I love my M8, its often a conversation starter on the street, people think you have an old film camera and they tend to relax, I have a full leather cover that hides the back of the camera so the effect is complete (the screen is useless, except to change stuff in the menu which I dont, I am always at 160 iso) Shutter sound is epic. like you said a 28 becomes a 35, a 35 becomes a 50. Closest thing to film (experience + rendering) in digital M. I have an IR cut filter for me 28 but not for my 35. Only drawback I cant use it in the canadian winter... cheers from Montreal.

I had an M8 as my first Leica range finder camera and used it for one year, when a guy offered me more than I paid for it. Did I regret selling it? No. I never got really used to it, so I got hold of a M240 and have a MP240 now. They are much better for me, because of live view and video possibility. Keep on rolling and have fun with the M8.

Still love mine, everyday. Perfect tool!

Totally agree - especially about the shutter, I love it’s loud clonk 👏🏻 Got my M9 for 1700$ and I doubt I’ll ever sell it 😍

Hi Matthew, I wanted to let you know I featured you and a few others in my newest video. It's more or less just an unboxing of the Leica M8 and talking about how this video and a few others inspired me to pick up. Thanks for the inspiration!

@rudermanphoto

4 күн бұрын

Just checked it out, great work! Excited to see what you can do with it, it’s still such a great camera all these years later

@camerafusion

4 күн бұрын

@@rudermanphoto thank you!

Great review, I enjoy it very much, thanks!

@rudermanphoto

6 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Thx for this video. I'm happy with my X-T5!

I am in my 60's now and used to be a big film fan in my 20's and 30's. I recently purchased an M8! OMG! Its gorgeous. You have to work for the outcome but its worth it. It also feels fabulous and tactile and built with care. The CCD sensor is remarkable and the B& W 's are exceptional.

@rudermanphoto

3 ай бұрын

It really is something else!

@davidthomasmartin1075

2 ай бұрын

Hi. I want to buy the M8 but I need to know if the sensor and the shutter count are things to worry about. David Thomas Martin.

I’ve had my M8 for about 12 years. it is fantastic to use. I just love the use of a real rangefinder. What I think some don’t realize is that if you use a good lens, you can enlarge it far bigger than I’ve heard people suggest. I suspect that those who believe you cannot enlarge this to large sizes have never tried to do so. In fact, I had actually never tried to go bigger than about 11 x 14, simply because I didn’t want to. But recently I had a shot that I thought would look great much larger. I went ahead and ordered a print of 20 x 30. I have to tell you that looking at the output I’m amazed. It is crystal clear, clean and tack sharp. It was shot at a low iso and with a good lens. There is no hint of softness or pixelation even viewed very closely. As you mentioned, the colors coming from that CCD sensor are just gorgeous. However, I also tend to do a lot with black-and-white conversions and have found that the black-and-white conversions from this camera are so much nicer than I get from a Fuji that I have. I’ve heard people dis the M8 and I suspect they haven’t owned one. Some talk about the need to use a filter for the IR levels. Most people are going to want a filter on anyway, simply for protection. It is essentially a non-issue. In any case, I love the M8 and have absolutely zero regrets. One thing I have not seen is this huge increase in price that you mentioned. It seems that they are about holding the value but I have not seen an increase on eBay.

@rudermanphoto

6 ай бұрын

I believe the great sharpness may also be due to a lack of anti aliasing filter over the sensor, I do notice really impressive sharpness and clarity even if it’s just 10mpx! From my loose tracking of prices I do recall them being about a thousand or so less then what they seem to sell for nowadays around 2019 or so, but eBay prices are typically inflated anyway so it may be that they have retained their value, either way I doubt they will ever really plummet to be “worthless” so it’s always going to be a sound purchase in my eyes!

@josephheroun3777

3 ай бұрын

I absolutely concur. I was one of the earliest M8 owners upon it s launch in September '96, and it's been astonishing ever sense. The sensor combined with quality glass is truly unique and timeless. Its print enlargement capability defies its modest specs.

Understanding its limitations, I know when and how to use my M8.2 for personal enjoyment. Fantastic with vintage lenses and black & white photography.

Your M8 (M8te) is great but I recently got and I'm loving the M9 because it's (M9ne). 😀

Awsome video!! My current obsession is CCD and monochrome rangefinders, so this was a great watch. I have an Epson and absolutely love it, I think an M8 is next 👀

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

Thank you! I’d love to try out the Epson out at some stage in the future!

Well done!

