http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/ Engadget Comments for Leica special edition white M8 spotted at car show in Tokyo http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 1:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 1:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 1:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 1:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 8:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 3:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 3:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/
The only problem is that a Rebel isn't a rangefinder camera. And unfortunately for fans of this breed of camera their digital options are limited.]]>Apr 17th 2009 6:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/In fact, when compared to many modernized vs retrovised DSLRs feature sets, there are some areas where the Leica simply doesn't measure up. But since it's a rangefinder style camera, it will still maintain the interest of that niche.
After getting a sub-$1000 DSLR with some fast prime lenses and/or just a fast zoom lens, most consumers and professionals will have 90-99% of their needs met without going broke. In fact, you could buy a good mid-level DSLR with a some nice lenses, and it still wouldn't cost as much as it does to buy a Leica lens. That's where they add insult to injury, after bleeding 10g on the camera, you probably drop another 5g or more on lenses. No good for Autofocus either, the M8 isn't an AF camera.
Leica is nice, well built, very respected, classic style, but there's no real explanation for the premium price other than it being great for a collector who values the name over all else.]]>Apr 17th 2009 2:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/
For close to $9,000 you would think they would at least put in a full-frame sensor, but in fact its a cropped CCD that can't hold a candle to the modern CMOS sensors coming from the dSLR makers.

What's even more silly is that you are paying you are paying $3,000 premium for just for that white coat of paint compared to the identical Leica M8.2. That white paint costs as much as a 5DMarkII.

Unfortunately, Leica has come to represent a product for rich-idiots that know nothing about photography that are willing to pay thousands for cosmetic differences rather then actual image quality. Their priorities are mixed up.]]>Apr 17th 2009 3:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 5:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/444921209/

In the modern context of digital photography its only a fashion item for people that rather look at their camera then the pictures they take.]]>Apr 17th 2009 6:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/
While they can mount on µ4:3, there are limitations. First of course is the 2x crop factor. Which means a 28mm lens would have a FOV roughly equivalent to 56mm. Another problem is that, because of the telecentric nature of the digital sensor, lenses wider than about 40-50mm tend to create smearing around the edges:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=31570318

This fact about digital sensors is likely also what keeps them from producing a full frame model. Indeed even the 1.33 crop sensor they have in there now needs a special microlens configuration and software correction just to get decent edge sharpness.]]>Apr 17th 2009 6:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 2:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/
It's a compact, heavy for its size, camera. The body is roughly the same size of a Pentax ME, an extremely compact film SLR.]]>Apr 17th 2009 3:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 3:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 6:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/
Anyway It looks supercool me thinks. Like the contradiction of pimping white for an oldschool camera. ]]>Apr 17th 2009 4:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 5:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 5:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 6:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/
Until then, yeah SLRs are big and bulky and not near as stylish, but they take great photos and don't cost €9,000.

That said I've never actually used a Leica! I think my dad has one (M8, not white obviously) if he hasn't sold it on; maybe I should try it out next time I'm at their place...]]>Apr 17th 2009 6:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 7:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 17th 2009 9:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 18th 2009 12:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 18th 2009 1:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 18th 2009 11:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/Apr 18th 2009 12:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/One more advantage is that the camera itself is operating extremely quiet - in contrast to many DSLRs, who can be pretty loud. So you can use it for "discreet" shots - of course, if the camera is screaming white, this is not gonna be an easy task :-)]]>Apr 18th 2009 1:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/17/leica-special-edition-white-m8-spotted-at-car-show-in-tokyo/
The holy grail of digital photography is a Leica body worthy of the Leica lenses. The M8 is not that body. If Leica could develop an M body with a full-frame sensor, without the M8 issues, it will have the perfect digital camera: elegant, discreet, unrivalled optics. A full-frame sensor in an M body is even more problematic than the current 1.33 crop sensor, and time is running out. Unfortunately for Leica, Panasonic has nullified the rangefinder advantage, with the G1. (Fortunately for Leica, the two have a close partnership.)

If Leica could come out with an M9 full-frame now, even at $10,000, it would fly off the shelves...really! But it's at least two years away, and that's too late.

Meanwhile, in lieu of innovation, Leica can only offer cachet. The little white number above is for the photographic equivalent of the rich lady who buys a Valentino dress because she can: "Yes, Dahling, you have one, but it's not exactly...you."]]>Apr 25th 2009 11:28AM