Used M8
- Thread starter Ivanlow
- Start date
aomoon
Member
Hi Ivan, i would take it you have use a manual rangefinder before ?
i just got an used M8 2 weeks ago from one of the Poison Triangle shops downtown (aka Peinsula Shopping Centre). Definitely, must try the M8 with a lens & SD memory card to take shots. Shoot various shutter speeds to test, shoot Aperture priority to test, test the inner viewfinder electronics metering are working. Check the rangefinder focus alignment is okay or not
Also, check if the LCD is okay or not (the one I got have a slight burn in image of the sensor ...can view at an angle...not a big issue for me ) . Check the various menu, scroll buttons are working. Ask the shop what is the shuttercount, any known issue etc. Since you are buying from local shop, they should offer warranty at least 3 months.
Last but not least, make sure the battery is a Leica battery
i just got an used M8 2 weeks ago from one of the Poison Triangle shops downtown (aka Peinsula Shopping Centre). Definitely, must try the M8 with a lens & SD memory card to take shots. Shoot various shutter speeds to test, shoot Aperture priority to test, test the inner viewfinder electronics metering are working. Check the rangefinder focus alignment is okay or not
Also, check if the LCD is okay or not (the one I got have a slight burn in image of the sensor ...can view at an angle...not a big issue for me ) . Check the various menu, scroll buttons are working. Ask the shop what is the shuttercount, any known issue etc. Since you are buying from local shop, they should offer warranty at least 3 months.
Last but not least, make sure the battery is a Leica battery
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Hi Aomoon, thanks for your kind advise.
Yes I new to rangefinder, but I have read a lot from the forum and web. Never really handle a rangefinder before only try out at the shop. So how can we tell that the shutter is doing fine? And the metering the accurate?
Many question do pop up in mind! Your know with this price can get a really decent dslr.
Btw how much u got it and from which shop?
Thanks again!
Yes I new to rangefinder, but I have read a lot from the forum and web. Never really handle a rangefinder before only try out at the shop. So how can we tell that the shutter is doing fine? And the metering the accurate?
Many question do pop up in mind! Your know with this price can get a really decent dslr.
Btw how much u got it and from which shop?
Thanks again!
aomoon
Member
I'm a newbie,too ...before playing an M8, i was shooting M6 for 1.5 months...so to me, shutter is fine as long as you can hear shutter click sound...(i.e no shutter jam), if jam this M8 is a lemon need servicing. Just to check the metering inside the viewfinder are working (i.e you set Aperture priority "A") and you move your camera & lens here and there...you should see the metering recommend shutter speed changing, those under/over expose triange changing....can't judge accuracy..more for functioning check.
You can usually ask for their best price (other than the stated one on the tag & by the conditions). Nowsaday M8 (not the M8.2) used is around S$3.3-3.5K -ish . Also, if you pay cash, got discount somemore as they don't charge merchant fees for visa (saving of $100 etc). Got from Ben Photo ..I trade in my M6 to lower the so call cost of entry.
Good Luck !!!
Also, you need to get lens fitted with UV-IR cut filter ...else you will be shooting black fabric turing into wonder magenta
You can usually ask for their best price (other than the stated one on the tag & by the conditions). Nowsaday M8 (not the M8.2) used is around S$3.3-3.5K -ish . Also, if you pay cash, got discount somemore as they don't charge merchant fees for visa (saving of $100 etc). Got from Ben Photo ..I trade in my M6 to lower the so call cost of entry.
Good Luck !!!
Also, you need to get lens fitted with UV-IR cut filter ...else you will be shooting black fabric turing into wonder magenta
aomoon
Member
No worries, hope it is helpful as it's also a risk buying used electronic product (even a Leica).
I recently sold my guitar acoustic amp (unused for 3 years)...guess what...that amp malfunction after 15minutes the new buyer played on it ...
so that's Electronics for you.....
yup...i bought 2 weekend ago...a later serial number 333xxxx ...but i heard M8 serial number is not indicative of the production sequence..but from the CD came in the box...probably manufacture in 2008. The firmware on that M8 at time of purchase is 2.004 ...so can handle SD card >4GB size.
