Leica M9 Digital Camera Review: Field Test Report

Jack Neubart takes a step back in time to test this century’s classic manual-focusing, full-frame 18 MP CCD interchangeable-lens camera for the ages (along with the Summilux-M 21 mm f/1.4 ASPH).

Leica M9 (front). A ruggedly built, Euro-styled digital rangefinder in which quality, performance, and price go hand in hand. Photo courtesy Leica.
Leica M9 front A ruggedly built Euro styled digital rangefinder in which quality performance and price go hand in hand Photo courtesy Leica



It has been a very long time since I last worked with a rangefinder camera. And likely just as long since I last had the distinct pleasure of working with a Leica, although, as I recall, that was an SLR. The one thing that did stand out in my mind was how crisp the images were that came out of the Leica lenses I used.

Given that digital is, in a sense, a more complex image-forming process involving any number of variables mediating from the moment of capture on an imaging sensor and in-camera processing until the final image springs to life, I’m not sure that we’ll ever see quite the same quality, regardless of the lens or camera, or sensor. And yet we as photographers still manage to evolve our art with the technology and find ways to take that technology to new levels of creativity and bring new heights of awareness to every moment and scene we capture with our cameras.

The Leica M9 brings to mind my very first camera, the one that my dad bought me when I was a wee lad, and which he wouldn’t let me use for some years, afraid I’d break it (okay, I eventually did-but it wasn’t my fault, dad, I swear). So I bided my time and when the New York World’s Fair of 1964/65 rolled round, I finally got the chance to take the camera out on my own.

I loved that 35mm camera-a Neoca (Japanese top to bottom). It was no Leica by any stretch of the imagination. Didn’t even have a light meter inside. But it was a rangefinder. And what I remember about that rangefinder is that I was never entirely comfortable using it-I just didn’t feel it gave me the speed I needed or the certainty. And that’s still how I feel about rangefinder focusing. (However, I’m certain that many of you may feel just the opposite and would take a rangefinder over autofocusing or any other type of focusing any day of the week.)

And that brings us full circle to the M9, a full-frame, 18MP CCD digital camera featuring coincident-image rangefinder focusing-with the added benefit of interchangeable Leica lenses.

It’s No Coincidence, Or Is It?

Leica M9 interface. User-friendliness lies at the heart of this camera, with no complex or confusing array of function buttons. Even the menus are simple and straightforward. Photo courtesy Leica.
Leica M9 interface User friendliness lies at the heart of this camera with no complex or confusing array of function buttons Even the menus are simple and straightforward Photo courtesy Leica



Rangefinder focusing in the M9 is of the coincident-image type. That means that you manually rotate the focusing ring until the image within that small central field (which is also used in metering) is not two images but one coincident image. Where straight lines are involved, Leica refers to it as “split-image focusing,” although my understanding of split-image dates back to my earliest SLR, where the center of the finder image was definably split and had to be merged to achieve focus.

Here we’re still talking about some form of coincident-image focusing. This works great, unless you have subjects without distinctive lines, shapes, forms, or textures-you need detail you can easily latch onto. Like I said, this is not my favorite form of focusing-but don’t be dissuaded by my lack of alacrity when it comes to rangefinders. Again, your mileage may vary.

While we shouldn’t expect this camera to offer Live View or anything even remotely resembling it, we also must realize that, because this is not a reflex viewfinder, the view the camera affords us comes courtesy of a viewfinder that is slightly displaced from the lens axis. As such, we would normally expect to encounter what is known as “parallax error,” where what we’re seeing and what we’re capturing do not quite match.

But that’s the beauty of the Leica M rangefinder. The camera features auto parallax correction, so that we can compose with fairly good assurance that what we’re seeing is what we’re capturing. It may not be in perfect alignment, but close enough so that we don’t have to worry about cutting people’s heads off. In fact, the viewfinder displays a bright-line frame that we normally use in composing the scene. Centrally defined within that area is the highlighted rectangular field that we use when focusing (or metering).

Just one caveat. The 21mm Summilux-M lens that I used encompasses a broader field than the camera’s built-in viewfinder can accommodate. To remedy that, Leica came up with a 21mm dedicated optical Viewfinder M that slips into the camera’s hot shoe (there are additional finders for 18mm and 24mm lenses).

