Long Term M8 Owners: Would You Now Recommend Getting an M8?

[vic_.]

<p>Alex, two overlooked features are the 1/8000 of a second shutter speed, and the ability to use a 135mm lens which gives an effective 180mm focal length (135x1.33). The 1/8000 shutter speed allows the use of fast glass in daylight, without the use of ND filters. I know of no other small package kit that can do this.<br>

Example 1: Frozen chopper blades, cannot be done with a film M.</p><div></div>

[vic_.]

<p>Admittedly, they are forgettable examples, taken for the purposes of illustration.<br>

Example 2: Seagull in flight. Good out of focus rendition, with crisp subject matter. 135mm lens.<br>

Both examples were minute crops, the full-sized pics are crisp.</p><div></div>

[vic_.]

<p>Alex, I am very satisfied with the 135mm on the M8. Just set the focus at infinity, open up the aperture, and chase any target by keeping it in the yellow focus rectangle. The lack of 135mm framelines is not a hindrance. Fast action (e.g., Formula 1 racing): no problem.</p>

[vic_.]

<p>Was too slow on this one.</p><div></div>

[albert knapp md]

<p>I have two M8s that were bought early on and I have really enjoyed them. Have recently sent both in for viewfinder screen and shutter upgrades. The old frame lines were my major complaint and chimping became too frequent in my landscape photographic endeavors. Hopefully the new lines will obviate alot of that!<br>

I do not see myself buying an M8.2 at this time as my upgrade gives me everything I need except for the S mode that I do NOT need....</p>

 

[ray .]

<p>Anybody prefer the original M8 shutter to the upgraded one? I like the sound of it as is... The only time I can see it being too loud is inside a room. </p>

[Alex_Es]

<p>Actually, I really like the 1/8000 top speed and am loathe to give it up. The "googles" Elmarit 135/2.8 works very well on the M8. I've also used regular 135s without external finders at infinity. The frame lines are off, especially the 75mm, which is more suited for 85mm (as I wrote in <i>Viewfinder</i> a while back. But I've had a gas using a Canon 85/1.5 with the 75mm frames and a Canon 100/2 with the much tighter 90mm frames. </p>

[Alex_Es]

<p>Actually, I really like the 1/8000 top speed and am loathe to give it up. The "googles" Elmarit 135/2.8 works very well on the M8. I've also used regular 135s without external finders at infinity. The frame lines are off, especially the 75mm, which is more suited for 85mm (as I wrote in <i>Viewfinder</i> a while back. But I've had a gas using a Canon 85/1.5 with the 75mm frames and a Canon 100/2 with the much tighter 90mm frames. </p>

[Alex_Es]

<p>Actually, I really like the 1/8000 top speed and am loathe to give it up. The "goggles" Elmarit 135/2.8 works very well on the M8. I've also used regular 135s without external finders at infinity. The frame lines are off, especially the 75mm, which is more suited for 85mm (as I wrote in <i>Viewfinder</i> a while back. But I've had a gas using a Canon 85/1.5 with the 75mm frames and a Canon 100/2 with the much tighter 90mm frames. </p>

[Alex_Es]

<p>M8 and Nikkor 135/2.5 "C" on a Contaxt to Leica adapter. Cropped.</p>

<p><a title="L1000315-crop by Alex Es, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3111/3081949034_5525fe3f0f_b.jpg" alt="L1000315-crop" width="1024" height="672" /></a></p>

[emraphoto]

<p>well i suppose there is sufficient information here already, spattered with the odd "blind fool leica owners getting ripped off" hogwash that usually shows up in threads with m8 in the title.<br>

that being said i will add my two cents... i have used the m8 professionally for 1.5 years (press work) and i would not recommend buying an m8. understand that i have been using m's for a very long time and really, really liked the m8. it was totally reliable, produced great, great files and was a joy to use. the achille's heel was leicausa. my one and only m8/leicausa experience was so completely maddening that it essentially spelled the end of my leica era. i was/am willing to accept the m8 as it is however there is no way in hell i could accept leica's approach to service. sad really...<br>

i would think long and hard about an m8... great camera that is lacking in timely support. </p>

[julio_m]

<p>http://web.mac.com/kamberm/Leica_M8_Field_Test,_Iraq/Page_1.html</p>

[Alex_Es]

<p>Curious about your experience with Leica USA, Jon. My experience with Leica Japan service was great. Twice I got loaners when my M8 needed emergency care. They were fast and thorough. The last time my M8 was fixed in Japan rather than in Germany and turned around in record time. I cannot say enough good things about Leica Japan. I've never dealt with Leica USA. What the experience like?</p>

[Alex_Es]

<p>Curious about your experience with Leica USA, Jon. My experience with Leica Japan service was great. Twice I got loaners when my M8 needed emergency care. They were fast and thorough. The last time my M8 was fixed in Japan rather than in Germany and turned around in record time. I cannot say enough good things about Leica Japan. I've never dealt with Leica USA. What the experience like?</p>

[emraphoto]

