M9 brochure up... or not

[sepiareverb]

So even though it's full frame, it still only has a .68x viewfinder? WTF .72x would be nice. .85x would be lovely. Why would they stick with .68x?

Possibly something to do with the innards not allowing a regular M VF to fit?

I was really hoping for a full range of VF's available again, even if via a la carte or a retrofit. .68 might help a touch with the 28 lines over the .72...

 

[bwcolor]

Claiming that the design of the sensor enables wide angle lenses with less processing.

 

[rfrangefinder]

the spec on paper is all i need. however, the incentive to upgrade from m8 will be down to the actual IQ at various ISO. the m8 is quite excellent up to 640 imo. if the m9 can maintain or improve the low iso IQ, including the colour rendering and tonal depth, and finally produce CLEAN 640-2500 iso images, then it will be a real masterpiece. extra MP is then a bonus, rather than the reason to upgrade.

 

[veraikon]

Everything that showed up on LUF: microsite, brochure and technical data links, including some photos.

And I have been punished because of that:bang:

incredible. I see some LuF internal reasons for deleting the links (N.B. I don´t support this attitude !) but deleting th whole thread and punishing you :

 

[Bnack]

Interesting that it seems while there was so much proclaiming that to fix the wide-angle vignetting was going involve the discovery of anti-matter and cold fusion (read: backlit sensors or some other outside the box idea), sounds like the solution was just an improvement of the same lenses and processing from the M8. Higher refraction index microlenses and more/better post-processing? It's just interesting that this does not seem to be the re-invention of the wheel... just a better design I guess.

 

[splitimageview]

I'm not sure I can handle the 0.75 crop factor compared to the M8.2. 🙂

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

$&#*ing awesome. It sounds like they think they've solved the oblique angle-to-sensor problem.

And the X1 is going to be incredibly popular. Wow.

Gotta go buy some lottery tickets now.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Bnack , Leica said a lot of stuff about the M8 in the specs before it was introduced. But they withheld a few things like, um, the IR problem. We will have to wait until we see some actual files and user reports before we'll know how well they actually solved the problems. Hopefully, they've really got this one sorted out.

 

[rfrangefinder]

Bnack , Leica said a lot of stuff about the M8 in the specs before it was introduced. But they withheld a few things like, um, the IR problem. We will have to wait until we see some actual files and user reports before we'll know how well they actually solved the problems. Hopefully, they've really got this one sorted out.

exactly. the spec looks great. but, i think we'll have to wait a few days to digest the various reviews on IQ etc which will go live on the 9th. there are obviously many people reviewing the thing at the moment - and I believe many of them are "real leica users" well aware of the m8's strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Eric T]

Naah, it's a Leica made of unobtainium. It'll cost a left gonad.

Left gonads shouldn't be very expensive.

 

[sandymc]

The brochure says "On the basis of this coded information, the M9 can compensate for any negligible, system-inherent vignetting effects." Which is actually a bit of a contradiction, IMHO - if its negligible, why correct it?. So we'll have to see what happens when you put a wide angle lens on it.

Sandy

 

[Ben Z]

They removed the battery/shot-counter from the top deck, and according to the brochure, you'll need to press "INFO" each time to read those from the rear LCD. Why is it Leica can't ever seem to just improve what needs improving and leave well enough alone with the things that nobody ever complained about?

BTW it also says the framelines are set for 1m...that's bound to be a kick in the head for everyone who pitched a fit to get them @ 2m.

 

[urban_alchemist]

I for one will buy this, but will not sell my M8u... with the crop-factor, it's basically the equivalent of having a totally new set of lenses!

 

[trph_2000]

Anyone else notice that the black paint M9 is covered in Vulcanite,
but the steel grey version has the MP sharkskin ? There will be lots
of gnashing of teeth over this.....

 

[CK Dexter Haven]

Again, it's a low-res PDF.

The resolution doesn't affect the colors that way. It's just a compression process to allow the huge document to be more easily downloaded/emailed.

Those colors look like a cross-processing or bleach bypass effect. Clearly the photographer's choice. Not typical for a product 'advertisement,' but i think the pictures are more 'impactful,' than usual. It's not to everyone's tastes, though. Also, as an art director, why i applaud the guy with the stones to go ahead with it.

 

[Hultstrom]

Framlines at 1m, Yeah!

Framlines at 1m, Yeah!

I was terrified that they would put the framlines at 2m or 3m or some other stupid thing. The longer the distance the better time you have and the close set frame lines will be slightly too small a larger distances. Meaning you won't miss anything within the frame lines. With 18.5 mega pixels to crop of, this is a small problem.

To me the framing is much more close up, and the frames should absolutely not be too larg, ever. If it is within the frame lines it should be in the final picture.

And the frames/battery counter, good riddence.

That's what I think anyway.

/M

 

[yoyo22]

What do you you guys wearing glasses think of the .68 rf magnification?
I got trouble seeing the 28mm framelines on my .72 M6TTL - so how much better will be .68? The example in the brochure (p. 19) looks promising, but it does seem more like .58 to me.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Since 35 is the widest I shoot, I prefer more magnification, not less, even with my glasses. My preferred 50mm focal length is a pretty small frame at .68, even though it does make the 35 framelines easy to see.

 

[majid]

Hopefully for me, because that will mean the first batch of demos won't be trouble-plagued early-run examples. But my experience with new Leica products going back as far as the M6TTL has been that there have always been teething issues.

I ordered as soon as it was announced, then I cycled through 4 M8s before I found a usable one. The first one had a defective sensor, the second and third defective rangefinders (seriously misaligned at infinity). I can understand teething problems with new electronics (specially when Kodak is involved), but Leica should have RFs down pat. I suspect it is just that Leica is not used to dealing with huge spurts of demand, and in the rush to produce M8s to keep up with demand, QA slipped.

I still don't get that. I have "a number of wide M lenses" (12mm, 15mm, 2x 21mm, 2x 28mm) and all of them work extremely well on my M8. So they deliver images with a coverage of one focal length longer. So what? The only one of them that will benefit from the FF M9 is the 12mm, because there isn't an M-mount 9mm that I know of.

I got a 35 'Lux to compensate for it. Now I can resell it and go back to just my mainstay 50 'Lux and a 28 Elmarit for when compactness is required.

 

[ulrikft]

Ach, this looks great... Quite amazing actually. Now I just have to find the 13-14.000 USD a m9 + CV 21, CV 35, CV 50 and Leica 75 2.0 would cost me.. 😛