How soon will you buy a M9 ?

[rxmd]

Heaven forbid having to dive from a 'stoned out of their brain' 12 year old firing his AK47 at you with 3 of those S2 'things' around your neck.

I guess it wouldn't be much different from diving with three R Digitals or a couple of Hasselblad H3Ds. Which is why nobody in their right mind takes that sort of gear to a war zone.

Good thing that there are different markets; if you're a studio photographer you'll be grateful that Leica doesn't shove that awkward-to-frame, non-autofocus, close-range-impaired, low-resolution M8 down your throat.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Yikes, that sounds sort of like some of the models I photograph for various things, stoned, drunk, or horny and me with a bunch of heavy cameras trying not to get them wet in the sweltering heat.

Hmmm. "Them" is the cameras, right?

 

[Avotius]

Hmmm. "Them" is the cameras, right?

Thats between me and the lenses.

 

[rxmd]

Yeah, and they are quadriplegic, too. Say goodbye to 1950s comforts such as automatic diaphragms.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

Well, sure. But I assume that in order to apply in-camera corrections for things like lens distortion etc. that most of the information you would need from a lens would relate to the lens design (that is, if you are going to get corner fall-off or distortion with a 15mm lens, & you want to correct for that you mainly need to know what lens is attached).

I assume that this communication (or lack thereof) and associated post-exposure processing is what accounts for the differences in performance between the kit lenses on the G1, Digi-Pen and the use of other perfectly well-designed glass (Nikon, Oly, Pentax, Leica, C/V) on these 4/3 bodies.

Now for the part where I make stuff up I have no real idea about: If you showed me the ISO, the shutter speed and the resulting histogram for a given image, I am pretty sure I could ball-park the f-stop in order to know how much auto-corner adjustment to make. Am I smoking digi-crack here?

 

[Nando]

I would like to go to Portugal this summer. The trip is somewhat mandatory because I need to clear up various things dealing with my late father's estate. I would love to buy an M9 for that trip however that all depends on whether I can save up the money for the camera in time.

 

[rxmd]

(that is, if you are going to get corner fall-off or distortion with a 15mm lens, & you want to correct for that you mainly need to know what lens is attached).

This has been extensively discussed years ago when the first M8 pictures leaked out and it was found that it has an external light sensor. In short: some things you can correct, some things you can't without knowing the lens settings. Distortion is lens-dependent, but the sum of corner fall-off and vignetting is aperture-dependent, so you need to know the aperture.

Now for the part where I make stuff up I have no real idea about: If you showed me the ISO, the shutter speed and the resulting histogram for a given image, I am pretty sure I could ball-park the f-stop in order to know how much auto-corner adjustment to make. Am I smoking digi-crack here?

Yes, you are. As long as you don't know the lighting conditions in your scene, you can't make any inference about the f-stop. It could be bright with the aperture closed, or dark with the aperture wide open. One can think about all sorts of odd solutions to this, such as an external light sensor, or for more accuracy a low-resolution second sensor with a wide-angle lens that always takes a second picture of the scene to compare against, but it would still be guesswork and I think many Leica owners don't want their cameras to take guesses for them.

 

[thomasw_]

I am not going to buy a M9 initially for a few reasons. 1. I still prefer the look of film in B+W or colour. 2. For someone only casually interested in a dRF for very limited use, the M9 is much too costly [or for that matter, so is the M8*]; a good P+S will do most of what I want in digital. 3. Initially I would be hesitant until after the initial reviews and users report their experiences -- after the M8 release, I think my caution is warranted. 4. I would want to know whether the M9 will require IR filtration or lens coding; my interest will drop if either is in play.

However that may be, my wife is interested in a dRF in M-mount so we can share "my" M-mount lenses. But she is a bean-counter and penny-pincher to the core, so it will be a while before a used M9 price entices her to buy.

 

[jaapv]

Can't wait to see if Zeiss will have an answer. Anyone hearing anything from that camp? I'm suprised that they have not made a move.
Clark

They did. They told Dave Farkas -officially- that they would not be competing in the DRF market. They analyzed the possibilities and concluded it was not possible to compete with Leica, as their DRF would be as expensive or more expensive than the Leica offerings.

 

[Tuolumne]

Micro 4/3rds is the future for me. Those cameras do far more for me and my photography than my R-D1 or film Leicas. I'm sticking with them. Mxx.x does nothing for me any more.

/T

 

[jaapv]

I am not going to buy a M9 initially for a few reasons. 1. I still prefer the look of film in B+W or colour. 2. For someone only casually interested in a dRF for very limited use, the M9 is much too costly [or for that matter, so is the M8*]; a good P+S will do most of what I want in digital. 3. Initially I would be hesitant until after the initial reviews and users report their experiences -- after the M8 release, I think my caution is warranted. 4. I would want to know whether the M9 will require IR filtration or lens coding; my interest will drop if either is in play.

