terencechong Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 LEICA ANNOUNCEMENT NO NEW M9 LEICA M8 UPGRADE Leica have just announced that there will not be an M9 as previously thought. Instead they will offer an Upgrade on all existing M8 cameras with the following modifications. 1. New Saphire Viewing Screen (Virtually unscratchable) 2. Shutter to 1/4000th 3. Quieter actuation of Shutter mechanism 4. New Firmware 5. 2 Year Warranty with Upgrade This modification will be available from March 2008 and will be booked through Leica Germany's Website at a cost to the owner of 1200 Euros. Leica see the M8 as being an ongoing camera that can be modified throughout its lifetime. Further News will be posted as and when we receive it http://theleicaman.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/page5.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex_Es Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Thanks for the information, Terence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terencechong Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 Most welcome Alex! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad_ Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Yikes, $1,800 for a higher max shutter speed mod? www.citysnaps.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex_Es Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 One thing puzzles me: Shutter to 1/4000th. It is now up to 1/8000th. So is Leica lowering the top shutter speed? Or does this refer to flash sync? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kens Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 I applaud the offer to upgrade, but replace/upgrade the shutter? Is this going to be the only way to get the firmware? Will they at least clean the sensor for me? ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivek iyer Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 <i>This modification will be available from March 2008 and will be booked through Leica Germany's Website at a cost to the owner of 1200 Euros.</i> <p> As I mentioned earlier, the M8-3 would offer UV proofing of the sensor, M8-4 (likely to be very expensive)- IR proofing, M8-5 would offer "liveview" (by that time a 20mp Ricoh GRv with an automagic snap mechanism for a price of 200 Euros will be there)... <p> A plot to increase the value of the <i>original</i> M8! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kens Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 1) New Saphire Viewing Screen (Virtually unscratchable): $150. 2) Shutter to 1/4000th: $500. 3) Quieter actuation of Shutter mechanism: $100. 4) New Firmware: $50. 5) Snappy-looking "8.2" engraved on top front plate: $1,000. 2-year warranty: priceless. Use your MasterCard, and have a nice day. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik_l. Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Wow. I think this just sealed the deal for me. No longer interested in going down the Leica digital path. I do not see this as Leica's commitment to innovation. It seem more like a way to milk additional profits out of a customer base. None of the upgrades seem like they would make a difference to the performance of the camera, or any impact on the users ability to make better images. I mean come on...sapphire viewing screen? Quieter shutter? And a firmware upgrade? Gee thanks Solms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry_kincaid2 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 This is great news. Why would anyone who gave up US$5,000 or so for the M8 be happy about the release of the M9 2 years later? Good news because it confirms that the M8 was built like all Leica cameras to last for a long time. We knew that already. Now we know that the components are upgradable, including the possibility of a more quiet, faster shutter. Not enough incentive yet . . . but this indicates that the sensor can also easily come off and be replaced by a better one. Who wouldn't pay for all of those as a package deal a year or so from now? We don't need another camera, just a Leica M8 that can be repaired and upgraded over time. What more can you ask for? Two years ago everyone here was saying that it was technically impossible to develop a sensor for the Leica M lenses. We got a very good sensor for those lenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc_bergman1 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 The blurb I read was that they are going to a quieter shutter. That may be the reason for the 1/4000 speed. It also said, "Leica see the M8 as being an on going camera that can be modified throughout its lifetime." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad_ Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 >>> It also said, "Leica see the M8 as being an on going camera that can be modified throughout its lifetime." Heh, at $1,800 a pop for "mods" of dubious value... Wonder what a performance upgrade would cost, say a new image sensor - though that's not a realistic possibility... www.citysnaps.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_reichert1 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Amazing. But then again, there's a long history of mass hypnotism in that part of the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nee_sung Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I went to the Leica web site and could not find the announcement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymond_tai Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Just as I was reading this thread I got a call from Leica service here in the Far East that my 28mm Elmarit (4th version) is back from Solms with a new 6-bit mount. So I immediately went down there and picked up the lens. I asked the Leica service manager if the M8-2 rumours are true and he said yes. The price is Eur 1200 and will begin in March however Leica has not decided whether to have everything done in Germany or the upgrade can be done in respective service centers all over the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_piper2 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Meh!...Web-babble for the moment. Let's not jump on LEICA for something someone stuck up on a mystery web site. Time enough to thrash them if it turns out to be real. Down-rating the shutter to decrease noise - well, M users put up with (and paid more for) 1/1000th max speed for decades after SLRs had moved on to 1/4000th or 1/8000th speeds. In exchange for relative silence. Technically plausible - but I'll wait to hear the difference (if any actually materializes) before commenting further. I'll take an upgrade in image "noise" at ISO 1250 and above, and maybe full-frame, before I worry about the shutter "noise". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymond_tai Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 After hearing this and if I had not bought an M8 and all those filters and had my lenses coded I would have laughed and kept my R-D1. Too late and too bad for me. But the shutter vibration is a real issue and I feel I can't hand hold the M8 at slow speeds and get sharp images because of it. If there is a fix then great but still I don't feel Leica should charge to fix something that is essentially a design flaw. Well that was what I said when the IR issue came out but still my wallet is much lighter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feli Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 What they should offer is the option of a more accurate set of framelines, that indicate the area of coverage at 1 meter, like the older cameras (M3/M2/M4/M5/M4-2/M4-P). The current set leaves a lot to be desired, even by rangefinder standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_larese1 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I'm off to buy some film then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stwrtertbsratbs5 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 What, no option to upgrade to ostrich skin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_neuthaler Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 grab those Leica screwmounts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noah Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Anyone know when I'll be able to buy a new M8.2? I Was just about ready to take the plunge, but it seems smarter to wait now... Any news on the price of a new one? I don't think downgrading the shutter to a 1/4000th top speed makes a bit of difference with a digital camera, where you can always switch to a slower iso outside. It's not like trying to shoot tri-x outside on a sunny day, where a fast shutter is an advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurentvuillard Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I've had a digital M long ago it is called an M6 and a Nikon scanner, sorry this is miles cheaper than M8.X and does not crop your wide lenses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_piper2 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 "Let's not jump on LEICA for something someone stuck up on a mystery web site. Time enough to thrash them if it turns out to be real. " OK - go ahead now. There seems to be official confirmation from Leica in the form of e-mails to M8 owners and dealers reaching out across the internet as we speak. Not on the website - yet. Actual upgrades will begin in August, but "certificates" can be purchased as of March 08. No price listed in the emails. Upgrades as previously described except that essentially a full CLA back to factory specs is included (not surprising given that replacing the shutter would mean a full strip-down anyway)..and "as-new" warranty for 2 years. There will be new firmware 1.12-something available within the week having nothing to do with the "m8-2" phenomenon - just new firmware for all current M8s (better WB claimed - we shall see!) Obviously there will also be new firmware as part of the upgrades as well - if the shutter no longer goes to 1/8000th, firmware designed for a shutter that CAN go to 1/8000th won't work anymore, even if nothing else changes. (d'oh!) No news yet as to if/when "M8-2" cameras will be sold over the counter, or at what price, etc. etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_piper2 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 "I've had a digital M long ago it is called an M6 and a Nikon scanner, sorry this is miles cheaper than M8.X" I had one of these too. Finally got tired of having to stick dollar bills in the back every time I wanted to shoot another 36 exposures - sort of like those pay gas-meters one has to feed coins into to keep the heat running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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