Early impressions of M9 in the first week

[OurManInTangier]

Here you are:

Thanks Jaap.

It does look a little nicer than the Thumbs Up, more integral to the camera body perhaps. I've never had any issues with the Thumbs Up in regard to either problems concerning extra load on the hot shoe or torn shirts/bruised ribs. Though if they're quite a bit cheaper than the Thumbs Up it may be a future solution should I get myself a second M9 (or future model.)

I'm now off to Google them for prices etc

 

[sojournerphoto]

How is that thing if you're walking around with the camera around your neck? Is it constantly poking you in the gut?

No more than a wind lever left out or a thumbs up, neither of which have troubled me. However, it allows me to hold the camera still when I'm making an exposure, so well worth it!

For the OP - you will almost certainly need one of these or equivalent. Try this before you get the Leica grip - you may add that later as well, but I wouldn't do it first.

Mike

 

[Richard G]

I like the look of the Thumbie, but hate adding things to cameras. Wouldn't think of the grip attachment. I shortened the strap slightly yesterday and with it locked in a hitch around my wrist and with the extra depth of the M9 body I was for the first time really comfortable on a long walk carrying this camera.

 

[Richard G]

Another thing that is a great advance over previous Ms: a central tripod bush.

 

[jaapv]

How is that thing if you're walking around with the camera around your neck? Is it constantly poking you in the gut?

Not really - I kinda like it - better than the Thumbs-Up imo.

 

[segedi]

For a better grip, I prefer the leicagoodies sling
http://www.leicagoodies.com/sling.more.html

I find it works quite well. It's only $25 shipped, and when you get it you'll think that's way too expensive for the simplicity of what it is. But you can always make your own.

 

[bgb]

The M9 is the only Leica that I have ever seen or handled, I was impressed. Didn't get to take any photos with it which is a shame but the owner didn't really want it out of his sight 😎 It had a soft release and one of those thumb things which seemed to get in my way but I was told really helps.

 

[victoriapio]

Not really - I kinda like it - better than the Thumbs-Up imo.

I hated the thumbs up and when shooting very wide on the m9 it stole the hotshot. So I had just stuck on a frame bumper for the back of a picture frame and that gave me the leverage I needed for a secure grip. I have been using the thumbie for a few weeks now and I love it. Rock solid and helps steady the camera at slow shutter speeds. Also, and something that I haven't seen mentioned, it is far lighter than the thumbs up.

 

[MCTuomey]

+1 for the thumbie. brilliantly simple and effective.

 

[Rob-F]

What holds that thumbie thingie thing on? Must have some double-stick tape on. Might it not pull the paint off the expensive M9?

 

[dogberryjr]

What holds that thumbie thingie thing on? Must have some double-stick tape on. Might it not pull the paint off the expensive M9?

It is automotive grade double sided foam tape. No idea what it might do to paint, but I'd think it'd be safe.

 

[shadowfox]

+1 for the thumbie. brilliantly simple and effective.

Agree, it's even built into the new Olympus OM-D 😀

 

[Roger Hicks]

You get used to the absence of the wind on. At least, I have.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Godfrey]

Congrats on your new camera ...

Likewise with the M9 I obtained recently, I notice that other people make a bigger deal of owning one than I do. To me it's just a camera, albeit an expensive one that I thought about for quite a while before plunking down the cash. I guess the reaction comes with the price territory.

I find the M9 a little difficult to hold securely, particularly when it is cold out and my hands are cold, because of its smooth shape. I tried Steve's Thumbie and it helped, but it's really not my thing ... I rarely use the film wind lever on my film M as a thumb rest. The solution for me is a leather half-case, which makes the camera much more grip-able (and less cold to the touch on those early morning shoots...). It is a bit more work to get the bottom plate off and get to the card or battery. Plusses and minuses.

I've only used a couple of lenses on the M9 so far. The 21 and 28 Skopars work beautifully but benefit from using CornerFix on raw files quite a lot. The M-Rokkor 40 and Nokton 40 work very nicely, with or without a lens code. I just received a Nokton 50/1.5 and find it produces very nice results with or without a lens code too.

