Leica has today unveiled its long awaited M8 Digital Rangefinder camera. Some fifty-two years since Leica introduced the first M series camera (the M3) they have introduced what is without doubt a milestone model, the first digital M series. The M8 has a ten megapixel CCD (with special offset microlenses to reduce vignetting) which produces a 1.3x FOV crop,it is built around the same sold metal design which has become the M series trademark with a solid brass top and base and a magnesium alloy cast main section. This camera has been built from the ground up as a digital rangefinder but without compromising the size, quality or usability of the M series design.

Leica M8 digital camera specifications:

Format Range finder
Price (street)
$5195.00
Also known as
Release Status
Click for help Max resolution 3936 x 2630
Click for help Low resolution 2952 x 1972, 1968 x 1315, 1312 x 876
Click for help Image ratio w:h 3:2
Click for help Effective pixels 10.3 million
Click for help Sensor photo detectors 10.3 million
Click for help Sensor size 27 x 18 mm (4.86 cm²)
Click for help Pixel density 2.1 MP/cm²
Click for help Sensor type CCD
Click for help Sensor manufacturer Kodak
Click for help ISO rating 160, 320, 640, 1250, 2500
Click for help Zoom wide (W)
Click for help Zoom tele (T)
Click for help Digital zoom No
Click for help Image stabilization No
Click for help Auto Focus n/a
Click for help Manual Focus Yes
Click for help Normal focus range
Click for help Macro focus range
Click for help White balance override 6 positions, plus manual and kelvin
Click for help Aperture range
Click for help Min shutter 8 sec
Click for help Max shutter 1/8000 sec
Built-in Flash No
Flash range
External flash Yes, hot-shoe
Flash modes 1st or 2nd shutter sync, auto slow sync
Click for help Exposure compensation -3 to +3 EV in 0.3 EV steps
Click for help Metering Center-biased TTL
Click for help Aperture priority Yes
Click for help Shutter priority No
Click for help Focal length multiplier 1.3
Lens thread Leica M bayonet
Click for help Continuous Drive No
Movie Clips No
Remote control No
Self-timer Yes, 2 or 12 sec
Click for help Timelapse recording No
Orientation sensor No
Click for help Storage types SD/SDHC card
Click for help Storage included None
Click for help Uncompressed format Yes, RAW (DNG)
Click for help Quality Levels Fine, Standard
Click for help Viewfinder Optical (Rangefinder)
Click for help LCD 2.5 “
Click for help LCD Dots 230,000
Click for help Live View No
Click for help USB USB 2.0 (480Mbit/sec)
Click for help HDMI No
Click for help Wireless No
Environmentally sealed No
Click for help Battery Lithium-Ion rechargeable
Weight (inc. batteries) 591 g (20.8 oz)
Dimensions 139 x 80 x 37 mm (5.5 x 3.2 x 1.5 in)
Notes Leica’s first digital M series
Resolution Chart
Colour Patches

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