Leica M8.2 |
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LEICA M8.2
Press Release: 2008-09-15
The new LEICA M8.2 is a significant development of Leica Camera AG?s German-made digital rangefinder camera for professionals. While important LEICA M8 attributes such as discretion, intuitive work and robustness have been further improved, the new model retains the key characteristics of the Leica reportage camera such as the compact shape, the exceptional image quality in connection with Leica M lenses and the unique picture composition with the Leica rangefinder that show it to be a genuine M camera. The LEICA M8.2 complements the M8, and many elements of the M8.2 can be integrated into the M8 if desired. With this parallel marketing, Leica Camera AG is underlining yet again the full system compatibility and high value retention of its M series.
The LEICA M8.2 integrates a new extra-quiet, low-vibration metal blade focal plane shutter which allows the photographer to determine the right moment for cocking. This brings the digital LEICA M8.2 extremely close to the ideal of the famous rubber cloth focal plane shutter of its analog sisters. Responding to the request of many professional photographers, the new black model has been given an even more inconspicuous design: the Leica dot and the accessory shoe now blend in with the color of the camera. The black version of the camera boasts a new extra durable high-quality deep black finish.
The new snapshot mode will appeal to all those who want good results right away without knowing a lot about photography. If the shutter speed dial is turned to the new ?S? setting, the camera controls all the key features automatically, such as automatic exposure (aperture priority), automatic ISO speed setting and automatic white balance. For the three most commonly used subject modes, the LEICA M8.2 gives hints on aperture and focus settings, which are displayed when the ?INFO? button on the camera monitor is pressed. The photographer can obtain further information from the new brief waterproof instructions which can be folded to the size of a credit card.
The automatic ISO setting can be selected in all operation modes of the LEICA M8.2. Another new feature is a quick override setting: When the shutter release button is sustained as far as the first pressure point, a correction of +/- 3 stops in 1/3 steps can be made with the dial on the back of the camera. The setting is shown in the viewfinder. Further modifications include a more pronounced detent mechanism of the main switch of the camera to prevent inadvertent activation of the self-timer, and redesign of the bright line frames in the viewfinder to allow more precise determination of the picture frame for longer distances.
The new LEICA M8.2 is the very first professional digital camera to use an ultra scratch-resistant sapphire crystal as coverglass for the camera monitor. It is so hard that it can be exclusively worked with special diamond tools and is permanently resistant to all mechanical or abrasive stress. The camera also sports a new easy-grip and specially robust ?vulcanite? finish.
The new compact charger unit is designed to take up a minimum of space in the photograper?s bag, and charges the lithium ion battery to 80% in only an hour and a half. This is already sufficient for about 400 exposures, so if the full capacity of about 500 exposures is not required, the camera can always be recharged in a very short time.
The new LEICA M8.2 has inherited the superlative image quality of the LEICA M8, resulting from the combination of the legendary M lenses with a CCD image sensor specially designed for the requirements of the Leica M system and high-performance image processing. The new Capture One 4 raw data converter of the Danish manufacturer Phase One ensures the best possible picture quality in the camera?s DNG mode. Unlike any other digital camera, the LEICA M8.2 is able to use almost all Leica M system lenses produced since 1954 due to their high standard of performance.
Like its predecessors, the new LEICA M8.2 continues in the tradition of easy operation, concentration on the essential, few controls and logical, easy-to-follow menus.
The LEICA M8 launched in the fall of 2006 is still available as an alternative to the new LEICA M8.2. Following a tradition of the Leica company that is unique in the world of digital photography, many elements of the new LEICA M8.2 can even be integrated into the LEICA M8: the shutter, the sapphire coverglass or the new viewfinder frames can be retrofitted by Customer Service.
The LEICA M8.2 is available now at Leica stockists.
Sensor Compared with other sensor types, CCD technology causes the least image noise and was therefore chosen as image sensor for the LEICA M8.2. With its 10.3 million pixels it is fully optimized for the special characteristics of the Leica M lens system, offering the ultra high resolution required for excellent picture quality.
