Leica M8 Special Edition White on sale in June for a very special $9,000
By Thomas Ricker 
posted April 23rd 2009 3:49AM
posted April 23rd 2009 3:49AM
posted April 23rd 2009 3:49AM
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@stern: "Should I even rebut somebody who starts his post with "From what I heard..."? It is ironic you simultaneously advertise your ignorance and attempt to lecture others."
Well, I wonder who's ignorant. At least I have openly stated that's not my own experience.
"The computation of 110megapixels for a 6x9 negative is correct, even conservative. With higher speed films and some slide emulsions, you will see grain at this resolution, but the people using this sort of equipment will often value the grain and anyway can remove it after scanning if they want to."
I was talking about actual amount of information in the final image - not about scans. And the fact that as you mention grain becomes visible clearly points that you go far above the resolution limit.
Using your logic I can print picture from 10MP E-520 on A1, scan it at high DPI and claim that even my E-520 can produce images of ZOMG gazillionsMP.
not in this economy
Colorware.
"It does seem that no Engadget reader actually own one..."
I own an M8 and use it as my primary camera (have a Pentax K10D for the times when a DSLR is necessary, and some medium format film equipment for when I want to kick it old school, per se)
While the sensor isn't the latest-and-greatest, I find that it records very pleasing images. No, it doesn't have the low-noise, low-light capability or 24x36 coverage of the D3/D700 sensor, nor is it a 20+ megapixel monster.... but I've produced some nice, large prints from the camera and have been in no way disappointed.
The style of camera one uses is a personal preference. I'm a prime lens shooter almost excusively, and am able to take the M8 with me wherever I go due to its compact size. I love shooting with a rangefinder, being able to see what is outside of my frame and being able to quickly and reliably focus the camera -- more so than a split-prism would afford -- and scanning roll after roll of 35mm film is not my idea of how I want to spend my time... so I was left with the M8 and Epson RD-1 as my options. As I lean towards wide to normal angles, the M8's larger sensor was the better choice.
Thanks for sharing!
As a Leica user for over 20 years - professional for about 15 of those years - I can attest to the quality of Leicas in general.
A Lecia rangefinder was unique, and had qualities that made it THE photojournalism tool to use for street shooting. They are small, look like amateur cameras (and so evident here with the people less savvy in camera lore show) so they draw less attention than a big SLR with big lenses.
The rangefinder offers more accurate focusing than an SLR from about 75 to 90mm down. Anything wider, the Leica rangefinder beats any SLR for quick accurate focusing. It's basic physics. The rangefinder base is wider than equivalent in SLRs (it has to do with the width of the front lens element in SLRs and the pitch of the focusing elements in the groundglass screen. From 90mm up, SLRs can focus more accurately than a Leica M camera. That is why for most of its existence, the Leica M's longest lens was 135mm. (Older lenses went all the way up to 800 mm with a reflex housing you attached to the front of the Leica M called a Visoflex).
Leica Ms were also very quiet. Much quieter than an SLR. Again, so it won't draw attention to the photographer. Magnum shooter (and National Geographic former staffer) David Allen Harvey told me that he would do whole stories with his Leica, a 35mm f/2 Summicron and a borrowed 50mm 1.4 Summilux. He would always have a suitcase full of Nikons in the hotel. But especially in Peru, where the Shing Path guerillas always looked for journalist to kill and kidnap, he would wander around with his Leica and shoot all day, looking like a tourist.
Leica M cameras are hand-made in Germany. Labor costs keep the prices high. It's why I dropped Leica and went Canon at work and Nikon personally. They cost too much. But there is one simple reason this camera costs $9,000. It is specifically designed as a collectors item. There's a whole group of Leica buyers who never open the boxes. They buy stuff and store it. One guy in Edmonton Alberta buys two of everything Leica releases and stores one in a vault and shoots with the second one. Leica knows their customers and keeps cranking out special editions for collectors. And $9000 is not anywhere near as high a price as some special editions. There was a camera and three lenses on eBay recently that was given to Sebastiao Salgado as a gift from Leica. It had hit $45,000 before the auction closed last time I looked.
Last of all, there's really only one reason to own a Leica M or Leica R (SLRs which were recently discontinued so they could reboot their SLR line as a fully AF-oriented camera similar to their new medium format S2 line) cameras.
Their lenses are truly second-to-none. I've used some of their best (including the 70-180 2.8 APO) and they are truly amazing lenses. Though I have to say Nikon of late has a lens that is really as good as anything Leica made. Their new 14-24 2.8. It's an amazing lens and matches Leica's best wide angles. A Canon rep. admitted to me a few months ago that they had nothing even close. Let's hope this kind of thin continues to come out with non-Leica makers. Because Leica prices are going to continue to go up.
And another thing- image area on "medium format" film is not 2 1/4" - the actual image is more like 2" by 3' or about 54mm by 84mm. My figure of 106 MPs was based on a 2 1/8" x 3 1/8" image area, just to be generous.
While SLRs made sense with film, I don't see the justification anymore. I'd love to buy a $2000 version of this Leica, much smaller, lighter, easier to use.
If you want to wait a year, you'll probably be able to find used a used M8 for $2000. Looks like $2600 or so will get you one on eBay now (from a reputable dealer, with a 1-year warranty), and I've seen folks getting them cheaper in private sales. Good lenses are plentiful on the used market, and inexpensive if you are happy with slower f-stops.
@pretol - garbage. many of magnum's members still heavily use the leica m system for a few reaons. arguably the finest lenses ever made, outrageous build quality, and the fact that it doesn't need batteries. they are superb, though in some ways comparatively primitive instruments. a lot of the people I mention above would still create incredible work with a disposble point and shoot. it's about the person, not the camera.
It really doesn't matter how well it works, or what it'll look like after a few months of handling, because, like every other limited-edition / special-edition Leica ever made, this thing will go straight into a display case and only be handled with white gloves.
I love the way rangefinders feel, and how compact they are, but for what you pay, none of them offer the performance to make them viable to professionals. They're not as durable, or as effective in high-ISO situations, as high-end Nikon and Canon models, and the button layouts are awful, which makes them useless for Photojournalism. On the studio/commercial side, the sensor is just too far behind high-end DSLRs, and the size benefit is lost, anyway.
Honestly, what I'd really like to see isn't an RF, unless it's modern and affordable (c'mon, Nikon!), but rather a DSLR with the form factor and look of a classic SLR, but modern lens compatibility and a good sensor. It'd be amazing to go out and shoot with a modern Nikon F.
I own a black m8 - is this a m8 or m8.2? In any case, if it's without the 28/2.8 it's not really worth it.
Status symbol check, expensive yes, but also remember that leica's lenses are traditionally hand assembled, the bodies ditto and the bodies are all metal, the top plate, bottom plates are milled brass, the body is cast metal.. this isnt some polycarbonate coated everyday camera that can be purchased at the local walmart/kmart etc etc, Leica tends to be only available from the specialist photographic stores who actually know the ethos and ideas behind them and how to get the best pics possible from everything.. plus that big sensor costs a bucket too...
Leica should start making fake "uber brassing" models and market them as former cameras used by real photographers(ha!). I've used Leicas a bit years ago, and they are really great tools. The brand and the legacy deserve more than the moronic collector bait they have been foisting. Maybe if Leica concentrated on making cameras instead of fashion crap they could still hold their head high.