photolandscape Posted August 8, 2009 Share #1 Posted August 8, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Unless a new lens or two is developed, or there is one last iteration of the M8, is there any chance that we've seen the last of the firmware updates from Leica for the M8? What, if anything, could Leica do to make firmware improvements? Curious minds would like to know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 8, 2009 Posted August 8, 2009 Hi photolandscape, Take a look here Will There Be Further Firmware Updates for the M8?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
kalina Posted August 8, 2009 Share #2 Posted August 8, 2009 Improve the look of JPEGs? (please please!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted August 8, 2009 Share #3 Posted August 8, 2009 The problem with making better JPEGs is that it takes computing time to do it. You only have to look at how long a program such as C1 takes to "develop" an image to understand that there is only so much which can be done in camera if you want acceptable frame rates and battery life. There will continue to be updates when new lenses to are introduced but I think the M8 is a done deal. I've asked Leica to provide additional (shorter) auto power down options to extend battery life which would be quite simple to do but of course their mind is set on other thngs at the moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittyphoto Posted August 8, 2009 Share #4 Posted August 8, 2009 but of course their mind is set on other thngs at the moment. Absolutely true! S2 is the top priority for them now. Can't imagine if it fails. I still don't understand why Leica don't update Leica Digital Capture to be compatible with Mac OS Leopard. As far as I know, M9 full frame is vaporware. M lens is too close to CCD. Even M8 with microlens has trouble with some lens which is very close to CCD. I guess M9 might has higher resolution but not full frame. M8 still need new firmware to fix discrete mode with continuous mode too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbretteville Posted August 8, 2009 Share #5 Posted August 8, 2009 At Hessenpark in June Stefan Daniel told us there would be further FW updates for the M8, but he didn't commit to what the updates would comprise. They'll at least have to add new lenses if and when they come. - Carl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scaryink Posted August 8, 2009 Share #6 Posted August 8, 2009 My first generation eos 1ds produces absolutely stunning jpegs. This camera is quite a few years older than the M8. Really the jpegs are a farce and there are many many point and shoots sold for $ 300 that do a far better job. Maybe they should have avoided jpeg altogether. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erg Posted August 8, 2009 Share #7 Posted August 8, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Maybe there will be some minor upgrades but without hardware upgrade, but it won't bring much benefit. Currently the graphic chip in the S2 is state of the art of Leica's digital technology. Hopefully this chip will be part of the M9 and it's processing blow away any jpeg from the current M8. Making jpegs much better without new graphic chips is impossible. This is the burden of digital technology in cameras and will not spare the M8. I'm afraid that Leica will fail in their promised upgrade policy for the M8. The M8 will stay a state of the art opto mechanic digital camera. But in the long run it's dated and not upgradable electronics will doom the M8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
t024484 Posted August 8, 2009 Share #8 Posted August 8, 2009 My first generation eos 1ds produces absolutely stunning jpegs. This camera is quite a few years older than the M8. Really the jpegs are a farce and there are many many point and shoots sold for $ 300 that do a far better job. Maybe they should have avoided jpeg altogether. Your 1ds used custom made dedicated hardware, as opposed to Leica who had to use standard components because of much lower production numbers. Therefore the processing power of the 1ds is incomparable to te M8, and that's why the Jpegs are not as good. I would be surprised if the S2 processor will not be used in the near future for the Mx.y. This brings so many benefits for Leica as a company. The numbers of Maestro processors to be produced will be much higher when used both for the S2 and the Mx.y, making the chip quite a bit more affordable. Total cost of electronic hardware for the Mx.y will become lower as it is now, and processing power will be much, much higher. Also software development could be concentrated in one team for S2 and Mx.y Jpegs in the current M8 are taking too much time, and the quality is not at the same level as the DNG. This could all change for the best with a Maestro processor. Many more things will be possible, like uncompressed 14 bit files, more software options etc. So my feeling is that we will probably not see a firmware update anymore for the current M8, but instead a Maestro based rangefinder Camera. Maybe the processing board will be even upgradable from the current camera, in that way Leica will keep its promise to future updates being possible. Hans Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted August 8, 2009 Share #9 Posted August 8, 2009 The M8 will stay a state of the art opto mechanic digital camera. But in the long run it's dated and not upgradable electronics will doom the M8. Just how will it doom the M8? As long as it takes images it is not doomed. That's like saying the M3 is a doomed camera. Most are still selling for more then they cost new and some for far more then any other M. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erg Posted August 8, 2009 Share #10 Posted August 8, 2009 Just how will it doom the M8? As long as it takes images it is not doomed.That's like saying the M3 is a doomed camera. Most are still selling for more then they cost new and some for far more then any other M. Okay, maybe doomed is sounding too dramatic. But, as a matter of fact the electronic upgrade path of the M8 is in a dead end. The new Maestro chip will outperform the M8'speed and picture quality so much that the M8 will loose a lot of it's desirability. I love my M8, because it's a gorgeous digital range finder. But the fast progress of digital electronics will make digital M's appearances in the market short-dated compared to film M's. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo_Lorentzen Posted August 9, 2009 Share #11 Posted August 9, 2009 Not sure that is really entirely so, once we passed the 6-8 megapix spot, cameras got "enough" resolution to become meaningful viable photographic instruments. While I expect to pick up a M9 when I see it at the store, because I can afford to, Im pretty sure the M8 is "good enough" of a camera that it will continue to have a long life in the hands of first and second generation users. One could image Leica continuing to market incremental improvements, though I do agree that there will likely not be a revolutionary step upwards for the M8 such as a sensor replacement would be. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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