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LEICA M8.2

Review and Photo Examples of the LEICA M8.2 Rangefinder Digital Camera.

Table of contents

Gallery

LEICA M8.2 +SUMMARIT 50mm
LEICA M8.2 +SUMMARON 28mm

Review

The Leica M8.2 (hereafter M8.2) is a minor change version of the Leica M8 (hereafter M8), and the sensor performance is exactly the same as the M8. The difference between the two is the small design changes, the adoption of sapphire glass, and the upper limit of the shutter speed has been lowered from 1/8000 to 1/4000 due to the quieter shutter. This maximum shutter speed is the standard maximum shutter speed for digital M-type Leicas.

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 (hereafter M240) and later.
The two years of evolution since the release of the M8 have not been able to improve the UV/IR problem of the Kodak sensor, and the improvement will be carried over to the Leica M9 (hereafter M9). The M9 has a major inherent problem of the cover glass of the sensor breaking, and I think that as a camera, it has finally become a camera that can be used with confidence since the M240.

The camera’s operation is exactly the same as the M8, with a power switch, shutter dial on the top plate, and small buttons for the LCD screen and menu on the back that are only used for settings, and the dial parts are the same as the LEICA Digital Module R, which was used on the M8.

As for the image quality, the images recorded by the 10-megapixel sensor of the M8.2 are still good enough.

The M8.2 is traded at a higher price than the M8, but considering the results, it is questionable whether it is worth the price difference. Digital is almost a perishable product, so it seems strange that cameras that cannot be repaired are traded at high prices.

The battery is the same as the M8, the Leica 14464. This battery has a unique shape, and I remember that compatible products were available for a while, but they disappeared from the market due to compatibility issues.

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.
The tricky thing about paid camera upgrades, which are implemented very occasionally even by Japanese manufacturers, is that the upgrade price is quite expensive, and if it is a popular model, it is more advantageous to trade it in and buy a new model, as you get a new model and a new warranty period, so there is little benefit to continuing to use it even after upgrading. Upgrades also come with extended warranties, but it is natural that a new warranty is more attractive. Also, unlike film cameras, digital devices are disposable in various parts such as the board life, sensor life, and battery life, which is also thought to be a factor.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to purchase the M8.2 Safari at a reasonable price, but I passed it up due to financial issues. Nowadays, it is rarely seen on the market, and even if it were to be released on the market, it would be a premium price, so I think it was a shame.

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.

Specification and Competitor

Model nameR-D1
R-D1s
R-D1x		M8M8.2M9
M9-P
Effective Pixels6.1-Megapixcels10.3-Megapixels←18.0-Megapixels
Image sensorSony sensorKodak KAF10500←KAF-18500
Sensor sizeAPS-C
23.7 x 15.6mm		APS-H Size
27 x 18mm		←35mm Fullsize
35.8 × 23.9 mm 
Back LCD2.02.5
Normal glass		2.5
sapphire glass		2.5
Normal glass(M9)
sapphire glass(M9-P)
Finder magnification 10.68←0.68
Max shutter speed1/20001/80001/40001/4000
BatteryEPALB1 Leica 14464←←
Recored mediaSDSDSDSDHC
Release date2004.7.302006.112008.92011.6.30
Size(mm)142.0 x 88.5 ｘ 39.5139 x 80 x 37←←
Weight(g)570g545←585
Colorblackblack,silver,whiteblack,shilver,safariblack,grey

Options

  • LEICA M8/M8.2/M9/M9-P Hand Grip (replace bottom cover)
  • Thumbs Up

Reference links

Update history

  • 2024.07.18
  • 2024.02.20:Update
  • 2023.10.19:First draft

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