Dude I’ve been so close to buying an m8 several times, love the ccd colors. You killed it on this review, covered all the main points, great photos, well done!

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

Thank you so much my man! I’m in talks with John to buy this one off him hehe Such an incredible camera, if you can score one for a good price I’d say 100% go for it!

I was very fortunate to be offered for sale the very Leica M8 and 90mm f2 used and owned by Audrey Tautou and featured in use by her in the Chanel No5 Film with provenance in the form of a letter form her to me - I don't use it much but only becuase as a Pro I have other toys to play with but there is no question it's a dream camera

@sensitivehedonist

Ай бұрын

omg, please make a video about it :D Fascinating story!

@nelsonclub7722

Ай бұрын

@@sensitivehedonist I just might do that - the camera, letters and photos I got with it are all in different places I will do that in the next few weeks as busy at present - but will come back and tag you. Thanks Simon J Miller

You got me sold 🤣

fantastic video and photos!! Subbed! Question: What flash did you use with the M8?

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

Thank you! I used the Fujifilm EF-x20 flash with it. Awesome little flash and suits M bodies perfectly, just such a shame Fujifilm discontinued it so it’s now worth stupid money, I was fortunate enough to get it for retail price back in 2019 and held onto it despite selling the rest of my Fuji gear at the time - very glad I did haha

You nailed it m8te‼️👏🇦🇺 I’ve subbed…✌️

@rudermanphoto

4 ай бұрын

Thank you!

Love the content! 👏 Was the sample pics mostly edited from raw or straight jpeg?

@rudermanphoto

6 ай бұрын

All edited from raw! They were edited with a variation of my Everyday 400 preset for the colour photos and Monochrom for the black and white ones from my new preset pack!

i have one and love it / i think what you mean is that what makes it fun to use for me at least is its simplicity, menu and great results ..... camera today are too complicated. but some feel that is so cool and important i know......

Yup. M8 is still fantastic and always will be, just like any other camera that does precisely what someone wants it to do. It's a bit too quirky for where I am currently, but I've definitely had a few M9 auctions on watch. People get really hung up on what photography is all about, and it leads them to judge gear based on their needs rather than the artform itself. Can't say I mind too much- makes it much easier to snipe old caneras for bargain prices 😋

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

Shame the M8 isn’t quite bargain priced though, but yeah I agree - the latest and greatest isn’t always the best option when it comes to delivering a certain photographic experience.

I put a 256gb SD card and have two batteries. I am finding out that the Leica M8/M9 batteries are being sold out and the only option are third party. Cheers!

Treat the M8 exactly like a film camera. Just one usable iso, perhaps two. Manual focus, no live view, one lens or maybe two at most, etc , and be prepared to discover a level of photographic skill that you never thought you had, so long as you can work with a rangefinder that is. Depending on whom you talk to, in colour mode it is like and endless roll of Kodachrome, and superb in B&W. Ten MP sensor is no problem. I have done some of my best work with a Nikon D200 of 10 MP donkeys years ago. I have a M240, but for a log time I was looking at the M8.

Just got an M9 at MPB $1,000. Like new. 2000 shutter count. Great camera. I had it before and sold it. I regretted it since and it was a blessing to find an M9 for $1,000

@galleo13579

7 ай бұрын

Wow!! A M9 for $1,000 is a steal!! Congrats! A M9 in HK is around USD2,600+

Still eyeing an M8 - been dreaming of owning one for a little while! I've fallen in love with the Digilux 3 after picking it up - but I am still craving for the M8 haha! Epson R-D1 and the M8 are so close in pricing, so I would go for the M8 instead if I was to buy one right now.

@rudermanphoto

4 ай бұрын

I would much rather the M8 just because I think it’s a bit more usable in 2024, but the analog dials and the shutter advance is sick on the Epson!

love my m8 too

Just subscribed. Love the content. I'm contemplating trading a bunch of unused equipment to MPB for one of the Leica M8s they have. I've heard once you go to digital rangefinder it's hard to go back :).

@rudermanphoto

2 ай бұрын

Thank you!! It’s hard to explain how amazing the digital M’s are unless you’ve tried one - they’re definetly something else!

@VintageISO

2 ай бұрын

@@rudermanphoto Would you consider this camera if it was "stuck" to the base iso all the time? Just saw an incredible deal on one but it has a band of hot pixels in the sensor that become visible at iso 320 especially in low light. It's a band luckily at the far right of the sensor so it could be cropped out or dealt with easily.

