Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black)

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

After working with M6 for years, I was obliged to shift to Canon 20D and then 5D when they were out. I was happy with the Canon results but always yearned to my Old M6 feel.
I bought the M8 as soon as it was out and never went back to my Canon (Which I sold later on). I rediscovered the real joys of handling my Leica again.
The images in Comparison to the 5D were richer, deeper 3D wise and it was hard enhancing the images on Capture One since they needed nothing and my intervention was really basic.

The cons I feel frustrating are its WB and its slow buffering, but I adjusted to that.

I am now eagerly waiting for the M9 which should resolve the Full Frame issue and put every other brand in its proper place.

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

The prime appeal of M Leicas is their wide-angle lenses and outstanding quality. The current, small-sensor M8 undermines the very foundation of what makes a Leica attractive. The lens magnification factor is simply unacceptable to Leica purists (legions) who demand that a 21mm lens remains 21mm.
A full-frame sensor in an M body is essential- not because of the extra megapixels (although that would be nice), but because such a camera retains the essential integrity of the M's design and optical philosophy.

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

I love this camera in the same way I loved my m2, m4p, and m6's--they help me take better photographs even though they aren't the simplest to use. Or maybe because they aren't the simplest to use. It is a little quirky just like the older m's: The card and battery slots are located under the baseplate, so changing either is much more trouble than a DSLR, the white balance is a little too unreliable; and the motor drive is slightly louder than I'd like. But I love the images I get. They are smooth and sharp at the same time and force me to pay a little better attention to light and movement than I do with a dslr. And this thing feels so beautiful in my hands...

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

I use this professionally, So the stories,View lines aren't acurate. WB you have to play with fluorescent and daylight, camera has hard time adjusting but if you know this one can get around it, you have to know your lighting. I only shoot it @ 160 & 320 there is alot of noise @ 640 but there is alot of noise @ 640 film! The black and purple can be fixed in Aperture (easy) OKAY positive the camera is small works like a M6, very easy menu, preset film film types. Handles well, this camera makes one slow down and think of images not just pound away on the shutter. A very basic camera, no bells no whistles, Is this not a Nikon or Canon it is small easy to you on the street. I read the site info about flack jackets color shift slowness, well if that is your story fine stick to it but the camera is a fine tool if you treat it as such

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

I have used the leica M8 for a year and it has been disappointing. The pixilation is horrible. The quality is so-so, if it weren't for the leica lenses the camera would be a failure. if you want to get a decent picture do not shoot past iso 320. The images need lots of photoshop tuning. The controls and everything like that are perfect. If your line of work can allow a few days of turn around, shoot with what leica designed and id known for, film. i recommend an mp or m7 (plus no crop).

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

I use this camera mainly for streetphotography and for capturing the urban environment. This camera has finally gotten me to accept digital photography, because it resembles the best characteristics of film. The image quality exceeds anything that Nikon has at the present time. It handles just like the M6, but without the film advance lever as a gripping surface. The feel of this camera is as if it's made of one solid unit; not a bunch of parts bolted together. The shutter release is not really an issue, even though it's louder than an M6. I've found only negative things about this camera: the lack of a film advance lever, and the lack of a protective shield for the LCD screen. I would much prefer a manual lever to re-set the shutter.

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

I have been a professional photographer for almost 20 years now and digital Leica M8 makes be really excited to take pictures again. One needs to slow down occasionally, really look around again and then take pictures. Leica is the best camera to bring back the magic. Plus it feels like the real M series that every photojournalist has always appreciated not to mention the superior lens quality.

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

In the early 90's I bought a Leica M6 as an alternative to large format cameras and fell in love with its ergonomics and image quality. Long ago I went "digital" for my day job, but continued with the M6 for my personal projects. Time passed and I remained on the sidelines watching the advances by Hasselblad, Cannon and Nikon. I admire these cameras but whenever I set out to purchase one, the act of holding it in my hands gave me reason to pause. They are bulky and I could not part with my M6.

I purchased an M8 in December, 2007 with some trepidation, after reading the commentary about bit depth, filtration and so on, and have been using it almost daily since. I quickly adapted to this camera and enjoyed its Leica "feel." Its lack of bells and whistles makes it the simplest to use digital camera on the market and one of the most innovative. The camera and software are well thought out and perfectly mated. After thousands of shots, its clear that the image quality is world class too. The M8 performs beyond expectation, for its pixel count and bit depth, perhaps because these are not the only factors involved in image quality. The reason for this may be the optics. To get a feel for Leica optical quality, go to the binocular counter and compare the major brands. The difference will be clear.

With regards to the images, although there are slight differences between lenses, the pictures are very sharp and show subtle contrast and color variation, giving them a transparent 3D feel. In fact the M8 allows the lens character to come through so much that it really shows their lineage. Working in Photoshop, generous adjustments are possible before clipping, leaving the bit depth question moot. It's small and light compared to other top models and well suited to most types of photography, with the exception of long telephoto and rapid fire work. And for those wanting even more discreetness there's a quieter shutter upgrade available.

