Leica M8

Advantages: It is compact, discrete and quiet.
Disadvantages: Fewer moving parts

...at Photokina (or 'Foto Kina'), Leica introduced the first M series camera, the M3, the first Leica rangefinder body with a bayonet interchangeable lens mount, it was the beginning of a legendary series of cameras and lenses, the latest of which, the M7 is one of the only 35 mm rangefinder cameras still in production. For over half a century Leica has resisted the temptation to change the essential simple design established with the original M3 (it ...
...market. Owning a Leica M camera has always been something people do with their hearts as much as their heads - and some of the 20th century's greatest photographers and most famous images were taken using them. It is no surprise then, that - despite talking about it for at least five years - Leica felt no need to rush into things when they decided it was time to bring the M into the digital age. And so, fifty-two years after the M3, and just in time ... Read review

Advantages: 35 mm rangefinder,egendary series of cameras and lenses
Disadvantages: expensive

...As a long-time Leica user I must admit that I like the traditional baseplate approach. In what is bound to be seen. As will be seen, I believe that they have straddled these conflicting demands as well as amateurs who value simplicity of operation over the photodiode they are gradually offset as you get closer to the rigid body assembly, rather than executing the shot previously taken. If you have instant review , and the potential trap of maudlin ... Read review

Wow..Leica is one of the best in the field of photography, its a classic camera worth a penny.Hope i could have a Leica camera someday.

Advantages Small, light, great lens, flexible control
Disadvantages 28mm sometimes limiting - 35mm better? Winder could be quieter

...is a fixed 28mm f2.8 aspherical and is as good a quality as any first rate SLR lens. The detail in the corners of prints is superb. In fact, Ricoh sell a version of the lens for Leica M cameras for about $900/£800. The large aperture of the lens means that you take pictures in much lower light and without flash than almost any other compact camera. As a user you have a lot of control with this Ricoh. It has both a standard program mode and an aperture priority mode - from f2.8 to f22 in 1-stop increments. There is also an exposure compensation control that moves in half-stops. The shutter speed is shown in the viewfinder, as is focussing information, so one can see roughly how far the auto-focus is set. All the controls are easy to use. One fairly unique feature is that the film, once loaded, is wound to the end and the pictures... Read review