M9. Buy now, or later?

[CrisR]

I have some great cameras. My M2 and M6 TTL are great. My M8 is far greater than i expected it to be.

However, having always shot TriX and developed myself in my bathroom due to the crazy (unacceptable) costs of labs here in London, i find this is now no longer a sensible setup (girlfriend moving in, redecorating bathroom, it's not gonna fly anymore).

So, i'll likely be selling on the M6 (the M2 was my first M and won't go anywhere) and picking up an M9 to get that full-frame character the M6 always used to delight me with. That's right, i'm gonna go for the M8/M9 one-two, especially as i feel i'll still get the look and shooting experience i love.

The question is - when to buy?

I'm really looking to pick one up as cheaply as possible as even the M8 was a stretch for me (i paid £1700 for a mint example when i got it) but i am realistic about the cost and willing to spend. Get what you pay for and all that.

I've seen some come up for as little at £2500, but i know the new M isn't out yet. Do i try and snag something soon, or should i be waiting a little while?

Any thoughts on the issue would be great. Cheers

(Ps. The M8 is awesome, it's going nowhere. It's not about an upgrade to anything, just a non-film full frame replacement for the M6.)

 

[FrozenInTime]

If your need is great, sure buy the M9 now.
But realistically, unless the M-240 is a dog, M9 prices will be lower next year.

Admit it, you are just making up excuses to justify the M9 😉
You don't need a darkroom to dev only Tri-X : just a dark spot or bag to load the the film into the tank. Then scan the film.

 

[back alley]

full frame is not a necessity...maybe try living with just the m8 for now...

 

[mfogiel]

1) Develop in the kitchen - more practical.
2) Sell your girlfriend
3) Buy M9 when you die - you will pay later.

 

[lencap]

Depends on your perspective. The M9 is a fine camera with a few faults - all of which are addressed in the new M. So for those who must have the latest, best there will likely be more M9s for sale, and prices will fall to meet demand.

On the other hand, the M8/8.2 still are holding value despite pressure from used M9s, so it could be that prices are close to their low point. Regardless of the financial analysis the question is does the M9 make a difference for you right now? If it does, and you have the means to buy it, do it and enjoy it. If you are unsure you can wait, prices certainly won't be going up anytime soon.

 

[denizg7]

backalley is right full frame is not a necessity

plus tri-x won't be replaced by an m9 or an m8.. if you are happy with the m8 then I don't think you need an upgrade to m9..

by the way having a gf move in is always not the best.. had a gf move in for 2 weeks and it was awful.. her hair straightener thing in the bathroom had a load of hair and her hair comb had a lot of hair and there were hair in the ground and everywhere really disguisting.. And the bathroom was now filled with a lot of crap makeup and foundation products.. Used to be that my bathroom was a safe haven.. Quiet and Minimal, went to read the paper in the morning there now the sight of the bathroom gave me a headache..

anyway good luck

 

[whitecat]

Use the M2 and 6ttl!

 

[IEDEI]

you've got a nice lineup of cameras right now! i don't think you need an M9.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Hell, a CAMERA isn't a necessity, unless you earn your living with it. But 24x36 is awfully useful if you already have other Leica lenses and like to use them at their 'native' angles of coverage.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

backalley is right full frame is not a necessity

plus tri-x won't be replaced by an m9 or an m8.. if you are happy with the m8 then I don't think you need an upgrade to m9..

by the way having a gf move in is always not the best.. had a gf move in for 2 weeks and it was awful.. her hair straightener thing in the bathroom had a load of hair and her hair comb had a lot of hair and there were hair in the ground and everywhere really disguisting.. And the bathroom was now filled with a lot of crap makeup and foundation products.. Used to be that my bathroom was a safe haven.. Quiet and Minimal, went to read the paper in the morning there now the sight of the bathroom gave me a headache..

anyway good luck

Dear Dennis,

Wrong gf.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Guess your whole lens set up is tuned on the M8, at least that is what my set up is... it wouldn't work on the M9. All your wides would look far to wide and your 50mm isn't a portrait lens anymore. Further you will miss that extra length on tele's....and certainly you don't want purple fringe ...

so enough reasons to stay away from a full frame digi M....and if you have doubts on that darkroom I would rather spend the money on a nice Nikon Coolscan to scan your full frame slides and negs 🙂 ...and make some nice shots from the girl thats coming

 

[helen.HH]

Later for sure ...I would hold off

Looks like You have more than enough Toys to keep You occupied...😱 🙂
And leisurely Wait for the Right Price/Right One to come Along

 

[CrisR]

Thank you to the couple of replies on topic, when is the new M supposed to arrive? As the ME was out, I thought it was too.