The special design of the rangefinder camera without a mirror box allows the typically compact and flat shape of the LEICA M, but means that light rays strike the sensor at a more oblique angle. Comprehensive measures have been taken so that the picture quality demanded by Leica is nevertheless achieved. The special modification of the image sensor with a micro-lens offset avoids any annoying vignetting in the corners of the picture. A particularly thin coverglass, reduced to only 0.5mm, prevents the usual undesirable refraction of light when light rays strike at an angle. Leica deliberately omitted a Moir? filter, which filters out fine details of the picture, so as to fully exploit the high resolution of the Leica M lenses. Any Moir? fringes that occur are instead eliminated by the camera?s signal processor. This results in high contrast and extra high resolution with natural color rendering from corner to corner.
?The LEICA M8.2 uses the field-proven CCD image sensor with 18 x 27 mm recording area? says Stefan Daniel, Product Manager for the M System at Leica Camera AG. ?The small focal length extension factor of 1.33 enables creative freedom even in digital Leica M photography by using selective image sharpness with an open aperture?. The factor of 1.33 means that the equivalent focal length of the lens is shifted slightly by about one focal length step towards a telephoto focal length. So a 21 mm lens has an equivalent focal length of 28 mm.
Lenses The LEICA M8 can be used with virtually all lenses in the Leica M range produced since 1954. This high system compatibility has been maintained despite the changeover from film to digital technology. Even new customers who start with a LEICA M8 or M8.2 are given many application options and profit from the high value retention of Leica products. The high mechanical and optical precision and the exceptional imaging performance of the current product range in particular mean that Leica M lenses are ideally suited to digital applications. Performance criteria such as the individual coating of each lens element are provided as standard and need not be ordered as special measures for ?digital lenses?.
Viewfinder The Leica viewfinder system distinguishes the LEICA M8.2 and M8 from the general run of SLR and compact cameras on the market. It makes the camera a specialist tool for lively reportage and available-light photography, and for discreet portraiture. The photographer is part of the action and uses the viewfinder to frame what he wants to capture ? a scene, a mood, a moment. He also sees what is happening outside the viewfinder frame. This enables him to anticipate the critical moment and record it at exactly the right instant. The result is a particularly authentic shot, which contains nothing that betrays the presence of the photographer.
The photographer can still see his subject during the exposure and the bright and high-contrast viewfinder allows quick and accurate focussing even in difficult available-light situations. Together with the short shutter delay ? in digital as well as analog photography ? the rangefinder principle makes Leica M cameras the fastest in the world.
Unlike with a reflex system, where the photographer has to focus through the lens and the focal length and speed determine the accuracy of the measurement, with the Leica M rangefinder the measuring basis remains constant regardless of the lens. This makes it many times more accurate at short focal lengths. The high-contrast measurement field in the center of the viewfinder image guarantees fast and precise focusing with pinpoint accuracy, even in very poor light. The frame selector enables the photographer to simulate the effect of a different focal length and thus to choose the right focal length in advance without changing the lens. The six different bright line frames always show the exact framing as the automatic parallax compensation adjusts their position depending on the distance setting. All the other information that is relevant for achieving a perfect result can be seen in the bright-line frame viewfinder along with the subject?s surroundings ? ideal for spontaneous, inconspicuous photography.
Shutter The electronically controlled metal blade focal-plane shutter of the LEICA M8.2 permits shutter speeds up to 1/4000 sec. Even in bright surroundings, the photographer still has total creative freedom thanks to the selective focus feature with open aperture. The high flash synchronization speed of 1/180 sec. now allows daylight flash photographs to be taken with selective focus as well.
Intuitive operation The LEICA M8 models direct the photographer?s attention to the picture, not the operation of the camera. Therefore the creative aspects of aperture, time and focal plane which determine the result of the picture are in foreground. Great care, many years of experience and comprehensive knowledge of how professional photographers work have contributed to the operating concept of LEICA M8 digital functions. By concentrating on the essentials a simple, clear and intuitive user interface has been created: multifunction keys and complex menu structures have been deliberately avoided.
The core controls for operating the digital functions are the direction pad and dial, which in combination allow rapid navigation. Pressing the ?Set? button opens the exposure parameter menu on the 2.5? monitor. Here the crucial settings can be quickly selected: sensor sensitivity, exposure compensation, white balance, data compression and resolution. Three free profile slots are available for quickly calling up frequently used and application-specific combinations.
Pressing the menu button calls up a clear system menu for selecting basic settings, such as the ECI RGB, Adobe ? RGB and sRGB color variants. Here the photographer can specify whether the photographs should be shown for checking on the large display directly after they have been taken, how long they should be displayed and whether he wishes to see a tonal value histogram with the display.
