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What do you take this to mean;

 

"As a response to inquiries from professional photographers have the new model had a more discreet appearance in which Leica logo and blitsskoen has been the same color as the camera. The black model has been given an extra durable dypsvart surface. "

 

A black or grey Red Dot and maybe the old M6 covering? Blacked out engraving?

 

It is said that the Leica logo and the hotshoe is in the same colour as the camera, and the black model has a new deep black surface, whatever this means.

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Thanks, Amund.

 

Sounds great to me - except the price, which is typical Leica. And unless this is in conjunction with a lower cost M it could kill Leica. $8000 USD? Hardly a bright idea to jump-start sales of M cameras.

 

Of course it is only a rumor, right?

 

No way they are charging $8000 USD. Now way. It will be less. Perhaps it will just cost more in Europe in Euros.

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Leica should offer a trade-in program to the original M8 owners.

 

The German forum pages discuss an upgrade program for 1200 Euros.

 

My M8 is in Solms for repairs again (sensor has become maladjusted), but I will most definately not call Solms and ask for the upgrade in the same token.

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The German forum pages discuss an upgrade program for 1200 Euros.

 

My M8 is in Solms for repairs again (sensor has become maladjusted), but I will most definately not call Solms and ask for the upgrade in the same token.

 

 

The original forum post linking to the article was removed, so it`s obvious that the Norwegian distributor messed up here. :) No room for error on teh interwebz ;)

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Leica should offer a trade-in program to the original M8 owners.

 

Providing Leica update the existing M8 firmware to take SDHC cards, I can't really see any significant advantage in trading in the exisiting camera for a M8.2.

 

Tom

 

Photography by Tom Lane

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Providing Leica update the existing M8 firmware to take SDHC cards, I can't really see any significant advantage in trading in the exisiting camera for a M8.2.

 

The one thing that I really hate is the SDS although it only happened to me once but, there might be a stealth fix in the new motherboard and/or power supply unit, can they say yes or no?

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Why should it be less than 8000 USD? It is something like 5000 Euro, which sounds about right.

Because the US is a very important market for Leica and they simply won't sell enough of them at that price. Many companies are currently accepting lower margins on their US sales because their sales would disappear if they didn't absorb some of the dollar depreciation. The price differentials have gotten so large that NY is now filled with foreign visitors coming for shopping vacations. Apparently they save enough to make up for airfare and still come out ahead. I guess there just aren't enough of them to arbitrage away the price difference...

 

Edit: I'm not saying Leica will charge less than the equivalent dollar amount if this rumor is true, just that there is a basis for speculating that they will.

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Because the US is a very important market for Leica and they simply won't sell enough of them at that price. Many companies are currently accepting lower margins on their US sales because their sales would disappear if they didn't absorb some of the dollar depreciation. The price differentials have gotten so large that NY is now filled with foreign visitors coming for shopping vacations. Apparently they save enough to make up for airfare and still come out ahead. I guess there just aren't enough of them to arbitrage away the price difference...

Is that so? Safari-camps in Africa, that I could never afford, which charge from 1000 to 2000 USD a person a day (sometimes with a minimum of five days...) are booked solid for at least two years - by Americans..There still seems to be plenty of spare cash around with some groups.

Just for the record - my expenditure is a magnitude less.

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It seems they just removed the link to the press-release?

This makes it even more plausible. I managed to download the specs before it disappeared:

 

Tekniske data LEICA M8 (LEICA M8.2)

 

Camera type: Compact digital viewfinder system camera for professional use with Leica M lenses. Microprocessor-controlled metal blade focal plane shutter.

 

Image sensor: Low-noise CCD sensor specially optimized for the requirements of the M lens system. Pixels: 10.3 million. Dimensions: 18 mm x 27 mm. Extension factor: 1.33 x. Aspect ratio 3:2. Coverglass thickness 0.5 mm, full suppression of infrared light by additional UV/IR filter. Moiré filter: no, but full exploitation of the lens capabilities by Moiré fringe detection and elimination by digital signal processing.

 

Sensor speed range: Manual setting from ISO 160/23° to ISO 2500/35°

LEICA M8.2: additional automatic setting with free choice of ISO range.

 

Viewfinder

Viewfinder principle: Large bright-line frame viewfinder with automatic parallax compensation. Viewfinder optics with reduced sensitivity to stray light and optimum visibility of the bright-line frame in all lighting situations

 

Eyepiece: Matched to –0.5dpt. Correction lenses from –3 to +3 dpt available.

 

Image framing: By display of two bright-line frames at a time: for 24 and 35 mm, or for 28 and 90 mm, or for 50 and 75 mm. Display selection automatically matches the lens in use. 100% of the sensor format is covered at 0.7 m (LEICA M8.2: 2 m)

 

Frame selector: Displays pairs of frames manually to simulate any focal length

 

Parallax

compensation: The horizontal and vertical difference between viewfinder and lens is compensated appropriately for the focus setting, i.e. the bright-line frame of the viewfinder automatically coincides with the subject area as seen from the lens.

