A POST PHOTOKINA 2008 WORLD

At the time of this article’s writing, Sony has announced their full-frame A900 with 24 MP dslr, Nikon released the 12 MP full-frame D700 with phenomenal high ISO performance a-la the D3’s sensor (up to ISO 25,600) and Canon announced the long-awaited 5D Mark II with a 21 MP full-frame sensor. As 2008 comes to a close, it is a full-frame landscape with 20 MP sensors becoming the norm. And it is not just a pixel race, other commonplace features are:  high-definition LCD screens, Live View with auto-focus, in-camera stabilization, sensor cleaning, extended battery life, 14-bit raw files with loss-less compression and the list goes on and on.

Leica’s Photokina offer for the M-series was the M8.2 at $5,995 USD with several new lenses. The Leica M8.2 has the same sensor as the original M8 with more or less the same camera specifications. The M8.2 promises a quieter shutter, but at the expense of maximum shutter - now 1/4000th, down from 1/8000. With a base ISO of 160, 1/8000 is common shutter speed when shooting outdoors with a fast lens in during daylight. The M8.2 adds other updates such as a sapphire glass cover on the rear LCD, quick adjust exposure compensation, auto-ISO, support for 32 GB SDHC cards, a new vulcanite cladding and black paint. For a full explanation, click here. Existing M8 can be updated to firmware 2.0 which adds Auto-ISO and support for 32 GB cards, click here.

Back to the question - is the M8 ready for 2009? Based on its technical merits, my simple answer is “no”. The M8 needs a full-frame sensor, better ISO performance and more resolution to keep pace with the current offerings from Canon, Nikon and others. Or, Leica needs to lower the M8.2 price. Instead Leica raised the price. It appears Leica has dedicated much of their resources to the new Leica S2, and the M8 has been placed into “maintenance” status.

SETTING TECHNOLOGY ASIDE

As a camera the M8 is a wonderfully made machine with beautifully fashioned controls, high standards of craftsmanship and solid materials. For photographers who enjoy the rangefinder experience, the M8 delivers that experience with nostalgia and Leica history. The M lenses are equally wonderful - smooth, sharp, Leica colorings and so on. I have the Leica 50mm F2 ASPH and 35mm F2 ASPH, but only used the Zeiss 50mm F2 ZM in this review which will make sense later. If you have an appreciation for well-crafted instruments, the Leica M-system is sure to please.

There are many digital point & shoot cameras which are smaller and easier to travel with, but they do not offer the optical quality and most likely not the file quality either. A tiny 1/1.7” sensor (such as the Canon G10) will have the typical digicam infinite DOF, whereas the M8’s large sensor enables a narrow DOF which is key for isolating subjects and added creativity. Comparing the Canon G10 and Leica M8 is apples & oranges, but so are their prices. A well rounded M8 kit can easily cost more than $10,000. Buying a used M8 and sticking with older lenses, the new Summarits, the Zeiss ZM or Voigtlanders goes a long ways towards keeping the price tag under control.

From a system performance perspective there are far cheaper alternatives delivering similar or better image quality. However, I do not believe an M8 owner buys a M8 due to its MP count, dynamic range or noise levels. They buy it because they want to shoot with a rangefinder and enjoy using a rangefinder. The purchase decision is more emotional, having less to do with specifications and price-benefit ratios and more to do with wants and preferences.

CONCLUSION

Updated April 13, 2009

When this review was first published in September 2008, my other camera is a Canon 1Ds Mark III. The 1Ds Mark III weighs 3x more than the M8 and easily occupies 2-3x more volume than a typical M8 kit. Walking about all day with the M8 is liberating compared to toting the 1Ds Mark III and its entourage of NFL line-backer sized lenses. On the other hand, the Canon 1Ds Mark III is infinitely more flexible - and frankly - easier to use than the M8 in my opinion. However, shooting the M8 is a pleasant change of pace. I concentrate more on the shot rather than which lens to use. With the M8 there is less focus on the camera and it is easier to enjoy what it going on around me. There are many counter arguments to this - use a Canon G10 if small & light is important, or buy a Canon 5D Mark II and just put a 50mm lens on it. There are may subjective pro’s and con’s to each system and this article cannot make that decision for you.

The Canon 1Ds Mark III and Leica M8 are two very different cameras, with two equally different approaches to photography. But they have one thing in common - price. In my situation owning a M8 and a Canon 1Ds Mark III was a questionable decision from the start. Spending so much money on a second system (the M8) weighed heavily on me and led to some sleepless nights while I mulled over the options. And now Zeiss has announced ZE lenses for the Canon EF mount. Using Zeiss lenses on a Canon dSLR used to mean adapters (and the headaches that come with adapters), stop down metering, potentially inaccurate metering (on the 40D, 5D, but the 1-series does fine) and no EXIF. The ZE lenses eliminate those headaches.

To help make this decision I bought the Zeiss 50mm F2 ZM to try on the M8 and see how it did. Zeiss on Leica and Zeiss on Canon was the fairest way I know to compare the two systems. After using the ZM for a couple weeks and taking ~750 pictures, without a doubt it is a very impressive lens. Almost all the pictures in this review and the associated Leica gallery are with the Zeiss 50mm F2 ZM. So with the Zeiss 50mm F2 Makro-Planar ZF on the 1Ds Mark III, and the Zeiss 50mm F2 ZM on the Leica M8, here is the test scenario -

1. •One shot at F2 and another F8
   

2. •Both cameras focused on the tree trunk in the center of the image
   

3. •Both cameras mounted on a tripod
   

4. •No MLU - M8 does not have MLU, so I did not want to give the 1Ds Mark III an unfair advantage
   

5. •Used Live View to focus the 1Ds Mark III
   

6. •Used a 1.25x magnifier on the Leica M8
   

7. •Let both cameras determine their own metering at base ISO
   

8. •No remotes
   

9. •From the EXIF you should be able to deduce which is which via the shutter speeds
   

10. •Download at - http://www.pebbleplacephotography.com/Offload/Leica_M8/50mm_RAWs.zip
    

The test was repeated multiple times with different subjects and distances with equally compelling results. The 1Ds Mark III is the easy winner. Maybe. I believe shooting the M8 is much more about emotion and how you want to take photographs than it is about pixels. I could argue both sides - keeping or selling an M8. Ultimately I chose to keep the M8 and sell the Canon 1Ds Mark III. The 1Ds Mark III was replaced with a Mamiya ZD integrated dSLR. As of April 2009 a Canon 5D Mark II is now on hand too. The 135 Blog picks up where this review leaves off, so I suggest reading the 135 Blog starting from April 1, 2009 and the 645 Blog from November 14, 2008.

LEICA M9?

On September 24, 2008 DPreview.com made a passing reference to a new generation M series with the new Kodak CCD sensors. If we do see a full-frame 20+ MP rangefinder is the $6-$8k range, this may re-ignite the product line. I hope such a product happens (sooner than later) and that Leica has the presence of mind to keep the price within reach of enthusiasts, hobbyists and the curious.