Leica M8

[Terence]

Just out... the Leica Digital M will be officially called the M8. Dealers are expecting their first stocks to arrive in October. Black bodies available at this time, chrome to follow a couple of months after. Price is a crazy US$4995, not unexpected of course.

Will post more as details emerge... finally, I thought it'll be vaporware to at least next year. Feel free to add if anyone finds more info.

[XXX Boy]

Originally Posted by Terence Just out... the Leica Digital M will be officially called the M8. Dealers are expecting their first stocks to arrive in October. Black bodies available at this time, chrome to follow a couple of months after. Price is a crazy US$4995, not unexpected of course. Will post more as details emerge... finally, I thought it'll be vaporware to at least next year. Feel free to add if anyone finds more info.

Where do you find this Leica M8 news? Can't seems to find it even on Official Leica Camera website. Pls advice.

[Keltzar]

http://www.leica-camera.com/discus_e...tml?1147864370

[Terence]

It's kinda interesting how the designation M8 was chosen just when sales of Leicas in China have really taken off.

I wonder how the Kodak sensor is going to fare in the long run given that they haven't been real successful in the past and of late even.

[Wisp]

It'd be a hot journalist tool if only it were more affordable. Much easier to handle it around compared to a DSLR.

Still, I'm no digital afficiando (is that how you spell it? I'm abit lazy in the winter morning).

[Terence]

Originally Posted by XXX Boy Where do you find this Leica M8 news? Can't seems to find it even on Official Leica Camera website. Pls advice.

Expect some sort of announcement from Leica next week.

[sabrewolf]

woooo can hardly wait, high noise shouldnt be a problem for B&W shooter

[igpenguin]

who knows, maybe the kodak sensor and algos let you choose TX, TMX, TMY, TMZ etc..

[waileong]

Technically that's cheap, eg. compared to the DMR, for US$4,995 you could not even get a back (it's US$5,950), to get the latest MP (film) is now US$3,495. In this case, you get a handmade metal body with a superb rangefinder and at least 12 MP if not more.

The 1Ds Mark II was also more than US$8,000 when it first came out, even now prices are still above US$6,500.

The M8 will be like a 1D for most buyers, meaning it is not something to buy and dispose of in 12-18 months. So like the 1D, the M8 is targeted at those who are serious about photography. And who can afford it, of course.

So many people have complained about Leica being late to the digital market. But I think this is the right strategy for Leica, to launch the M8 only now, when the megapixel race is more or less over. If Leica had brought out a 4 MP or 6 MP M8, I think a lot of people would have been pissed off by its price/performance.

Hopefully the M8 images will be cleaner and better than that of any SLR in its class, and will be able to capture the subtle qualities that Leica lenses are known for.

Wai Leong
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Originally Posted by Terence Just out... the Leica Digital M will be officially called the M8. Dealers are expecting their first stocks to arrive in October. Black bodies available at this time, chrome to follow a couple of months after. Price is a crazy US$4995, not unexpected of course. Will post more as details emerge... finally, I thought it'll be vaporware to at least next year. Feel free to add if anyone finds more info.

[sabrewolf]

well if m8 doesnt sell well they could just close shop like the rest of digital wannabe, I dont think even the DMR is hurting canon or nikon sales at all

[waileong]

The DMR has nothing to do with hurting Canon or Nikon sales. That shows you don't understand Leica. For more than 40 years now, Leica has never competed effectively with Canon or Nikon, because they did not want to go into the autofocus SLR business at all.

The M8 will sell and sell very well by Leica standards, although the volume would be a rounding error as far as Nikon or Canon is concerned.

Leica is not a digital "wannabe", they are a digital "forcedtobe" or "havetobe".

But thank goodness the management were smart enough to realise that, at the kind of price point Leica is in, it is only feasible to do digital when they can offer more than 12 MP.

Wai Leong
===

Originally Posted by sabrewolf well if m8 doesnt sell well they could just close shop like the rest of digital wannabe, I dont think even the DMR is hurting canon or nikon sales at all

[sabrewolf]

yeah, they are not interested in making more money
anyway, i'll stop making comment about leica since I'm sure I'll buy the M8 anyway, soo go leica, go leica