[Leica] Problem with new to me M8

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

Sorry Mark, but I must disagree with you.  My experiences with the M8 for 
three years now is that it is indeed a stable camera and a very viable M 
digital camera.  The problems with it were fixed in the first 6 months and 
gone by the end of the first year.  My M8 had zero problems period, and many 
others also had zero problems.  Unfortunately the problems were over blown 
and only those were promoted, and not the many good experiences.  Yes, the 
M9 is now the camera, but the M8 remains a very viable entry into digital M 
photography.

Gene

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Rabiner" <mark at rabinergroup.com>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 7:15:08 PM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central
Subject: Re: [Leica] Problem with new to me M8

> 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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