The LEICA M8 models have an auto-release function with two selectable delay times of two and twelve seconds.
The remaining capacity of the SD card and the lithium ion rechargeable battery are constantly displayed for easy reference at the top of the left side of the camera body.
Innovative flash technology The LEICA M8 models use M-TTL flash technology. The special feature of this is that immediately before the actual flash illumination, a calibration pre-flash is fired. The TTL metering detects the light reflected from the surface of the subject, and determines the exact power requirement for the main flash. The smooth addition of the flash to the available light allows flash pictures that have the appearance of being taken in natural light.
The ?Auto Slow Sync? function permits the use of aperture priority mode in combination with flash technology. This provides a balanced background to the picture, even if the intensity of the continuous light changes. To achieve the correct exposure, an appropriately metered fill-in flash is used. Depending on the desired effect or experience, various maximum exposure times can be set for the aperture priority mode. These can be input manually, or if coded lenses are being used, automatically, using the proven rule of thumb ?1/focal length = exposure time in seconds?.
Checking results using the tonal value histogram As professional digital cameras, the LEICA M8 models provide a RGB tonal value histogram. This can be called up at any time to check the quality of saved pictures and can also be combined with the automatic review function. Another useful feature is the additional identification of overexposed parts of an image known as the clipping warning. These two control tools are continuously updated when zooming in on the LCD display, allowing the quality of even the finest image details to be assessed. All photographically relevant settings in the picture parameter menu and other ?meta-information? stored with the image can be displayed as required by pressing the Info key. This enables complete evaluation of a picture as soon as it has been taken.
Use of raw data in DNG format using Capture One 4 software The Capture One 4 professional raw data converter ensures that raw data supplied by the CCD sensor and saved in the in the future-proof Adobe? Digital Negative (DNG) format is ?developed? in the best possible quality. Leica worked in conjunction with the Danish software company Phase One to create the sophisticated camera profiling and make the necessary software modifications. The results are quality-optimized algorithms for digital color processing, allowing exceptionally low-noise photography with incredible resolution. The development of the finest tonal value steps from the 16-bit image delivered by the CCD sensor is comparable to the picture quality achieved by a professional combination of film and specialist laboratory development. The logical functions for adjusting the quality and the clear user interface allows the user to quickly master the use of Software Capture One 4 to create outstanding results.
Materials, machining and dimensions The robust top cap and base plate are machined from solid brass blocks using the most modern milling techniques. The enclosed all-metal body is made of a highly stable magnesium alloy for professional use over many years. The rechargeable battery and the SD card slot are well protected from dust and moisture under the base plate. Its locking mechanism effectively prevents inadvertent opening and thus the loss of the battery and SD card, even when the camera is used for reportage under tough conditions. This design, proven over decades in the Leica M system, increases the robustness of the camera.
Measuring a compact 138.6mm ? 80.2mm ? 36.9mm, the LEICA M8 models are just a few millimeters larger than the ideal size of the analog M models. Apart from a few differences in the controls, such as the absence of the winding lever and the rewind button, the front view of the LEICA M8 and M8.2 is virtually identical with this analog version. The discreet appearance of the camera particularly prized by many customers and its timeless elegance, are enhanced once again in the LEICA M8.2.
The assembly and adjustment of the camera, together with the minute checking of all mechanical and electronic details, are precision hand-crafted in the Leica factory in Solms. Leica Customer Service maintains and repairs cameras over decades and thus creates the basis for long retention of value. All M cameras produced since 1954 are still repaired and serviced today.
Cleaning the sensor The LEICA M8 models have a special function for manual cleaning of the image sensor: when the corresponding option in the menu is selected and the release pressed, the shutter remains open for the duration of the cleaning. The flat profile of the Leica M cameras means that the sensor is more easily accessible than in a digital reflex camera, where the sensor is accessible only by reaching behind the mirror mounting.
Shortview:
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Leica M8.2 |
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| Sensor: | 10,3 MPix (APS-H CCD) |
ISO: | 80-2500 | |
| Shutter: | 1/4000-32s | Cont.: | 2 frames/s | |
| Monitor: | 2,5 inch (230.000) | Liveview: | ||
| Memory: | SD(HC) | Since: | - | |
All Specifications: Leica M8.2 |
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