New Leica M8.2 and new lenses (september 15, 2008)
Anyone who had expected, overtly or secretly, that Photokina 2008 would be the moment for the announcement of the R10 or M9, might feel disappointed that the company takes its time to design and market really new products. Leica users and watchers are in fact in that same situation that the Nikonians had to endure for such a long time. For a long period it seemed that Nikon had lost contact with the market and one could see how the competition piled up innovations at a high rate. When Nikon reacted it was a strong suite of products and some defectors returned to their roots. One lagging, Nkon is now leading. Leica-ists are now in the same position. Whether the wait will be worthwhile has to seen.
The new Leica M8.2 shows that Leica responds to market criticism and wishes. This product is intended as a bridge to the future and should attract new customers. The designation (like the old R6 and R6.2 models) refers to an upgrade and not a new product. The current M8 was at first greeted with great expectations and then some severe shortcomings came to the fore. There was/is nothing wrong with the basic image quality and with expert photographic technique and some minimal post-processing the results are on a par with the results obtained with a Nikon D3 and Canon 5D. Leica has always played the minimalist card when comparing camera features and insists that only the basics are required to take good pictures. Leica profiles the M8 as the reasonable and sensible alternative to the overly complex and feature loaded dSLRs. The M8 has just enough features to get the photographic job done but simplicity and intuitive handling are preserved. The Leica M has never been a system camera in the current sense of the concept and claims for itself a small segment of the photographic spectrum: the human interest or documentary photography where empathy and a keen eye are required for meaningful pictures. The emphasis on manual focusing with the rangefinder for framing and distance setting does force one to think about the picture and to experience the act of taking pictures. Full manual shooting is not only fun, but also a conviction, even a certain way of life. The CRF as an alternative to the full automated SLR camera with its inherent machine gunning method of picture taking, is not a new idea. It was the profile of the Leica CRF in the AgX period. Leica wants to extend this position in the digital age and current image culture.
Photokina 2006 was the moment where the M8 was unveiled: the camera immediately got a dual personality: greeted by the aficionado’s as the thing we always wanted to have but were afraid to ask for and criticised by many professional users for a number of negative points. The infamous infrared sensitivity, the inaccurate frame lines in the finder, the unpleasant shutter noise, the awkward placing of buttons and the menu-oriented handling of major controls (like ISO settings and exposure compensation) put a bit of a blot on the original enthusiasm. The occasional breakdown of the electrical circuits, the unreliable automatic white balance was not helpful for the reputation either.
So strong is the loyalty of the true Leica user that the sales volume of the M8 was high enough to push the company through its nadir.
The M8.2 takes away the most critical negative aspects, but cannot improve every element. The frame lines are now adjusted to show the 100% view of the scene when the focus is at two meters. The M8 had its frame lines adjusted to the scene at minimum distance (0.7 meters). The shutter in the M8.2 is now tamed to top at 1/4000 (flash synch at 1/180) and makes less noise, some even claim that the sound level is lower than that of a well adjusted M6 shutter: this is mainly a matter of taste and personal hearing. There is an ISO override option (plus minus three stops) that can be activated by slightly pressing the release button and turning the selection wheel. Still not the best solution, but it is an improvement. The main switch has now a stronger resistance when you wish to engage the self timer. With the M8 you could easily activate the self timer when you just wanted to select the continuous shooting mode. These are sensible but not major improvements The addition of the sapphire cover glass and the Snapshot mode and the Vulcanite type body cover can be categorized as nice to have, but will not improve picture taking. The S-mode is a concession to the casual user that a purist might deplore.
The black version now has a durable black paint over the metal parts and no longer the black chrome cover and the accessory-shoe is in decent grey. The red logo is black too. The silver chrome version will bear the red coloured logo. The black version has without doubt a visually satisfying design and is a pleasure to look at and use. Now there is no need to cover the body with black tape to create a Stealth version.
The M8.2 can at last handle SDHC cards to 32 Gb and a new battery loader will inject power into the battery at a high speed. The size of the loader has been reduced and takes less space in the camera bag. You can live with this, but still a far cry from a Canon or Nikon battery that you can use for a long period without recharging.
Presumably the LUP will be expanded to help M8 users to get most important features of the M8.2. Then you can at best create an M8.1 but this might suite many users.
What can we make from this introduction?
