msnyc Posted September 28, 2009 Share #1 Posted September 28, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Taking my M8 into Leica New Jersey for some adjustment. I thought i might do a frameline upgrade. The price is $1100.00!!! It's not worth it at this price. I thought it was a misquote. Have most M8 users gone to a frameline upgrade since the upgrade path was announced? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 28, 2009 Posted September 28, 2009 Hi msnyc, Take a look here M8 Frameline Upgrade. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
cookedart Posted September 28, 2009 Share #2 Posted September 28, 2009 According to NYCV their pricing is $800: Untitled Document Still very expensive.. I personally don't think it's worth it, and I especially don't think the sapphire glass is worth $950. The vulcanite would be worth it if Solms CLA'd and gave a one year warranty, which seems to be the case with these upgrades. At around $330 it's not terrible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
msnyc Posted September 28, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted September 28, 2009 According to NYCV their pricing is $800: Untitled Document Still very expensive.. I personally don't think it's worth it, and I especially don't think the sapphire glass is worth $950. The vulcanite would be worth it if Solms CLA'd and gave a one year warranty, which seems to be the case with these upgrades. At around $330 it's not terrible. Thank you. I don't think the Sapphire is worth it either. Sean Reid liked the the new framelines better than the old ones-- which is why I was even considering it. Even at $800.00 it's a lot as well. I think the M9's are framed like the old M8 framelines. Rangefinders are made more for instinctive shooting than precise framing anyway --- and with use the body does adjust. Sure doesn't feel like the company has any obligations to support M8 owners and make it easy to keep the cameras current. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
epand56 Posted September 28, 2009 Share #4 Posted September 28, 2009 When I did the brightlines upgrade it was still half the price it is today and at that cost it sure was worth doing. However I would not do it today at the actual price. The sapphire glass is something I'm not at all interested in. My 2 years old regular screen is still like new. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
innerimager Posted September 28, 2009 Share #5 Posted September 28, 2009 . I think the M9's are framed like the old M8 framelines. The M8 framelines are optimized at 0.7 meters, ther M8.2 at 2 meters, and the M9 at 1 meter. For the M8, longer distances result in the camera capturing more than the framelines show. Since 0.7 meters is the closest focusing distance of any leica lens, it made some sense, it's easy to crop digital images afterward. At either 1 r 2 meters, closer focusing results in capturing a bit less than what the framelines show, and tis must be accounted for by the photographer if it's critical. best...Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ampguy Posted September 29, 2009 Share #6 Posted September 29, 2009 Does anyone know if the prices or options have changed since this 2008 upgrade plan for the US? The engraving and leatherette/ coverings seem like potentially good upgrade options, considering that it extends the M8 warranty by a year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamriman Posted September 29, 2009 Share #7 Posted September 29, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Don't bother. It's too expensive and not worth it. If you really want the upgrades just sell it and buy an M8.2. You will get all the upgrades for allot less. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookedart Posted September 29, 2009 Share #8 Posted September 29, 2009 Don't bother. It's too expensive and not worth it. If you really want the upgrades just sell it and buy an M8.2. You will get all the upgrades for allot less. This is only true if you actually are ok with upgrading to 1/4000 quieter shutter. I use 1/6000 and 1/8000 all the time and would rather have that than the quieter shutter, personally. I don't need the sapphire glass either. The only upgrades I would consider making are the revised framelines (too expensive) or the vulcanite. It's too bad there's not a combined pricing for the two. Perhaps calling Leica there might actually be a way to combined the two for under $1000? However, if you do want the shutter upgrade, in addition to any other upgrade (especially the sapphire glass), it's probably worth looking for a used M8.2 and selling your M8, it's true. The M8.2 has all of these upgrades (but the engraving). The engraving and leatherette/ coverings seem like potentially good upgrade options, considering that it extends the M8 warranty by a year. I assume they also CLA your camera to ensure that it is in good working order before sending it back as well.. which is a big plus as part of the cost of these upgrades. The engraving upgrade seems risky, if you ever have an inkling of selling the m8. