LEICA M8.2
Review and Photo Examples of the LEICA M8.2 Rangefinder Digital Camera.
Table of contents
Gallery
Review
1．Overview
The Leica M8.2 (hereafter M8.2) is the 1.5th generation of Leica’s digital rangefinder camera, and is basically the same as the M8.
The main specifications are as follows:
- KODAK-made, APS-H size (the lens focal length is converted to 35mm format by 1.33), 10-megapixel sensor
- Low-pass filter-less specification
- Battery: Leica 144641
- Sapphire glass is used for the LCD cover glass
- Maximum shutter speed: 1/4000
- Minimum ISO sensitivity: 160, maximum ISO sensitivity: 2500
- Changed to a new compact charger (model number 14470)
Leica offered M8 users an upgrade equivalent to the M8.2 for 240,000 yen, but perhaps because there was not much demand, they ran a half-price campaign for 120,000 yen after a while.
2．Usability
In terms of image quality, the images recorded by the M8.2’s 10-megapixel sensor are still good enough.
Up to ISO640, noise increases but resolution is not lost, so it is perfectly usable if you choose the right scene. It becomes a bit difficult above ISO1280, and at ISO2500, the image is just visible.
The sensor size is APS-H, just like the Leica M8 (hereafter, M8), so when using a lens that does not fit the frame of the built-in viewfinder, an external viewfinder is used, but it is troublesome to prepare a viewfinder with a sensor magnification.
For example, when using a lens with a focal length of 15mm, the focal length of the image is 15 x 1.33 = 19.95mm, so the composition was decided using a 20mm viewfinder (the Russian lens Rusar is 20mm) or 21mm viewfinder (there are many types of 21mm viewfinders, such as Leica’s Super-Angulon, Elmarit, Voigtlander, Carl Zeiss, Contax, Avenon, etc.).
The battery is the same Leica 14464 as the Leica M8 (M8), Leica M9 (M9), and Leica M9-P (M9P), and is officially capable of taking 500 shots on a full charge. In actual photography, I have rarely encountered a situation where I needed a spare battery.
The battery shape is unique, and although I did come across a compatible product for a while, I remember returning it because it didn’t work properly, possibly due to compatibility issues with the camera.
3．Add Info.
・Differences between M8.2, M8 and M9
It is basically a minor change version of the M8, and the sensor performance is exactly the same. The difference between the two is the small design changes, the adoption of sapphire glass, and the reduction in the upper shutter speed from 1/8000 to 1/4000 due to a quieter shutter.
This maximum shutter speed became the standard maximum shutter speed for all digital M-type Leica cameras from then on.
The camera is operated exactly the same as the M8, with a power switch and shutter dial on the top plate, and an LCD screen on the back that is only used for settings, and small buttons for the menu.
The dials and buttons are the same as those of the LEICA Digital Module R, as in the M8.
The charger has been changed from the M8.2 to a compact charger (14470). The plug that connects to the outlet is a type that connects a cable to a glasses-shaped terminal, and has a built-in transformer that automatically adjusts the operating voltage, making it possible to use it in countries with different voltages. In addition, a cable with a plug for each country is included, so it can be used in any country where the plug is compatible.
The charger for the old M8 camera was large and had replaceable plugs, with three plugs included, including one for Japan.
The shutter sound of the M8.2 is a little quieter (less shrill) than the loud sound of the M8, but it is louder than the shutter sound of the Leica M typ240 (hereinafter, M240) and later.
In the two years of evolution since the release of the M8, the UV/IR problem of the Kodak sensor could not be improved, and the improvement was carried over to the Leica M9 (hereinafter, M9). The M9 has a unique major problem of the breakage of the cover glass of the sensor, and I think that it has finally become a camera that can be used with confidence since the M240.
The big topic of the M9 is that it is equipped with a 35mm full-frame sensor, and there is no big difference between the M8.2 and the M8.2 in terms of operability other than that. For details of the M9, please refer to the M9 page.
・Used camera
Even so, the M8.2 is traded at a higher price than the M8, but considering the results of the photography, I wonder if it is worth the price difference. Basically, digital cameras are almost perishable, so I have some doubts about the current situation where unrepairable cameras are traded at high prices. I fully understand that it is difficult to supply parts, but for a company of Leica’s scale, it would be good to have a service where the camera body is standardized and the user can choose the sensor. If the M11 body can be equipped with an M9 sensor, there would be no need to unnecessarily charge high prices for used cameras.
・Safari color
A few years ago, I had the chance to buy the M8.2 Safari at a reasonable price, but I passed it up due to financial reasons. It’s unfortunate that I didn’t see it on the market anymore, and even if it did, it would be at a premium price.
Unlike the M-P (Typ240) Safari and M10-P Safari, the design of the Safari color body with a red badge tickled the hearts of Leica enthusiasts. The D-LUX4 Safari has a similar design.
・Upgrade
Paid upgrades for cameras, as mentioned in the camera overview, are very rarely offered by Japanese manufacturers.
The tricky thing about paid camera upgrades is that the upgrade price is relatively expensive, and if it is a popular model, there is little merit to continuing to use it even after upgrading, as the advantage of getting a new model and a new warranty period is greater if you trade it in for a new one. Upgrades also come with extended warranties, but it goes without saying that a new product warranty is more attractive. Also, unlike film cameras, digital devices are largely influenced by the fact that various parts are disposable, such as the lifespan of the circuit board, sensor, and battery.
Specification and Competitor
| Items | M8 | M8.2 | M9 |
| Effective pixels(Megapixels) | 10.3-Megapixels | 10.3-Megapixels | 18.0-Megapixels |
| Sensor manufacturer and model number | Kodak KAF10500 | Kodak KAF10500 | KAF-18500 |
| Sensor size | APS-H Size 27 x 18mm | APS-H Size 27 x 18mm | 35mm Full frame 35.8 × 23.9 mm |
| Rear LCD | 2.5 inch 23 million dot | 2.5 inch 23 million dot Sapphire cover glass | 2.5 inch 23 million dot |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.68 | 0.68 | 0.68 |
| Mechanical Shutter speed | 1/8000 | 1/4000 | 1/4000 |
| Battery | Leica 14464 | Leica 14464 | Leica 14464 |
| Recorded Media | SD | SD | SDHC |
| Size(mm) W x H x D | 139 x 80 x 37 | 139 x 80 x 37 | 139 x 80 x 37 |
| Weight (g) (without battery) | 545 | 545 | 585 |
| Release date | 2006.11 | 2008.9 | 2011.6.30 |
| Body color | Black Silver White | Black Silver Safari | Black Steel gray |
Options
- LEICA M8/M8.2/M9/M9-P Hand Grip (replace bottom cover)
- Thumbs Up
Reference links
- LEICA M8 description page by Wikipedia
- Links to examples using M8.2 on this site
Update history
- 2024.07.18
- 2024.02.20:Update
- 2023.10.19:First draft
Affiliate links
- Amazon Affiliate Link Leica Lens
- Amazon Affiliate Link Leica Books
- Amazon Affiliate Link / Classic Camera Specialty
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