Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
"The Leica man knows how to hold his camera. He is never flustered, no matter what may be going on around him. The LEICA's image stabilization comes from the quiet, unflappable confidence inherent in every Leica photographer. " (KR)
That sort of 'sell speak' makes me want to puke! I'd like to get the person who wrote that piece of overly emotive imagery and bury them next to the Marlboro Man!
Pickett Wilson
Veteran
The Leica man could, of course, only live in Australia!
DerekF
Established
That's the (nice?) thing about technological advance —*you never know what tomorrow's advance can bring about in three to five years. It could just be that killer feature you just never knew you wanted or needed. "Perfect" is relative to now.
That being said, if I had a spare $8000 lying around, I'd pick up an M9.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
The Leica man could, of course, only live in Australia!
If they give me a free M9 I'll be anything they want me to be ... I'll wear a dress and high heels if necessary!
ferider
Veteran
That sort of 'sell speak' makes me want to puke! I'd like to get the person who wrote that piece of overly emotive imagery and bury them next to the Marlboro Man!
Him, Harley and Ken Rockwell will live happily ever after ...
PMCC
Late adopter.
Leica Man and Marlboro Man agree: one smokin' camera
My Midterm Exam for a 500 level computer course was to implement the PDP-8 instruction set using PDP-11/70 microcode.
PDP: Programmed Data Processor. What a great assembly language.
I had a Vax 11/730 as my PC in the early 1980s. I'm a newbie. $30,000.
Used it to process imagery from a Scanning Digital Imager with an image size of 240x3000. The 240 element arrays cost $40,000. The 28-track tape drive was $100K. 1983. Somehow $7K for an 18MPixel camera that uses SD cards that run $30 or so a pop just does not seem out of line.
$7K would be $3K if it were produced by a mass market manufacturer and the market were indeed mass.
For what it is, it's a fair price. I won't be buying one, I prefer my Contax G2 too much and I'd rather put a turbo on my 911 than get an M9 anyway.
For what it is, it's a fair price. I won't be buying one, I prefer my Contax G2 too much and I'd rather put a turbo on my 911 than get an M9 anyway.
Pickett Wilson
Veteran
Actually started playing with computers in the mid 1970's, interfacing scratch built computers with Type 33 teletype machines for "terminals." When I finally got my hands on an ASCII keyboard and a real monitor, I was high tech! And 2K of memory was astronomically expensive.
I was first online in about 1981 with CompuServe. With a 300 baud modem! Too funny. Ran my own Wildcat BBS in the early 1990's for several years, before the Internet came along and killed BBS's.
Fun memories.
I was first online in about 1981 with CompuServe. With a 300 baud modem! Too funny. Ran my own Wildcat BBS in the early 1990's for several years, before the Internet came along and killed BBS's.
Fun memories.
JohnTF
Veteran
I picked up an M9 today, well, then I shot a few images and after a while, the Leica Rep wanted it back. ;-)
Was not a big crowd, not publicized really, but three or four serious lookers all saying they were going to buy one, trying to see if there was any wiggle room in the price, education discount, etc.
Looks good, frames are nice, thought image was a bit generous of the frame lines for the 35mm, highest ISO seems a bit noisy, camera felt very solid.
Was surprised the screen was not sapphire, Rep was talking about it as an upgrade, which seemed a bit odd for a camera that got most of it right, why pay $7000 and then add an upgrade, which will not be cheap? Was the Sapphire option a good idea or not? Seemed to convey a feeling they were struggling to keep it below $7K, but how much is a screen cover?
File size was large, couple hundred images on a 4 GB card? Opened up in PS to about 35MB.
Battery charger a normal size.
It definitely said "take me home".
It is a lot of money, but it looks like a keeper.
Regards, John
Was not a big crowd, not publicized really, but three or four serious lookers all saying they were going to buy one, trying to see if there was any wiggle room in the price, education discount, etc.
Looks good, frames are nice, thought image was a bit generous of the frame lines for the 35mm, highest ISO seems a bit noisy, camera felt very solid.
Was surprised the screen was not sapphire, Rep was talking about it as an upgrade, which seemed a bit odd for a camera that got most of it right, why pay $7000 and then add an upgrade, which will not be cheap? Was the Sapphire option a good idea or not? Seemed to convey a feeling they were struggling to keep it below $7K, but how much is a screen cover?
File size was large, couple hundred images on a 4 GB card? Opened up in PS to about 35MB.
Battery charger a normal size.
It definitely said "take me home".
It is a lot of money, but it looks like a keeper.
Regards, John
ramosa
B&W
i wouldn't expect that soon. heck, the m8 is still the second best digital RF in the world. i don't think $7,000 is a bad price for the M9, but i don't see many M8 owners pitching their M8s in a hurry ... well, at least not this one. but perhaps i'm an odd leica user--as i began on the M8 and have never used a FF RF.
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gilpen123
Gil
All my credit cards are clean with big credit limits. I just ordered 2 M9 and an X1 and will bring it all over Europe. Oh and btw I also got the 35 1.4 asph and 75 1.4. I think I'll be staying in one of those Shangrila hotels and rent a Range Rover for my expedition. ........Oh shucks I woke up not being able to download to my Byte computer.
maddoc
... likes film again.
