[Leica] Improved M8?

[chris at tarsier.freeserve.co.uk (Chris Birchenhall)]

Hi LUGers

The current edition of the UK magazine Amateur Photographer (known as AP in
the UK) has a review of the "improved M8" by Damien Demolder who is also the
current editor of the AP. I am an admirer of Damien's reviews which tend to
be balanced and informed. I am still lurking on the M8 front so I read this
review with interest. The "improved M8" is essentially the M8 with the
latest firmware updates and IR filters. The review is something of a mixed
bag. On the one hand Damien is critical of the internet clamour about the
red casts and banding and he suggests even Canon had comparable teething
problems. He continues "to their massive credit the people at Leica have
openly acknowledged their faults and endeavoured to fix them". On the other
hand, Damien laments the continued lack of support for SDHC cards and is
critical of newly introduced starbust effects on various highlights. He
suggests these "effects are not ugly but they shouldn't be there."

In his conclusion, Damien describes the IR filters "like sticking a plaster
over a wound that doesn't heal but stops bothering you", but goes on to say
he became comfortable with the filters after some use. He suggests the AWB
and JPEG mode are not as good as they could be and reaffirms his
recommendation to use RAW to get the best out of the camera.

I can finally note as an aside comment on one of his illustrations Damien
suggests there "is still a bias towards the red channel in this camera,
which makes for dramatic black and white conversions". 

As I suspect I am not the only one lurking at the sidelines and pondering if
and when to buy a M8 perhaps M8 users or anyone with access to other
commentators may like to respond to what I take to be a lukewarm review by
Damien.

Chris