Why not? The rangefinder experience is in itself a nod to the passe'. The M8 is nothing but a way to marry digital convenience to all that I loved about my Leica iiis and my M3. Sure, it would be nice to go for the $6k M10, but I don't know that I could live with my conscience spending that much.
Anyway, especially after seeing some of the advice here, I ended up buying the M8. Before, I test-drove a new Leica M from Washington DC's Leica store to see if I would like the feel of a digital M. I equipped it with a 35mm f/3.5 LTM Summaron and a f/2 Planar. So far:
What I like:
Most importantly, because it's a Leica and because I like it, I'm a lot more prone to take it with me at all times (best camera = the one you have with you at the moment) Feels, handles and focuses in a way not too dissimilar to the M3 The built-in meter is a nice addition compared to what I was used to having to do (my own estimates, or hand-held metering for more important shots) Ditto for the aperture-priority feature, which is nice for street/people/snapshots, while letting you retain control of the image Best of all, as a digital system this gives me instant control of ISO and white balance Battery life is much better than I thought Don't feel like I hurt myself financially, at $1,500 with a couple adapters
What I don't like:
The LCD was better on my Motorola RAZR cell phone
What is not a big deal, although a nominal drawback:
The sensor crop factor The 10MP limitation--I don't plan on making poster-sized prints The ISO range limitation (I don't think I ever even used film faster than 40) The sound of the shutter cocking (who cares? It's still not a K-TSCHLACK! of a DSLR)
BTW, this is my first and only digital camera, so a lot of what I like about it is tied to the convenience aspects of digital... Still, I'm excited to have this particular model.