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookedart Posted September 29, 2009 Share #9 Posted September 29, 2009 When I did the brightlines upgrade it was still half the price it is today and at that cost it sure was worth doing. However I would not do it today at the actual price.The sapphire glass is something I'm not at all interested in. My 2 years old regular screen is still like new. It was $400-500 at one point to do this? Amazed that the prices for this would actually go up... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhoersch Posted September 29, 2009 Share #10 Posted September 29, 2009 The vulcanite would be worth it if Solms CLA'd and gave a one year warranty, which seems to be the case with these upgrades. At around $330 it's not terrible. I happen to know that the vulcanite covering costs less than $20, so I wouldn't call $330 (without CLA, of course) a bargain. Even when I paid for the big upgrade (shutter, saphire glass, and frame lines) Leica wanted to charge the full amount for the vulcanite, although they had to replace the covering anyway. So I said no, thank you, because I found $310 profit on a $20 item a trifle too much for my taste. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
misha Posted September 29, 2009 Share #11 Posted September 29, 2009 i upgraded the framelines and now curse much less misha PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISHA FRIEDMAN Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookedart Posted September 29, 2009 Share #12 Posted September 29, 2009 I happen to know that the vulcanite covering costs less than $20, so I wouldn't call $330 (without CLA, of course) a bargain. Even when I paid for the big upgrade (shutter, saphire glass, and frame lines) Leica wanted to charge the full amount for the vulcanite, although they had to replace the covering anyway. So I said no, thank you, because I found $310 profit on a $20 item a trifle too much for my taste. Ya, it wouldn't be a bargain at all if they didn't CLA and extend the warranty. But divided by three, each one of these things combined would be worth it for $330. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
msnyc Posted September 30, 2009 Author Share #13 Posted September 30, 2009 It was $400-500 at one point to do this? Amazed that the prices for this would actually go up... Called Leica New Jersey today and they told me frameline upgrade ONLY is $1100.00 That is a ripoff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdLam Posted September 30, 2009 Share #14 Posted September 30, 2009 that is disappointing seeing how the website says that the upgrade costs 650 Euros, which really equals $946 US Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfokevin Posted September 30, 2009 Share #15 Posted September 30, 2009 I am afraid this M8 upgrade program is at the tail end of its life cycle... The days of agressive pricing are over - they will keep the option available but for a price... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
agreenspan Posted September 30, 2009 Share #16 Posted September 30, 2009 I did the frameline, shutter, and saphire upgrade three months ago ONLY because there was a 50% off special for new M8 buyers - I bought mine in May. The upgrade was $1075. I told them to send me back the camera without any cover, and the OEM cover in a separate bag. I went to cameraleather.com and bought a black griptac kit and recovered it myself - it was easy. Kind of looks like vulcanite, and I can always put back the original cover for resale if necessary. Anyway, it was a good deal for all three things, but to pay a similar price for JUST the framelines - I wouldn't do it. You could buy a nice lens for that money. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
innerimager Posted September 30, 2009 Share #17 Posted September 30, 2009 I think Leica could win a lot of good will, and help consolidate the value of the pool of M8s, which is always to their advantage, by announcing a 1/2 price upgrade path again. I hope they are listening! best....Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
norm_snyder Posted October 1, 2009 Share #18 Posted October 1, 2009 I was seriously considering upgrading my 2nd M8, not selling it...maybe doing the shutter and framelines. My other M8 is an M8u, and I'm quite happy with that one, even though I did only the shutter. The plan would then be to do the framelines in the first camera next year, and extend the warranty. This way, with the prices where they are, I was actually tempted today by a IIIg w/ Leicavit, and just shooting film for a year, and dumping M8 no. 2. As the guy who once traded a black Nikon SP for a Leica M2R [long, long ago, when no one would buy RF Nikon], I know I'll never end up ahead of this game, but the current upgrade path seems more and more unattractive. Cost vs. utility just doesn't add up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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