M9 /M8.2 shutter curtain

[alobar]

Just bought an M9 yesterday . Compared to my M8.2 , M8.2 rewinds the shutter much quiter and smoother way than M9. M9 sounds like just the same as M8 when rewinding. ( my brother's M8 sonds that way at least)
i set it to Discreat and soft release. Was this because I was lucky that I happened to own a particulary smooth M8.2. little puzzled here.??

 

[Paul Luscher]

Well that's odd. My M9 seems to be a lot quieter than my old M8. I use it on Discreet myself.

Of course, neither is as quiet as a film M, which is practically inaudible.

 

[_goodtimez]

Alobar, what you describe is exactly the feeling I had when I saw the M9 for the first time, and thus why I did not buy it.
I could easily compare because I was checking an M8, an M8-2 and the new M9 at the same time.
I think Leica went the cheap route by using the same shutter as the initial M8 but limited to 1/4000s and they also used the acrylic display instead of saphire.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Well that's odd. My M9 seems to be a lot quieter than my old M8. I use it on Discreet myself.

Of course, neither is as quiet as a film M, which is practically inaudible.

Dear Paul,

Same here. Side by side with an M8.2, my M9 is quieter in every way, and only a little louder than my film Leicas.

Cheers,

R.

 

[ChrisC]

There was a time when Leica 'M' cameras were revered, if only for the ultra quietness of their cloth shutter which enabled unobtrusive work. I downsized to the M8 after shooting extensively with Rollfilm rangefinder cameras for many years, but was saddened that Leica had chosen the M8 as the first 'M' camera which de-valued the quiet shutter tradition.

My exasperation at the clanking shutter on my M8 will not effect any attitude at Leica because that wretched 1/8000 shutter was made [i strongly suspect] to accommodate bokeh perverts who want to shoot at f1.0 in midday sunshine. I'm not asking for a return to cloth shutters, great though that would be, because I understand there are fitting constraints with digital 'M' cameras, and I know that the M8.2 shutter I tried was quieter than my M8's [I am yet to see an M9 yet alone test fire one so I can't compare the M9 to my M8]. But I find it interesting that the once-great Leica tradition of quiet working 'M' camera shutters seems to be of lessened importance to current 'M' design, and I consider the current Leica shutters to be a major step backwards for the 'M' line.

It would beg the question 'just who do Leica listen to .....', except I suspect I know the answer, and I know it certainly isn't people like me who love rangefinder lens-design advantages and image qualities, but hate the design warts that are part of buying into the Leica 'M' package. Of all the tired, half-century old design traditions that Leica could have dropped in their celebrated move to digital 'M', it's curious that they chose to drop what for me was always Leica's Gold Standard; whisper quiet shutter firing.

Maybe I'm in a minority of one ---- again.

............... Chris

 

[kbg32]

Same as Roger. My M9 is much quieter then my M8, and hair louder then my MP.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Is this a new-out-of-the-camera symptom that quiets down with a little use? I would try it for a week or two, let it loosen up a bit.

My M8 is about as loud as the Canon P and Canon 7, around the same as a Nikon SP with titanium curtains. Does not bother me. It is louder than my M3's.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

These threads always take an odd turn. Leica M's are reasonably quiet compared to, say, a Nikon F. But they are nothing on a Rollei TLR or Konica Hexar AF. Those leaf shutters just blow away any Leica M shutter in terms of quietness. It's the difference between Leica's dignified "thup" and a barely-audible-from-3-feet "snkt." If you want a silent camera, get a blimp.

 

[jsrockit]

My exasperation at the clanking shutter on my M8 will not effect any attitude at Leica because that wretched 1/8000 shutter was made [i strongly suspect] to accommodate bokeh perverts who want to shoot at f1.0 in midday sunshine.

Man, what a name for a camera club... the bokeh perverts! 😱

 

[swoop]

I think the OP is talking about the same thing I noticed. That the M8.2 is actually a bit quieter and smoother than the M9. Which seemed a weird thing for me and I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought so.



But yes, the original M8 was indeed much louder.