@rudermanphoto

2 ай бұрын

@@VintageISO I’ve pretty much predominately shot it at 160 ISO as I find the higher ISO’s not really great - it depends how good the deal is though as I would be concerned that line could spread or lead to total sensor failure which will be a very expensive and not fun process for you haha

so you found out what I long know. M8 is magic. and I do compare to M9P and M10R next to several Nikons

Shhhh. The prices for the M8 have just started to come back down again. Haha. I will always regret selling mine…

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

I’m currently going to start saving for one! Sadly John won’t sell me his so I gotta look for one online, might have shot myself in the foot here…

I had the choice between this and a new X-T2 a few years ago, both were $1200 USD. I went with the Fujifilm because of AF and I was scared that the M8 would need to be shot at ISO 100 to be usable for some reason. 😂

Enjoyable video. I was out shooting with my M8 this morning with a 64GB sd card as usual.

I like M8 for it's hilarious sound and colors. But I prefer Q more

Love this camera. I am having a hard time getting batteries that can keep charge through a winter photo shoot. Does anyone have tips, or had this issue?

@rudermanphoto

3 ай бұрын

It’s a shame they don’t make decent third party batteries for it like they do most other cameras, your best bet is probably just to find genuine batteries used on the second hand market, although they aren’t very cheap. Nitecore makes a usb charger for the batteries though which looks like it would be super useful especially if travelling as you can use a power bank to charge them up!

I had an opportunity to use one for a day. Built like a tank for sure and has a very satisfying tactility + weirdly nice shutter. It was paired with a 35mm Voigtlander and I was hoping to get some nice shots from it. Well, it was anything but. RAWs were washed out had low contrast, poor dynamic range and kinda hard to work with compared to my more modern Fuji. I (sort of) get the fascination with Leica, but that's not it.

@rudermanphoto

6 күн бұрын

Did you use it with or without an IR cut filter? It makes a pretty substantial difference to the colours, something which I found out after making this review and getting one lol

I am on the fence about the M8 and I think you sold me! What kind of lense do you recommend to get? Thank you!

@rudermanphoto

Ай бұрын

I really loved using the Voigtlander Ultron 28mm f2 on it as with the crop it comes out to a 35ish mm FOV. Depends on your budget ofcourse but yeah you can’t go wrong with a voigtlander lens, or if you can step up to a Zeiss ZM lens these are amazing too

so does the m8 have the same issue of ccd corrosion that the m9 does?

@rudermanphoto

6 ай бұрын

No, thankfully it doesn’t! Just need to use an IR cut filter otherwise the colours will look wrong - I have since making this review acquired a IR cut filter and can confirm it’s pretty essential to getting the best possible results out of the M8. Unless you shoot black and white, in which case you are better off not using it as the quality of black and white photos due to the increased IR sensitivity is really beautiful!

Can you actually shoot a true 28mm lens not equivalent to 35 due to the crop but actually using a 18mm or something to get a 27 28mm equivalent or do i have to get a m9 for that? Trying to see if the frame lines show a true 28 that’s my fav lens

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

You’d need to shoot with a 21mm lens to get a 28mm FOV. The frame lines do compensate for the crop factor though, what you see is what the camera will capture, so a 28mm lens will show 35ish framelines. But yeah if you’d rather not deal with all that the M9 is your best bet, but they do cost quite a bit more!

@IDontEverSleep

7 ай бұрын

@@rudermanphoto ok so with the m8 i could use a 21mm for a 28mm field of view and the frame line will be accurate on the m8? I don’t care about the crop factor i just want to make sure that the frame lines show correctly when using a 21mm on a m8 thanks

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

@@IDontEverSleep yes if you put a 21mm on it will show 28mm framelines.

@IDontEverSleep

7 ай бұрын

@@rudermanphoto ok thank you!

Wtf, why I always thought it's a full frame? Eye opener.

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

It’s closer to full frame then modern APS-C sensor cameras, I’m not sure of many 1.33 crop digital cameras on the market.

I'd go for the RD-1 and not the M8, and wouldn't touch the M9 with a barge pole. People also forget that they also have different ratios on the different bodies. ... APSH

are you me? bald bearded loves his M2 got tired of film costs and pain bought a old leica digital because still loves rangefinder shooting only difference is i got the M9 but honestly we're pretty much on the same page haha EDITED to add *has a ricoh GR that you love! hahah dude cmooon!

@rudermanphoto

6 ай бұрын

Hello my brother 🤝 separated at birth hahahaha

I bought mine in 2010 and still have it. I've never been quite convinced of the need to change it to a newer model.