I expected discussion on why the M6 is better, how it won't give that TriX look, how the M8 is fine, why I don't need full frame, how to develop film, suggestions of GAS, etc etc. I could address them all, but there's other threads fort hose topics 🙂

 

[jaapv]

Guess your whole lens set up is tuned on the M8, at least that is what my set up is... it wouldn't work on the M9. All your wides would look far to wide and your 50mm isn't a portrait lens anymore. Further you will miss that extra length on tele's....and certainly you don't want purple fringe ...

How can a lens look "too wide"?😕It only means means the addition needed would be a 90 mm. And as Leica never made a bad one that need not be an expensive addition either.
I get exactly the same amount of purple fringe on my M9 as on my M8, that is, in the half second before I remove it with the appropriate slider.

 

[thegman]

Dear Dennis,

Wrong gf.

Cheers,

R.

Or wrong bf, some make up and hair products should not be that big a deal.

 

[rayfoxlee]

Have your film developed by Ag Photographic if you don't want to DIY and then scan. Their prices are low and they are helpful & friendly people to deal with. You might just regret selling the M6 - but we all make mistakes by selling gear that we later wish we still had. Part of the photographic learning curve!

 

[thegman]

For the OP, yes, London labs can be expensive, the key is to not use them, use the mail order labs. AG Photo Lab does B&W processing for £3.99, sure it's more than doing it yourself, but it's not so bad.

As for the M9, in some ways there is never a good or bad time to buy digital. The sooner you buy, the sooner you save processing money. On the other hand, the sooner you buy, you're paying early adopter prices. However, leave it until the price goes down, and you're getting closer to the time of the camera becoming un-serviceable, like the M8 has now for some types of breakage.

Personally I think the used M9 prices are getting pretty good, and with the ME being largely the same camera, it should remain serviceable for while. They'll go lower, sure, but let's say in 6 months, it's £400 cheaper, how much would you have spend on film/processing in 6 months?

Just get it if it feels right for you.

 

[Jim-st]

Well I took the plunge last month for an ex-demo M9 from Ffordes, at approx 70% of erstwhile list price, and with 2 years warranty and one year passport (latter extended to 2 years when I discovered Leica is offering that since 1/11). Ffordes guy told me ex-demo can mean different things (as I knew from buying 2006 M8 as ex-demo in 2010), but this one certainly looks pristine, and the "Unique Image ID" hex number shown in Bridge indicates only 85 shutter actuations prior to my receiving it.

So it's a matter for personal decision, but I think I got a bargain, and a mint M9 I could afford. Now I just wish it would stop raining up here for long enough to get some more pictures from it...

 

[Roger Hicks]

Thank you to the couple of replies on topic, when is the new M supposed to arrive? As the ME was out, I thought it was too.

I expected discussion on why the M6 is better, how it won't give that TriX look, how the M8 is fine, why I don't need full frame, how to develop film, suggestions of GAS, etc etc. I could address them all, but there's other threads fort hose topics 🙂

Rather more than two were, I think, on topic. The basic question is, how can anyone else tell you? As I said earlier, you don't NEED a camera, unless you earn a living from it. If you're used to film and already have lenses, or if you want fast wides, or if you like the effect you get from a particular focal length, FF is a good idea. At that point, no, the M8 isn't fine. And as you said, there are other threads for such topics anyway.

What, then, is your actual question? Now or later. Well, if you want to shoot now, the answer is now. If you don't mind waiting until later, then the answer is later, when there'll be more M9s around, cheaper. Personally I'd go for 'now' if I could possibly afford it. But that's me, and I'm not you.

Incidentally, I did the same as you're planning on doing: M8 as backup to 9.

Cheers,

R.

 

[CrisR]

I basically meant: is the price bottomed for the foreseeable future, or is it likely to drop soon? I'm not quite sure what part of "buy one now, or wait til later" was confusing?

It was not meant to be a metaphysical on "should i purchase this camera at all" as that's already been decided. I made that clear and the extra detail was supposed to cut all the chat, comparisons and "keep the M6" replies.

The answers that basically said "The 240 isn't out yet, M9 will drop soon, hold your horses til then" answered the question. I thought the 240 was already out. So far, no one has told me when that'll be arriving, so i guess i'll just go google it.

Thanks to those that answered the question i posed 🙂