to dump the Canon than i totally understand that one for sure. May want to think about the DMR and the M8 because the files will be very similar in look. The M8 is the sister of the DMR when it comes to the sensor if not the same. We have to wait a couple weeks to find that out but my bet is this certainly equal to or better than the DMR

[peter55]

Gentlemen,

 

To the moderator- I was not actually tring to sell my C equipment. I was trying to make a point that had the Leica M8 been on the market, say 2-3 months ago or even last month I would have been able to purchase it and several primes. I appologize for phrasing the words so poorly and inapropriatly that you had to take the time out of your busy day to remove them. I want you to know that I respect this forum and every other posters rights to have a clean and health environment in wish to exchange ideas).

 

Turning pro is just a way for me to be able to eat and maintain a roof over my head. So yes C gear is fantastic machinery that are correct tools for much pro work.

 

My Leica M5 with Summilux 50mm f/1.4 allow me to "feel" my subject as I take photographs. It is this feeling of the experience that actually inspires me.

 

For much of my life I was a painter and sculptor and violinist. The music was sometimes to intense so performing was out of the question. Painting and sculpting allowed me to think and sometimes to be inspired.

 

Photography with my M5 and Summilux allow me to think, feel and work while inspired. This is not backup equipment. This is essential equipment. That is if I wish to persue my inner callings to have feelings about what I do.

[Guest guy_mancuso]

Peter not to worry i took it as a point of reference or joke myself , been there done that also. I make reference to my gear that i want to get rid of or thinking about, I just switched to Mac myself and sort of did the same thing about dumping my PC stuff. Just converstaion on my part but i do understand the moderators position on this stuff. But if you do want to sell canon gear try http://www.fredmiranda.com there are plenty of folks looking for Canon. I do wish we had a leica for sale section but i understand that position also. Just rather sell any Leica gear to folks i like and that appreciate what it is.

[scjohn]

I agree that "Leica is trying very hard" to keep the M8 under wraps but I wonder whether it's worth it at this point. Let's face it, we are Leica loyalists who trust Leica because of a series of qualitatively superior cameras and lenses. Those of us ruminatimg over the "M8" are rangefinder lovers waiting for Leica's digital model. We may have RD-1's but we question Epson's longterm committment (and immediate customer support) and have come to trust and rely on Leica's committment. We want the M8.

 

So pictures come on the web. Rangefinderforum.com. Photos look good. They look great in fact. Leica is silent. The sceptics weigh in. "Pictures must be fake because if that's the camera its obviously a piece of junk because..."

 

I suggest that if those photos are real Leica is trying TOO HARD. So hard, in fact, that for the sake of secrecy they are allowing their design to be picked apart.

 

I have no idea if the pictures are real but if they are, Leica needs to step up two weeks ahead of schedule and say "yup, those are photos but trust us to provide explainations on Sept. 15." If the photos are real and they say nothing I have preordered a camera half of the on line audience has described as such an obviously flawed junk-pile that the photos must be fake!

[adan]

What - and spoil everyone's fun?

 

personally I'm gonna find a cave and just sit and meditate until my camera store calls in mid-October...

[ho_co]

I have no idea if the pictures are real but if they are, Leica needs to step up two weeks ahead of schedule and say "yup, those are photos but trust us to provide explainations on Sept. 15." If the photos are real and they say nothing I have preordered a camera half of the on line audience has described as such an obviously flawed junk-pile that the photos must be fake!

Stephen--

Don't let others' opinions on the matter bother. I think the fact that believable pictures are beginning to appear and that several of us have unnamed sources who say the photos are genuine says enough.

 

(Of course, the problem with that is, maybe all of us have the same unnamed source, now sitting and cackling over how many of us have unknowingly quoted the same person. )

 

The M8 won't be junk. If it flies, it is Leica's salvation for the next couple years. And you'll have one before the rest of us who haven't pre-ordered!

 

Die Leica ist tot! Es lebe die Leica!

 

--HC

[marknorton]

I think the reason why there's been a mixed response is because the pictures, such as they are, provide more questions than answers. It looks pretty minimalist with virtually everything relegated to the menu system. About the only thing which appears not to be is shutter speed so naturally people will be asking, what's this thing like to use?

 

At first sight, there doesn't appear to be the equivalent of the data panel on the DMR which tells you the operating state of the camera, things like ISO, EV+/-, WB, Battery Life, Memory Remaining and so on. It's possible this is always displayed on the LCD but I'd be worried about battery life if you have to run this thing with the LCD on all the time. Maybe there's some sort of operating mode which allows it to run in black and white with minimal power.

 

Secondly, It doesn't look like there's an equivalent of the DMR setting dial which is used to set the most frequently used parameters which suggests everything is done in the menu system, again using the LCD.

 

The camera allows you to see the basics - aperture and shutter speed, that's fine. The menu system allows you to do the detailed configuration of rarely changed parameters, that's fine too. What I worry about is how the camera is going to tell you - and allow you the change, that middle tier of settings/information which the setting dial and the data panel do on the DMR. If it really is all on the LCD, everything will depend on how good that user interface is.

[sreidvt]

I heard today that camera dealers breaking the NDA will have their M8 shipments embargoed until January. That explains the "What M8?" response.

 

Punishment for Leica reps and employees breaking the NDA involve acid vats and fingernails, I'm told - 8^)

 

Not sure what Leica threatened Sean Reid with - double 8^)

 

 

Hi Andy,

 

Leica hasn't threatened me with anything. <G> In a nutshell and speaking in general though, though, if I make an agreement, I try to honor it. I can say again that Leica will have some interesting product announcements on Sept. 15 and that I will also have new articles published then. Just a bit over two weeks away so not too long...

 

Best,

 

Sean

[marknorton]

Sean, I'm looking forward to reading your articles which I hope will explain in minute detail all about these products to satisfy our need for detail. This is not the time for a helicopter view or whatever management-speak would call it these days...

[albertwang]

I am not impatient to hear more about the M8. Actually as much as I do like the M8, I want to know the final MSRP for the L1. And Leica digital lenses too!