Of course that means that you can’t use flash and finder at the same time, but this lens is not really something you’d use with flash anyway, given its superior low-light imaging capabilities with that amazingly large (f/1.4) maximum aperture. Then again, unless you needed fill-hmm, something to ponder.

A test of balance. Normally I'd be seriously concerned over a rangefinder camera's ability to capture symmetry. So I put the M9 to the test with various subjects, from near and relatively far (well, across a wide thoroughfare). For the pastries, I leaned the camera against the glass of a gourmet bakeshop. In each case, I used the optical finder attached to the camera's hot shoe to compose after metering in camera. The symmetry may not be perfect, but it's well within acceptable parameters.  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
A test of balance Normally Id be seriously concerned over a rangefinder cameras ability to capture symmetry So I put the M9 to the test with various subjects from near and relatively far well across a wide thoroughfare For the pastries I leaned the camera against the glass of a gourmet bakeshop In each case I used the optical finder attached to the cameras hot shoe to compose after metering in camera The symmetry may not be perfect but its well within acceptable parameters ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



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So, how exactly does this partnership of external finder and rangefinder focusing work? Well, the camera’s built-in viewfinder is used for focusing and exposure, while the external finder is used for composition. Yes, it is time-consuming to switch back and forth, which is why Leica photographers fall largely into the category of “image-makers” who have a sense of what they plan to photograph, and not “snapshooters” who fly by the seat of their pants (not that I’m saying being a snapshooter is necessarily a bad thing-I have lots of spontaneous captures that could never have been planned).

With a Leica M9, there is a process: You see the scene with your eye, scrutinize its possibilities, wait for the pieces to fall into place after focusing and setting exposure, then release the shutter.

One very positive aspect of a rangefinder camera is that your viewing experience is independent of the lens’s maximum aperture, in contrast to a DSLR. That makes this combination of fast lens and M9 that much more suitable for low-light, especially nighttime, shooting.

Making Sense of a Sensor

Now, before we go on, you may be asking, in this age of CMOS sensors on 35mm-styled cameras, why CCD? Well, Leica continues to believe that the Kodak CCD chip is the way to go for ultimate quality. Leica had this to say about their sensor, in a published release:

“The image sensor of the M9 employs further-advanced and meticulously designed micro lenses with a low refractive index. The micro lenses at the sensor edges are laterally displaced towards the image center to precisely match the characteristics of M lenses. This optimized micro lens design captures and concentrates even the most oblique rays on the sensor and reliably prevents image brightness fall-off at the edges and corners of the image. As a result, all existing Leica M lenses maintain their full performance when used for digital photography.

“The intentional decision to exclude a moiré filter, which optically filters out the finest image details, was made to permit the full exploitation of the superb resolution of Leica M lenses. Any moiré patterns occurring with the M9 are eliminated in the camera’s digital signal-processing software. The optimized signal-noise ratio of the CCD image sensor reduces the need for digital post-processing and ensures that images possess an unrivaled, natural visual impact. This results in high-contrast, particularly high-resolution exposures with natural color rendition from corner to corner.”

The long and the short of it is, you’re getting a full-frame 24x36mm (35mm film-size) sensor, which means no focal-length conversions. And that means that the 21mm Summilux-M lens I was working with gave me that sweet ultra-wide view that I was hoping to capture from the get-go. All current M-series lenses, from 16mm to 135mm, are compatible with the M9, as well as most older M optics.

Exposure Control the Old-Fashioned Way-With a Twist

Leica M9 (top). Here are found the shutter speed/mode dial, off/drive mode switch, and dedicated hot shoe. Photo courtesy Leica.
Leica M9 top Here are found the shutter speedmode dial offdrive mode switch and dedicated hot shoe Photo courtesy Leica



Pressing down on the shutter button activates the camera’s exposure meter, except in the B (Bulb) setting, where it remains inactive. As the user manual explains, “exposure metering for the available ambient light is performed through the lens with the working aperture.” Exposures on this camera are center-weighted. That means that the centrally defined area should also be a guide as to which subject areas will affect exposure most strongly.

I don’t recall exactly which SLR cameras used match-needle LEDs, but essentially the M9 uses that methodology for exposure control-but only in Manual mode. These LEDs point to whether exposures are running hot or cold, with a dot LED showing the camera-recommended exposure. Rotate the aperture ring on the lens and/or the shutter-speed dial on the camera to arrive at an optimum exposure and use either to override the camera-metered exposure as needed.

