The Digital Transition Begins: Leica M8

In 2006 Leica released the M8, the first digital M-body. It used a Kodak CCD sensor — not full-frame, but a 1.33x crop — housed in a body that preserved the M rangefinder's mechanical shutter, viewfinder, and bayonet mount. Every M lens made since 1954 mounted and coupled correctly.

The M8 had well-documented flaws. The sensor had an infrared sensitivity issue that required UV/IR filters on many lenses to render colours accurately, particularly black fabrics. The 10-megapixel resolution was modest even for 2006. But the camera proved that the M concept could survive digitalisation without abandoning what made it distinctive: the bright optical viewfinder, the tactile shutter, the compact body, the M-lens ecosystem.

For newcomers: the M8 is now an affordable entry into digital M shooting. Its limitations are manageable, its CCD sensor produces a film-like tonality that some photographers actively prefer, and its lower price compared to later M bodies makes it accessible. It is where the current Leica digital story begins.