Finally it's a joy to use and you will look forward to taking pictures with it. If you are in the market for an compact, unobtrusive top quality digital camera, or are a Leica film camera user thinking about making the switch to digital, this one will not disappoint.

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

This is a great camera with excellent image quality. It's a different way of shooting. The rangefinder system lets you see in a different way than DSLRs.
A wonderful camera for wide-angle, travel and street shooting.

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

I'm a pro who has used Leica M for 20 years and the M8 is nothing but a joy to use for anyone who loves and exploits the benefits of rangefinder photography. I have been using the M8 for magazine assignments since fall 2006. The image quality is second to none and just as good as the pro D-SLRs, which are at a similar price yet bulkier, heavier - for another style of working.

The color rendition is fantastic, especially since the firmware was upgraded in early 2008.

You can't go wrong with this camera - if you wish to focus and set the aperture for creative control over your images.
This camera would not be suitable for Sports or macro work,
but for travel, portraits, and general photography it's a great choice. An M8 and one lens (ie 28 or 35) and you can do great photography (no excuses after that!)
Enjoy

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

Great everything. Price is irrelevant since it pays for itself and you'll use all your leica glass. I'm 100% thrilled about my August purchase. Leica sent me 2 uv/ir filters so now more of my great lenses are actually protected (like most leica users we preferred the glass). The magenta actually was a good thing when converting to B&W as it gives nice tonal range in the blacks. Get one now or pick up a used one from someone who didn't realize they had to focus. Light in weight. Unobtrusive. Amazing in low light! Yeah other's may have less noise but they don't have leica glass at f1.4. I've never liked SLR's and have been forced to use them for my living (in digital age). Very happy to be making pictures again.

Expertise: 30 year pro

Problems Encountered: Battery (buy extras)

Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Leicaflex, Cl, M2, M3, M4P, M6, D100, D200

Items I Recommend: wide voigtlanders with finders

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

The camera meets my expectations. I have three Leica film Ms and began using Leica in the sixties. The M8 is Leica all the way. I shoot only raw & the files are excellent they're better (at 160 iso) than my D2X (at 100 iso - 60x90cm prints)) but not quite as good as my Canon 5D (at 100 iso). The Canon is better with noise, particularly at higher iso ratings. The M has noise characteristics in dark areas in which you've recovered detail in raw conversion that I find similar (but not as bad) as the Kodak 14N & 14 SLRN (with which Ive worked fairly extensively). Despite this kind of thing there is a wonderful (how can I say it?) Leica quality about the results which I personally prefer to these other cameras. In addition, the 28mm asp Elmarit I use is a very fine (and compact) lens, fairly high in contrast (which I like) and very free from distortion.

Problems Encountered: 1)The auto white balance is eratic. Ive shot several hundred frames since getting the camera last week and it happens every day, at least a couple of times (usually in backlighting from inside a room, forinstance, where a third or less of the frame includes a window with an outside scene at ,kets say, 5000K. It also happens when photographing outside. 2)The center-weighted light meter is fine in easy lighting situations. When things get more complicated, mixed light as described above, the meter is not nearly as good as the D2X nor quite as good as the 5D. I generally use matrix metering with these cameras. 3)The camera is louder than the old Leicas and I dont happen to like the quality of this sound, particularly the automatic re-cocking of the shutter. 4)Hopefully Leicas new firmware will provide exif data for the aperture at which the frame is made. Other problems with the camera are well-known, particularly the magenta cast, but in spite of all this I am very happy with this fine camera, both the build quality & the picture quality.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: See text

Items I Recommend: Coded lenses. Might get that handle to improve the ergonomics.

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

This is a superb professional digital rangefinder, unequaled by other systems for image quality, once lenses are taken into account. Professional Canon DSLR camera chips are equal better than this imaging chip, but they don;'t have the same quality lenses! I use mainly Voigtlander lenses with great results. The quality of the camera is evident from the minute you pick it up. It is well thought out, and I have never seen such high quality images below ISO 800. The Kodak chip with its eccentric microlenses virtually eliminates vignetting with any lens I mount. The shutter is not as silent as my M6 cloth shutter, but then again my M6 shutter doesn't go up to 1/4000th nor flash sync at 1/250th.There are some minor improvements suggested elsewhere, which may just be my opinion. I would like to see an AE lock button (Like the Voigtlander R3a), but most Leica M users would say no. ISO and WB should be set by a button on the back panel, not having to use a menu. I would love to see the user able to designate lenses via a menu, instead of coded lenses, as there are those of us who don't want to pay for Leica glass (superb, but IMHO not worth the price for my photography compared to Zeiss or CV).

