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Leica M8 announcement questions


Guest guy_mancuso

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Guest tummydoc

 

Seriously, I sure would like to code lenses via a menu.

 

Remember, Leica says we need to be protected from our absentmindedness, so that's not going to happen. Maybe they felt 1/8000 is too fast for us too :rolleyes:

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Guest guy_mancuso

Updated data posting it on all the M8 threads

 

Hi folks just got off the phone with my Leica rep which is in Vegas and called me right after there marketing meeting to get me more info on this upgrade.

 

Okay here we go please bear with me .

 

The shutter that will be put in on the upgrade is a completely new shutter and the old one will be replaced completely by a new shutter. The new shutter has titanium blades, is electronically controlled and has enhanced vibration capabilities to help improve image quality by a more vibration free shutter . Now the shutter has been heavily dampened to reduce noise , said to sound just like a traditional M film body, I mentioned like a M6 or 7 and said exactly like it. The shutter also will have a flash sync of 1/80 of a second and a top speed of 1/4000 of a second . Also It comes with a full 2 year warranty top to bottom and a sapphire LCD replacement for the LCD display which is 5x stronger than glass. This is for 1st owners only for the warranty, that part is sketchy

 

Here is the biggy. The M8 as it is today and in the future will have available upgrades into the future with new advancements in upgrading. Bottom line the M8 will always be a upgradable camera.

 

The cost and this is approximate because the market or whatever can change around 1800 US . The turn time is said to be 4 weeks and they mentioned they will give me a lot more details on Saturday with more information. i also mentioned the questions and they said please compile that so they can answer all of the questions. So please let's keep that question thread in order so i can compile all the data and get that going.

 

Please don't shoot me , I am trying to help provide as best the data as i can. Thanks Guy

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Guest tummydoc

OK, an added question for Leica:

 

For those who choose not to pay to have their shutter crippled, will there still be indefinite support for the shutter everyone was begging Leica for, that is, with a modern flash sync speed? In other words, when our 1/8000-1/250-sync shutters die, will we be forced to downgrade or will we be able to get the good shutter repaired/replaced?

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Guy, thanks for the update. Two more questions.

 

1. If we choose the "pick it up at your house and return it" option, will Leica be ready, willing and able to replace any cameras lost in transit? In other words, will they accept responsibility for the camera from the time it is picked up until it is returned to the owner? I don't want to cast aspersions on the many fine courier services we have today, but things have been known to disappear between here and there.

 

2. Will it be possible to arrange the upgrade through a local service center (I'm thinking of the service center here in Tokyo since it's fairly convenient for me), or will this all have to be done by dealing directly with Germany?

 

Thanks again for representing all of us to Leica. Have fun at the show, and at Moab.

 

Bill

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Bill you have some tough questions. LOL

 

I will add that also to the list.

 

Sorry about that Guy! I would like to add one more though. Since March is tax time here in Japan, and August is when many of us are on summer holiday and out taking pictures, I'd like to know if it will be possible to defer this upgrade for a while, and if so for how long, and will the price remain the same whether we do it now or later? I suppose it's also important to know if this needs to be done within the existing warranty period.

 

Thanks again Guy. I promise, that's the last question from me! ;)

 

Bill

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Will Leica USA eventually offer full M8 service at their New Jersey facilities?

 

Does the M8 incorporate a backup battery or capacitor and is this replaced as part of the upgrade package?

 

Does the revised camera have a reduced frame rate?

 

Are there any changes to the way the camera can be controlled via USB such as live view?

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Guest guy_mancuso

More data from Leica

 

Hi Guy,

The flash sync is 1/180...

The M8 will be available “New” with or without the upgrade...

Along with the upgrade comes a complete “CLA Equivalent”...

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1)Is there the possibility to see some compared DNG shots with and without the new upgrade to demonstrate the noise improvement?

 

2)How long does it take for the upgrade to be done on our camera?

 

3) what is exactly going to be changed with the upgrade?(only shutter?electronics?anything else?)

 

4)will a definitive IR fix will be able in the future? (i.e. ir filter on the sensor for request?)or is this in the engineers plans?

 

5) is there a way to have the VF changed as in "old" M7-M6?

 

6)how long since we can see a FF?is there a possibility to develop it within M8's bodies?

 

7)can we see a real fix for venetian blinds, power on problems (i still have to press the shutter to switch the camera on), and cyan corners (maybe with a software fix?)

 

best

 

Maurizio

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Guest guy_mancuso

Let's remember also we are a day ahead of leica's public announcements, which i am sure there will be more info coming tomorrow out of PMA. maybe some of these questions will have some answers also. I don't have the press release yet either so not sure what is coming to me yet or what is actually being announced.

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Guy,

 

Would like to see a frameline upgrade to the 2-3 meter accuracy. I know you didn't shoot film Ms before the 8 but they really are way looser than before. Yea, electronic framelines would be nice but I'm sure to Leica that will sound almost sci-fi and probably not possible for a long while and maybe never on this body. Lets see if we can't get the mechanical ones better for the time being. That I would pay for esp if they'll have the body apart already for other upgrade(s).

 

And it's a small thing, but FW wise I would love to see the actual file # on the first preview screen and not just on the info screen. For some of us it would make taking notes a lot easier than having to go to the second screen. Once I've downloaded cards I have no idea if it was #29 or whatever on that particular card and don't care. It's the actual file # that's important. It's these little things that Leica really need to come up to speed with.

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Guy, I promised I wouldn't ask any more questions, but I just thought of one more. It appears that Leica is going to ask us to put up $1800 (or whatever the actual price is) in advance and then wait 6 months or so to get the actual upgrade. But it isn't actually clear whether or not that is the case. Could you ask them to clarify whether they expect us to pay 6 months in advance, or can we just reserve the upgrade and pay for it when it's actually carried out?

 

Bill

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Thanks Guy for delivering our questions. Mines are,

 

1) It sounds like we M8 owners need to decide and commit on the upgrade (March) way before we can see, feel or evaluate how nice it is going to be executed. Don't forget they said the original M8 shutter is 'quite' in Nov 2006. Can we reserve the right to hold on and upgrade after August ?

 

2) It also sounds like Solms is putting off the idea of M9 and focused to improve/upgrade on M8. This is certainly good news for we M8 owners. Will the USD1,800 shutter upgrade accommodate enough opening for a future 36x24 FF sensor, so when Solms possibly offers a FF sensor upgrade in 2009/2010 we will not be required to paid for a new shutter again ?? We users and Solms both need to be very careful on this.

 

- Matthew

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