Forward M8 Production

[Wang Chung]

With the advent of the 'update' program would be safe to assume that all forward M8 production (after August '08) will be made with the new 'quiet' shutter and sapphire?

Wang'r

[tmfabian]

Nope....i e-mailed leica about that when they came out with the update program.

edit: here's the email

Actually the Leica factory has indicated that upgrades will not be
applied to the M8 production line.



Best regards,

Mark Brady
Leica Camera Inc. / Technical Info
1 Pearl Court/Unit A
Allendale, NJ 07401

[jaapv]

No- it is a parallel program. The M8 will be produced unchanged. It may be some dealers will have updated M8 cameras in stock from new - at a price.

[Wang Chung]

Thx for the info Jaap. This tells me that when they do roll to the next model in digital M like M9, its going to be one expensive puppy! BTW just looked at your gallery...pretty nice stuff...

Wang'r

[Wang Chung]

Thx for the info...


Nope....i e-mailed leica about that when they came out with the update program.

edit: here's the email

Actually the Leica factory has indicated that upgrades will not be
applied to the M8 production line.



Best regards,

Mark Brady
Leica Camera Inc. / Technical Info
1 Pearl Court/Unit A
Allendale, NJ 07401

[Keith]

If you bought an M8 from a dealer with the upgrades fitted I gather you would have to pay close to another couple of grand over the standard new price which makes a very expensive camera. Logically the M9, if and when it eventuates, will have to cost even more which would make it astronomically expensive.

I think Leica should have just left the M8 the way it was until they superceded it with an M9 ... that would be my preference at least. I think my own M8 will either be with me untill I wear it out or it dies ... or I'll sell it within the next few months and replace it with a D300.

I can see my future as being DSLR for digital and rangefinders for film. At no stage has my M8 'wowed' me enough to affect the amount of film I shoot and I don't believe that is necessarily the fault of the camera ... in spite of it's quirks and price it is very good at what it does! :)

[Wang Chung]

My sense is this...the 'M9' will be a $9500.00-$10,000.00 camera in whatever configuration Leica will design.

The D300 is a very good camera backed by years worth of excellent glass. You really can' go wrong with a good digital DSLR like this. It lacks the 'snob' appeal of the M8, of course, but its not the snob appeal that takes the great photo. Its the eye behind the viewfinder and the brain attached to the eye then followed by the excellence of the entire mechanical computerized imaging system in the photog's hands.

Just my two cents worth...

Wange'r

[Wang Chung]

If you bought an M8 from a dealer with the upgrades fitted I gather you would have to pay close to another couple of grand over the standard new price which makes a very expensive camera. Logically the M9, if and when it eventuates, will have to cost even more which would make it astronomically expensive.

I think Leica should have just left the M8 the way it was until they superceded it with an M9 ... that would be my preference at least. I think my own M8 will either be with me untill I wear it out or it dies ... or I'll sell it within the next few months and replace it with a D300.

I can see my future as being DSLR for digital and rangefinders for film. At no stage has my M8 'wowed' me enough to affect the amount of film I shoot and I don't believe that is necessarily the fault of the camera ... in spite of it's quirks and price it is very good at what it does! :)
My sense is this...the 'M9' will be a $9500.00-$10,000.00 camera in whatever configuration Leica will design.

The D300 is a very good camera backed by years worth of excellent glass. You really can't go wrong with a good digital DSLR like this. It lacks the 'snob' appeal of the M8, of course, but its not the snob appeal that takes the great photo. Its the eye behind the viewfinder and the brain attached to the eye then followed by the excellence of the entire mechanical computerized imaging system in the photog's hands.

Just my two cents worth...

Wange'r