The Leica M8 is the first

digital camera A digital camera is a camera that captures photographs in digital memory. Most cameras produced today are digital, largely replacing those that capture images on photographic film. Digital cameras are now widely incorporated into mobile devices ...

in the

rangefinder A rangefinder (also rangefinding telemeter, depending on the context) is a device used to measure distances to remote objects. Originally optical devices used in surveying, they soon found applications in other fields, such as photography an ...

M series introduced by

Leica Camera AG Leica Camera AG () is a German company that manufactures cameras, optical lenses, photographic lenses, binoculars, rifle scopes and microscopes. The company was founded by Ernst Leitz in 1869 (Ernst Leitz Wetzlar), in Wetzlar, Germany. I ...

on 14 September 2006. It uses an APS-H 10.3-megapixel

Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...

KAF-10500 The KAF-10500 is a CCD imaging sensor designed by US photographic company Eastman Kodak. In September 2006 it was announced that the sensor was to be used in the Leica M8 digital rangefinder camera, having been specifically designed for this appli ...

CCD

image sensor An image sensor or imager is a sensor that detects and conveys information used to make an image. It does so by converting the variable attenuation of light waves (as they pass through or reflect off objects) into signals, small bursts of cu ...

. As of 15 November 2014, the most recent firmware version is 2.024.

Features

The M8 body is slightly thicker than the classic MP and M7 (approximately ~14% thicker). It is an all-metal body made of a high-strength magnesium alloy. The top and base plates are cut from brass billets, before receiving a black or silver chrome finish. The M8 supports all existing Leica M-mount lenses, however some older models might not offer all the functions due to mismatching cams. All lenses are multiplied by a 1.33x crop factor, hence a 28mm lens will act approximately like a 35mm when mounted to the M8. Because the infrared filter over the sensor is relatively weak, adding an IR-cut filter in front of the lens is recommended. In addition, Leica chooses to omit the Anti-Alias filter, citing the reason for higher resolution power of the lens. However, the moiré artifacts can occur in scenes with closely spaced geometric patterns, such as fabric or mesh, distant buildings, balcony railings, corrugated roofing etc. The M8 uses modern metal-blade focal-plane shutter. It can fire flash synchronization at 1/250 second

X-sync In photography, flash synchronization or flash sync is the synchronizing the firing of a photographic flash with the opening of the shutter admitting light to photographic film or electronic image sensor. In cameras with mechanical (clockwor ...

and has a top shutter speed of 1/8000 sec. The flash system used in the M8 is M-TTL. The camera uses a 6-bit coding system that identifies the lens in use to the electronics built into M8 body. The code is included on all current Leica lenses. To prevent excessive

vignetting In photography and optics, vignetting is a reduction of an image's brightness or saturation toward the periphery compared to the image center. The word '' vignette'', from the same root as ''vine'', originally referred to a decorative borde ...

due to closer lens mount than in a

DSLR A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that combines the optics and the mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a digital imaging sensor. The reflex design scheme is the primary difference between ...

and thus higher light rays angle on the sensor periphery, offset micro-lenses are used on the CCD. The 6-bit code on lenses gives information about optic vignetting characteristics, permitting software adjustment. The M8 uses Adobe DNG as its raw data format and the raw converter Capture One LE (included with the camera).

Reception

The Leica M8 suffered from some controversy on its release due to image quality problems reported by some users, especially an extremely high sensitivity to

infrared Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...

light, which made black colors appear purple. Leica has since released a statement saying that it will send two free special UV/IR screw-on

photographic filter In photography and cinematography, a filter is a camera accessory consisting of an optical filter that can be inserted into the optical path. The filter can be of a square or oblong shape and mounted in a holder accessory, or, more commonly, a ...

s to all future M8 purchasers, and upon request for all current M8 users. Users experiencing other image quality problems can apply to return their M8 for repair. However, this sensitivity to Infrared light has inspired a niche of photographers who use photographic filters that block the

visible spectrum The visible spectrum is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye. Electromagnetic radiation in this range of wavelengths is called ''visible light'' or simply light. A typical human eye will respond to wavele ...

of light to do infrared photography.

Upgrade program

Leica announced a perpetual upgrade program on 31 January 2008. To keep a user's M8 up to date with newer releases, owners can send their M8 to Leica for upgrades. The first upgrade offered under this program is an improved shutter designed for quieter operation, at the cost of a slower maximum shutter speed of 1/4000sec. Leica subsequently announced additional upgrades: * Sapphire glass LCD cover * More accurate bright line frames

Leica M8.2

Leica announced the Leica M8.2 on 15 September 2008. The Leica M8.2 includes all the upgrades offered in the upgrade program, however the black version is coated with black paint (as opposed to the black chrome finish of the standard Leica M8) and black Leica branding dot. An auto S setting producing only JPEGs was added to the shutter speed dial. Leica also introduced the M8.2 Safari edition package, limited to a production run of 500. The package includes an olive green painted Leica M8.2, a silver-finished Leica Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH lens and a matching Billingham camera case.

Gallery

Leica-m8 hg.JPG, M8 front view Image:M8 Rear.jpg, M8 rear view Image:M8JI1.jpg, Leica M8 with Noctilux and IR filter Image:Leica-M8-IMG 0092.JPG, Leica M8 with a 90mm telelens File:M8 white img 2172.jpg , White limited edition

References

External links

Leica M8 initial review
at luminous-landscape.com
Leica M8 hands-on review
at dpreview.com {{Leica M digital cameras M8 Digital rangefinder cameras Cameras introduced in 2006 de:Leica M8