eleskin
Well-known
Yes, yes, I know all about the improvements of the M9, and I even went to the Photo Expo Plus to try one out with my own lenses and memory card to see how this camera performs. For a few weeks I had M9 lust until today when I printed some 19"x22" prints on my Epson 3800 with Exhibition Fiber and compared them to the same size prints from my M8, both shot with my Noctilux. I brought them over to a friend of mine who is also a photographer and the consensus was the M8 holds up to the M9, and comparing the two cameras was like comparing apples and oranges. I even thought my M8 prints looked sharper than those from the M9.
My primary concern is the M8 is the only digital M I own and if the reason for wanting another camera is to have a backup, a good used M8.2 would be a much better value than the M9. I know the M9 has better high ISO performance, and there is no crop issue, but lets think back when the M8 was new. Remember how they marketed it as only having a 1.33 crop factor and that was not too severe, almost like having full frame? With the advantages of fast Leica and other make lenses, ISO 640 and under
will be fine for 90% of all the shooting you can do. It may very well be the case that you could buy a much improved micro 4/3 camera with very good high ISO for the very limited situations where you would need that high ISO speed as a side camera (a much more cost effective alternative for those of us who do not have $7k in loose change in our pockets). The Japanese cameras are getting better, and we will see much better high ISO performance in the Olympus and Panasonic offerings as alternatives to the Leica Digital, although not full frame. Most of the shooting would be done with the digital M anyway.
An M9 purchase could then be made in a few years used, thus saving thousands of dollars, and extending the usefulness of the M8 by some years. This strategy makes sense to me if you want to watch your cash in these bad economic times!
My primary concern is the M8 is the only digital M I own and if the reason for wanting another camera is to have a backup, a good used M8.2 would be a much better value than the M9. I know the M9 has better high ISO performance, and there is no crop issue, but lets think back when the M8 was new. Remember how they marketed it as only having a 1.33 crop factor and that was not too severe, almost like having full frame? With the advantages of fast Leica and other make lenses, ISO 640 and under
will be fine for 90% of all the shooting you can do. It may very well be the case that you could buy a much improved micro 4/3 camera with very good high ISO for the very limited situations where you would need that high ISO speed as a side camera (a much more cost effective alternative for those of us who do not have $7k in loose change in our pockets). The Japanese cameras are getting better, and we will see much better high ISO performance in the Olympus and Panasonic offerings as alternatives to the Leica Digital, although not full frame. Most of the shooting would be done with the digital M anyway.
An M9 purchase could then be made in a few years used, thus saving thousands of dollars, and extending the usefulness of the M8 by some years. This strategy makes sense to me if you want to watch your cash in these bad economic times!
J. Borger
Well-known
No... a big apple an a smaller apple with about the same taste!
With digital cameras we reached the point where differences become smaller and smaller.
For all the reasons you mention i did not warm for an M9 although i was an early adopter of the R-d1 and M8. And i was VERY EXCITED when these 2 cameras came around.
If i did not own a digital M yet i would go for the M9 without hesitation.
The price of the M9 is right and i would love full frame, but what is not right is the resell value of the M8.
I will upgrade when my M8 beats the dust and not a day earlier!
In the meantime i shoot a bit more film along my M8!
With digital cameras we reached the point where differences become smaller and smaller.
For all the reasons you mention i did not warm for an M9 although i was an early adopter of the R-d1 and M8. And i was VERY EXCITED when these 2 cameras came around.
If i did not own a digital M yet i would go for the M9 without hesitation.
The price of the M9 is right and i would love full frame, but what is not right is the resell value of the M8.
I will upgrade when my M8 beats the dust and not a day earlier!
In the meantime i shoot a bit more film along my M8!