Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/07/14
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A few things.
In my opinion, you can't separate consideration of the tool from
consideration of the product.? Whether the M8 or the M8.2 is or isn't the
ideal manifestation of a digital M rangefinder is not, to me, the only
question.? How does it fare in comparison to its most direct competition,
the film M bodies, in terms of the cost, quality and efficiency ("workflow")
of the pictures??
I think the author touched on a very real and unfortunate point when he
hints that if Leica had managed the introduction a little better - ironed
out a few kinks, been more candid about issues like the IR sensitivity, the
reception would have been entirely different.? Instead of waves of instant
internet furor there might have been a warm and widespread embrace.? File
that under "oh, well..." (or, perhaps, "lessons not learned"?).
The sound issue seems to me to depend a lot on how you frame the question.?
Are you comparing the total sound of the shutter or the sound of the shutter
release?? Upgrade the firmware and enable discrete mode.? The M8 shutter
release alone is certainly different both qualitatively and quantitatively
from an old horizontal rubber focal plane shutter, but it's not bad.? In my
opinion, the noise of the motor winder is the obnoxious part, and discrete
mode can separate that from the shutter release even if it can't reduce or
eliminate the second noise.
All things considered, based on my limited use, a remarkable camera that has
benefited from some really solid improvements in firmware since its earlier
days.
John Newell