I didnt check how clean the sensor was ....until i went back and shot at clear sky and saw some dusts .....followed Steve Huff instruction video and did a quick blow using the rocket pump (but i heard from some this is not recommended way.....anyway that remove the dust from the sensor)
I also found that M8 of mine already shuttercount of 12,000 (i.e previous owner at least shot 60 sessions with average 200 shots per session).
Maxleung said:
Hi Max thanks for the tip! So there is 1 thing I have to worried about when checking the camera
aomoon said:
Hi aomoon, as I know the M8 firmware is 2.005? It can be update at Leica website right? How u check the shutter count? Any software needed or it show in the camera?
I think most used camera have that shutter count, the one own a M8 will fully utilize it before resell. So your M8 is black paint? I wana find a black body too, saw 1 silver in alex photo, but I like black more
Thanks again for the tips
Silver is a lot more charming than black. If you mount chrome lenses on black, it looks like a horny twerp -- like, black latex suit and a silver ...
Make sure you don't get so much issues with the SD cards, batteries, and shutter. Remove and re-insert the SD card and check to see if it reads it without any problem. Try different SD cards as well. Ensure the shutter is working, work out the shutter speeds and ensure everything is alright. Make sure the rangefinder alignment is spot on. Make sure there isn't excessive dust on the sensor. Make sure the shutter count isn't sky-high, 15k might not be a lot for a D300 but it is for a RF camera.
If you appreciate the M8 for its uses, you will definitely enjoy using it.
Make sure you don't get so much issues with the SD cards, batteries, and shutter. Remove and re-insert the SD card and check to see if it reads it without any problem. Try different SD cards as well. Ensure the shutter is working, work out the shutter speeds and ensure everything is alright. Make sure the rangefinder alignment is spot on. Make sure there isn't excessive dust on the sensor. Make sure the shutter count isn't sky-high, 15k might not be a lot for a D300 but it is for a RF camera.
If you appreciate the M8 for its uses, you will definitely enjoy using it.
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aomoon
Member
Hi Max thanks for the tip! So there is 1 thing I have to worried about when checking the camera
Hi aomoon, as I know the M8 firmware is 2.005? It can be update at Leica website right? How u check the shutter count? Any software needed or it show in the camera?
I think most used camera have that shutter count, the one own a M8 will fully utilize it before resell. So your M8 is black paint? I wana find a black body too, saw 1 silver in alex photo, but I like black more
Thanks again for the tips
Yes, latest firmware can be updated from Leica website (similar process like for DSLR).
Shuttercount checking cannot be done from the M8 directly...you have to "trust" the salesman who advise you the shuttercount....he told me around 10K+ turnout it was 12K after i check. This can be done shooting raw file (DNG) format and get that particular unique ID from the EXIF data. it's a string of hexadecimal number and the paste to a convertor to show the numeric count
http://easycalculation.com/hex-converter.php
This is my M8 --it's black...but not blackpaint
I like the black body but the chrome body is also nice (Prime , the shop next to Cathay, got a M8 mint asking for around 3.9K i last check)...i think their warranty is 6 months (!) ....so you definitely have to check around.
aomoon
Member
Hi aomoon, just pay a deposit on a silver m8 at alex photo...dont know if I'm too rushing on making that decision. Just check the series 3103xxx is the first batch that have problem. But I'm not sure Izzit true the series start with number have a issue? I should do much survey but there is not much selling now!
Now is time for me to think what lens should I start with! Any comment?
Now is time for me to think what lens should I start with! Any comment?
aomoon
Member
There are quite a few M8 on sales in the Poison triangle area (last count at least 4 shops)....you should be aware the M8 has it's quirkness
Here's quite a good writeup on M8 :
a) http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/leica-m8.shtml
b) http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/Leica-M8-Perspective.shtml
How much would you be buying for?
M8 has a 1.33x crop factor...so lens decision would depends on what you shoot normally.
I'm using a 35mm & 50mm on it ...effectively it is a 47mm & 67mm focal length in M8
(so, i find myself sometimes using manual zoom (i.e Leg power) to frame my normal 35mm picture etc)...but i'm starting to get used to the crop factor
and treat it as a tool rather than a hinderance. My next len to acquire prob a 28mm for a slightly wide look.
Here's a few shot for your reference on how wide you can get.
