Should I buy a digital M?

[250swb]

Does anyone actually own a digital M that has not gone back to Leica for repair?

I don't, mine went back for the rare cracked sensor syndrome. And I would buy another like a flash tomorrow even with that experience. Just remember the pissed off people report their bitter and twisted thoughts far more readily than people who are just happy. Which skews the internet chatter firmly in favour of those who want to show they have been a victim of Leica's demonic power, rather than just a poor bloke who got the lemon. It is impossible to say how many M9's have been sold, many, many, many thousands, and that should put the odd internet bitching session into context.

Steve

 

[kbg32]

"child diseases"? Horrible analogy.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

yes you should

 

[Keith]

I'd buy one ... but I wouldn't use it professionally without a backup.

And I agree that internet chatter is no indication as to any particular camera's actual reliability record.

 

[Shade]

Well I don't see why not, there will always be lemons in any brand. They all had their fair share of issues. The PR

 

[StillKicking]

Looks like I will be buying the M9 then.. I had in truth already decided that the M9 will be my next digital body.

As more than one of you has said, it will complement my film Ms perfectly.

Thank you all for your comments.

 

[huntjump]

very exciting. What lens will you probably be using it most with?

 

[Frontman]

No, in my opinion

 

[StillKicking]

very exciting. What lens will you probably be using it most with?

I have a rigid 5cm Summicron (type 2) and a Summarit M 5cm f1.5.. also a Summaron M 35mm f3.5..

I am planning to buy the camera with a new lens.. probably the 35mm Summicron.

 

[Paul Luscher]

Just remember: For every one person complaining about the M9 on the Internet, there are dozens, maybe even hundreds, happily shooting away with no problems. Had my M9 for almost two years now, and no problems to date (knock on wood). So, take the plunge....

 

[DamenS]

But, what kind of question is this? Are you expecting someone to say NO?...or that Leica has 100% or even 90% or 80% returns on their cameras? Surely you are not... you will only invigorate the Leica bashers with this thread.

We have good people on this forum but you should research a bit more individually, as I have and come to your own conclusion.:angel: Otherwise, the results you obtain from this kind of posting will be severely skewed and not worth a tinker's.

With all due respect, the Original Poster HAD already done his "research a bit more individually" through the "good people on this forum" by garnering his initial information through the RFF. This was already shown in his original post when he stated:

However, there is so much negative "press" regarding the M9 on RFF I am having second thoughts..
Does anyone actually own a digital M that has not gone back to Leica for repair?

He then asked SPECIFICALLY for responses from RFF members who had NOT had problems with their digital M ... so yes, he DID expect people to say "no - we've had no problems with our M9 or M8 or M8.2" if that was the case - and why not ask that question ?

Were the results from this poll severely skewered ? Did the "Leica Bashers" (by which I gather you mean people who hate Leica SOO much they would have the lack of integrity to skew this informal poll of "digital m users" by actually lying and stating they had an digital M which needed to be repaired when they hadn't - or do you think that the original poster does not have enough of a brain that general "Leica bashers" who just say amorphously bad things about Leica will influence his thoughts on reliability of the M9 et al ?).

This question - which seemed eminently fair and reasonable to me - has now led to someone who had doubts over the (particularly) Leica M9's reliability (garnered through research on this very forum) having those doubts assuaged, or at least minimised, by other members of this forum. Now THAT does not strike me as an response to an unfair question, negatively worded which has produced a skewed response which was not worth a tinker's ... it seems like the type of question internet forums were made for.

 

[GBR66]

Yup M8, no probs (until soaked), M9 no probs. Great cameras. Buy and enjoy.

 

[Paul Luscher]

Well, DamenS, I have stuck up for the M9 in other posts, when people were bitching about what a "piece of crap" the camera was. For some reason, I NEVER (to date) have experienced any of the things complained of: cracked sensors, shutter faults, SD card problems, false battery indications, lines, spots, etc in the image...

And it was the same with the M8 I had. Mine worked just fine, in spite of the litany of woes I saw posted on RFF and elsewhere. Maybe it's just God looking after fools, in my case...