<p>hi alex, <br>

when i first purchased the m8 within about 8 hours it was producing vertical lines in the frames. i contacted the dealer who was in new york, i am in montreal. i informed them about the "issue" and they said send it back (at my expense via post) and i said that wasn't good enough. it would cost over $100 insured etc. to send it back and i just spent $5000 on the camera. the dealer seemed entirely un-interested in my problem.<br>

i then contacted leicausa who said to send it in via a local dealer for no cost. i did so and my brand new m8 vanished into a vortex for over two months. i mentioned that i was going to africa in two weeks and had purchased the m8 for the trip. leicausa said no problem, they would have it turned around in one week. well after 2 weeks i began calling and then emailing. for over i week nobody would return my calls or emails. i then became a tad more gregarious when i called and finally they said they would have it back to me asap. a few more weeks go by. no camera. back to the "no returned calls or emails stage". at this point i became quite angry. i sent a rather scathing email to leica in germany, in german and they sent me contact info (private cell) for christian erhardt at leicausa. well after BEGGING him to send me a camera, any camera one was sent. just a body... no box, no battery nothing. ( i had sent the whole package back). another week sans the camera as without a battery etc. it wasn't much good. over two months of empty promises, not returning calls or emails and no camera permanently soured the relationship for me<br>

finally, after months and a trip to africa my m8 arrived. i will say that the camera has been flawless in operation and i have shot in some very unsavory conditions. i cannot however depend on leicausa and that is a deal breaker for me. i now have have leica pro service however the original experience did it for me. in my humble opinion the achilles heel of the m8 is leicausa (in north america at least). i cannot understand how leica doesn't recognize this.<br>

anyhow, love the camera. some of the nicest files i have seen that generally, contrary to the "never used one but hate it crowd" the files need the least amount of post work then any camera i have used. i do hope your experience continues to be positive alex!</p>

[Alex_Es]

<p>Cripes! What a horror story, Jon! Totally the opposite of what I experienced with Leica Japan. After sending in my M8 for service I got a loaner within a day. In fact, Leica called the moment they got my package. I did not have to spend even one yen on postage. The service was the best I have ever had, even in Japan.</p>

<p>Jon's story is consistent with what I've experienced with American corporate bureaucracy. </p>

[ray .]

<p>Alex, sorry I may have given you incorrect information. I haven't really shot that much with the 35, filter, and no coding and thought I didn't see a problem in the photos. May not be obvious in some photos, but after having done a test today against a light solid surface there does seem to be some cyan drift near the edges. So 35 probably should be coded after all.</p>

<p>I think needing to have lenses coded is the single biggest issue with the M8 and the one that does test my patience.</p>

[kens]

<p>Amen.</p>

[Alex_Es]

<p>No need to apologize, Ray! And thank you for sharing your data with this thread!</p>

<p>I have used my Summicron 35/2 Asph. uncoded for nearly two years without any problems that seemed obvious to me. What Ray's test seems to indicate is that the cyan drift is very slight with a 35mm lens and would probably go unnoticed in most instances unless one was intent on finding the evidence. </p>

<p>I have a coder kit and with it I have given the 35/2 Asph. the appropriate coding, only to have it rub off very quickly--a problem I've had with none of my other lenses, save for the Rokkor 90/4. I have coded my Nokton 35/1.4 and use it exclusively on the M8, leaving the Summicron for my film cameras (and one more reason to keep using film). Eventually, when I can tear myself away from my 'crone, I'll have Leica Japan code it. </p>

<p>I completely agree with Ray's statement, "I think needing to have lenses coded is the single biggest issue with the M8 and the one that does test my patience." Indeed, this also tests my patience--more so than the magenta issue, which is both a pain in the rear and the wallet (having invested a goodly sum in IR/UV filters). My solution has been to be insensitive to cyan corners, as I have been to the magenta issue when I cannot find an appropriate IR/UV filter, preferring a flawed image to no image at all. <br>

<br>

The solution to magenta blacks and cyan corners is turn your M8 into an black and white camera. But then you would be putting a lot of brilliant and expensive technology to waste. </p>

 

[Alex_Es]

<p>The shot below was taken with the M8 a borrowed Zeiss 18/4 lens with neither coding nor an IR/UV filter. In the photograph represents what I meant about risking imperfects to get the image, which you have to admit is fun. That said, the magenta / cyan issue is one reason I have not gotten this great Zeiss lens for myself. It requires a 58mm IR/UV filter, which does not exist as far as I know, and is probably impossible to code properly.</p>

<p><a title="Gastown: Chopper (BLURB) by Alex Es, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3293/2795498837_f6ee2f9018_b.jpg" alt="Gastown: Chopper (BLURB)" width="1024" height="683" /></a></p>

[kens]

<p>Alex - B+W makes the proper UV/IR filter for the 18mm ZM: "58mm type 486 UV IR Cut MRC". Works fine. There's a third party out there that will code the rim as a wide Tri-Elmar. Can't remember offhand who that is but I'll pass it along when I can find it.</p>

[kens]

<p>John Milich in NY does the 6-bit milling on Zeiss and Leica lens flanges...<br /> http://www.photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00LUiM</p>

[ray .]

<p>I think this forum needs a special category for weekly theads entitled <i><b>M8 Support Group</b></i>. Ha.</p>

[Alex_Es]

<p>Thanks for the information Ken!</p>

<p>That is a great idea Ray! M8 group therapy where we discuss magenta angst, cyan hysteria, coding disfunction disorder, full frame wish fulfillment syndrome and, of course, M8 envy :-)</p>

[dougmiles]

<p>The M8 takes some familiarization... at first I tried "denial" as a method of dealing with the magenta issue, but in the end I gave in and used the UV/IR cut filters. Of course then one must learn about coding lens flanges, or faking it.<br>

But I appreciate the simple user interface, and like the RF experience. It's just not sensible to compare the M8 to a dSLR; if you need or prefer a dSLR then by all means get one. An RF is a different experience, and the M8 has very little or no competition.<br>

I had a good experience with Mr Milich; he coded my new C-Biogon ZM that was sent to him directly by the vendor. I have also his screw-mount adapter that I'll use with my 50 Skopar and 75 Heliar. And I will be sending off some other lenses for him to code.<br>

I don't use the screen for reviewing photos, maybe a reason I get very good battery life. This is an easy camera for overseas travel. I tend not to recommend things, as a couple others here have said, though I'm willing to share experiences. I do think the M8 calls for more than the usual level of dedication. Having two of them, and a year's experience, I have no regrets.</p>