Exactly these two cameras (and also an Nikon FM) I have used at my recent trip. Old cameras for sure but still can compete with the M9 regarding image quality (in BW at least) and for a fraction of the $$$$.
HenningW
Well-known
I just decided to wait till 10/10/2010 to see if there is an M10 coming out.
I am keeping my upgraded M8, period.
12/12/2012 will clearly be the announcement of the final iteration; the ultimate M and the perfect camera.
HenningW
Well-known
HenningW
Well-known
It may be that the price difference between the 8 and the 9 is so great that, even if we see lots of them in the classifieds, the prices won't drop because at the moment the only alternative is $7K.
However, when someone like Nikon, Canon, Zeiss/Cosina, or Panasonic step up with a FFRF... THEN the prices of the 8 will definitely drop. I assume that's sometime off yet, but if the 9 sales take off, there's do doubt going to be a lot of interest at the other companies, don't you think?
It's a stretch. Those guys (except Zeiss/Cosina) would also have to design lenses, unless they're only targeting M lens owners. It's hard to see how Nikon and Canon would be interested, especially since they'd have to make sure that their offerings deliver as good or better quality on the first try. it's not really that easy, and they've been away for a while. I'm sure they could do it, but it would take a lot of resources from them as well, and they can make more money more easily with what they know; DSLR's. Panasonic isn't going to be there. They're starting further back yet, and their strength is consumer electronics which is what the G1/GF1 is built on. A whole different game.
raid
Dad Photographer
I stay behind what I stated, regardless what Roger Hicks responded. Each of us has an opinion, and that's all it is... an opinion.
Prices will eventually go down for any digital camera.
Maybe the M9 is a heaven sent camera for some slice of photographers, but for most people the price is too high.
Maybe a simpler version will come out soon, like a M9x which can be sold at around $3000?
Prices will eventually go down for any digital camera.
Maybe the M9 is a heaven sent camera for some slice of photographers, but for most people the price is too high.
Maybe a simpler version will come out soon, like a M9x which can be sold at around $3000?
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Raid, you have a very good point. This is one thing that really surprised me...the M8.2 is no longer in the product lineup. One would think they could have had something to bridge the gap between the X1 and the M9...perhaps the reality is that the cost to produce the M9 is not all that different from the cost of an M8.2.
mdspace
Established
In my personal opinion after the released of the M8 in September 2006, a digital rangefinder M-Mount camera, I feel that Leica is playing with a difficult deal again.
After just three years of the M8 the release of a new M can't offer the legendary old school Leica concept, sadly, I'm sure about it. Specially, because is to much different talking about film and digital, like to talk about automatic watches and quartz watches. The present is forgiving the perpetual feeling of may artifacts, we talk more about disposables, but a legendary Leica... have to stay. I remember when the camera model survive for more than ten years without changes. To pass from a M8 to a M9 is a significant step and it doesn't have to be a fancy 9/9/09 or to see what company release just another new model. In the past I feel the companies used to make an experiment with themselves before the release, I mean make a "SOLID STEP". Are they are trying to make us experiment for them now?
I will not surprise if the new M9 need a predecessor in he next years like a M9.2 of something like this, increasing again a thousand to the price, or maybe you will need to buy another expensive accessory to be well with your treasure.
I admit that it's amazing to have a new Leica in the photography world for us, and all the expectation that we are always waiting when a new camera is coming.
But, I prefer to wait until the M9 survive for at least 5 years without significant changes before I consider to have one, to be sincere. Because is very nice to make photography experiments ourselves, but it's not funny to experiment with your wallet.
After just three years of the M8 the release of a new M can't offer the legendary old school Leica concept, sadly, I'm sure about it. Specially, because is to much different talking about film and digital, like to talk about automatic watches and quartz watches. The present is forgiving the perpetual feeling of may artifacts, we talk more about disposables, but a legendary Leica... have to stay. I remember when the camera model survive for more than ten years without changes. To pass from a M8 to a M9 is a significant step and it doesn't have to be a fancy 9/9/09 or to see what company release just another new model. In the past I feel the companies used to make an experiment with themselves before the release, I mean make a "SOLID STEP". Are they are trying to make us experiment for them now?
I will not surprise if the new M9 need a predecessor in he next years like a M9.2 of something like this, increasing again a thousand to the price, or maybe you will need to buy another expensive accessory to be well with your treasure.
I admit that it's amazing to have a new Leica in the photography world for us, and all the expectation that we are always waiting when a new camera is coming.
But, I prefer to wait until the M9 survive for at least 5 years without significant changes before I consider to have one, to be sincere. Because is very nice to make photography experiments ourselves, but it's not funny to experiment with your wallet.
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Rico
Well-known
Well, obviously, but does anyone remember the Byte stores? (There was a connection, too). As for the IMSAI 8080, that was a sweet machine of the era. I programmed it from the front panel... in hex!