M8 owners: Are you glad you held off on the M9 for the new M?

jsrockit said:
I used the M8, then used the M9 for a year, and then downgraded to a M8. It's not as big of a difference as many make it to be. The biggest thing I miss about the M9 is the 18mp... which I find better for printing big. I'll most likely wait for the M9 to come down in price and rebuy it used.
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I did precisely the same and wish I'd never sold my M8 in the first place.

Anyway I have another now but I was stupid to think the M9 would be better for my own photographic habits...I'll take the M8's B/W capabilities over the M9 all day everyday.

Realistically I s'pose I'll buy whatever digital M I can afford but ONLY when my dear M8 dies.

IEDEI said:
At this time, my skills are less than the M8's abilities....when my skills catch up, I will think about the upgrading options!
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Love the honesty and feel the same way.
 
I'm glad I didn't invest on an M9 really. The M looks interesting, the M9P is desirable, the M9M probably is way to go if ever. The $$$ is the only obstacle. The M6 and Nikon LS5000 still serves me well an OMD and RX1 as a digital tool and Nik SFX for conversion to B&W fits the bill.
 
I am glad that I held out for a Fuji X-Pro1. I seriously considered the M9 but decided that it just wasn't enough of an improvement over the M8 to take that EXPENSIVE plunge.
Then the Fuji came out at a very reasonable price and I bought it. I am very happy with it - many advantages over the M9 and "M": sensor cleaning, autofocus, EVF, mugh less noise at high ISO, etc. And the smaller sensor size is just not an issue with me. IQ is great with the Fuji and I like the smaller lenses.
 
I bought a 2nd hand M8 a little over a year ago. I don't think I would ever consider buying a Leica digital camera new, so M and M9M are purely interesting curiousities to me.

In truth I am finding it hard to bond with digital cameras over film cameras, though I am coming around to it.

I enjoy using the M8 for taking infrared pictures, which is one reason to keep it.
The crop factor, while making no difference in practice to me, does sometimes bother me. For that reason sometimes I toy with the idea of a used M9. However I know it won't make a big difference to me in real life, plus I would lose the IR ability.

My M8 has developed one of the infamous coffee stains on its lcd. I could avail of Leicas 'upgrade' scheme to get a discounted M9 (presume that is still the case npw). I am in two minds about this do, as the sum of money involved is the same as a FF dSlr.
 
eleskin said:
I had to ask this question. I myself am glad in that upgrading from the M8 to M9 for me made little sense.
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Not really. While I am happy with M8 and I feel it is the best camera for me in its price range, I would really like to have the same functionality with full frame. Objectively, there is nothing wrong with staying with the M8 as the step to M9 entails a significant cost (considering M8 price). I however like my existing lenses better with full frame, and buying the 24/1.4 is not an option.

The new M will likely be the better camera in many aspects, but it will command a significant premium over second-hand M9 or the new M-E. The situation is thus largely unchanged. Of course, M9 (M-E) will now be more affordable, both new and used.

Currently (with no info on M performance and no first-hand experience with the handling and usability of this camera with an EVF), my want list goes:

1. Monochrom
2. M
3. M9/M-E

My may-end-up-buying list is more like:

1. M9(/M-E)
2. ...
3. ...
 
I am happy with my M8. I shoot only B&W with it and the files clean up nicely in LR4 even at ISO1250. I didn't even bother with the IR cut filters. I think your lens choices are important for M8, my elmarit 28mm 2.8 is a perfect fit and it stays on the camera 90% of the time.
If I want all the bells and whistles on new M, I'll just use a DSLR. I also use nex 5n which compliments M8 nicely.
 
I never considered an M8, as the crop factor would have driven me nuts. I bought the M9 a bit more than two years ago, and have discovered that I'm primarily using it for b+w work. The Monochrom seems like the perfect camera for my personal needs, while the newly introduced M seems a bit much in terms of bells and whistles (particularly that I just got a D4!). Do I have any regrets at all for having purchased the M9 now that I'm likely to sell it in favour of the Monochrom? Of course not -- I'd likely not have gotten the photos that I've gotten with it had I been using some other camera.
 