 

Magnification: 0.68 x (for all lenses).

 

Wide-base Combination of split- and superimposed-image rangefinder

rangefinder: shown as a bright field in the center of the viewfinder image. Effective measuring base 47.1 mm (mechanical measuring base 69.25mm x viewfinder magnification 0.68 x).

 

Lenses

Lens mount: Leica M bayonet with additional optical sensing for identification of all 6-bit coded lenses.

 

Lens system: Current 6-bit coded Leica M lenses of 16 - 90 mm focal length. All Leica M lenses of 21 - 90 mm focal length produced since the year 1954 can be used, even if lacking the 6-bit coding. Virtually all lenses can be retrofitted with 6-bit coding.

 

6-bit functions: Lens-dependent reduction of edge shadowing originating in the system. Identification of the lens information within the image file to facilitate digital archiving. Adjustment of the flash reflector when using motor zoom flash devices. Auto slow sync. function in aperture priority mode. Compensation of color shifts through the use of UV/IR filters.

 

 

Exposure control

Aperture priority mode

(Auto): Automatic determination of the correct shutter speed with manual aperture pre-selection and corresponding viewfinder display.

 

Manual exposure

control: Free selection of shutter speed and aperture – can be visually checked using the exposure control in the camera seen by LED light balance in the viewfinder.

 

(Snapshot mode: “S” setting of shutter speed dial = automatic control of exposure time, ISO speed and white balance. Menus reduced to essential functions, hints on aperture and focus settings are displayed when the Info key is pressed.

 

Picture modes

S Single picture, pressing the shutter release once per picture

C Continuous succession of pictures with 2 pictures per second and 10 pictures in the sequence.

 

Auto-release: Selectable with 2sec. and 12sec. delay time – visualization of the countdown by an LED visible from the front of the camera in the viewfinder window.

 

Controls / displays

 

Camera front: Lens mount; frame selector

 

Top: Main switch (more pronounced detent mechanism to prevent inadvertent switching) and shutter release; shutter speed dial, LCD status display: display of remaining exposures and battery capacity.

 

Back: 2.5“ color monitor (scratch-resistant sapphire coverglass), dial for navigation in the menu & magnifier function in 4 steps; 4-way direction pad for navigation in the menu & in picture details; menu button; play button; delete button; protect button; info button

 

Base: Lockable base plate protects the rechargeable battery and the SD memory card against dust and moisture.

 

Color monitor 2.5“ large bright LC display with a resolution of about 230,000 pixels for viewing pictures and for menu settings (scratch-resistant sapphire coverglass). Brightness control in 5 stages. Checking options after taking the picture: general quality assessment, checking the exposure by means of a RGB tonal value histogram with identification of bright picture areas lacking detail (can also be used when zooming in), checking the focal plane, display of the quality parameter settings and the focal length of the lens (when used with current 6-bit coded lenses)

 

Picture view sizes: 9 miniatures, 4 miniatures, full picture display and enlargement in four stages up to 100% view (1 sensor pixel = 1 display pixel).

 

Picture parameter menu – main menu

 

By pressing the set button, the following parameters relevant to the picture can be selected and changed in the picture parameter menu: user profile, sensor speed, manual exposure correction, white balance, image data format, picture resolution.

 

By pressing the menu button, parameters such as the color monitor contrast or the color space can be set in the main menu.

 

Menu languages: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese.

 

Picture resolutions: DNG: 3916 x 2634 pixels (10.31 MP); JPG: 3936 x 2630 pixels (10.35 MP), 2952 x 1972 pixels (5.8 MP), 1968 x 1315 pixels (2.6 MP), 1312 x 876 pixels (1.15 MP).

 

Data formats: DNG™ (camera manufacturer-independent digital negative format), 2 different JPEG compression rates

 

DNG™ file 16-bit color resolution, 10.2 MByte file size per picture

information:

 

Memory medium: SD and SDHC cards up to 32 GByte

Complete list of LEICA M8- and M8.2-compatible SD memory cards: arrow_link.gifwww.leica-camera.de/photography/m_system/m8

 

White balance: Automatic, 6 preset values, manual white balance, color temperature input from 2000K to 13,100K.

 

Color spaces: Adobe® RGB, sRGB, ECI RGB.

 

Continued...

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continued:

 

Viewfinder display: (at the bottom edge of the viewfinder)

LED symbol for flash status, four-digit seven-segment LED display with dots above and below (display brightness is always adjusted for ambient brightness) for: display of the automatically calculated shutter speed in aperture priority mode, indication of the use of saved metering values, warning of exposure corrections, warning of when the metering range is overshot or undershot in aperture priority mode and countdown display of shutter times longer than 2 sec., memory capacity warning when the SD card is full.

