M8 or M8.2

raid

raid

Dad Photographer
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I bought here on RFF a Leica M8 with top shutter speed 4000 and not 8000. Who sold it to me? If you see this thread, maybe you can tell me if you ordered (only) the shutter to be changed. I recall such a description. So is my M8 now a M8.2 or a M8 with a 1/4000 shutter?
Just curious.
 
I think that to be a full-fledged M8.2, with all the rights and privileges appertaining thereto, it needs to have, in addition to the shutter upgrade, the framelines sized for 2 meters, and the sapphire glass LED screen.

So I think what you have is a custom M8 that may be worth a fortune someday! But I doubt you will be able to part with it . . .
 
Thank you, Rob. So my M8 is not a "lower class M8.2" with missing special frameliens and sapphire glass screen? :)
I recall seeing the high cost for custom picking such features, compared with getting back an 8.2.
 
There was a term for that, Raid, "M8u" for "upgrade". My chrome M8 got 2/3 of the M8.2 treatment and became a M8u - here are my notes on that service which was triggered by a "column fault" like yours:

5/27/09 Sent off to seller PopFlash for service on vertical blue line 2762 pixels from the left. They sent it on to LeicaUSA for warranty work. And a good time to have two upgrades done also:
• Noise-optimized shutter with a fastest speed of 1/4000s. $1300
• Larger RF mask framelines optimized for 2m subject distance. $1100
• Shutter + Mask upgrade package $1600, less PopFlash 6% discount.
• Health-check and complete adjustment, testing all functions.
• Installation of the newest relevant firmware.
• New factory warranty of one year covering the same conditions as for a new camera. (It had been a refurb from PopFlash 1/1/2008)
Tony phoned Sunday 7/5/09, camera in from New Jersey, $1493 + $15 s&h = $1508 for upgrade package. Great service. Shutter Count when sent in was 8346, and for first shot upon return is 8428, clearly not reset when shutter replaced; 81 actuations while in for service; mine was the 82nd.
 
Hi Doug. So getting the M8u is a much less costly route than having Leica do separate upgrades, based on what you have listed as the cost.

I bought my M8u from someone here at RFF who had just received back the upgraded camera and it was still wrapped.
 
So there is an M8 with a top shutter speed of 1/8000?

That’s interesting (actually, that sounds wrong) since no subsequent digital Leica goes higher than 1/4000 second, which is a real PITA when trying to shoot at wider apertures in daylight. With these faster and faster primes they keep coming out with, 1/4000 second is not looking so fast these days.
 
Yes, the original M8 has max shutter speed 1/8000, and some people swear by it. I know that Dante and Brian both favor the unmodified M8 wuth such a high shutter speed. It is special.
 
I wonder what didn't "work" that made Leica revert back down to the 1/4000 maximum shutter speed? I never carry filters, be it color for B&W work or ND filters to give me an extra stop or two so am usually limited to f2.8 or f4 at 1/4000, where I wind up shooting ALOT.
 
Yes, noise was the issue. My other M8 (black) is all-original, and the shutter is very noticeably louder. The shutter curtains move very fast with strong springs (at any speed setting) to accomplish the 1/8000 maximum, and the loud "clack" occurs as the curtains hit the stops and reset. The M8.2 version change to 1/4000 slowed the curtains and this was available also as a retrofit for existing M8 cameras. The M8.2's larger viewfinder framelines, and its sapphire LCD screen material were also offered for older M8 bodies.
 
raid said:
Hi Doug. So getting the M8u is a much less costly route than having Leica do separate upgrades, based on what you have listed as the cost.
Click to expand...

There were "package deals" on the various combinations of the three upgrade items. I don't think Leica ever offered a camera called "M8u", just the upgrades to customer cameras. And, yes, having more than one upgrade done on one occasion is more efficient of shop time, thus the better pricing. When sometime later the owner sells his used M8, he can specify it's an M8u, reveal which upgrades it has received, then potential buyers should be willing to pay $$ approaching the value of an M8.2
 
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