So why are so many people selling their M8s?

[andybarton]

It would be helpful if people took down their ads when the items are sold...

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[thrid]

- Photokina panic. People getting rid of gear in anticipation of new products being introduced and driving down prices in the used marked. Rampant rumors of an upgraded M8 and low-cost digital CL

 

- Nikon D700. My local Leica dealer also sells Nikon. Ever since the D700 came out his M8 sales have dropped off considerably. He tells me it's primarily a financial decision and in addition the M8 simply can't compete with the high iso performance of the Nikon. You can get a D700 and a few ZF primes for the cost of an M8 body,

 

- Canon 5D replacement coming at Photokina

[Ecaton]

.............................. Still, I am always surprised when I see an M8 for sale - I don't know why.

 

LouisB

 

Maybe because its being perceived as someone turning his/her back to the RF system, hence the why, wheras a DSLR sale suggests someone upgrading or changing brand.

[BrianP]

Yes they have - they have kept their film cameras in their catalogue and you can shoot slide film if you want to do nothing more after pressing the shutter. If you don't want to have the "hassle" of post-processing, don't shoot digital at all. It would be no different if you bought a camera of any other brand. Anyway, there's no need for a Leica-specific book - there's nothing "special" about M8 files that need different treatment from any other RAW file

 

I would recommend that you buy the book Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers: A Professional Image Editor's Guide to the Creative Use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC

 

It is a superb book.

 

Thanks for the tip Andy and its only £20.

Brian

[Olsen]

You are right. There are 'more' M8's for sale now than ever. Even 1Ds III you can buy 2.hand these days. On a Norwegian photo site, this - Foto.no - nyheter - - the number of quite new & expensive cameras for sale has increased drastically the last few months. Here in Norway we do not have this credit crunch - at least not as heavy as in the US, but people seems to be 'out of money'. The prices of properties are falling, there is a huge 'mountain' of 2.hand cars for sale, if you want a yacht, - they have never been cheaper,- and so on.

[Shootist]

Thanks for the tip Andy and its only £20.

Brian

It is one of the best PS books on the market.

As for digital work I find I spend much less time on M8 files then I did on Nikon D200 files and even with the time spent on the Nikon files I like the M8 files straight out of the camera more.

[blakley]

- Nikon D700. My local Leica dealer also sells Nikon. Ever since the D700 came out his M8 sales have dropped off considerably. He tells me it's primarily a financial decision and in addition the M8 simply can't compete with the high iso performance of the Nikon. You can get a D700 and a few ZF primes for the cost of an M8 body,

 

I spent about half an hour with the D700 at my local dealer. No way would I get one; the thing is huge. Both bigger and heavier than my F-100, which is already at the very top end of what I can tolerate in terms of size and weight. Image quality from the camera seems outstanding, but carrying it around would just be punishment. I'd love it if the M8 were better above 640 ISO, but all things considered it's still the best camera for the way I like to shoot.

[markowich]

i will be selling my m8 tomorrow, most of the lenses have already sold on ebay. why do i sell? well, nikon D3, D700, 12-24mm and so on do a flawless job. image qualilty which at low is already beats the m8, at high(er) iso there is of course no competition. beyond that i do not see a chance for leica M and R in a digital world. they tried (m8), but they have no chance to come up with the sensor product cycles of nikon/canon/sony, which give us already now an image quality that we could not perceive 2 years ago.

still, i am sad to sell the leica gear...very strange, i am somewhat sentimentally attached to it although my brain says 'go'.

maybe in a few years i shall buy an m7 with the 35mm summilux and take it out for occasional sunday walks...feels good.

peter

[ammitsboel]

i will be selling my m8 tomorrow, most of the lenses have already sold on ebay. why do i sell? well, nikon D3, D700, 12-24mm and so on do a flawless job. image qualilty which at low is already beats the m8, at high(er) iso there is of course no competition. beyond that i do not see a chance for leica M and R in a digital world. they tried (m8), but they have no chance to come up with the sensor product cycles of nikon/canon/sony, which give us already now an image quality that we could not perceive 2 years ago.

still, i am sad to sell the leica gear...very strange, i am somewhat sentimentally attached to it although my brain says 'go'.

maybe in a few years i shall buy an m7 with the 35mm summilux and take it out for occasional sunday walks...feels good.

peter

I feel the same way.

The M8 might be able to produce a 100% quality image, but only at 10% of the time while a 5D will produce a 90% quality image at almost 100% of the time.

 

I have great concerns though, that the digital revolution will turn everything into mediocrity. For now I will be keeping the M8 and DMR, but I don't know for how long.

[stunsworth]

An SLR isn't a rangefinder, and never will be (Visioflex user excepted!). Personally that's why I would rather use a Leica than a Canon or Nikon any day of any week. If people are happy using SLRs that's fine, but I'd rather use an M8.

 

I have a Canon 5D as well as an M8. Since buying the M8 I can't remember when I last used the Canon. I've no interest in it. I keep it only because I wonder if I'll need to use long lenses at some future point. In the last 18 months 'long' has meant 75-90mm with the M8.. I haven't had a problem with that.

 

Personally I think that producing 100% quality images is down to the photographer. Maybe that's my distorted way of seeing things. Mediocrity is a result of being a mediocre photographer - again just my personal opinion, feel free to disagree.

