New Review

[Bill Pierce]

Here's a new review of the M9, generally positive with a few negatives. It is a far more complete review, somewhat akin to Sean Reid's work, rather than the many once-over-lightly's that appear on the web.

Unfortunately, the Google translation from the German leaves much to be desired.

http://translate.google.com/transla...rafieren-Leica-M9-im-Technik-Test&sl=de&tl=en

 

[Benjamin Marks]

An interesting read. The sticking point is still price. And if that sounds like sour grapes, you are absolutely right. This is the first photo-toy in a while that I have wanted, could put to good use, but absolutely cannot afford. This is particularly true after shelling out for an M8 and D3 in the last three years. Just can't do it. My recession-inspired wisdom: time to take stock, enjoy the excellent stuff I've already got and make the best pictures I can. Oh, and learn to enjoy my sour grapes.

Ben Marks

 

[Dante_Stella]

There is a great film on Jim Jones that came out in 2006 (Jim Jones: the Life and Death of the People's Temple). The interviewees talk at length about how Jim Jones and his key followers dragged them into the jungle, killed politicians, and poisoned their family members. So far, as expected. But the sick thing about is it that when they are asked at the end what they think of Jonestown, they get this twinkle in their eyes as if it were the greatest and most noble social experiment ever.

Directly following practical image tests that reveal that the M9 is not a great low-light camera (for example), encoded phrases such as

The M9 is a camera for individualists, is an excellent tool for creative people.
​

make you feel a little like someone has been into the Kool-Aid (well, Jim Jones was a cheapskate and bought Flavor-Aid, but Leica is premium, right)? By the sheet size of the installed base, a greater number of eccentric people is using late model Nikon or Canon DSLRs than is using Leicas. And I'm not sure how a camera as limited in capabilities as a Leica digital M would in any way foster creativity. Discipline, maybe.

Having read most extant M8 and M9 reviews after using an M8 for three years, I get the impression that most review authors are worried about losing access to factory samples, don't work with the cameras long enough to get rubbed the wrong way with some of their eccentricities, or see positive results because they think they should (or believe they will be seen as "not getting it").

Dante

 

[dseelig]

Hi Discipline is a huge part of what the m9 does for me. I have to slow down think and focus. It slows me down and that is huge also for a lot of subjects the m9 does not intimadate a subject like huge canon or nikon does. I shoot canon dslrs as well, but for me and my personal work mostly leica. I am a working photographer no trust fund, I have to have the leica for my own work. www.davidseelig.com

 

[photogdave]

I tried the M9. It's really good. I'd buy one and I don't even like digital.
There's my review. Hope it was helpful!

 

[Ronald_H]

It's a good and honest review (I can read German). The reviewer obviously likes Leica and the legacy, but he judges the M9 as a camera, not as some revered object for which the usual rules do not apply.

He is positively surprised by the sheer image quality, he concludes it really can keep up with the best of the dSLR market, some niggles with white balance aside.

He is disappointed that the camera is very expensive, yet is slow and has for example has no sapphire glass for that huge amount of money.

Also the noise performance is criticized. It is deemed acceptable, but the bar has been raised and the M9 does not reach it.