APS-H Digital RF LEICA M8
A review and Photo Examples of the LEICA M8 Rangefinder Digital Camera.
Table of contents
Gallery
Review
1．Overview
The Leica M8 was the first Leica M-type digital camera, equipped with the Kodak APS-H size 10.3 megapixel CCD sensor KAF10500.
The DRFC in the heading is an abbreviation for Digital Range Finder Camera.
The camera size is a little thicker than the film M-type Leicas, but it still fully embodies the shape of the M-type Leica.
Because of the APS-H sensor size, lenses with a 24mm to 135mm viewfinder frame are fine, but for lenses wider than 21mm, it was necessary to find a viewfinder with a focal length x 1.3, which made framing difficult.
For example, when using the COSINA Ultra Wide Heliar 15mm, 15*1.33=19.95mm, so a 21mm viewfinder was used.
This sensor size is slightly smaller than 35mm full frame, so the disadvantage is that the lens cannot be used at its original angle of view, but the advantage is that the Leica M9 and later models, such as the Super-Angulon and CONTAX G BIOGON, have a color cast on the periphery that is a problem with wide-angle lenses with protruding rear lenses, and you can take decent photos by forcibly cutting out the color cast.
The disadvantage of the Leica M8 is that the IR cut of the sensor is weak, so if you do not prepare a UV/IR filter, magenta cast may occur, which is troublesome to deal with. To compensate for this, Leica distributed two UV/IR filters of any size. Since it was not realistic to purchase all the UV/IR filters, I purchased many step-up and step-down rings to manage lenses with various filter diameters with the UV/IR filters I had. I sometimes took pictures without attaching them because it became troublesome halfway through.
At the same time as the release of the Leica M8, a 6-bit code was added to the M lens mount surface, and a function was added to recognize the focal length of the lens from the camera when using a 6-bit coded lens.
Since the Leica M8/M8.2 only identifies lenses by inputting a 6-bit code from the mount surface, the 6-bit code was added to the lens and L/M mount adapter while looking at the 6-bit code table.
The 6-bit code is also recognized by the viewfinder frame (the position of the M mount tabs), so even if a 28mm 6-bit code is added to a 35/135 mount adapter, it will not be recognized.
2．Usability
The Leica M8 is my first Leica body, and I bought it as a step-up from the EPSON R-D1.
The normal ISO sensitivity is 160, the next 320 is a little noisy, and 640 is quite noisy. 1250 was rough, but it was usable in some situations.
A mode is practical for shooting, and when you want to adjust the shutter speed, instead of the Japanese style of adding or subtracting the exposure, you change the shutter speed directly with the shutter dial and shoot, which I think is a reasonable operation method that has not changed since the film era.
The rear LCD is for settings only and does not have a live view, and even if you enlarge the shot, you cannot see the focus, so I always used it with preview off. That way you can experience the tension of using a film camera.
The shutter sound of the Leica M8 is loud and metallic compared to the digital M cameras of the 2020s, because it is equipped with a high-speed mechanical shutter with a maximum speed of 1/8000. Therefore, the shutter sound is loud enough to make a timid cat run away.
The first generation SD card can be used as a recording medium, and rare 4GB SD cards can also be used, but it will be difficult to find a 4GB SD card that is not an SDHC card on the market. If you use a 2GB SD card, which is relatively easy to obtain, you can shoot about 200 images in Raw (DNG) format, so there will be no problem in general usage scenarios. If you take a lot of photos on a trip, it is better to prepare multiple batteries.
The battery is the Leica 14464, which was used until the Leica M9. This battery has a unique shape, and compatible batteries were available for a while, but the supply was temporarily cut off. As of 2024, compatible products can be found on Amazon, Aliexpress, etc. The compatible batteries at the time of release had problems with the camera not recognizing the battery status correctly, but it is unclear whether recent compatible batteries have been improved.
It is an expensive camera, so it is not recommended to take the risk of a compatible battery. When purchasing a used camera, the battery status is important, but since you cannot tell the battery status from the appearance, it is a troublesome issue.
The battery charger included with the M8 is large, and the model number 14470 included with the M8.2 and later is more compact and convenient to carry.
3．Add Info.
The viewfinder, which is the lifeblood of a rangefinder camera, is a 1x finder on the EPSON R-D1, while the M8 has a small finder magnification of 0.68x. However, the effective baseline length is 38.2mm on the R-D1, while the M8 has 47.09mm, making the rangefinder more accurate. Leica finders also have a long history and are well-made, making them easy to see.
The output image has a higher resolution than the 6x APS-C sensor on the R-D1, with the 10MP APS-H sensor on the M8, but when reducing the image for the web or printing in L size, the difference in image quality between the APS-C and APS-H sensor sizes is not noticeable.
The biggest problem with the M8 is the UV/IR filter issue, as mentioned above.
This is not an issue with the R-D1, and the M8 can suffer from strange moiré when shooting depending on the subject.
Lenses are identified by a 6-bit code, but since the Leica M9, the focal length can be set by lens name from the menu, so this 6-bit code is rarely used anymore. There was a time when the used price differed depending on whether or not there was a 6-bit code when selling and buying used lenses, but as of 2024, the condition of the lens takes priority, and there is no difference in price if the condition is the same.
The Leica M8 was released at an affordable price of 575,000 yen for a new product. As of 2022, the price of the M8 had stopped falling at around 200,000 yen, but as of 2023, it has returned to around 300,000 yen. It is already expensive for a digital camera without a warranty, but it is a mystery of Leica prices that the price has not dropped even in this condition. In addition, other M-type digital bodies have generally remained stable at high prices, except for the M typ240, which is produced in large quantities.
Specification and Model History
| Items | M8 | R-D1x | M9 |
| Effective pixels(Megapixels) | 10.3-Megapixels | 6.1-Megapixcels | 18.0-Megapixels |
| Sensor manufacturer and model number | Kodak KAF10500 | Unknown | KAF-18500 |
| Sensor size | APS-H Size 27 x 18mm | APS-C 23.7 x 15.6mm | 35mm Full frame 35.8 × 23.9 mm |
| Rear LCD | 2.5 inch 23 million dot | 2.5 inch 23 million dot | 2.5 通常ガラス |
| View finder | 0.68 | 1 | 0.68 |
| Mechanical Shutter speed | 1/8000 | 1/2000 | 1/4000 |
| Battery | Leica 14464 | EPALB1 | Leica 14464 |
| Recorded Media | SD | SD | SDHC |
| Size(mm) W x H x D | 139 x 80 x 37 | 142.0 x 88.5 ｘ 39.5 | 139 x 80 x 37 |
| Weight (g) (without battery) | 545 | 570 | 585 |
| Release date | 2006.11 | 2009 | 2011.6.30 |
| Body color | Black Silver White | Black | Black Steel gray |
Options
- LEICA M8/M8.2/M9/M9-P Hand Grip (replace bottom cover)
- Thumbs Up(Common to M8/M8.2/M9/M9-P)
Reference links
- LEICA M8 description page by Wikipedia
- R-D1・Shige’s hobby
- R-D1x・Shige’s hobby
- M8・Shige’s hobby
- M8.2・Shige’s hobby
- M9・Shige’s hobby
Update
- 2024.02.12:Update
- 2023.03.05:First draft
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