Some improvements will help suppress valid criticisms and one is tempted to say that the M8.2 is the camera that Leica should have produced from the start. The M8.2 is definitely closer to the Leica roots than the M8, and is more fluent in emphasizing the operational simplicity and the functional effectiveness of the CRF concept. The company has indicated that the M8 will stay in the program, but that is certainly not for a long period. The models are too close in features and usability to warrant two different product offerings. The current prices are quoted as E 4000 for the M8 (and a LUP of at least E 1200) and E 5000 for the M8.2. The M8 price is inclusive a trade in camera.
New buyers will opt for the M8.2 but it is doubtful whether the additional features will seduce a current M8 owner to trade in or sell the M to get a M8.2. The risk for the company is the unknown extent of the potential for new dCRF buyers. There is certainly not a limitless reservoir of dCRF buyers and one cannot guess how much the M8 has skimmed off from this potential. Photographers who are buying into a top of the heap dSLR line (affordable at the M8/8.2 price level) will not divert their resources to buy the M8.2. And photographers who bought an M8 just recently will not feel tempted to buy the M8.2. Leica now offers three routes to obtain products that are quite close together in price and functionality: M8, M8 + LUP and M8.2.
New lenses
If an M8 owner has money to spare for an investment in Leica products, the new lenses are probably more interesting to take into consideration. Leica has a long pedigree in designing excellent lenses. And the new Summilux and Noctilux designs are very interesting. It is some feat for such a small company and optical design staff to create eight lenses in just over a year. This is an impressive result. The pace of innovation has quickened dramatically and the lead time per lens design has been shortened to almost breakneck speed. Not only lenses have to be designed, but the new finders are also quite demanding on the design team. This aggressive design and marketing approach is the merit of the much maligned Steven Lee.
The best news is that the optical performance has not been diluted to create these designs in such a short time.
Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH.
Designated as the fastest aspherical 35mm lens in the world, the new Noctilux is the successor of the Noctilux 1/50mm with seven elements. Canon once made a 0.95/50mm lens, but wide open and stopped down this lens was at best acceptable. The new LNA (leica noct asph) improves on three shortcomings of the previous version. The focus shift has been reduced substantially, the stopped down performance is outstandingly good and close up performance is quite good because of the new floating rear group. The old Noct did improve when stopping down, but even at optimum apertures contrast was below that of the Summicron at the same apertures. From f/4 and smaller the performance is comparable with that of the Summilux 1.4/50 asph. Only the corners are a bit softer. But on the M8 you will not notice this. The wide open performance is hardly better than what you get with the old Noct 1/50, but one has to say that the 0.95 aperture is more than 10% wider than the f/1. Do not expect the vignetting to be much improved, but distortion is. With eight elements and two aspherical surfaces and a floating group, the lens is clearly derived from the Summilux asph design, but it is a separate design. New is the fact that the two large front elements are separated and there is an air lens between them, just as the original Summicron from 1953 had. At the widest apertures the depth of field is extremely narrow and the sharpness plane is hair thin. The M8 finder with 0.68 enlargment is not accurate enough and the new 1.4 finder loupe is a must. The MP and M7 with 0.85 finder are in a much better position here. The classical 50mm field of view is with these cameras self-evident. The M8 user will get a 70mm field of view.
It is a pity that Leica marketing has to emphasize that the Noct has a speed that surpasses the speed of the eye. By now it is common knowledge that the eye has an aperture of 2.8 to 3.5, depending on age and DNA.
Length 81.8mm
Diameter: 73mm
Weight 700 gr
Filter E60
Range 1 meter to infinity
Design 8 elements in 5 groups, two aspherics and a floating group
Price E 7295
1.4 loupe E 250
LEICA SUMMILUX-M 21 mm f/1.4 ASPH. en LEICA SUMMILUX-M 24 mm f/1.4 ASPH.
High speed extreme wide angle lenses are not common to say the least. The M designs can be optimized for this type of lens more easily and better than true retrofocus designs. The new designs depart from the Leica philosophy to create short lenses in this range. The Zeiss view that the elongated but narrower design has advantages by extending the distance between the location of the entrance pupil and exit pupil to balance aberrations has been adopted by Leica. Additional advantage of the more tubular design is the fact that the viewfinder is relatively clean and the lens inclusive shade des not intrude. To keep the diameter as narrow as possible the same design as is used in the Tri-Elmar 16-18-21 has been employed: External thread with non-rotating mount and stop for filter holder or lens hood. The Summiliux 21 and 24 share many characteristics, but are not two versions of the same basic design. Every lens has been optimized, but there is a family resemblance.