[PeterP]

Personally I think that producing 100% quality images is down to the photographer. Maybe that's my distorted way of seeing things. Mediocrity is a result of being a mediocre photographer - again just my personal opinion, feel free to disagree.

 

Couldn't agree more .

In the end it is what ever camera system works for you . The camera is merely a tool . Sophisticated or rudimentary, great results can still be achieved . Some photographers can work well with several systems , while others feel comfortable with just one . Wonderful results have been achieved w/polaroid sx70's for example . For some it's art, while for others capturing moments in time whether personal or historic . Mandating which system is better is simply foolish .

Will I sell my M8 - yes if something better comes along , will I sell my M7 never . I always regretted selling my M3. I still however still have my first Canon F1 as well as EOS 1N (althought I never use either anymore) . I do shoot regularly w/ my 1DMKIII as well as my 5D .

My M8 goes everwhere with me though !!!

 

PeterP

[stevelap]

.... Here in Norway we do not have this credit crunch.... but people seems to be 'out of money'. The prices of properties are falling, there is a huge 'mountain' of 2.hand cars for sale, if you want a yacht, - they have never been cheaper,- and so on.

 

 

That is the credit crunch:)

[stevelap]

i will be selling my m8 tomorrow, most of the lenses have already sold on ebay. why do i sell? well, nikon D3, D700, 12-24mm and so on do a flawless job. image qualilty which at low is already beats the m8, at high(er) iso there is of course no competition. beyond that i do not see a chance for leica M and R in a digital world. they tried (m8), but they have no chance to come up with the sensor product cycles of nikon/canon/sony, which give us already now an image quality that we could not perceive 2 years ago.

still, i am sad to sell the leica gear...very strange, i am somewhat sentimentally attached to it although my brain says 'go'.

maybe in a few years i shall buy an m7 with the 35mm summilux and take it out for occasional sunday walks...feels good.

peter

 

 

How many more times must it be said...the M8 is not a dslr, it's a rangefinder.

 

Modern dslr's are fine cameras indeed, I've owned three in the last few years and will probably buy another post photokina, but they are completely different beasts, with their own strengths and weaknesses.

When Leica introduces the R10 or whatever (with the honourable exception of the DMR, it's first pukka dslr) that will be the camera in it's product range that can reasonably be compared to dslr's from other manufacturers (and even then, not directly if it's 'larger than full-frame'

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).

[mmk60]

Perhaps, those who are selling their M8 are scared from reading sooo many negative threads about it on this forum...!

 

I love my M8 because it is a RF and it does its job fine, at least for me, an amateur photographer/hobbyist. Any other cameras would not make much differences in results unless the person behind the camera changes:o

 

cheers

[mwalker649]

I am one of those who is selling their backup or second M8 on ebay. I bought a Nikon D700 to replace it as a backup to my original M8

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The d700 is like a brick compared to the M8...I would never use the d700 as a street shooter, its too big and in your face. But as an event camera or in the woods landscape camera its makes a nice file. But I would not give up my Leica M8 gear for it.

[eyejockey]

Perhaps the imminent announcement of the M9 might have something to do with it don't you think ?

Best,

Stephen Goldblatt

[markowich]

quality images certainly require many skills of the photographer. but they also require image quality from the photographic system. and that is where the modern DSLR's deliver. i wish the m8 did that too in the same extent.

peter

 

 

An SLR isn't a rangefinder, and never will be (Visioflex user excepted!). Personally that's why I would rather use a Leica than a Canon or Nikon any day of any week. If people are happy using SLRs that's fine, but I'd rather use an M8.

 

I have a Canon 5D as well as an M8. Since buying the M8 I can't remember when I last used the Canon. I've no interest in it. I keep it only because I wonder if I'll need to use long lenses at some future point. In the last 18 months 'long' has meant 75-90mm with the M8.. I haven't had a problem with that.

 

Personally I think that producing 100% quality images is down to the photographer. Maybe that's my distorted way of seeing things. Mediocrity is a result of being a mediocre photographer - again just my personal opinion, feel free to disagree.

[Guest stnami]

Re: So why are so many people selling their M8s? ......maybe they are just shit cameras:)

[chris_tribble]

What's so great about versatility? Seriously, if your work does not require the latest superwide/macro/long tele glass or super-high iso, an M8 and ONE lens (or a few) can do a lot. As a pro doing street work and documentary projects, I don't need much more than a small manual camera with a 28mm fast lens. Tri-x is my only film and so the ability to shoot at iso 320/400 is all I ever need. So with the M8 I'm happier than I ever have been with a digital system.

 

Noah - couldn't agree more. Having just spent the last month using a single M8 body + 35 summicron for a large amount of work I've been delighted to be reminded of how much you can do with so little.

 

After starting this thread I realised an error in my thinking. I was looking at the Buy/Sell section on this site where on the first page there are 5 M8s for sale - only I did not look closely and see that these ads go all the way back to June. Still, I am always surprised when I see an M8 for sale - I don't know why.

 

Louis - worry not! It's been fun anyway...

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[Fotomiguel]

In my modest opinion, someone who sells the M8 to buy a DSLR is someone who has never learnt how to use a rangefinder camera. If you get used to a rangefinder you’ll find extreamly hard shooting with a DSLR. The advantages and the easiness of a rangefinder leave the DSLR system just for tele (action) and macro photography. I would be very happy having a second M8.