I'd love a Momochrom, but my M8 is showing its age (or mileage) and the M9 or M9-P is looking pretty good right now, especially at their new, discounted (by Leica standards) prices.
 
maggieo said:
I'd love a Momochrom, but my M8 is showing its age (or mileage) and the M9 or M9-P is looking pretty good right now, especially at their new, discounted (by Leica standards) prices.
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Good to hear that you got a lot of use out of your M8. Perhaps you still have the option of holding out for the Monochrom if that's the best camera that best suits you, since you still have the M8.

Also nothing wrong with taking advantage of the deals on M9's and M9P's.

Cal
 
I've ridden my M8 pretty hard for the last five years and it's done right by me all this time, tho' the dreaded vertical line is now starting to creep into under-exposed ISO 320 shots now and then.

I reckon it's time for an upgrade, since an out of warranty repair would be nearly $2000.
 
maggieo said:
I've ridden my M8 pretty hard for the last five years and it's done right by me all this time, tho' the dreaded vertical line is now starting to creep into under-exposed ISO 320 shots now and then.

I reckon it's time for an upgrade, since an out of warranty repair would be nearly $2000.
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It's comments like these that always make me snatch my hand back every time I reach out. Dante's camera in the classifieds --for instance-- is mighty tempting, but if reliability ever becomes an issue, I don't know I'd be able to afford the repairs.
 
To be fair to Leica, many vertical line repairs have been done for no to little cost to the owner. I just haven't tried my luck yet, if at all.
 
As much as I liked my M8 and sometimes consider buying one again, in my opinion the M9 is a big jump in image quality especially shooting raw. High iso is fine and quite usable at 1600iso I'm not really sure why people complain about it. My slowest lens is f2 which is a stop quicker than all my DSLR lenses so thats like shooting 3200iso. Maybe I will upgrade my M9 one day but I'm quite happy with it and feel like keeping it until it gets nice and brassy!
So yes I'm glad I changed from M8 to M9 (even though I sometimes wish I kept the M8! to use with my M9).
 
I Love Film said:
You will be startled at how much more often you will want to pick up the M9 and use it as opposed to the M8.

The M8 was really a beta product, a stopgap not ready for prime time. The M9 is a mature camera with very few flaws.
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I am being practical about it. I can buy a used M9 but I cannot buy a used digital M. Therefore, I bought the M9. I am really doing this to gradually transition to digital.
 
I am happy with my M8 and will not upgrade to a m9 in the nearest time. But I must say that it is a bit tempting to do so.

What is going to happen with the prices on the M8? Are they going to drop as much as the m9?
 
I think that $1500 will be the price of a used M8 and that $3500-$4000 will be the price of an M9 within the next three months.
 
It's an interesting question... I've taken thousands of frames on my M8 since I bought it in 2007, and it's been just a super camera for me. The M is tempting, largely because of, as mentioned by others, potentially better high-iso capability. Plus I like the usability of that rear thumbwheel, and that it has other metering options, at least in live-view, and better processing.

But I'm an rf shooter, so it is tempting to find a discounted M9 and just go with that, as an M is just a lot of money. So we will see... but I am with those who are worried about their M8's long term viability. So for now it's save and see what the future brings.
 
I've waited. Never bought a digital M in the first place. The M9 was interesting to me, but the ISO performance and the issues with many wide angle lenses put me off - way too much money for me for a camera with those issues.

The Monochrom and the new M both appeal to me. I've been saving since 9/9/09 :) so I can actually afford one of them now. I'll wait and see how the new M turns out and then make a choice.
 
I really didn't like my M8, love my M9 and am already on this list for the new M. Reason for me is simple all of things I dislike about M9 have been resolved and if I ever need an SLR the M9 can effectively transform into that with the accessories and then revert back to lean RF camera when not required. Match made in heaven for me.
 
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