PavelDerka Posted June 30, 2009 Share #1 Posted June 30, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) So I finnaly got back from my vacation and found that my M8 had arrived at my dealer. I picked it up yesterday and shot some 40 to 50 test shots. I'm extremely impressed by how the body handles. The viewfinder, after only experiencing the M4-P was a startling surprise - how bright and easy to use. The body is solid in a very nice way, it inspires confidence and the shutter was much quieter than coments here and elsewhere would have made me expect. Count me as very impressed. There is unfortunately a fly in this yummy soup. I've read the comments here and truth be told was put off enough about the reliability of this first electronic foray of Leica's that I almost passed. But I though ... it's been a good long while ... the bugs are probably mostly worked out ... how unlucky could I be ... right? Pretty unlucky. I should say that half way through my first pics yesterday, the camera would not fire. I took the battery out ... the card too ... a few times - and all of a sudden it was back to shooting. The error was simply "ERR". Card contacts, I thought. This morning, the camera operates all the menu items but when the shutter is pressed - nothing. The error now, on the back lcd, is " Attention Shutter Fault " Bummer. Nothing I've tried has worked and the battery was charged to completion over night. I hope it has something to do with the battery. So I guess I better look up those ol' threads. I also find that the croma noise is terrible at above iso 640 and I get banding at iso 2500 that seems to include the line from lights. I also noticed it in one shot at lower iso. The noise does not bother me in the least ... in fact I am very, very pleased with the IQ (and that is after coming from a D700! ) One has to live with both the benefits and liabilities I tend to believe. So over all ..... count me as a very happy customer. Hopefully just a bump in the road, soon to get fixed. Stuff happens. The camera is exactly what I want. The part that makes me nervous though is not that this happened and that I got unlucky ... but the fact that this is a refurbished M8; one that has been "gone over" already as the phrase used went. Oh well .... cross your fingers for me. I mean .... how much more unlucky could I be ... right? oh .... and it seems that I do qualify for the two free filters, even though it is a refurb. Nice! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 30, 2009 Posted June 30, 2009 Hi PavelDerka, Take a look here Got my M8; Impressed - Unimpressed!. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted June 30, 2009 Share #2 Posted June 30, 2009 If you find the noise over 640 terrible there are probably a few things you should change in low light shooting: 1 you are probably trying to save the highlights. On the M8 in low light and high contrast shoot for the shadows, let the highlights fall as they may. 2. In RAW conversion (and you should do this for all M8 files), completely switch off sharpening. Only sharpen for output. 3. Counterintuitive: In RAW conversion tune down noise reduction. Just filter a modest amount of luminance noise. That will give you a far better starting point should you want to apply a noise-reduction program in post. Ps. I think your dealer should replace the camera.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PavelDerka Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted June 30, 2009 jaap, I well acquainted with shooting to the right and am very handy with noise ninja. What I meant to convey is that, yeah, the noise ... it is not very good at high iso ... but so what. The shooting to the right is overrated, not in what it will do for the shot but in respect to the fact that one ups the iso to get hand-holdable speed ... and shooting 1/2 to one stop over - take it away again. No ... if I wanted noise I would simply keep the D700. I don't want a camera as many seem to want - one that is at the constantly changing cutting edge. I've been in photography for 42 years (well about 30 in a serious way) and I've long been far from the point where my photography is made or broken by grain or noise. iso 640 will be a limit that I think I can live with quite nicely. I want a camera that is intuitive and fast and frankly one that will make an idiot out of me when I goof up like one. The rangefinder is the only style of shooting that I have never been comfortable with, the only style that I've yet not worked at. It is like fresh oxygen. For me ... anyways. Now ... if I could just get to it ... rather than have to send my new joy off to the shop. If anyone has a magic fix (you know .... one of these exotic tricks that only dyed-in-the-wool Leica aficionados know ... like stand on your head while chanting the secret leica oath while turning the power on - and presto - piece of cake ) ... I'd be supremely grateful! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalina Posted June 30, 2009 Share #4 Posted June 30, 2009 Hi Pavel, I got my M8 used also, for a price that was too good to pass up. The major problem with it, as the original owner pointed out, was a scratched LCD. I could live with that, esp for the price. The first week I was using mine everything was up and down. I had awesome pictures in between half-pictures that I suppose means the pictures somehow got corrupted. I then found out after a week that I shouldn't be turning the camera off or switching modes while the red light is still blinking, the one that says the camera's still writing to the memory card. So now that I've forced myself to do things more slowly with my M8, there are no more half-pictures. There is something really fun about lining up the little picture with the big one in the viewfinder that you just don't get with a DSLR. Plus access to the best lenses in the world is also very nice. The only quirk that bothers me is WYSINWYG (what you see is not what you get) sometimes, but I've learned to move my camera over a little to compensate. Recently, I got an ACMAXX LCD protector plate to prevent any more scratches on the LCD. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptarmigan Posted June 30, 2009 Share #5 Posted June 30, 2009 jaap, I well acquainted with shooting to the right and am very handy with noise ninja. What I meant to convey is that, yeah, the noise ... it is not very good at high iso ... but so what.The shooting to the right is overrated, not in what it will do for the shot but in respect to the fact that one ups the iso to get hand-holdable speed ... and shooting 1/2 to one stop over - take it away again. No ... if I wanted noise I would simply keep the D700. I don't want a camera as many seem to want - one that is at the constantly changing cutting edge. I've been in photography for 42 years (well about 30 in a serious way) and I've long been far from the point where my photography is made or broken by grain or noise. iso 640 will be a limit that I think I can live with quite nicely. I want a camera that is intuitive and fast and frankly one that will make an idiot out of me when I goof up like one. The rangefinder is the only style of shooting that I have never been comfortable with, the only style that I've yet not worked at. It is like fresh oxygen. For me ... anyways. Now ... if I could just get to it ... rather than have to send my new joy off to the shop. If anyone has a magic fix (you know .... one of these exotic tricks that only dyed-in-the-wool Leica aficionados know ... like stand on your head while chanting the secret leica oath while turning the power on - and presto - piece of cake ) ... I'd be supremely grateful! Well I'm only 2 weeks into M8 ownership but I love it already and the lack of noise at ISO 640 is superb after my D2x. Here is an image shot at ISO 640, handheld at 1/15th of a second. Shot RAW, PP in ACR 4.6 with no N/R. Resized and sharpened in PS CS3. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted June 30, 2009 Share #6 Posted June 30, 2009 Pavel if you purchased your camera from a reputable dealer Leica will cover them to exchange the camera for another one. I would talk to the dealer first and I'm saying this because I worked at an authorized Leica store and that was Leica's policy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PavelDerka Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share #7 Posted June 30, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks everyone for the inputs. I talked to my dealer, who is Leica authorized and absolutely fantastic in all ways ( one of the benefits of paying a bit more once in a while and not internet lowballing everything ... and getting great service (ok ... off the soapbox ) ) He told me to take it in at lunch and he will take care of it. It may be a bit tough, this start ... but I'm honestly feeling optimistic, and hope to be soon shooting. In the meanwhile ... film's not dead! I'll update as something happens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted June 30, 2009 Share #8 Posted June 30, 2009 Thanks everyone for the inputs. I talked to my dealer, who is Leica authorized and absolutely fantastic in all ways ( one of the benefits of paying a bit more once in a while and not internet lowballing everything ... and getting great service (ok ... off the soapbox ) ) He told me to take it in at lunch and he will take care of it. It may be a bit tough, this start ... but I'm honestly feeling optimistic, and hope to be soon shooting. In the meanwhile ... film's not dead! I'll update as something happens. Pavel if it's any comfort I've owned my M8 since they were first issued, had it go over on a tripod, had the upgrades (except the LCD) and have had only one minor glitch in almost three years of excellent picture taking. The M8 has made photography funtography for me again and I hope it does for you as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_newell Posted June 30, 2009 Share #9 Posted June 30, 2009 The part that makes me nervous though is not that this happened and that I got unlucky ... but the fact that this is a refurbished M8; one that has been "gone over" already as the phrase used went. Good and balanced post, especially under the circumstances - I would also have thought that a refurb, excuse me, "recertified," camera would be much less likely to have a problem like that...good luck. I think persistence will be rewarded. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lct Posted June 30, 2009 Share #10 Posted June 30, 2009 ...count me as a very happy customer... Leica: the only brand whose customers are happy to get a defective camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted June 30, 2009 Share #11 Posted June 30, 2009 Leica: the only brand whose customers are happy to get a defective camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PavelDerka Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share #12 Posted June 30, 2009 Leica: the only brand whose customers are happy to get a defective camera. .... I try to look at the bright side. This completely removes any pressure to get sharp pictures. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhythm Posted July 1, 2009 Share #13 Posted July 1, 2009 Pretty unlucky. I should say that half way through my first pics yesterday, the camera would not fire. I took the battery out ... the card too ... a few times - and all of a sudden it was back to shooting. The error was simply "ERR". Card contacts, I thought. This morning, the camera operates all the menu items but when the shutter is pressed - nothing. The error now, on the back lcd, is " Attention Shutter Fault " Bummer. Nothing I've tried has worked and the battery was charged to completion over night. I hope it has something to do with the battery. So I guess I better look up those ol' threads. I also find that the croma noise is terrible at above iso 640 and I get banding at iso 2500 that seems to include the line from lights. I also noticed it in one shot at lower iso. The noise does not bother me in the least ... in fact I am very, very pleased with the IQ (and that is after coming from a D700! ) One has to live with both the benefits and liabilities I tend to believe. So over all ..... count me as a very happy customer. Hopefully just a bump in the road, soon to get fixed. Stuff happens. The camera is exactly what I want. The part that makes me nervous though is not that this happened and that I got unlucky ... but the fact that this is a refurbished M8; one that has been "gone over" already as the phrase used went. Oh well .... cross your fingers for me. I mean .... how much more unlucky could I be ... right? oh .... and it seems that I do qualify for the two free filters, even though it is a refurb. Nice! I had the same ERR message and the Attention Shutter Fault message when I shoot using discreet mode + continuous. I had to open the bottom plate and pull out the battery to get it to power down. Once I powered it back up and held down the shutter release button and fired away 3 shots in a row it would jam again. I have thus stopped shooting discreet and continuous together. If I plan to shoot continuous I change the mode to standard. Ever since I haven't had any jams. Can't explain the logic or reasoning TBH. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted July 1, 2009 Share #14 Posted July 1, 2009 I had the same ERR message and the Attention Shutter Fault message when I shoot using discreet mode + continuous. I had to open the bottom plate and pull out the battery to get it to power down. Once I powered it back up and held down the shutter release button and fired away 3 shots in a row it would jam again. I have thus stopped shooting discreet and continuous together. If I plan to shoot continuous I change the mode to standard. Ever since I haven't had any jams. Can't explain the logic or reasoning TBH. I have a feeling that this fault has already been reported. Worth a search if interested. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtZ Posted July 6, 2009 Share #15 Posted July 6, 2009 Pavel, Same shutter problem here... http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/90968-my-broken-m8-3.html#post954586 and I wasn't shooting discreet and continuous together I think this is not an aleatory issue. Once you have it once, it will come back sooner or later... Regards, ArtZ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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