Upgraded Leica M8 Digital Rangefinder cameras will be available starting August 2008. The new M8 will feature a new shutter which promises a quieter click and lower vibration during the exposure.
It will also offer a protective sapphire glass LCD cover which means it will be virtually scratchproof. Sapphire has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness, exceeded only by diamond which has a hardness of 10.
You can pre-order the upgraded Leica M8 beginning in March; prepare your $5,500 for it. Or you can wait for their full-frame 35mm digital rangefinder coming soon.
We will remember of course that Leica had to write 4,000 letters of apology to M8 customers after problems arose relating to such quibbles as white balance and infrared sensitivity. We hope the new full-frame rangefinder won’t have the issues that dogged the M8.
[Site: Leica-Camera.com]