I’m very close to buying an M8. My worry is the sensor. Need I worry? Is it Corrosive? I need help on this. Thanks dude. Great video.

@rudermanphoto

2 ай бұрын

No the M8 has no corrosion issues! Just that it is very sensitive to IR light so you will need to use IR cut filters if you want correct colours, this can be a bit frustrating especially if you have a few lenses that have different diameter filter threads.

@davidthomasmartin1075

2 ай бұрын

@@rudermanphoto I’m so happy to hear all that. I’m only interested in B&W so I’m delighted. Thanks for your reply. It’s much appreciated.

@rudermanphoto

2 ай бұрын

@@davidthomasmartin1075 oh yeah with b&w the increased sensitivity to IR actually is a benefit cause you get so much detail!!

@davidthomasmartin1075

2 ай бұрын

@@rudermanphoto yes, I read that and you said it in one of your videos.

@davidthomasmartin1075

2 ай бұрын

@@rudermanphotoThanks for your knowledge.

Would love it if you could get cheaper batteries for it ! Other cameras allow the safe use of non "Brand " batteries !

@rudermanphoto

Ай бұрын

Yeah that’s the biggest downside, sucks there are no good third party options anymore

Here in germany you can get an M8 from 1500 to 2000 € used. Also not cheap but worth it

@rudermanphoto

6 ай бұрын

Sounds about right, 2000 euro is 3.2k AUD and that’s right around what they sell for here

@renev6919

6 ай бұрын

@@rudermanphoto aah i looked for usd xD. Ok my bad

04:45 looks like Sidney Sweeney

Can you recommend anyone for ir cut filter…?

@rudermanphoto

4 күн бұрын

I have one by B+W which is the same one Leica provided for free when they still had stock, it’s not super easy to find but you can get them used on eBay for not too much, just have to hunt a bit

If you think M8 is bad or not worth the price, just think about X100v. Higher price, bad optics, smaller sensor, slow autofocus(so slow that an experienced user can focus manually faster than the af) and not even a real RF. Also, I think with 3000usd, I would get a M240. M8 is around 1500usd

@rudermanphoto

5 ай бұрын

The price I mentioned is in AUD, it’s around 2000 usd.

@matthieuzglurg6015

3 ай бұрын

Bad optics : compared to what? Are you including the price of M lenses as well? The lens on the X100V is pretty sharp, and with good rendering how is it bad? The smaller sensor doesn't mean much when it actually has good dynamkc range and tremendously lower noise levels. Also AF is not as fast as a Sony, but still much faster than manual focusing, you're being dramatic. I can agree for the rangefinder not being a real one, but I'd argue that there's a reason why it's limited to luxury cameras nowadays

Loved the shots, and enjoyed the video, but you’ve lost your mind, M8.

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

😂 sounds like you’ve never tried one before!

Have two copies of this one. Just out of fear that one might fail. I LOVE THIS CAMERA. one of them has some red pixels showing on some situations. I’ve read this gets fixed with pixel mapping Too bad there is no way to do that by oneself like many cameras. You need to send it to Leica for them to do that and that can get expensive or out of reach (I live in a country where there is no Leica stores)

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

You can also have Lightroom or photoshop automatically remove these hot pixels as well as far as I know, but yeah it scares me that if anything happens it’s off to Germany for a 4 figure repair bill haha

Outdated. Nikon d800 produces amazing images

@rudermanphoto

2 ай бұрын

The D800 is 12 years old, it’s outdated too bro

The m8 is not better than the xt5 nor the opposite, it’s just all personal preference.

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

Of course! I agree! Both cameras have their strengths and weaknesses, I couldn’t use the M8 professionally without also having the XT5 as backup, far too risky - but as a personal camera the M8 is just so much fun

You still haven’t fixed the photo in the background. 😢

@rudermanphoto

5 ай бұрын

You still haven’t found out what a mirror is 😢

@D.Trider

5 ай бұрын

@@rudermanphoto 😂

@rudermanphoto

5 ай бұрын

@@D.Trider if you check my most recent videos I’ve stopped using that camera angle and now film so the poster actually appears straight though ;)

The Fuji X-Pro line has alsow a Rangefinder and its a lot cheaper..

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

The x-pro is not a real rangefinder. It’s just got a hybrid ovf but it ain’t a proper mechanical rangefinder

@CianMcsweeney

7 ай бұрын

It doesn't have a rangefinder

@SourPlanet

7 ай бұрын

I see this come up for Fuji users a lot. You should research before entering the conversation.