Very nice body, great lenses from CV, Zeiss or Leica ... closest thing to my favorite film M I can get ... no complaints here.

Enjoy using it!

 

[myM8yogi]

I have a Thumbs-up that works fine and is a real asset indoors when low light levels mean that any aid to hand-holding is more than welcome. However, on long hikes it can dig into my skin more than the flat natural shape of the rear of the M. The solution is to add a half case that is almost as deep as the Thumbs-up. As the above poster said, this also aids grip with the fingers and palm.

Thanks for the inspiration regarding the "sling" finger strap. I think I may have a Sunday project!

(I will be going mountaineering soon and need as much grip on the camera as possible - windy conditions, precipitous drops, and sweaty hands are not a good combination...)

 

[Richard G]

I usually carry the camera in my right hand and wrap the right end of the strap around my wrist and then put that through a loop of the left end of the strap so that the camera is suspended with weight shared between my grip and the strap hanging off my wrist and back of the hand. It's very comfortable and I can walk around like that for hours. I just don't like the idea of extras. I carry the M5 like this, only in the left hand.

My biggest gripe so far is the unnecessary gap in the lower 50mm frame line. I have to really concentrate not to take the 75 frame line as the 50 on the lower edge. Also at the usual focussing distances the picture one gets is much more than the frame lines indicate, more than for other Ms. I'll slowly adapt to both. I can see a lucrative market in custom M9 frame line mask adjustments.

With the X100 I use auto ISO but I am much keener to stay at 160 wih this when I can so I am often in the wrong ISO or needing often to check it. I also forget to code the lens but it doesn't make a huge difference with the lenses I've been using most. The battery life is pretty good. The menus are very simple. The shutter is pretty quiet - not an M7, but not an F3 either. Having A mode has meant that I have sometimes badly exposed a shot forgetting that I had actually switched to manual.

These ISO and exposure options are great to have in an M but it takes me away from default film ISOs and the all manual exposure necessity on which I've survived for 35 years. Nevertheless, I have at last made one or two good shots with the thing which means I'm beginning to adapt to what's on offer from the digital M and take it for granted, which is where I want to get to.

 

[Richard G]

Congrats on your new camera ...

Likewise with the M9 I obtained recently, I notice that other people make a bigger deal of owning one than I do. To me it's just a camera, albeit an expensive one that I thought about for quite a while before plunking down the cash. I guess the reaction comes with the price territory.

I find the M9 a little difficult to hold securely, particularly when it is cold out and my hands are cold, because of its smooth shape. I tried Steve's Thumbie and it helped, but it's really not my thing ... I rarely use the film wind lever on my film M as a thumb rest. The solution for me is a leather half-case, which makes the camera much more grip-able (and less cold to the touch on those early morning shoots...). It is a bit more work to get the bottom plate off and get to the card or battery. Plusses and minuses.

I've only used a couple of lenses on the M9 so far. The 21 and 28 Skopars work beautifully but benefit from using CornerFix on raw files quite a lot. The M-Rokkor 40 and Nokton 40 work very nicely, with or without a lens code. I just received a Nokton 50/1.5 and find it produces very nice results with or without a lens code too.

Very nice body, great lenses from CV, Zeiss or Leica ... closest thing to my favorite film M I can get ... no complaints here.

Enjoy using it!

Thanks very much Godfrey. I found coding my C Sonnar as a Summilux of any sort got rid of vignetting. I try to code when I remember. I've used the Zeiss 21 4.5 but have yet to have a picture as brilliant as what I was getting on Rollei Retro 100 recently. I'll work on that.

 

[victoriapio]

I hated the thumbs up and when shooting very wide on the m9 it stole the hotshot. So I had just stuck on a frame bumper for the back of a picture frame and that gave me the leverage I needed for a secure grip. I have been using the thumbie for a few weeks now and I love it. Rock solid and helps steady the camera at slow shutter speeds. Also, and something that I haven't seen mentioned, it is far lighter than the thumbs up.

Correction: I never had the thumbs up, I had the Leica M grip. I Apologize for the brain stall. But I didnt like the grip at all. I do Love the Thumbie.