 

LED light balance with two triangular and one central circular LED for manual exposure setting.

Display of: underexposure by at least one aperture stop; underexposure by 1 / 2 aperture stop; correct exposure; overexposure by 1 / 2 aperture stop; overexposure by at least one aperture stop.

 

Triangular LEDs give the direction of rotation of the aperture setting ring and shutter speed setting dial to adjust the exposure. The LED flashes as a warning that the metering range is overshot or undershot.

(In “S” mode: red dot to indicate correct exposure, left arrow to warn against camera shake, right arrow to warn against overexposure)

 

Exposure metering: Heavily center-weighted TTL exposure metering with pre-set working aperture.

 

Metering principle: Light reflected from a white strip in the centre of the metal blade focal plane shutter.

 

Metering range: EV0 to EV20 at 20°C room temperature, aperture 1.0 and ISO 160/23°.

 

Metering cell: Silicon photodiode with collection lens positioned at the center of the lower edge of the camera base.

 

Flash exposure metering / control using M-TTL flash technology

 

Principle: Using an extremely short calibration pre-flash fired immediately before the exposure, the exact power requirement for the main flash is determined.

 

Connection: M-TTL guide number control with calibration pre-flash via accessory shoe SCA 3502 (version M4) or with Leica flash SF24D

 

Flash synchronization

time: 1/250 sec. (1/180 sec.) synchronization permits creative open aperture photography even in bright ambient light.

 

Manual: Flash synchronization times from B (bulb) down to 1/250 sec. (1/180 sec.)

 

Aperture priority mode: Auto Slow Sync: automatic extension of the longest flash time, using the rule of thumb 1/focal length in seconds. (only with 6-bit coded lenses). Choice of long flash synchronization times up to e.g. 1/8 sec. for balanced flash when taking available light pictures in aperture priority mode.

 

Synchronization Firing optionally at the 1st or 2nd shutter point (with

flash firing time: appropriate flash device such as the LEICA SF24D or when using the SCA-3502 adapter).

 

Flash exposure ± 3 1 / 3 EV in 1 / 3 EV stages adjustable at the SCA-

correction: 3501/3502 adapter. Settable at the LEICA SF 24D ± 3EV in 1 / 3 EV stages, or from 0 to –3 EV in 1EV stages when using computer control.

 

 

Shutter and shutter release

 

Shutter: Microprocessor-controlled metal blade focal plane shutter with vertical action (optimized to reduce noise and vibration).

 

Shutter times: In aperture priority mode (A) steplessly adjustable from 32 s down to 1/8000 s (1/4000 s). With manual setting from 4 s down to 1/8000 s (1/4000 s) in half steps. B for long exposures of any length.

 

Activation: Shutter activation optimized for minimum noise. Electric motor drive with friction wheel in the first speed build-up stage and a cam disk for homogenous torque throughout the activation process (time-delayed cocking after shutter button is released, selectable in menu).

 

Release: Three-stage activation governed by how far the release is depressed: 1. Switch the camera electronics on & activate the exposure metering - 2. Save metered value (in aperture priority mode) – 3. Release (includes a standard thread for cable release)

 

Power supply: Lithium ion rechargeable battery with a nominal voltage of 3.7 V and a capacity of 1900mAh.

 

Interface: 5-pin standard mini-USB socket on the left side of the body, for quick USB 2.0 data transfer to a computer.

 

Camera body

 

Material: Enclosed all-metal body of highly stable magnesium alloy for professional use over many years. Black synthetic leather coating. Top cap and base plate are milled from solid brass and are silver or black chromium plated (black paint finished).

 

Tripod thread: DIN4503 - A1/4 (1/4") in the centre of the bottom cover.

 

Size (W x H x D): 138.6 mm x 80.2 mm x 36.9 mm

 

Weight without battery: approx. 545 g

 

Scope of supply: M8 camera (10702 silver or 10701 black),

M8.2 camera (10712 silver or 10711 black),

anti-slip carrying strap (14 312), camera cap for M bayonet (14 195), rechargeable lithium ion battery (14 464), battery charger incl. car socket adaptor and 3 mains plug adapters (Euro, UK, USA) (14 463), (compact charger with 80% charge display, car socket and EURO/USA mains leads), USB connection cable, user manual, software DVD Capture One 4, warranty card.

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The original forum post linking to the article was removed, so it`s obvious that the Norwegian distributor messed up here. :) No room for error on teh interwebz ;)

 

He jumped the gun; now he'll face it.

 

The embargoes have been strictly applied to control the flow of information over the next few weeks. Quite incredible that he has done this. :eek:

 

If he lets the rest out there will be a firing squad, and not a virtual one. :D

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