Just a tip. We don't use Leitz cameras with Zeiss, Voigtlander, Canon or other Japanese lenses.

@rudermanphoto

5 ай бұрын

You don’t 😘

@linjicakonikon7666

4 ай бұрын

Your loss.😂

no one listen to this im not saying the camera isn't good but its something that bound to break over time even with a replaced sensor i have gone through 3 mint conditon ones with replaced snesors all over time will get banding etc.. and you will have to replace it at this price point you might as well buy the m9 with a replaced sensor i might last longer or just get the m240 best bagn for your buck

@rudermanphoto

6 ай бұрын

The cost of an M240 is still nearly double that of an M8… and you don’t get the CCD sensor that makes it so magical. Obviously old electronic things can break, this same advice is why I think no one should be buying old Contax film cameras yet the market for them is still great - the M8 if you can get it for a good price I believe is still the best value Leica on the market and Leica can still service and maintain it.

@keybladesss

6 ай бұрын

@@rudermanphoto m240 are pretty close to the price of a mint M8 I see them on the market everyday for around 2-3k... the ccd sensor is alright its personal taste on that as someone who primarily only shoots film the m8 ccd sensor wasnt really anywhere near fillm it always took tweaking especially with its casts in the shadows and in bad lighting in general

@rudermanphoto

6 ай бұрын

@@keybladesss from my brief check on eBay most M240’s seem to hover around 6k-7k aud, I found one for 5k aud. you can find M8’s for 3k-3.5k aud. Maybe overseas prices are better but here I don’t think that’s the case. Importing from overseas will incur tax and stuff anyway so a lot of these savings aren’t the final price when factoring all that extra stuff in. As for the CCD, for sure it’s subjective, some people probably prefer the CMOS in the newer M’s, but given the M in general is a fairly polarising camera, you either understand it or think it’s a waste of money, I don’t think it’s too unfair to say that there’s probably going to be two differing opinions on the sensor itself haha

Something ironic is owning a Leica film camera and complaining about the cost of film.

@rudermanphoto

6 ай бұрын

Have you seen the price of film and development nowadays? I happily shot hundreds and hundreds of rolls of it for many years but now it’s just absurd lol - just cause I like nice cameras doesn’t mean I want to get shafted on the cost of film, especially when something like the M8 exists to give me more or less a similar vibe and experience without the hassle of the cost or the time required to get the rolls developed and scanned. Medium format still has its place though.

I got this with a 35mm f1.4 voigtlander and I would say AVOID. If you're on a budget the cheapest useable M rangefinder you can get is the M9. The colour on the M8 is unusable with the black/purple sensor issue - I would only use it in black & white. Its cropped sensor ISO maxes out at 1250 and unuseable in low light. Instead of using the M6 click and wind sound, they created a shutter sound that replicates a noisy point and shoot film camera. You cannot shoot discretely which defeats the point of having a small rangefinder over a massive SLR

@rudermanphoto

7 ай бұрын

Have you tried using an IR cut filter? It eliminates the sensor sensitivity issues entirely and makes the colours the same as the M9. The M9 isn’t much better in low light either, shoot these cameras like film - you aren’t going above 800 iso with film anyway. It’s debatable on what you prefer for the shutter but saying it sounds like a noisy point and shoot isn’t really fair, it sounds like a precise mechanical click and whirr, not subtle but still very unique and one of my favourite parts of the camera.

@gwgw9177

7 ай бұрын

@@rudermanphoto the M8 sounded almost exactly like my point and shoot Ricoh. It was such a bad decision from Leica that they never continued that shutter sound with any of the subsequent M models. The M9 being full frame is streets ahead better than the M8 in low light. Leica sent me the IR filters for free but the colours are still awful. Only use an M8 in black & white I would always recommend every camera convert looking to get into digital Leica M that a used M9 with a replaced sensor is the entry level Leica M. The experience is far diminished if you start with the M8 given all its design flaws and deficiencies. Don't let the lower price tempt you.

Nope, The Cheapest one will be a X-Pro Series

@rudermanphoto

3 ай бұрын

That’s not a real rangefinder :)

@AndreasUsenbenz

3 ай бұрын

@@rudermanphoto why it‘s not?

@rudermanphoto

3 ай бұрын

@@AndreasUsenbenz because it doesn’t have an actual mechanical rangefinder it’s just a hybrid optical viewfinder - google it.

@AndreasUsenbenz

3 ай бұрын

@@rudermanphoto ok. It‘s hybrid rangefinder. 🤷🏼

Are you joking ??! Ridiculous !