[Leica] Problem with new to me M8

[h_arche at yahoo.com (H. Ball Arche)]

Rah, 
Rah,
Sisboom.
 
Bah.

Cheers, Geoff.



----- Original Message ----
From: Geoff Hopkinson <hopsternew at gmail.com>
To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org>
Sent: Sun, January 24, 2010 8:16:05 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Problem with new to me M8

Mark we'll continue to disagree on the M8 then. Consider the M8 history
again. After the initial introduction period (3-6 months?) what new issues
emerged over the next 30 months or so of its product life? That's what I
meant by stable and mature. But of course the M9 is a great choice. It also
costs 3 times as much new as a used M8 now. I got one. I love it.
The M9 ended up coming to market for what Leica viewed as a relatively small
increase over the price of a new M8 then. So the judgement was that it would
no longer be attractive in the range. Seems like a reasonable call to me.
I wouldn't buy one new now either (at the old retail price). Meanwhile the
practical result is that you can pick up a used M8 for a fraction of the new
price now. They do work just the same. As far as I know you've never owned
one? That's fine, you can form your own opinions based on whatever you've
read but many thousands of owners and users disagree with you.
Cheers
Geoff
http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman


2010/1/25 Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com>

> > Rabs, please excuse my edit for focus.
> > I agree that the M9 is the ideal purchase for M users of course but the
> M8
> > is still the same enormously capable camera it was prior to September 9.
> I
> > used mine for all of my photography for 2 years and it never hiccupped
> once.
> > Leica considers that a used M8 can be an entry path to M digital these
> days.
> > Locally the price is around one third of that of a new M9 (still in very
> > short supply of course). Especially if you have the M lenses that you
> want,
> > that can make a lot of sense. I was just  pointing out another option
> (aprt
> > from the mentioned demo) if a buyer was concerned about the very well
> > publicised issues with the first M8s to come to market. Its been a stable
> > mature camera since those were addressed and many thousands of us have
> use
> > them to our satisfation with great results and no issues at all.
> >  Cheers
> > Geoff
> > http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman
>
>
> You're in the minority in the photographic community in your view of the M8
> as a "stable mature" camera where it is widely viewed as just the opposite.
> Its a first out. And a rocky one. And at this point in the game its being a
> cropped format is not good timing.
> More to the point the M9 DOES seem to be a stable mature camera; and the
> current accepted serious format. . And its the camera Leica is making now.
> I predict it will quickly acquire an acceptance the M8 never got.
> (this is where our friend goes ballistic but I didn't use the word "top" I
> guess)
>
> No the M8 is not a viable entry level camera into the Leica digital M
> system
> at this stage of the game. The smart advice would be to wait. Wait till one
> had the capital to procure an M9.
>
> Why wouldn't Leica continue making the M8 instead discontinuing it?
> Thus giving a photographer a choice in "formats". And provide an entry
> level
> option?
> Because the camera was a disaster that's why. And the cropped format is no
> longer a serious option.
>
> [Rabs]
> Mark William Rabiner
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>

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