The 21 lens has 10 elements in 8 groups and is a quite complex design for Leica norm. This is required as the lens needs to cover a wide field of view and a massive amount of light. Compared to a 2.8 design four times as much energy is passed through the lens. Two aspherics and a floating group are incorporated. Wide open the lens has a shade of softness, but is very usable. Stopped down the performance is exemplary.
Length 89.9mm
Diameter: 69.5mm
Weight 580gr
Filter VIII
Range 0.7 meter to infinity
Design 10 elements in 8 groups, two aspherics and a floating group
Price E 4995
Finder E 650
Shade E220
The 24 Summilux has ten elements in eight groups, but has a different layout to optimize for the smaller angle of view. One aspherical is enough and the floating group is also available.
Length 88.8mm
Diameter: 73.2mm
Weight 500gr
Filter VIII
Range 0.7 meter to infinity
Design 10 elements in 8 groups, one aspheric and a floating group
Price E 4995
Finder E 650
Shade E220
For both lenses the wide open performance is quite good, but do not expect a high contrast definition. It would be wrong to give all attention to the high speed aperture. With current sensor technology a high ISO speed may compensate for the sheer speed of the lens. At least as important is the ability to compose a scene with true selective focus. Environmental portraits are now possible with very fine out of focus blur in the back ground. The boke of the 21 and 24 is very pleasing with a clean background blur and smooth gradation.
Leica Elmar-M 3.8/24 ASPH.
This lens is the successor of the Elmarit-M 2.8/24 ASPH. There is a definite improvement in overall quality and the definition is now very even over the whole image field. Wide open the image quality is already outstanding in the centre of the field. Stopped down the performance becomes outstanding if not superb over the full image field. The optical layout has 8 elements in six groups. The compact design fits very nicely in the Leica M tradition. The price is quite acceptable and this one should not be overlooked because of its modest aperture.
Length 53.4mm
Diameter: 53mm
Weight 360gr
Filter E46
Range 0.7 meter to infinity
Design 8 elements in 6 groups, one aspheric
Price E 1795
Finder E 650
Shade E185
Conclusion
These lenses (with the exception of the Elmar) are heavy and voluminous and are in a different league compared to the Summarit range in all respects. The speed of the lux and noct designs is very impressive and the performance can hardly be faulted. The designers have balanced the requirements for performance with the demands for a volume that is as small as can be tolerated. The noct as example has eight elements and there is no room for additional lens elements given the space requirements.
The precision of manufacture and assembly is demanding on the whole production chain. The floating groups move only a few millimetres, but must operate at micron level to be effective. The tolerances have been narrowed to twice the level of previous designs. This is impressive, as the use of machines has been increased. The level of precision that a skilled worker can hold is generally higher than what a machine ca do, but the worker has its lapses of inattention, where the machine works without fatigue. The cooperation between and the tuning of optical design, tolerance level, machine capabilities and performance requirements is optimized to a level previously thought impossible. The design and manufacturing now operates close to sub- micron level.
The speed of the lenses is better interpreted as enhanced capabilities for interesting compositions and imagery than the sheer performance wide open, however good this is.
The current line up for the M camera is Tri-Elmar 16-18-21, 2.8/21, 1.4/21, 1.4/24, 3.8/24, 2/28, 2.8/28, 1.4/35, 2/35, 2.5/35, 2.5/50, 2/50, 1.4/50, 0.95/50, 2/75, 2.5/75, 2/90 en 2.5/90. Of these 18 designs, 14 are 50mm or shorter and half of all lenses are 35m or below. This composition shows the road for the profiling of the M line: as the ultimate snapshot camera in the wide angle domain where the rangefinder concept has decisive advantages. At 90m and longer the current Leica rangefinder operates at its limits and the composition of the lens range reflects this property.
A very interesting complement to the Leica proposals is the brand new Zeiss ZM 4/85, which operates well within the rangefinder tolerances.
A final word may be spared for the new finders for the 21 and 24 lenses. The newly designed and constructed lenses have a full metal construction, and a complex lens system. The result is a crystal clear view, undistorted and flare free. The solid construction is closely modeled to the original shape. The finder shows framelines for the full 35mm format and the M8 format. These are really beautiful products. For the price you can also get a D-lux 4.. For this price you also have a full blown DSLR with quite good performance. This makes one reflect on the price elasticity for the Leica M products