Leica M8
Notable
The M8 was the first digital M camera. Despite its IR filter issue and APS-H crop, it proved the market for a digital rangefinder and gave Leica the experience to build the full-frame M9 three years later.
Famous for
- Leica's first digital M — a cropped-sensor pioneer that proved M-mount glass worked digitally
- Controversially lacked an IR-cut filter, requiring IR-cut lens filters for some shots
The Leica M8, announced in September 2006, was the first digital Leica M camera. It was a genuinely brave product: Leica put a Kodak 10MP CCD sensor with APS-H (1.33x crop) dimensions into a body that was otherwise recognizably an M, complete with the traditional rangefinder, M bayonet mount, and cloth focal-plane shutter.
The M8 had real problems. Its sensor had a weak infrared-cut filter, causing synthetic fabrics to render with a magenta or IR cast in certain lighting — most notably, black clothing could appear purple. Leica issued UV/IR filters as a workaround. The crop factor also meant that a 50mm lens acted like a 67mm equivalent, which frustrated photographers used to the traditional M focal length experience. Despite these issues, the M8 sold well enough to prove the market for a digital M existed, and it gave Leica the confidence to develop the full-frame M9. Many M8 photographers came to appreciate its CCD rendering and learned to work around its quirks.
Key specs
- type
- APS-H digital rangefinder
- sensor
- 10MP Kodak CCD, APS-H (1.33x crop)
- iso range
- ISO 160–2500
- finder magnification
- 0.68x
- shutter
- cloth focal-plane, 8s–1/8000
- known issue
- IR sensitivity / magenta cast on synthetic fabrics
Variants & finishes
The M8 in silver chrome — Leica's first digital M (2006). Uses an APS-H sensor (1.33x crop); note the well-known UV/IR sensitivity issue that requires a filter for accurate color with some fabrics.
Black-chrome M8 — same APS-H CCD sensor as the silver. The first digital M body; historically significant and shootable today, but the sensor quirks require awareness.
Market value
Launch price: $4,995 (2006)
Used-market price history is coming soon.
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