Old News?

[andym911]

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Dear all,

After wading through so many posts I thought you might like to see this post recently written on the German forum by a user who visited a Leica customer event in Germany on Saturday.First the original text and then my translation.

 

Ich habe heute in Darmstadt bei einer Kundenveranstaltung eine M8 Präsentation von Leica gesehen. Aufgetreten ist ein Herr Daniel (ich hoffe, dass ich den Namen richtig geschrieben habe). Seine Aussagen zu den M8 Problemen waren:

Der magenta Farbstich kommt durch den dünnen Filter vor dem Sensor. Leica hat sich bewußt für den dünnen Filter entschieden wg. der optischenVorteile. Die Lösung des Problems wird definitiv ein Filter vor dem Objektiv sein. Ich habe extra noch mal nachgefragt ob ich das richtig verstanden habe und es wurde mir bestätigt.

 

An der Lösung des Banding-Problems arbeitet man mit Nachdruck (Aussage 7 Tage die Woche). Hier war die Ankündigung, dass die Lösung hardwareseitig sein wird, das heißt die Kamera muss zurück ins Werk. Definitv nicht über Firmware Update. So die Aussagen des Herrn von Leica.

 

TRANSLATION....

 

'The magenta cast is the result of a conscious decision to use a thin filter in front of the Sensor.Leica chose this route due to the optical quality advantages.The solution to the magenta cast problem will DEFINITELY be the use of a filter on the lens.I asked again if this I had understood correctly and he confirmed.''

Regarding the solution to the banding Leica is working 7 days a week and that the solution will be a hardware solution and that the camera will need to be sent back to Solms.The solution will DEFINITELY not be firmware.'

 

Again this cannot be taken as official but it does seem more and more likely that we all may need to get used to the idea of having a few filters around if we are to use the M8 confidently ion those situations that has already been written about so much.

There is no mention in the quote regarding who will bear the costs.

 

If this is old news please feel free to delete this thread.

P.S I do not have an M8 but am awaiting delivery in December.(as long as I do not have to pay for the filters )

 

regards

Andy

[lct]

...The solution to the magenta cast problem will DEFINITELY be the use of a filter on the lens...

Don't buy this at any price would be the end for the M8.

[larry]

Andy,

 

Thanks for the post, but until Leica makes an official statement it would be best regard everything else as speculation or gossip. I was told a number of things about the M8 by a Leica sales rep at a demo that have since turned out to be inaccurate. Second-, third- and fourth-party statements can't be trusted when even Leica employees can't seem to get it right.

 

Larry

[grober]

Leica had better AT LEAST make all necessary filters available to the first wave of M8 owners at a reduced price.

 

I need four diameters and figure it'll be another US$600.00. I thought the new camera would allow me to use less filtration not more! I don't fancy flippin' filters again to get the right colors in my photography.

 

-g

[TimF]

As I understand it, the IR filter in the camera is a coating. Could not a similar solution be employed on an external filter which would be no more onerous than attaching a UV filter for protection?

 

Certainly the idea of a "glaring red eye of doom" as described elsewhere on the forum is not an appealing one (though the reactions of the public might make for some interesting pictures!), but if IR can be blocked without such being necessary, then why not. It would be preferable to a reduction in corner sharpness surely, which IIRC might happen if a thicker in-camera coating was used?

[andym911]

Andy,

 

Thanks for the post, but until Leica makes an official statement it would be best regard everything else as speculation or gossip. I was told a number of things about the M8 by a Leica sales rep at a demo that have since turned out to be inaccurate. Second-, third- and fourth-party statements can't be trusted when even Leica employees can't seem to get it right.

 

Larry

 

 

Larry, agreed.

andy

[scott kirkpatrick]

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The Herr Daniel who is quoted in the German forum sounds like the same person who presented the "official statement" that is our only guide so far. He may also be the source of the translated statement that Sean Reid recieved and reprinted, but I don't know that. He's not just a marketing guy making wild guesses.

 

I'm disappointed that they still are confusing the thin glass cover layer with the much thinner deposited IR dichroic layer. I'll have to struggle with the German forum to see if there is an explanation. It didn't seem to Joe Wisnewski as if there was any reason not to improve the dichroic layer internally without changing the physical dimensions of the sensor.

 

However, fixing the sensor will cost leica a LOT more money than making me buy filters.

 

scott

[larry]

The Herr Daniel who is quoted in the German forum sounds like the same person who presented the "official statement" that is our only guide so far. He may also be the source of the translated statement that Sean Reid recieved and reprinted, but I don't know that. He's not just a marketing guy making wild guesses

 

scott

 

 

Scott,

 

Maybe Herr Daniel should be allowed to speak for himself instead of being "quoted" from a poster's thread in the German forum. Until he does, it strikes me as being gossip.

 

As I said, none of this solves the problem, nor will it hasten a resolution.

 

Larry