[Leica] Improved M8?

[grduprey at mchsi.com (grduprey@mchsi.com)]

Chris,

Almost every m8 being shipped now has the firmware 1.102 in it.  This has 
fixed just about all the complaints, except the AWB problem.  You should be 
shooting DNG for max image quality, and if so it is a non issue, just tweek 
it if needed.  My experience is it is almost dead on 90+% of the time 
anyway.  The UV/IR filters are being shipped, with a few exceptions, which 
have not yet made it out of production cycle.  Even then you can get the 
heliopan or other brands redily f rom photo suppliers.  The filter thing is 
no different than using a UV filter, end of comment, just use them if you 
shoot color, if you only shoot B&W, then forget the filter issue all 
together.  Yes there are some other issues which still plague the camera, 
but they are just teething problems which all new cameras have.  Mine has 
been flawless, bought in mid February.  My greatest problem with the m8 has 
been getting used to the metering patten, which is quite different from my 
m6ttl and Leica r cameras, but i h
ave just about got this licked.

I have far fewer problems with the m8 than i do with the Nikon D200 i have.  
The biggest is it does not take Leica R lenses and there is no adapter.  
Nyone know of a camera repair that can modify the D200 with a Leica R mount, 
and does not cost a fortune?

Chris, my advice is to go to your Leica dealer and buy the m8 and start 
enjoying it.  And do as i do, by using Ted's advice and KISS.

Gene

-------------- Original message from "Chris Birchenhall" 
<chris@tarsier.freeserve.co.uk>: -------------- 


> 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 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________ 
> Leica Users Group. 
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information