Have you ever lived the decisive moment and wished you could capture it? Leicaphiles, photographers, cognoscenti, ladies and gentlemen, the era of the new Leica M8 promises to bring that feeling closer to being. It is with great pleasure that I share some details of this new era in Leica photography.

The M8: it’s digital, it’s real, and it’s an M camera through and through. It maintains every important aspect of an M camera: intimacy with the photographer, discretion and, of course, irreproachable quality.

Earlier this week, I had a chance to sit down with Leica USA’s president, Roger Horn and marketing director, Chrstian Erhardt. They introduce Leica’s new lineup - includes the M8- to me. In addition to this revolutionary camera, Leica is introducing a new Tri-elmar: 16, 18, and 21mm F4. It shares a strong lineage with the existing Tri-elmar. The new Tri-elmar is 100% usable on all M cameras.

Also being introduced is a new and very compact Elmarit 28mm ASPH. Thin and razor sharp, it redefines tact and compactness.

People waiting for a true Leica wide-angle finder with bright frame lines will be happy to learn about the universal wide-angle finder. Its coverage includes the range from 16mm to 21mm, and incorporates those beloved bright lines.

Please refer to the newsletter’s bottom section for information and PDF brochures being made available from Leica about the various items the company will be introducing in September at Photokina in Cologne, Germany.

Conversion...? No need. Keep simple and real
You would be doing your photography a disservice if you start down the road of calculating and mentally converting focal lengths of your M lenses to the M8 format.
Regardless of CCD size and angle of view, a 50mm lens is still 50mm. It is a 50 in stamp and more importantly, in character.

We always relied on the bright frame lines in the viewfinder to compose. The M8 is no different. Just install the lens on the body, look through the familiar viewfinder, and compose within the frame lines that appear. These lines are a bit tighter than those appearing in other M cameras, but that should make no difference in the way you see. During my time with the M8, it was outfitted with a Summilux 50mm. I was reassured to see the familiar frame lines of the 50—probably my favorite focal length—inside that viewfinder. People with .72 viewfinder Ms will hardly notice a difference. The M8 has a 0.68 magnification so, the relative distance between the outer edge of the viewfinder and the 50mm bright lines is virtually identical to a 0.72 Leica

I would like to remind my clients and friends to take a look at the pre-owned section. Every now and then there are nice additions, including the Summilux 75mm that I now have.

Estimated Pricing in Canadian $$:
M8 body (available in silver chrome or black): C$5475.00
M8 accessory prices will available soon at the store and on line
M-Tri Elmar 16-18-21 F4: C$3999.00
M-Elmarit 28 F2.8 ASPH: C$1725.00
Universal wide-angle finder: C$899.00

An M8 in hands and in the company of Mr. Roger Horn and Mr. Christian Erhardt.

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are pleased to introduce the Leica M8, the first professional digital rangefinder camera, Leica Elmarit-M 1:2.8/28 mm ASPH, a compact wide angle lens, Leica Tri-Elmar-M 1:4/16-18-21mm ASPH, a super wide angle lens with three focal lengths and the Universal Viewfinder M for focal lengths from 16 to 28 mm. This memo outlines the performance features, as well as the design features of these exciting additions to our product line. In addition, you will receive information about the optional accessories and the scope of delivery.

Leica M8

Basic Information:
- Digital rangefinder camera
- High picture quality even with high ISO settings
- Logical, Leica-typical intuitive functions
- Metal housing made of highly stabile magnesium alloy
- Available in black or silver chrome

High Resolution:
The minimal noise CCD was optimized for the special needs of the M-lens system and offers a high resolution of 10.3 mio. pixels. The special adaptation of the sensor with micro lens offset helps to avoid disturbing vignetting in the corners of the pictures. A very thin glass covering obstructs unwanted light by diagonal light.

Full Light Efficiency:
It is now possible to take much more detailed pictures with high sensitivity up to 2500 ISO, as never before with analogue film.

Concentrated and Intuitive:
The M8 features only the most relevant photographical digital possibilities. The functions such as time automatic and the manual focus in combination with the preserved rangefinder principal were maintained. A simple and intuitive menu allows for setting on the 2.5” screen in only a few steps.

Rangefinder:
The Leica M8 has a bright light frame for the 24 and 35 mm, 28 and 90 mm and 50 and 75 mm lenses. Through the focal length extension factor of 1.33x, the effective focal length is from 32 to 120 mm. This makes the use of the APO-TELYT-M 135mm/f3.5 not recommendable. The viewfinder magnification corresponds to 0.68.

Compatibility:
The M8 deliberately is without the resolution reducing Moire-Filter in front of the sensor in order to achieve the full performance of the lens. The high resolution of the M-system lenses produced since 1954 can be used with the M8.

Creative Photography:
The electronically steered and very silent metal blades of the focal-plane shutter can realize exposure times of up to 1/8000 sec. In well-lit surroundings, a photographer’s creativity is not hindered with the use of selective sharpness with an open aperture. It is possible to take pictures during daylight hours with selective sharpness with the short flash synchronization time of 1/250 second.

Silent and Discreet:
In order to achieve a silent advance of the shutter, a rubberized silencing friction wheel was placed in the first gear step. The power is transmitted over a cam the entire length of the tension arm. This makes for a very silent noise from the motorized tension of the shutter.

