THE LEICA M8 REVIEW - PAGE  1 - 2 - 3 - 4

THE M8 IR ISSUE

Upon the release of the M8, many soon discovered that when shooting black fabrics, such as a coat, sweater, shirt, hat or what have you, that the resulting image showed black fabric as purple. The M8 has a very weak, IR-blocking filter, so sometimes when shooting, you will get funky colors UNLESS you have an IR filter on your lens. Some people bashed Leica for this, but the fact is that Leica designed the camera this way for ultimate performance and sharpness.

See the shots below for examples WITHOUT an IR filter. The 1st one you will see a boy (my son) with purple stripes on his shirt. The problem is, those were really BLACK stripes. The 2nd shot of him shows his black hoodie as magenta. This is an easy fix and a non-issue to me as Leica supplies two free IR filters with purchase. Just slap them on the lens and leave them there.

THE BIG QUESTION. WHY SHOULD I BUY AN OUTDATED M8 WHEN I COULD BUY A 5DII or D700 for LESS?

BECAUSE IT KICKS ASS! Seriously, I struggled with this myself. HOW COULD I justify spending $4000 for a 2+ year old camera body and another $4500 on TWO lenses. I am not a full time pro, and only occasionally shoot and event, concert or wedding . BUT it’s a passion for me and brings me happiness (though my credit card bill will bring me sadness). One day, it pretty much dawned on me why I would pay more for less and I already mentioned it above in the STRENGTHS section.

I HATE carrying around 20lbs of DSLR gear. I did that for years and it killed my back and made trips uncomfortable for me. Always switching big ‘ol lenses on a big ‘ol heavy body. The M8 was a breath of fresh air and all I need is the M8 and a lens or two and I am happier than ever. So how much value can you place on your enjoyment of photography?

The M8 makes me shoot more and have more fun doing it. I am getting the best quality files I have ever gotten and it’s all in a beautiful light-weight package. I was not interested in machine-gun shooting or 24+ megapixel if it meant a 5lb body. I tried the little Olympus cams, but they were not the same. A decent lens added to those bodies made them large and bulky. I tried the Sigma SD-1 and while the files were great, everything else was so dog slow, it irritated the hell out of me.

I will say it again. If you are a sports PRO, an M8 is not for you unless you have one as a supplement camera for candids. If I still shot weddings, I would have an M8 or two in my bags for sure. If I were still shooting in the studio, I would use the M8 for portraits, nudes or whatever. Actually, it is a great studio camera and great for candid portraits, such as this one shot at ISO 1250.

I have taken over 41,000 shots with my M8’s and have never had one issue, one problem or one hiccup. Maybe I am lucky? Na, I am NEVER lucky! But it does appear Leica may have gotten some bugs ironed out of the M8 as the newer ones seem to be problem-free. As of right now it is my favorite camera ever 2nd only to my old Nikon D700 and Olympus E1.

As of this writing, the M8 is now priced at $3995 for the body kit, which in the USA gets you the body, charger, battery, cables, strap, software, 2 free IR filters and a 2-year warranty. Seeing that the new D3x is $8000, the $4000 of the M8 does not seem so bad. BUT when compared to something like an Olympus E420...well, that is a different story and type of camera all together.

OK, HOW ABOUT HIGH ISO?

I have had a few e-mails asking me to put up some high ISO samples so here we go! Below is the test image with 100% crops at each ISO. Shot was taken in my living room with typical indoor light with a 28 Elmarit at F8. Each shot was processed from RAW with C1.

One thing you will notice is how the M8 keeps the detail even at ISO 2500. Look at the numbers on the lens barrel. The M8 has some of the best sharpness and detail I have seen in any digital camera. Even at high ISO. It may not have ISO 6400, and it does lack behind a 5D or D700 at ISO above 320, BUT it is able to keep its sharpness and detail up to 2500.

WHAT ABOUT THE NEW M8.2?

In late 2008 Leica introduced the new M8.2. Many say the M8.2 is what the M8 should have been. Instead of $3995, the price of the M8.2 is $5995. $2000 more. What do you get for that extra $2000? Is it worth it? Well, I will let you decide. (NEW! follow up review of the M8.2 is here)

1. • A new, quieter shutter. This can come in handy if you are shooting and want to stay stealthy. Has a cool, new feature where the camera will not re-cock until you let off of the shutter. You can shoot, walk away, and then let go of the shutter button to stay quiet and unseen. (This feature has now been added to the M8 as well!)
   

2. •New leather covering. Im not a fan of the M8’s covering and the new M8.2 is done right. Leica uses their VULCANITE finish for a better grip and better look.
   

3. •The black M8.2 has a new black paint finish. Much sexier looking with a black dot as well.
   

4. •New Sapphire glass LCD cover. Un-scratchable means Un-beatable!
   

5. •New dumbed down snapshot mode. Just focus and snap!
   

6. •New smaller charger which is also faster to charge the battery.
   

“WEATHERED” - LEICA M8 AND 28 ELMARIT

The M8 has some useful accessories that can add even more joy to the shooting experience. Click on to page 4 for more...

CLICK HERE TO GO TO PAGE 4 OF THE REVIEW