LEICA M8
This is a record of using the LEICA compact digital camera C-LUX3.
Gallery
Impression
My first Leica body, purchased as a step up from the EPSON R-D1.
Because of the APS-H sensor size, lenses with viewfinder frames from 24mm to 135mm are good, but lenses wider than 21mn sometimes had trouble framing because they needed to find a viewfinder with a focal length x 1.3.
For example, when using COSINA’s Ultra Wide Heliar 15mm, 15*1.33=19.95mm, so a 21mm viewfinder had to be used.
This sensor size is slightly smaller than the 35mm full size sensor, so the inability to use lenses at their original angle of view is a disadvantage, but the LEICA M9 and later have the advantage of forcibly cutting the peripheral color cast that plagues wide angle lenses with protruding rear elements, such as the Super Angulon and Contax BIOGON lenses. This is an advantage.
Another disadvantage is that the sensor’s IR cutoff is weak, so unless UV/IR filters are provided, magenta casts may occur, which can be troublesome to deal with. To compensate for this, Leica distributed two UV/IR filters of any size.
Since it was not practical to purchase all UV/IR filters, I bought many step-up and step-down rings to use my UV/IR filters with lenses of various filter diameters.
Somewhere along the way, it became a hassle, and I even took pictures without them, but the results were sometimes terrible depending on the subject.
With the release of the M8, a 6-bit code was added to the M lens mount surface, adding the ability to recognize the focal length of the lens from the camera when using a 6-bit code lens.
Since the M8 / M8.2 only required identification by input from the sensor, a 6-bit code was added to the lens and L/M mount adapter by looking at the 6-bit code table. 6-bit code recognition was also based on the viewfinder frame (location of the M mount claw), and the 35/135 mount If a 28mm 6-bit code was added to a 35/135 mount adapter, it would not be recognized.
Since the M9, the focal length can be set from the menu, so the 6-bit code is rarely used anymore. There used to be a difference in used lens prices between lenses with and without 6-bit codes, but now the condition of the lens is given priority, and if the condition is the same, there is almost no difference.
The LEICA M8 was released at an affordable price of 575,000 yen even when new, and as of 2022, the price of the M8 had stopped at around 200,000 yen, but as of 2023, the price has returned to around 300,000 yen. This can only be described as expensive for a digital camera that already has no warranty. The prices of other M-type digital bodies have also generally remained stable at high levels, with the exception of the M typ240, which has been produced in large numbers.
The LCD on the back of the camera is for settings, and there is no live view, and even if you zoom in on the results of a shot, you cannot see the focus, so I always used it with the preview off. I always used it with the preview off, as it does not allow me to see the focus even if I zoom in on the result of the shot.
The shutter of the LEICA M8 has a high-speed mechanical shutter that can shutter at speeds up to 1/8000, so it makes a loud metallic sound compared to today’s digital M cameras, a sound that would make a timid cat run away. The viewfinder is smaller than the EPSON R-D1’s isometric viewfinder, with a magnification of 0.68x, but it is sufficiently easy to read.
The ISO sensitivity is 160 for normal use, 320 for noise, 640 for noise, and 1250 for roughness, but it can be used in some cases if the scene is chosen.
The A mode is practical for shooting, and when you want to adjust the shutter speed, you can use the shutter dial to directly change the desired shutter speed, rather than the Japanese method of adding or subtracting the exposure.
Specification
It is equipped with a 10.3 megapixel CCD sensor made by KODAK.
The camera size is a little thicker than the film M Leica, but it fully embodies the M Leica.
The battery charger of the M8 is very large; it has been called the Compact Charger since the M8.2 and has been downsized.
It supports 4GB SD cards, but it is almost impossible to find 4GB SD cards on the market, as the only 4GB cards on the market are SDHC cards, so you should expect to use only 2GB SD cards.
The M8’s raw-DNG file is 10.6 MByte, so a 2 GB SD card can take less than 200 shots if you shoot raw only.
| Item | Value | note |
| Effective Pixels | 10.3-Megapixels | |
| Lens mount | LEICA M mount with 6bit code | |
| Image sensor | APS-H Size (27 x 18mm) Kodak KAF10500 | |
| Back LCD | 2.5 LCD monitor | 23Mega pixcel |
| Finder magnification | 0.68 | |
| Max shutter speed | 1/8000 | |
| Record media | SD card | 4GB SD card available |
| Battery | Leica 14464 | Battery(Ads by Rakuten) |
| Size(mm)0 | W x H x D 139x80x37mm | |
| Weight(g) | 545 (Body +battery) |
Options
- LEICA M8/M8.2/M9/M9-P Hand Grip (replace bottom cover)
- Thumbs Up(Common to M8/M8.2/M9/M9-P)
Model History
| Model name | R-D1 | M8 | M8.2 | M9 |
| Effective Pixels | 6.1-Megapixcels | 10.3-Megapixels | ← | 18.0-Megapixels |
| Image sensor | Sony sensor | Kodak KAF10500 | ← | KAF-18500 |
| Sensor size | APS-C 23.7 x 15.6mm | APS-H Size 27 x 18mm | ← | 35mm Fullsize 35.8 × 23.9 mm |
| Back LCD | 2.0 | 2.5 通常ガラス | 2.5 サファイアガラス | 2.5 通常ガラス |
| Finder magnification | 1 | 0.68 | ← | 0.68 |
| Max shutter speed | 1/2000 | 1/8000 | 1/4000 | 1/4000 |
| Battery | EPALB1 | Leica 14464 | ← | ← |
| Recored media | SD | SD | SD | SDHC |
| Release date | 2004.7.30 | 2006.11 | 2008.9 | 2011.6.30 |
| Size(mm) | 142.0 x 88.5 ｘ 39.5 | 139 x 80 x 37 | ← | ← |
| Weight(g) | 570g | 545 | ← | 585 |
| カラー | ブラック | ブラック・シルバー・ホワイト | ブラック・シルバー・サファリ | ブラック・グレー |
Reference links
広告