However that may be, my wife is interested in a dRF in M-mount so we can share "my" M-mount lenses. But she is a bean-counter and penny-pincher to the core, so it will be a while before a used M9 price entices her to buy.

No IR filtering but lenscoding will certainly be advisable for wideangle lenses, as I would guess.

 

[Mephiloco]

For the cost of the M9 I'd rather spend it on other things which would make my photographs better, things not limited to: Lenses, Vacations, stocks, football tickets, etc.

I think it's insane to pay that much for a camera when the camera's success is measured against it's ability to perform like a 50 year old film camera. Why not just use the 50 year old film camera and pocket the several thousand dollar difference.

 

[lemalk]

I think it's difficult to commit to a DRF fully (especially one that costs as much as a used Honda Accord) when Micro 4/3rds now gives me the option to use my M-lenses as well as R lenses.

Seeing my M8 quickly depreciate and be usurped by $1400 DSLRs in terms of high ISO image quality has definitely not been a good thing.

The surprising thing is that M7s and MPs continue to hold their value even as film use becomes more of a niche thing.

I guess the only way I can justify an M9 is a) buying it secondhand b) factoring a 2-4 year lifespan and c) knowing that there isn't another camera that can do what an M-factor camera can do - specifically focusing in near darkness.

 

[drewbarb]

I guess, if they stop making film...

 

[Ben Z]

I waited almost a year after the M8's rollout to get one, still disgusted with the need for the IR filters and still nervous over the reliability issues, and bought it only because I couldn't stand my RD1 and didn't figure Leica would replace the M8 with anything better for a long time. I bought one new, but only because the dealer agreed to sell it at the original price ($4795) versus the then-grossly-inflated price. Knowing that cameras historically drop in price as time goes on, and digitals all the more so, there was no way I would have accepted a hike.

But I've gotten to tolerate/ignore the IR filter debacle, and the M8 has not failed, and I did get the triple-upgrade. I'm immensely satisfied with the IQ (high-ISO noise is not a problem, and I have a 5D to compare) and a year to go on the extended warranty. I can't think of a single compelling reason why I should buy an M9, regardless of specs, until I can get a factory demo at a significant cost savings. YMMV of course.

 

[Al Patterson]

I was looking for the choice "when my M8 breaks".

Now while I don't have an M8, as my only Leica is a CL, I see no reason to buy a newer electronic gadget until the one I'm currently using breaks.

But then again, if everyone was like me the economy would have crashed years ago...

 

[Jeff S]

Regarding the poll...my answer "none of the above." Polls unfortunately don't reflect iterative thought processes.

I will first wait to see what the specs are in reality. Then I'll evaluate whether, in theory, given my shooting habits, the M9 offers features more useful to me than my M8.2 provides. If not, obvious answer. If yes, then there's the value equation....how much different/better?, and how much is that worth? In the meantime, the folks on LUF will have already posted hundreds of threads from early adopters on the pros/cons and any early faults or reliability issues (assuming the product is available soon after 9/9). And, after all of that, I'll decide if it's worth a test from my dealer at some point.

Meanwhile, I'll enjoy making prints from my already terrific camera.

 

[parsec1]

I guess it wouldn't be much different from diving with three R Digitals or a couple of Hasselblad H3Ds. Which is why nobody in their right mind takes that sort of gear to a war zone.

Good thing that there are different markets; if you're a studio photographer you'll be grateful that Leica doesn't shove that awkward-to-frame, non-autofocus, close-range-impaired, low-resolution M8 down your throat.

Thats the point ..nobody would take S2s or those useless digital R modules to a war zone or any other 'active assignment'. They buy Canons and Nikons hence Leica's loss . Unfortunatley Leica has rejected its own heritage, that which made their name and reputation in photography to some who would reject this in favour of advertising and studio cameras.
Leica aint stupid ? yes they bloody well are= 28% less in sales last year and a 30% drop in revenue. No excuses of recession of world economy causing this please..if you need the best then you you a more than willing to pay for it

 

[rxmd]

Interesting, bo you have sales and revenue figures for 2008 in comparison to 2006? That's much more interesting for the state of the company - already back then everybody was saying 2007 would be a "peak", as always when an entirely series of products successfully hits the market.

 

[DougFord]

[FONT=&quot]Compactness and light weight are high on my list of requirements.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Somewhere there is a balance of size, weight and performance. The added size of an M9 is not desireable.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]If Leica releases a dCL w/1.3 crop, that’s 3/4 the current M8 size, sub-set of frame lines, short rangefinder; then I would be VERY interested.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]My hope would be that this camera be manufactured in Japan along with design assistance from Panasonic.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I’ll wait for extended testing and for QC issues if this camera is made in Germany. [/FONT]