Review: Leica M9 – Tool or Toy?

[Ben Z]

The deliberately provocative title evaded the simple point: it depends on who's using it. A £5000/$7000 toy? I find it hard to imagine buying one. A £5000/$7000 tool? That I can just about manage. And it doesn't matter much whether it's a tool I earn money with, or not. It depends on how serious you are about your photography; on whether the tool is the best for the job; and on whether you can find the money (which is not necessarily the same as 'being able to afford it').

Cheers,

R.

I have a feeling you'd be hard-pressed to find too many guys who will admit to the world, if not to themselves, that their M9 is a toy. And I think there are 2 plausible definitions of the word. It certainly isn't a toy in the sense of it's capabilities in the hands of someone with the skills and talent to use it to it's full potential. It is a toy in the sense that given my limitations in the skills and talent department, the cost was an extravagance that will not likely ever be mitigated by my results.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I have a feeling you'd be hard-pressed to find too many guys who will admit to the world, if not to themselves, that their M9 is a toy. And I think there are 2 plausible definitions of the word. It certainly isn't a toy in the sense of it's capabilities in the hands of someone with the skills and talent to use it to it's full potential. It is a toy in the sense that given my limitations in the skills and talent department, the cost was an extravagance that will not likely ever be mitigated by my results.

Dear Ben,

Sure. Quite possibly mine too, but it's a counterfactual conditional in that it's the tool I use, and I doubt that I'd produce pictures as good, let alone better, with its competitors.

If you have some sort of vision, no matter how feeble it may be, no matter how others may deprecate it, you owe it to yourself to try to realize your vision via the best tools you can afford to bring to the table. As noted elsewhere, "afford" is a flexible concept. For an especially acute example, how many can "afford" children? And how many have them anyway?

Cheers,

R.

 

[oxlee]

Well said, Roger. Cheers.

Dear Ben,

If you have some sort of vision, no matter how feeble it may be, no matter how others may deprecate it, you owe it to yourself to try to realize your vision via the best tools you can afford to bring to the table. As noted elsewhere, "afford" is a flexible concept. For an especially acute example, how many can "afford" children? And how many have them anyway?

Cheers,

R.

 

[kevin m]

...If you have some sort of vision, no matter how feeble it may be, no matter how others may deprecate it, you owe it to yourself to try to realize your vision via the best tools you can afford to bring to the table.

To play devil's advocate for a moment:

Why?

Or rather, why not make real, readily-visible improvements in one's craft and vision rather than wasting time in the fruitless pursuit of incremental improvements in gear quality for ever-greater sums of money?

Doesn't a person owe himself that more than anything?

 

[jaapv]

Who really cares about noise?

Good images are a result of content, narrative and composition not noise and dynamic range.

And good images are better if they are taken with the skill and tools to present them in the best possible way.

 

[jaapv]

I agree not to chase the Specular Highlights, those will be blown out regardless of medium.

When you say keeping highlights "on the right side of overexposure", do you mean the histogram for these areas almost reaches the right side, but not quite blown out?

That is exactly what I mean 🙂. The "highlight warning" of the M8/M9 is very pessimistic in that repect. It will warn of blown highlights that are perfectly all right if you shoot RAW. The histogram a lot better. If used correctly, the M9 is capable of a very respectable dynamic range, even at higher ISO, I find.

 

[JPSuisse]

Hell guys! My $15 cast iron skillet is also a tool (without teflon-bull**** coating). But it could be a toy too I guess. Now, clean sleek ceramic stove tops? That's a toy for house wives more interested in the presentation of the kitchen... than actually cooking. Tool or toy? Seriously, this is more an attitude of the user. Depends on how serious you take things. For me, it seems, almost all conusmer electronics products are toys... especially modern audio-viusal stuff. I just can't take these things seriously enough to do actually try to do something with them! My M8, my electric razor (for emergencies) and my computer are about the only electronic items I kind of take seriously. JP

 

[3rdtrick]

JP,
Corn Bread needs to be baked in a properly seasoned $15 cast iron skillet. Other things cook just as well in non stick cookware. Both are important tools. While my M9 may not be the same tool as an old film Leica (but then no digital camera is the same as its film predecessor) it is still a tool. The M9 for many reasons has helped me open up my creativity and made my hobby more rewarding.
Pete

 

[jsrockit]

To some, it is a "rich guy" toy, to others it is a indespensible tool... so both.

 

[kevin m]

Corn Bread needs to be baked in a properly seasoned $15 cast iron skillet.

Indeed! Pre-heated in a 450-degree oven so the batter sizzles when it hits the pan. And the key to great flavor: bacon grease. 😀

 

[Ben Z]

If you have some sort of vision, no matter how feeble it may be, no matter how others may deprecate it, you owe it to yourself to try to realize your vision via the best tools you can afford to bring to the table.

Well Roger, all I can say is that the least-feeble vision I have is the one of my own inevitable physical decline and mortality; therefore be it tools or toys, I fully subscribe to indulging myself with the best I can, while I still can. 😛

 

[Roger Hicks]

Well Roger, all I can say is that the least-feeble vision I have is the one of my own inevitable physical decline and mortality; therefore be it tools or toys, I fully subscribe to indulging myself with the best I can, while I still can. 😛

Dear Ben,

I'll drink to that!

Cheers,

R.

 

[jsrockit]

Life's too short. As long as I'm taking pictures, I'm happy. 🙂

Word......

 

[ederek]

..raises glass..