Model Design / Appearance
We typically start this section with a category such as “DSLR,” “compact” or even “SLR-like.” There isn't a term other than “Leica M” that is both specific and accurate for the M8. Rangefinder embraces too many clunky, cheap cameras.
The Leica M series is a simple, refined design. It is very expensively-built: the cap and bottom are milled out of solid blocks of brass, and the front and back are magnesium alloy castings. The costly construction pays off. There are no poorly-matched joints. In fact, none of the joints are evident at all. The seam around the bottom is so tight that it's a surprise when the thing comes off – the components are so well-matched they seem to be one piece instead of two. The camera is very solid. Beyond that, it feels and looks luxurious, in an elegant, form-follows-function way.
Size / Portability
The M8 is 5.45 x 3.16 x 1.45 inches, and weighs, without the battery, 19.2 ounces. That's small compared to DSLRs. M-series lenses are also relatively small. They are just as fabulously expensive as the cameras, so $10,000 of Leica equipment takes up a tiny fraction of the space $10,000 worth of Canon, Nikon or Olympus equipment might. An M8 and a couple of lenses are much smaller than a DSLR with a normal zoom lens – and the Leica lenses will be wider-aperture.
The M8 will hang nicely from a shoulder strap. Though some photographers use wrist straps with Leicas, they're a little heavy for that. The close fit and strong latch on the bottom, and the resilient door on the USB port indicate good seals against dust and moisture.
Handling Ability
DSLR users have gotten accustomed to bulbous hand grips, and Leica makes an accessory that supplies one. We found the Leica M8 comfortable as it is. One digitalcamerainfo.com staffer was a long-time Leica M2 user, and found the M8 very familiar in hand – even though it lacks a film advance. The most unfamiliar sensation was that the M8 felt a little thick. It's about 2 mm thicker than its film predecessors.
As plain and flat as it is, the M8 is comfortable to hold. The round right side fits between thumb and index finger, while the left had sits a bit lower, with part of the hand supporting the camera from underneath, and the thumb and index finger turning the focus ring on the short lenses.
Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size
The M8 shutter release is smooth, with a short travel and not much resistance. It has three positions. A slight depression activates the light meter, a bit more locks exposure in automatic mode, and pressing fully takes a shot.
The other buttons feel solid and work smoothly. The 4-way controller is a set of four buttons. We typically favor a single control that can be rocked in four directions. The dial around the 4-way buttons is a little like Canon's Quick Control Dial, though the M8 version offers more resistance, and is set up to function with smaller movements.
Menu
The Set button brings up frequently-used shooting functions, while the Menu button brings up items most often on cameras' set-up menus. Because the camera lacks a few key functions, its menus are relatively short.
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Set
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ISO
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ISOs in full EV steps from 160 to 2500
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EV
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Exposure compensation
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White Balance
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Choose presets, Auto, manual or direct Kelvin input
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Compression
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File format – DNG or JPEG, JPEG pixel size and compression
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User Profile
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Users can set combinations of ISO, white balance and other parameters. These profiles are created via the main menu
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Menu
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Lens detection
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Set to sense lens data and adjust digital parameters
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Save user profile
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Set combinations of parameters for various shooting situations
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Self-timer
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Set delay
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Sharpening
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Set amount
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Color Saturation
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Adjust saturation
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Contrast
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Set contrast
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Monitor
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Set LCD brightness
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Histogram
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Set to luminance, luminance with clipping, RGB aor RGB with clipping
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Picture numbering
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File numbering
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Auto review
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Set interval
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Auto Power Off
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Set interval
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Flash Sync
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First of Second Curtain
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Auto Slow Sync
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Set to a shutter speed that can be hand-held given the lens on the camera – longer shutter speeds for shorter lenses
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Color Management
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sRGB, Adobe RGB, or ECI RGB
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Reset
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Return to factory defaults
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Sensor clean
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For manual cleaning
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Date
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Set Date
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Time
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Set Time
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Acoustic Signal
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Beep
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Language
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Menu and alert languages: German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese
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Format SD Card
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Initialize SD
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Firmware
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Shows version
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Ease of Use
The Leica M8 departs from a range of digital camera conventions, yet we, and most of the other visitors to the Leica booth, had few questions about how to work it – the questions were more often about construction, compatibility and so on. It's simple to use because Leica has made the controls obvious, and because the M8 has relatively few options – it's fundamentally a manual camera.