Digital and Longevity:
The M8 has been designed to deliver professional results over many years. The closed all metal housing is made of highly stabile magnesium alloy. The top plate and bottom plate of he camera is milled from massive blocks of brass and then silver or black chromium-plated. For the future, raw data formats will implement the DNG technology due to the fact that it guarantees long archive security.

Raw Data Converter Capture One LE:
The raw data converter Capture One, which is included in the scope of delivery, ensures that the raw data delivered to the CCD sensor and saved in the secure Adobe Digital Negative (DNG) format will “develop” the best possible quality. The development of even the finest tonal values delivered from the CCD 16-bit picture makes the comparison with a professional combination of color slide film and a professional processing lab justified.

Remote Control Software:
Leica Digital Capture works as a remote control for the camera for academic use or in a photo studio. Using a USB cable, the camera can be released through a computer and the picture files can be stored directly on the computer. All camera settings such as ISO or resolution can be changed using the software.

Scope of delivery:
The Leica M8 comes with a neck strap with an anti-slipping device, camera cap for the MBayonet, Lithium-Ion battery, charger including car adapter and 3 plug adapters (Euro, UK, & USA), USB cable, software DVD Capture One LE, Software CD with Leica Digital Capture and instruction manual in all languages, printed instruction manual Leica M8 and Leica M8 warranty card

Optional Accessories:

The neoprene case in black can hold a camera plus a lens of 60/80 mm from the bayonet
flange. The ever-ready case made of black Nappa leather is specially designed for the Leica M8 and allows for changing the battery and SD-card while the camera is in the bag. It can also hold a lens of up to 70 mm in length from the bayonet flange. The camera-protector protects the M8 from normal wear and tear. The grip holder makes it more ergonomic. The hand grip for the M8 comes in black or silver and allows that M8 to rest more comfortably in the hand during photography. The Lithium-ion battery was specially designed for the M8 and provides enough power for about 575 pictures. The charger for the M8 can be used in nearly all countries and it includes a car adapter for 12-24 volts. The charger recognizes the different charging parameters and reacts accordingly to ensure a long life of the battery.

Neoprene case	Ever-ready case	Camera-protector	Hand grip

M8 Brochure

Basic Information: - Extremely compact wide angle lens - 0.39 lbs (180 g) light - Aspherical lens for excellent photographs - No viewfinder coverage without use of the lens hood - Practically free of distortion - Not sensitive to lens fares - Usable on the Leica M8 with effective focal length of 37 mm

The Leica Elmarit-M 28 mm/2.8 ASPH lens is the most compact M lens to be developed. The aspherical lens ensures high performance. This lens is practically free of distortion for close up shots of 27.6” (0.7 m) and only slightly projects in the viewfinder of the M-camera. When used on the M8, this lens portrays the picture of a 35 mm lens.

Scope of Delivery:
The Leica Elmarit-M 28 mm/f2.8 ASPH lens comes with a lens hood, lens cap E39, cap for MBayonet, Nappa leather case and a warranty card.

Super Wide Angle Lens with 3 Focal Lengths Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm/f4 ASPH Basic Information: - Super wide angle lens for analogue and digital M cameras - 2 aspherical lenses for excellent photographs - Focusing through a floating element construction - Very minimal distortion even at 16 mm - Close up shots reducible to 19.7” (0.5 m) - Not sensitive to lens flare - Available in sets with the Universal Wide Angle Finder M

The Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm/f4 ASPH through its impressive picture angle of 107°captures the 16 mm super wide angle photography in perfect Leica M quality. There is minimal distortion even at 16 mm and when used on the M8, the picture effect is that of a 21-28 mm and makes extreme wide-angle perspectives possible. The compact form is a result of the two aspherical lenses. The adaptation of a floating element principle greatly improves the quality of close up shooting. In hyper focal photography, depth of field from 12.9” (0.33 m) is usable.

Scope of Delivery
The Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21 mm/f4 ASPH comes with a lens hood, lens cap, cap for MBayonet, Nappa leather case and a warranty card.

Optional Accessory:
A filter adapter (E67) is available.

Basic Information: - 100% finder - Bright lines for 5 focal lengths 16, 18, 21, 24 & 28 mm - Parallax compensation from 0.5 m to 8 - Glasses with anomalous partial dispersion - Not sensitive to lens flares - Spirit level with fluorescent lighting - Diopter compensation of +/- 3 dpt

The Universal Wide Angle Viewfinder M makes it possible to use the new Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-21mm/f4 ASPH on analogue M7 & MP models and on the digital M8 with focal length extension.

With this viewfinder, it is possible to determine the picture detail for the five Leica M focal lengths 16, 18, 21, 24 and 28. The parallax compensation allows for individual focusing of the trimmed areas. The use of an aspherical and an achromatic corrected lens make possible that the lens is not sensitive to lens flares, has a high resolution, and is brilliant. The viewfinder has a level with which is responsible for the horizontal leveling of the camera. Diopter compensation of –3 to +3 is possible with the available optional correction lenses.

Scope of Delivery:
It comes with a Nappa leather case and a warranty card.

Download brochures about Brand New Leica Products!

M8	V-Lux 1	Digilux 3	D-Lux 3

Looking forward to your comments,

Photographically yours,

Jean Bardaji
Leicaboutique.com & Camtec Photo