So the difference between a 28mm and 35mm, imho, is slight...i can still live with it, without buying a 28mm yet.
35mm :
50mm (subject around 1 to 1.5metre away from camera)
aomoon said:
Hi aomoon, i get that for $3680. Is the price way high? I think the condition is still quite good actually. Have u seen the silver set that display at alex photo, thats the piece.
Thanks for sharing your photo with me! Definitely a great shot with the portrait by 50mm, but seem like a bit noise o the first color portrait, the b/w is awesome.
I'm getting 35mm f1.4 Nokton for my first lens. How do think of this lens? Can't afford Leica right now. But will sure invest in 50mm cron.
U have a Facebook I can add u there ^^ always like to share some ideal of photography with a passionate person like u! Cheers
rosewood1969
New Member
50mm (subject around 1 to 1.5metre away from camera)
Hi bro,
nice shots. Can I check which 50mm you are using?
aomoon
Member
my first 35mm is the Nokton f1.4 and love it ! however the Leica poison got the better of me and sold it to buy a 35mm Summarit.
But the Nokton is a good lens in its on way...cannot go wrong if you want 1st hand and at a fraction of Leica 35mm cost.
Cheers
hey all,
Just to share that i'm also very new to RFs, and despite all the quirks of the M8.2, i'm loving every moment of it. I got the M8.2 at prime photo (beside Cathay photo).. on hindsight, i think i paid on the high side, but the M8.2 was a hard camera to find and so happened that it came with a receipt showing that it was sent to Schmidt for servicing. I dont know how true is this but it was the only thing i could rely on when comparing with other shops. later on i found that it didnt came with a USB cable and thought i could find it anywhere else, then discovered that 5pin mini usbs are really hard to find.. so just make sure all the accessroies are in there..
Within a few weeks i have slid down the slippery slope and ended up with 28mm ultrons, 35mm 1.2 and 50mm "voigtilux". haha! i would most likely sell away the 50mm even though the portraits are really really awesome.. but just cant seem to part with it.. also thinking of doing away the 28mms, leaving the 35mms as THE one.. again this will break my heart.. :bheart: I hate it that i love RF now.. dslrs somehow disgust me even though i know that there are many areas it is better.. =)
Just to share that i'm also very new to RFs, and despite all the quirks of the M8.2, i'm loving every moment of it. I got the M8.2 at prime photo (beside Cathay photo).. on hindsight, i think i paid on the high side, but the M8.2 was a hard camera to find and so happened that it came with a receipt showing that it was sent to Schmidt for servicing. I dont know how true is this but it was the only thing i could rely on when comparing with other shops. later on i found that it didnt came with a USB cable and thought i could find it anywhere else, then discovered that 5pin mini usbs are really hard to find.. so just make sure all the accessroies are in there..
Within a few weeks i have slid down the slippery slope and ended up with 28mm ultrons, 35mm 1.2 and 50mm "voigtilux". haha! i would most likely sell away the 50mm even though the portraits are really really awesome.. but just cant seem to part with it.. also thinking of doing away the 28mms, leaving the 35mms as THE one.. again this will break my heart.. :bheart: I hate it that i love RF now.. dslrs somehow disgust me even though i know that there are many areas it is better.. =)
The M8 is a fun camera despite some critisism, for its price now its worth a try. Nowadays we tend to buy not what we spent time trying but instead determine our liking based on internet satisfaction, while its helps in certain degree it also confiscate or delay your enjoyment.
For the magenta issue, I have been trying very hard, purposely shooting without uvir for a worthy magenta subject on the street, never had luck on this, i think i have better luck striking 4D then meeting a worthy magenta subject on the street.
Also i am still on the original firmware since i bought this camera then, dont even know what version is it, it's the version that can only take 2gd card, still i am enjoying the hell out of this camera. So my advise is, if you think it, buy it..
For the magenta issue, I have been trying very hard, purposely shooting without uvir for a worthy magenta subject on the street, never had luck on this, i think i have better luck striking 4D then meeting a worthy magenta subject on the street.
Also i am still on the original firmware since i bought this camera then, dont even know what version is it, it's the version that can only take 2gd card, still i am enjoying the hell out of this camera. So my advise is, if you think it, buy it..
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