How soon will you buy a M9 ?

[FrozenInTime]

Assuming that on the ninth minute of the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month of the ninth year of this century (EDT) a significantly improved Leica DRF in announced, how much persuasion do you need, and how long will you wait before you commit your cash ?

 

[swoop]

When it's readily in stock and I can lay down cash and walk out with one. I'm not paying for a 2 month long backorder.

 

[Avotius]

In a few years when they are around the 2500 dollar range like the current M8. But really, my money is still on Zeiss when they come out with something.

 

[pkreyenhop]

Where is the "Not until I can't get my M8 repaired" option? I'm still very happy with the M8 and can't see the need to upgrade.

 

[larmarv916]

There is a mindset that seems to be floating around that a digital product is needed...really? Let's look at this as a marketing excerise..where you make every new model...yesterday's news. Or the Gee your photos are not valid if they are not digital, like all the rest of the new hip kids! That is the marketing conecpt that Leica appears to be now swearing to.

That idea is what created a disaster in many other products and markets over the last century. It is in fact what killed the camera market. Moving into products that are disposable or oblsete 5 min. after production. I do not see reason for getting all hot for something that will be 2 steps behind the digital powers to start with. It's good for some people, and that is fine but it is not a movement that appeals to me.

 

[benmacphoto]

I'll do what I did with my M8, wait until they are second hand and at a reasonable price.

 

[rxmd]

Missing option: "Not before it's even announced, anyway"

 

[Ronald_H]

I'll probably ponder on it for a while when the M9.2 comes out. With the weak pound and the cashback, the M8 was within reach for me. But I decided not to. It would not add much to my shooting. Same will probably happen with the M9. Unless I win the lottery of course...

 

[Ronald M]

If I were to buy one, which I will not, it would be a minimum of 6 months after introduction and I found out what all the problems are.


The M8 has proved Leica is like all other companies, rush to market, experiment on the customers, make `em return it for repairs or add ons or filters or other junk. Car companies like General Motors worked to that business model and you see what that get them.

 

[Pherdinand]

how soon will you win the lottery.

 

[user237428934]

The M8 has proved Leica is like all other companies, rush to market, experiment on the customers, make `em return it for repairs or add ons or filters or other junk. Car companies like General Motors worked to that business model and you see what that get them.

The difference is, that GM has that cheap and crappy american car image (at least here in Europe). Leica still has the red dot and an exclusive image!

 

[spikey]

I like this:

I like this:

When it's readily in stock and I can lay down cash and walk out with one. I'm not paying for a 2 month long backorder.

I really prefer to be able to touch and feel, and once I put my money down walk out with what I bought!

 

[Bill58]

When I can no longer buy film.........

 

[rxmd]

The M8 has proved Leica is like all other companies, rush to market, experiment on the customers, make `em return it for repairs or add ons or filters or other junk. Car companies like General Motors worked to that business model and you see what that get them.

Arguably (1) Leica was never different - think about things like the glass pressure plate in the M3, which was changed to steel after customers complained about sparks visible on film due to static electricity build-up, or the preview lever which was added later, (2) think about what the same comparison says about customers who whine and threaten to vote with their feet until a company is forced either to rush a product to market or to go under.

 

[Avotius]

There is a mindset that seems to be floating around that a digital product is needed...really? Let's look at this as a marketing excerise..where you make every new model...yesterday's news. Or the Gee your photos are not valid if they are not digital...[snip]

Face it, digital is the present, film is the past. If you are working in the industry, digital is the only way to go now except for a few very select niches and still they are digitizing their film...

If you are taking pictures of newspapers on your garage door and the occasional snap of your potted plants and wine bottles, there is no reason not to use film if you so wish, but if you are serious about getting ahead in photography as a profession, its all digital mate.

Now as to whether or not Leica needs to have this camera be digital(I wonder if anyone thought for a moment that the M9 might be film?[though I highly doubt it]) I think the people who want to have their lenses be as they were meant to be are itching for that solution and I don't blame them. The thought of Leica needing this product to be digital to fill some professional gap in the market is simply not the case. Most professionals moved on long ago so its sort of a oddity this possibly upcoming camera.

And that comment about did anyone stop to think the M9 might be film....see anyone around here thinking that? The people looking towards this new camera are all thinking digital. A sign of the times.

 

[Olsen]

I have promised myself that 'I will not be a beta tester this time'. I am going to Singapore in April next year. It is there I do most of my photo gear purchases. Most likely I will buy the M9 then.

When shooting with a Canon 1Ds III parallel to the M8, the latter falls through with all it's hassle with filters and poor high ISO performance. I am also sure that a Leica M-camera with a higher resolution will show the world how good the Leica glass really are.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I've got my money on a CL/ m-4/3 digital that can take Leica glass, but which understands how to to "talk" to Leica's lenses and thus can deliver a real-world advantage over a G1+mechanical-only adapter. But predictions aside, I can't understand why anyone would rush to be an early adopter of this technology. I'm with DoubleNegative on this one. Let someone else be the beta tester.

Ben Marks

 

[Clark Van Orden]

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

 

[parsec1]

When Leica stop asking 'advertising studio photographers' what they want in an M camera . Hence the S2. 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.

 

[Avotius]

^ Interesting suggestion that the M9 might be film-based. But what would they improve upon from the M7, really - to warrant a new camera? Besides, they already went digital with the M8, so it stands to reason the M9 would be digital as well... Maybe you're thinking of the M7.2...

Let me make it clear though that I did not think the M9 would be film, just that no one is really mentioning that they think it could be which I think indicates that the market for a new Leica camera really has turned digital as a way of replying to that other fellows sarcastic point about if a picture is not digital its not valid or whatever.

When Leica stop asking 'advertising studio photographers' what they want in an M camera . Hence the S2. 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.

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.