M9 brochure up... or not

[kemal_mumcu]

Finally, the digital M that everyone has been waiting for. For the first time, i've wished I could have a digital rangefinder.

I agree, a little tease here or there is good but I think the cat got let out of the bag on this one.

 

[ashrafazlan]

I dreamt of a $3k price tag

 

[Ken Ford]

Also the pictures look "post-processed" in their colours, not very natural looking. Understandable for a photographer's preferred "look", but not really representative of natural colours that a camera manufacturer would usually be promoting?

Again, it's a low-res PDF.

 

[aniMal]

This clearly is the real stuff - and now Leica is back where they should be! A whole range of products of high quality.

I just hope that the M9 is more mature than the M8 when it was launched, if it is not it would be a surprise really.

I wonder what I can sell all my non-Leica gear for, and what the price-tag will be...

 

[splitimageview]

Notice the M8.2 is no longer in the product line.

 

[abenner]

Considering it's really not an M9 brochure (though that's of course the focus) but more of an M system brochure (with the MP and M7, lenses, etc) I think it's somewhat interesting that the M8.2 is completely absent.

 

[abenner]

Ha Robert - you and I thinking the same!

 

[Ken Ford]

I have to admit that I've never really been tempted by the M8/8.2 or the Epson because of the crop, but a full-frame M really appeals. Of course, I'd have to knock over a few banks to pay for one...

 

[splitimageview]

This bodes well for a cheaper M9, don't you think? The fact that the M8.2 is no longer in the lineup, that is...

 

[Ken Ford]

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

 

[abenner]

How sick (and insulted) do you think the last guy that bought a new M8.2 from a dealer feels?

 

[Pickett Wilson]

abenner, it depends on the price of the M9, I would think!

 

[gb hill]

That is what I think too, I mean, what else is going to hit the shelves on "999"?

edit rover

You gotta be kidding me. This will so overshadow Leica's news it's not funny. Also the remastered works of the Beatles coming out 9 9 09.

 

[Ken Ford]

Enough obsessive following this issue - I'm going out to take pictures. Later, all!

 

[splitimageview]

I wager it's $6,500 list price. Whoever is closest without going over gets a chance at the Price is Right showcase.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

M9? Is Leica introducing an M9? :angel:

 

[morgan]

The X1 looks kind of interesting, although there's no OVF, so that might be a deal breaker for me for that kind of camera and what it could cost.

 

[splitimageview]

This thread is in the wrong forum. Where is the M9 forum?

 

[sepiareverb]

0.68 VF, seems to still mean no swapping VF's with the film ones, but 28-135 framelines.

And stuck with the same metal shutter. Ah well.

 

[swoop]

The size of the bright-line frame corresponds exactly to the sensor size of approx. 23.9 x 35.8 mm at a setting distance of
1 meter. At infinity setting, depending on the focal length, approx. 7.3 % (28 mm) to 18 % (135 mm) more is recorded by the
sensor than indicated by the corresponding bright-line frame and slightly less for distances shorter than 1m.
Enlargement (for all lenses) 0.68x.

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?

And the framelines are at 1 meter. Wasn't that the same issue we had with the M8? Aren't the "more accurate" framelines on the M8.2 set at 3 meters?

File size DNG: 18 MB (compressed)/36 MB (uncompressed), JPEG: approx. 2–10 MB.

Wow. 36MB per image. I've had my M8 back from upgrade in Feburary. Which is when I started counting shutter clicks. Since then I've taken 7547 photos, all RAW. That would be over 271GB. Storage space is going to be an issue eventually.

Sensitivity range ISO 80/19° to ISO 2500/35°, adjustable in 1/3 ISO increments, with aperture priority A and manual exposure setting,
choice of automatic control or manual setting, automatic control with snapshot profile.

Finally a realistic ISO range. The spec sheet mentions that the high ISO quality has been improved and it retains the M8.2's quiet shutter. Thank you Leica. Apparently S mode is still there. But it appears to be a submenu option to tag along on Aperture Priority mode.

On rear panel 2,5” monitor (color TFT LCD) with 230,000 pixels.

I'm glad they kept it at 2.5" but they could have upped the pixel count.

Series exposures Approx. 2 pictures/s, ≤ 8 pictures in series.

I think this point is moot in an M camera. It's all about timing. But this could have been improved as well. It comes in handy on occasion. Admittedly, I wouldn't sacrifice a quiet shutter for a fast one. So I'm fine with this.

Power supply 1 lithium ion battery, nominal voltage 3.7 V, capacity 1900 mAh. Capacity display in monitor, when shutter held open (for sensor cleaning) additional acoustic warning when capacity is low.

I actually really liked that little endurance info LCD. I thought it was brilliant. You get to know how many shots are left and how much battery power remains. So you could change either out when you knew you were going to go into something. Having to turn on the LCD screen for it isn't going to be annoying. But it's definitely not as nifty. At least it seems to use the same batteries as the M8. So that's an investment I won't have to make over again. I just hope they also improved battery life.