THE M8 DETAIL/SHARPNESS

The M8 provides EXCEPTIONAL sharpness and detail in its files. Want an example? OK, below see a shot of a tree with a bird sitting on a branch. See him? Well, to the right see a 100% crop of this image. See the bird now? The amazing part of this image is that it was shot at 1.4 with a 50 Summilux ASPH. WOW! The picture on the bottom, below the birds,  can be clicked on to open a FULL-SIZE, out-of-camera shot to show the detail. Click for larger versions.

“HOW FU*!&*G MUCH??!!”

HOLY SMOKES! This thing is $4000!?! Wowzers! To many, that is the main problem of this camera (let alone the new M8.2 at $6000). Have comfort in knowing though that those who get past the price and purchase this camera find it well worth the cost (most of the time). Still, you can get a new Chevy Aveo for the price of a M8 and 3 Leica lenses! It is not a camera for everyone due to this reason alone and why it is a low-production camera compared to the big C and N.

As for me, I AM NOT RICH in any way, shape, or form but I figure the M8 will SAVE me money as I won’t be buying, selling, buying, selling and LOSING money anymore on other camera GEAR! (or will I?)

One thing I love about the M8 is the BOLD color that can be achieved while looking film like:

Cost aside, many people have had serious issues with their M8’s. Some just seem to die, some have had SD card errors, some have had frozen shutters. It does seem like most of these issues were in the past when the camera was new, so I think Leica has sorted out any issues with it. The 3 M8’s I have owned have never had an issue (though two were sold 1 1/2 years ago) and I baby my equipment, so maybe that is why. if I ever have any issues with this M8, I will update this review with the details.

“MINA” - M8 AND 35 SUMMILUX ASPH AT 1.4

One issue with the M8 is part of it’s design and caused quite a stir upon its release. Click on to page 3 to read more...

CLICK HERE TO GO TO PAGE 3 OF THE REVIEW

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

THE STRENGTHS OF THE M8

1. ★Superb size. Super ergonomics. Superb build quality much like a fine piece of jewelry. Feels super great in the hand.
   

2. ★ To me a big strength is the Rangefinder focusing. It is precise even with fast lenses and since using the M8 I have not had any out of focus shots, unlike the 5D I owned for a while. Also, NO mirror = NO slap = slower handhold-able shutter speeds!
   

3. ★ SD cards. I like SD better than CF. They are small, and now are available in huge capacities. I have 10 2GB cards but would not mind a few 8GB cards as they are so cheap nowadays.
   

4. ★Manual controls. I like the manual nature of the camera but you can also shoot in A mode, which makes it super easy (and how I usually shoot it!). Set your aperture and the camera chooses the shutter speed.
   

5. ★The lenses. The lenses. The lenses. Wether you buy a Summicron (F2), a Summilux (f 1.4) or Elmarit (2.8), you are assured of getting the best you can get in a lens. All of the Leica glass I have tried has beaten any of my Nikon, Canon or Olympus glass. Yes, they are that good. One day I wish to add a WATE (Wide Angle Tri Elmar) and Noctilux to my kit.
   

6. ★Lens Choice. You also have cheaper choices! Voigtlander and Zeiss makes some awesome lenses that can be used on the M8. A Nokton 50 for under $400 compares to a Leica Summilux 50 which is $3500!
   

7. ★FILE QUALITY - Shoot RAW, convert in Capture One or Adobe Camera RAW and be prepared for a treat. The per pixel sharpness is amazing when you get a nice, in focus, well-exposed shot. You can get some crazy detail and if you want to blow up to 20MP, you can. These are some serious files and hold up well to editing and blow up. The Dynamic Range is up there with the best of them.
   

8. ★ The USABILITY factor. Yep, it has it in spades.
   

THE WEAKNESSES OF THE M8

1. ★A bit outdated for 2009. The sensor is wonderful, but be careful of higher ISO. If shooting in very low light, ISO 1250 is decent, but not great. ISO 2500 is not so hot at all. IN LOW LIGHT. For example, the Nikon D700 and D3 are just insane GREAT at high ISO. Crank ‘em up to 6400 and shoot in the dark with minimal noise. Sadly, the M8 is not a camera for the dark. True, you can throw a Noctilux and shoot with street lights but all in all the high ISO could be improved.
   

2. ★ Its a bit slow writing to the SD card. This does not bother ME as I am not a speed freak, but at times I am waiting for the image to write so I can review it in detail on the LCD. A weakness, but not so much for ME. Others may disagree.
   

3. ★ Auto White Balance - the AWB is hit or miss most of the time, even with the latest firmware. Still, it is much improved over the early days of the M8. About as good as a Canon 5D but not a D700.
   

4. ★ 135Mm is the max tele you can use/get away with. Even then, most only go up to 90mm with their M cameras. Again, the M is not a wildlife or tele camera so I would not really say this is a weakness, more a less a feature of the camera. This is a candid, street, documentary and even landscape/studio camera.
   

5. ★ THE IR ISSUE (SEE BELOW). To me, it is a non-issue as I use the filters which LEICA will give you FOR FREE when you buy an M8. Put them on your lenses and LEAVE THEM THERE! Many complain about this and I am not sure why. The filters serve double-duty. They fix the IR problem (turning black fabrics purple) and protect your lens as well.
   

6. ★THE JPEG’S FROM CAMERA. They are lacking in sharpness, detail, and sometimes the AWB is hit or miss so I recommend you always shoot in RAW mode with the M8. I shoot RAW + JPEG Basic.
   

“THE ODD COUPLE” - LEICA M8 AND 28 Elmarit ASPH

I really can not think of any other weaknesses (for me). Yea, its not full frame. Yea, its manual focus. Yea, you have to remove the bottom plate each time you want to remove the SD card or battery. Remember, it’s an M camera and sticks to the M heritage in most ways except it is digital.

It is what it is and it is great at what it does. I applaud Leica for releasing it and now following up with the M8.2. BTW, the files I get from the M8 are better than my M7 film shots scanned on a Nikon Coolscan V, thus no more film for me.