Comments on: Leica M9 Digital Camera Review: Field Test Report

By: jason gold

jason gold — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:41:19 +0000

i have used a friend’s M8. It was both exciting and devastating. More than half the images done at maximum aperture on a 90mm Summicron were out of focus. Naturally the Leica users on a certain forum said 1. i didn’t know how to use the RNGFDR.
2. the lens should have been adjusted for that camera.
My credentials..used Leica professionally since 1966. Present M3 was received in 1967. Guess about +5000 rolls thru that M3. i have a bag of lenses. i guess by now i do know how to focus.The problem is the camera.
Strange how suddenly there are no longer lenses available from Leica. Maybe they also found out.If one needs to adjust lenses, how will they work then on the film bodies..
Sadly the feel of a Leica is so nice! The compact size, the whole smoothness and elan of it.
i find for really quick street work, i do prefer a SLR!
Would i buy a M9? Even if i won the lottery, it would be no. i think Leica need to update that body! Fuji has shown the way..
The whole concept of FF and DX (demi frame) no longer relate, except to owners of many lenses.Well even a few is a considerable investment.
i own Nikon-F system, Pentax and Canon. All worn, old and battered. My M’s are that way worn,too!
The viewfinders of nearly all new cameras, including Leica simply suck. Only the very peak of the top have so-so viewfinders.Why?
i will continue to use film in my old boxes, printing or scanning. Digital for pro work is done with simple Digicams. As most, pro work is for the internet and small size, a Phase-One back, Leica S2 or Nikon D3 are simply not needed for me.
TY for a good review. M8 and M9 do not feel like the old Leitz made cameras, M2 and M3.

By: Mac

Mac — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:27:11 +0000

“… a standard other camera manufacturers have aspired to in terms of reliability, durability, and solid construction…

… the M9 is constructed of a one-piece, all-metal housing, specifically high-strength magnesium alloy, with a top deck and dust- and moisture-resistant base plate”

Digital Ms are notoriously unreliable. It is common for the IR filters to crack and shutters to fail right out of the box.

Saying the base plate is dust and moisture resistant is somewhat misleading; M9s in particularly are very prone to ingress of dust and moisture.

And (if it really is) Leica’s comment “Any moirÃ© patterns occurring with the M9 are eliminated in the camera’s digital signal-processing software” is an outright lie. The M9 exhibits moire quite readily.

Sure Leica has some of the best glass available. If you want to use it on a digital body the M9 is the obvious choice. The form factor is great and so is the IQ. But that’s only when they’re working.

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 06:10:38 +0000

Good overall review. The M9 does indeed have some quirks whose overlooking might appear to some to be a symptom of idolatry whereas in reality it is simply the acknowledged price of a different approach and its attendant history.

The mark of true greatness in any product or indeed person is that flaws pale in light of their core strengths. The M9 is a truly great camera. I am 8 months into my ownership of it and I get more excited each time I click the shutter. I have never been able to say that about any other camera or have a similar emotion with respect to any other product.

By: Dr. Nosker

Dr. Nosker — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 15:30:49 +0000

Thanks for the work on a nice review. I have used a lot of film cameras over the years, as a hobby and associated with my work (I have several front page magazine pictures of tanks and trains going over recycled plastic bridges.) The cost is high, but I can rationalize that I am not living forever, so I am taking the plunge. Thanks for helping me decide.

By: Oscar Stahle

Oscar Stahle — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:35:44 +0000

Just a correction. The body is not a “one-piece” construction (like the previous analog Ms). It is made by two halves which are fitted together and secured at the ends with two small screws.

By: Jack Neubart

Jack Neubart — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:28:44 +0000

Well, perhaps I was waxing a bit poetic here. Working with a Leica has that effect on people.

Thanks for your input.

By: pmun

pmun — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:27:58 +0000

”has always been a standard other camera manufacturers have aspired to in terms of reliability…”
I disagree, the M8 has been dogged by reliability problems and there isn’t enought evidence yet to suggest that the M9 won’t have its problems (although I would hope less). Having said that, I own an M8 and absolutely love it – it’s worth putting up with the risk of it you letting you down. But for reliability you would go for a Canon or Nikon. It’s similar to comparing a classic sports car with a Lexus – now which one is less reliable and which one more boring?

By: Jack Neubart

Jack Neubart — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:49:24 +0000

Well, Lavayssiere, I didn’t plan on being ambiguous. I guess that simply reflects how I feel about the camera.

And Wedding Photographer in Italy – ciao!

By: Wedding Photographer Italy

Wedding Photographer Italy — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:20:55 +0000

I really love it. There is only one little problem for me: the budget. I have to work for an enitre sesaon to buy a 2 cameras and 4 lenses. But i really love Leica brand. i’m paking all my stuff for Ethiopia and my nice D3 is a little bit too heavy…

By: Lavayssiere

Lavayssiere — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:59:32 +0000

Hi,

nice and ambiguous review as any M9 review.
I have been using Ms for 30 years (M2 and M6s) and I switched to a M8, ie 2 M8s, more than two years ago. I am using all my lenses, from the oldest (2/50 Summicron chrome) to my newest (1,4/24 Asph) with quite a delight despite all these irritating things that make a Leica look a Meccano ®. I also use a DSLR when needed (Canon 5D, 1Ds Mk III) but I never get what I love with my Ms. At last, I think that using a range-finder camera induces a different approach and leads to different picture as mentioned in this review. So, love it or hate it, it is an unusual camera.
I am still waiting for decision making about getting a M9 as far as cost/expense is concerned. Of course, FF is a seduction but the sensor is not much different and the firmware is still WIP : my A2 prints with the M8 files never look digital… Last but not least, the “new” ergonomy (battery, numbers) is a mistake. The LCD is preposterous regarding the price of the camera.
So, M9.2 : where are you ???