Interesting thing that I read today..

[wattsy]

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I have no desire to rehash the recent furore about the M8 issues (I've personally moved on and am enjoying using the M8) but I came across something that caught my eye in the current issue of 'Image'. This magazine is the 'house' magazine of the Association of Photographers (a UK based 'society' for advertising and fashion photographers) and in its piece about the latest products mentions the M8. What was interesting was the comment: "The camera looks the business, though there are still some sensor issues (I am told). It needs to work at ISO 1250 without problems and it looks like Jenoptik have a busy time ahead."

 

The magazine went to press in the third week of October (I know this because I supplied artwork for it). Whilst many of those who had pre-production units seemed to have missed the issues that are now dominating the agenda, it is clear that not everybody was infatuated with the M8. It surprises me that this rumour of "sensor issues" hadn't made it on to the internet before early purchasers actually had the camera in their hands.

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[wparsonsgisnet]

The magazine went to press in the third week of October (I know this because I supplied artwork for it). Whilst many of those who had pre-production units seemed to have missed the issues that are now dominating the agenda, it is clear that not everybody was infatuated with the M8. It surprises me that this rumour of "sensor issues" hadn't made it on to the internet before early purchasers actually had the camera in their hands.

 

Ian, I believe that "news" items hit magazines at the last moment, as opposed to art work that takes weeks or months. It may be that there is no great conspiracy, just different deadlines for different parts of a magazine.

[jlancasterd]

Ian, I believe that "news" items hit magazines at the last moment, as opposed to art work that takes weeks or months. It may be that there is no great conspiracy, just different deadlines for different parts of a magazine.

 

As a magazine editor myself, I can confirm that it is relatively easy, using today's electronic publishing facilities, (and if you have good relations with your printer!) to insert 'hot' news items even after the final layout is decided and proof reading has been done.

 

It's easier if the news item is short, of course...

[scott kirkpatrick]

... in its piece about the latest products mentions the M8. What was interesting was the comment: "The camera looks the business, though there are still some sensor issues (I am told). It needs to work at ISO 1250 without problems and it looks like Jenoptik have a busy time ahead."

 

The magazine went to press in the third week of October

 

From that comment it appears that somebody knew somebody at Jenoptik and recognized that there were still unsolved problems. But it's not surprising. Kodak had to freeze the imager specifications in 2005, most likely. Jenoptik must have been working on firmware since very early in 2006, and Phase One probably started working once it was possible to shoot a target for profiling and once they were told how the dng's were to be read (the 8 bit trick). So all of these partners have been exposed to the issues that had been left to firmware and software to handle. Well before the product began to ship, they knew which problems could be solved and which would become features.

 

scott

[wattsy]

As a magazine editor myself, I can confirm that it is relatively easy, using today's electronic publishing facilities, (and if you have good relations with your printer!) to insert 'hot' news items even after the final layout is decided and proof reading has been done..

 

I take your point (and it's all now water under the bridge) but the magazine has been out for around two weeks - predating the current 'fuss' on the internet. My take on this is that there were rumours of "sensor issues" flying around within some quarters (information most of us early buyers weren't privy to) before the M8 shipped.