Leica M8 Hands-on Preview, September 2006. This new rangefinder digital camera has the classic design, build and function of the M series but utilizes a completely digital imaging system. The M8 has a specially designed ten megapixel CCD sensor which being slightly smaller than a film negative introduces a 1.33x field of view crop. This ratio conveniently converts several standard M lenses to sort-of equivalent steps (so 21 mm to approx. 28 mm, 28 mm to approx. 35 mm).
The M8 is not an adapted M7, it is a totally new camera with a new body (albeit one that bears all the usual M trademarks), a new viewfinder and a new sensor. Nor is it necessarily the end of the line for M film cameras; Leica is leaving that door open, for the moment at least. [Digital Photography Review]
From the preview it seems that Leica has done a very good job of designing a digital equivalent to their film cameras. It’s very expensive, which is to be expected for a Leica product. I wonder how the non-full frame sensor will affect sales, since it’s in the same price range as Canon’s full-frame DSLRs. The cropping factor might also be a problem for peope who already have Leica lenses. Leica lenses are very expensive compared to SLR lenses–if your normal lens has suddenly become a short telephoto, buying a 35mm lens to be your new normal lens will set you back over $2,000!
From what I’ve read on the Internet, though, it appears that digital camera purchases are often driven by technological fetishism more than any practical concern, so perhaps this won’t matter. And in any case, Leica is very popular with rich collectors who don’t actually use their cameras–that’s part of the reason why they’re so expensive.
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