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"Discreet" shutter on the M8: First impressions

Tony C.

New member
I am pleased that Leica made this function available to M8 users, and I will use it. However, my initial impression is that it does not compare to the advantage of the new shutter on the M8.2. I say that because the delayed cocking simply separates two distinct sounds, the thwack of the shutter, and the cocking. On the M8, the shutter thwack is loud enough that sensitive subjects might react under quiet conditions, and delaying the cocking won't help to address that problem.

I do prefer the cleanness of the separation, but rather doubt that it will have a meaningful impact on real-world applications.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Personally I think it 'seems' a little louder in discreet mode as the part of the shutter sound is no longer actually masked by the cocking 'whirr' sound. This is especially so when shooting a longer exposure. Kind of ironic eh?

However, no complaints - nice to see Leica stepping up and offering it to the hoards who moaned bitterly about it's absence. I'm sure for a camera with an upgraded shutter the sound is probably now much closer to the stealth of the M8.2.
 

woodyspedden

New member
+1

I am very happy with the sound of the shutter on my upgraded M8. I tried the new firmware discreet mode on the same camera and I swear the shutter sounds significantly louder. I keep saying it has to be me but darned if I can suppress the truth. Have no clue as to why.

Still, the model which remains in the original state does benefit slightly from the new firmware. One thing to be sure, depending on how you shoot (I tend to close the shutter using Tom Abrahammson's soft touch) and that really slows down shooting. Of course this is for me and YMMV. So I would probably not use the discreet mode unless I was I was O.K. with slow shooting and where I really needed discretion.

Just my humble opinion

Woody
 

hdrmd

New member
I downloaded it with no problems, and it works as advertised, but I just can't see the need for it. Of all the things I would change, the sound of the shutter would be far down the list. I seem to be in the minority, however, so it must be important to many. DR
 

pthompson

New member
I was surprised at how quiet the recocking portion of the shutter function actually is when it is separated from the shutter release...I guess that is another way of saying that the initial click is louder than I thought. But here is what I really like - it works as advertised, for free.

Two years ago I bought a camera with a huge number of things wrong with it for much too much money, and one by one I have been given solutions to the problems, and then some. I now have acceptable IR control, white balance, menu scrolling, and a very workable auto ISO function I didn't ask for, and a shutter function I probably won't use. Have I left anything out? I have liked each of my Canons, but the only 'fix' or upgrade to anything I found wanting was to buy the next model (notice the phrase "each of my Canons"). This approach allows me to periodically feel good all over again that I bought into this nifty little camera.

PT
 

John Black

Active member
Loaded up 2.004 without any problems. The initial "pop" is pretty loud, so "discreet" is a bit of an overstatement.
 
M

matmcdermott

Guest
With the upgraded shutter and delayed release I've found it to be a very much significant improvement. I was shooting alongside press over the past couple of days with Canon's firing off bursts or just single exposures and the M8 was as inconspicuous as I remember my M6 being in the same situation. It does slow you down a bit, but no more than winding film (which was plenty fast for me except for sports sequences). I greatly prefer it to the auto shutter cocking.
 
K

KJB

Guest
With the upgraded shutter and delayed release I've found it to be a very much significant improvement. I was shooting alongside press over the past couple of days with Canon's firing off bursts or just single exposures and the M8 was as inconspicuous as I remember my M6 being in the same situation. It does slow you down a bit, but no more than winding film (which was plenty fast for me except for sports sequences). I greatly prefer it to the auto shutter cocking.
+1, loving the discreet mode on my M8. Definitely quieter overall when taking the exposure and I swear it seems that I can handhold longer without the wirl of the rewind. :thumbup:
 

overgaarcom

Member
I swear it seems that I can handhold longer without the wirl of the rewind. :thumbup:
Just played around with my R8/DMR and R9/motor where you can delay the rewind. It does make a difference, just as it does that the Digilux 2 doesn't say or do a thing.

I came to think of shooting riffles where it's the rule not to move the riffle after shooting.

And in golf too; don't move but keep the position after the shot and look for the ball.

How come and all, I don't know. But when a SLR camera need 1/250 second as minimum for mirror slap, shutter and motor not to affect the picture, it make sense that the stillness of using the delayed rewind of the M8 version 2004 does have an effect.
 

cam

Active member
reviving this thread because i finally got my M8 with the new firmware. HUGE difference! i've only had a day to play with it but i am totally chuffed. the motor was always what bothered me an, in discreet mode, it is so much more acceptable.

because i can't afford to upgrade the shutter, there are still times when i don't dare, but those are far fewer than with my Epson. using discreet, i was easily able to get shots on the metro (from the lap, no VF action). now all i need to get better on is guestimating distance when shooting wide open.

i really think a lot of people underestimated what this would bring to the whole experience, but to me it's the most important thing Leica has done. the fact that they brought the feature to the older M8's is the only reason i have one -- and i couldn't be happier!

thank you, Leica!
 

lmr

Member
CAM... One quick thing, and I believe you know already, but do not use Discreet shutter in "Continuous" mode. It will give an error on the M8. The switch from "S" to "C" can easily and inadvertently switched.

I like the Discreet shutter option, but I turned it off until I needed it.

I hope I did not offend anyone by stating the obvious.

Robert.
 

cam

Active member
thank you very much, Robert! of course you did not offend at all. judging from what i've read, it causes serious problems so the more often it's repeated the better -- in case someone did not know.

i personally do not plan on using the Continuous mode (Discreet will always be on), but have fears of hitting the switch by mistake -- luckily, mine is quite tight, but still.... has anybody come up with an elegant solution to block it from going any further than Single?
 

Scargos2

New member
Coming from a Canon SLR , the discreet mode is a big improvement. I never had a M6 or M7 to hear the differences, so this is great for me. MY 2 cents.
 

jaapv

Subscriber Member
I was not aware of the Continuous Mode & Discreet incompatibility. What happens?
Mostly nothing -it slows the third and following shots down a bit. One or two users had a shutter hangup but it appears to be rather rare...
 

cam

Active member
Mostly nothing -it slows the third and following shots down a bit. One or two users had a shutter hangup but it appears to be rather rare...
a shutter hang-up that necessitates a trip to Leica to be repaired is serious -- if it happens to be your camera.

luckily, when i did the oops, i put it in Continuous Mode by mistake (continually conserving power by switching it on and off until i get my second battery), it merely froze. turning off the camera and pulling the battery out was all that was needed to get it up and running again.... unfortunately, i also missed a shot i really wanted in the process, so this action was aided by much cussing.
 

scott kirkpatrick

Well-known member
I've now run 2.004 on both M8's with and without the upgraded shutter, and used C mode to temporarily override the discreet mode and provide immediate shutter recocking. If I hold the shutter button down and let the shutter fire continuously, in both discreet and in normal shutter settings, the timing is exactly the same. The shutter will fire ten times in five seconds, then slow down to fire five more times in the following ten seconds. Clearing the buffer after shooting this many times takes roughly 20 seconds until the red light stops blinking.

The problem that occurs with C mode when you have the shutter set to normally be discreet is rare, but I have seen it with my unmodified M8. If I shoot individual exposures quickly, there seems to be an interval in which the
shutter recocking is interrupted and fails, with repeated retries. If I switch the camera to OFF, then back on to either S or C mode, the shutter clears up, recocks itself, and all is well again. I haven't had to remove the battery (yet). I don't regard this as enough of an issue to send the M8 in for a shutter adjustment. Abd I do think that C-discreet is a useful setting, if used with care.

scott
 
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