Problems Encountered: I have experienced none of the sample problems listed on websites, and none not unknown to rangefinder users. My camera has worked perfectly from day one! The lenses need an IR-cut filter to show black fabrics true color, and this causes cyan-vignetting in the edges, to be corrected by updated firware. The Leica SF34 flash is too weak for much daylight fill, therefore I use a Metz 40MZ-31 any auto-flash would probably do just fine.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Leica M6, Voigt Bessa R3a,R; Topcon SuperD, Minolta film

Items I Recommend: extra battery

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

I received my Leica a few weeks ago and have used it since. It is as intended a digital M-camera, and in my so far limited experience it produces excellent images. The principal issue that I have with it is the nasty wind-on noise made by the shutter at the end of each exposure: I grew up with almost silent Leicas and this one is not in the same league. My Epson R-D1 (a replacement camera that worked!) with its manual wind is a lot quieter, and I think we could do without the Leica's motorized winding.I do have three lenses that fit on the M3, 4, and 5 and do not fit into the slightly smaller throat of the M8: one I have modified to fit, one I believe I will be able to modify, the third will probably never fit.Otherwise I have no issues with the M8 I enjoy using it and am more than satisfied with the results it provides.

Problems Encountered: See above about noise and lens fitting.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Epson M-D1; any number of Leicas over the years; Canons

Items I Recommend: All Zeiss ZM lenses; Voigtlander 35mm f/1.2

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

The prototype for this camera had 14 bit output. The shipped version has a vodo/compressed DNG of a very low 8 bits of color depth. Supposedly the 14 bits the senor can capture is compressed via some special compression and those 6 bit which are thrown away don't matter. This is contrary to everything I have been taught about the value and importance of capture images in the highest bit depth possible that and processing this hit bit raw in 16 bit mode to ensure the highest output possible. My teachers have been Jeff Schewe just to name of the seminal figures and founding fathers of the digital. Additionally Leica has even admitted, albeit in long winded, in their January and February issues of LFI magazine that their decisions to use 8 bit files does adversely affect image quality. Read the conclusion in the LFI article for February and it is right there. I wish is weren't so but Leica crippled a camera that could have been great. This won't matter for the die hard cult of Leica and for those who don't understand digital. It is a decent film maker and could have been much better had Leica given their user everything the camera is capable of delivering. Oh well there is always the M9. I have canceled my order after shooting with a friend's for a week. Leica is new to digital and their lack of size and consequently their ability to pay for the research and development needed to understand digital well enough to innovate is apparent. I can say the design and build quality of the camera is superb and the user interface the best on the market. Really a joy to use and hold but a a let down on image quality. A shame really. I wanted to love this camera. I love it's size and feel.

Problems Encountered: Lack of bit depth.Need to use an accessory Infared Filter due to bad design and testing.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: 1ds Mark II, 5d, P45, xti. leica m3, mp

Items I Recommend: ir-uv filter 486 from BW

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

This camera is for the true fine artist and Leica shooter. Everything about it is Leica! The bottom loading features, its handling, build quality etc...I agree with the previous reviewer, that you can't compare this camera to the mainstream SLR's. This camera will do nothing for you except perform superbly...IF, you know what you're doing...If you don't have at least some film experience, or experience with film Leica's, then this may not be the camera for you. It's easy to put a camera on auto-pilot and just aim and spray away 8,9 or 10 fps. with auto bracketing, auto ISO...Auto this, auto that...Blah,blah,blah. Leicas are about true image making, one shot at a time, and knowing what you did to get that image and feeling the image when you get it. If you're not willing to put that effort toward your craft, then you should stick with the other I'll do-it-all-for-you, mindless, idiot proof cameras that could probably be used blindfolded,not to mention you can probably seriously assault someone if they tried to mug you, because some of these cameras not only weigh a ton, but they're HUGE! So after 32 years as a Leica shooter all I can say is... LONG LIVE LEICA!!! GOOD JOB SOLMS!!!

Problems Encountered: None to lose any sleep over. If a shot or two get quirky with slight color shifts, the software corrects it beautifully. Remember, sometimes a slight flaw or abberation can make your shot unique.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: M2,M3,M4,M5,M6,M7,MP,CL,CM,CM-ZOOM,SL-2,R7,R8,R9

Items I Recommend: The new Tri-Elmar

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

I tried the M8 carried by a french friend photographer in Beirut and was lended one in Paris for a day:for on-the-fly-shoot-from-the-hip or out-of-the-window it is even superior to the M6 or M7with this you spare yourself film management while on the move and finding the gem in a haysack when back homePity 'bout the delays (I really should get married in the meantime) to !

Problems Encountered: Back screen should be protected !

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Leica M6

Items I Recommend: both 28 and 35 will do fine (equiv to 35 and 50 in film)

Comments about Leica M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera Body (Black):

I received an early camera and experience no problems what so ever. All the Leica intangibles are here. Image quality is outrageous. Anyone who says this camera can become obsolete is kidding themselves. Between the build quality and image resolution this camera will never be obsolete. As for the star ratings I am basing them on the camera being what it is and not comparing apples to tomatoes.

Problems Encountered: None

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Epson RD1

Items I Recommend: 28mm