There is also an Aperture-priority automatic mode, where instead of indicators you get actual numbers digitally represented as an LED-readout of the shutter speed. As with all Aperture-priority metering systems, change the lens aperture and see a corresponding change in shutter speed. In this mode, pressing down to a second position on the shutter button locks in exposure (you’ll hear a second faint beep)-but only in standard advance mode. (There is also a soft mode and a discreet advance, which delays shutter release for a fraction of a second.)

Exposure compensation in Aperture-priority is activated via the Set button menu or the Setting Dial (a wheel located coincident with the cursor buttons to the right of the LCD). A blinking indicator tells you that exposure override is in effect. (Keep that in mind, or better yet manually reset it before moving on to avoid future exposure errors.) Overrides are in 1/3 EV increments, to +/-3 EV, whereas aperture and shutter-speed values are in half steps (mechanically set on the respective dials). A Main menu option gives you a choice of whether you can use the Setting Dial independent of or in tandem with the shutter button.

Auto-bracketing is also available in Aperture-priority mode. Set the camera to single-shot or continuous drive operation, the Set menu to exposure bracketing on, and the Main menu to the number of shots per sequence (3/5/7), the necessary increments (0.5/1/1.5/2 EV), and sequence (0/+/- or -/0/+). With a single press of the shutter button down all the way to make the first exposure, the camera will continue to fire the required sequence of shots even with your finger off the button.

Flash Usage

The M9 also features dedicated flash operation with either a Leica flash or any flash that uses a dedicated SCA adapter (typically Metz and other European brands). You have the option of first- or second-curtain sync. Regrettably, a flash did not avail itself for the necessary tests. When using matched flash units, flash exposure is controlled with center-weighted TTL pre-flash metering via two silicon photodiodes.

Here’s more on that (from the manual): “The Leica M9 determines the required flash power by firing one or more pre flashes, fractions of a second before taking the actual picture. Immediately after this, at the start of exposure, the main flash is fired. All factors that influence the exposure (such as filters and changes to the aperture setting) are automatically taken into account.”

You can also use a non-dedicated, hot-shoe-type flash. Unfortunately, there is no X-sync contact as a workaround.

Digital Noise

The levels of digital noise in this camera are fairly well-controlled. You begin to discern luminosity noise at ISO 1000 but not to the point of rendering a picture unusable. At ISO 1600, color noise becomes readily apparent, and it’s markedly noticeable at ISO 2500. There is no option for high ISO NR (noise reduction) to deal with the problem. Then again, the problem is not serious enough to warrant it. There is also an ISO 80 option, referred to as “pull.” As with pull processing of film, the result is a flatter, lower-contrast image, so I don’t recommend this setting, unless push comes to shove-well, you know what I mean.

In the holiday spirit. When I saw this illuminated building against that dusky blue sky at



The only noise reduction in the camera revolves around long exposures. It kicks in automatically at around 1/30 sec. Normally you’d expect long exposure NR to take effect at shutter times of 1 second or longer. You’ll notice that longer exposures take twice as long (from two seconds and up, you’ll see a digital countdown). The camera is using dark frame subtraction to alleviate fixed-pattern noise, evident as hot pixels (reminiscent of bleach specks).

Warm & cold. I liked the contrast of tonalities in this scene between dusky blue and warm incandescent. I'm not sure that I would have opted for this shot with another camera, but it felt right with the M9. You may be able to see a fair amount of noise in this ISO 2500 exposure (readily apparent at normal magnifications).  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Warm cold I liked the contrast of tonalities in this scene between dusky blue and warm incandescent Im not sure that I would have opted for this shot with another camera but it felt right with the M9 You may be able to see a fair amount of noise in this ISO 2500 exposure readily apparent at normal magnifications ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



Sometimes it’s better to treat the problem of hot pixels in post and grab that next shot when the opportunity avails itself, instead of waiting for the camera to do its thing. Take fireworks, for example. Precious seconds are lost and all too soon the show is over, or you may have missed the most exciting, most vivid explosion of color because the camera was busy.

On average, I haven’t found long exposure noise to be a particularly vexing or even observable problem, at least at shutter times I was using, and would have preferred this to be an optional setting. But there was one instance, when I inadvertently made an exposure in Aperture-priority at 32 seconds and found a hot pixel, despite long exposure NR. However, this is something that is easily retouched out, so let’s not sweat the small stuff, as they say.

The Summilux-M 21mm f/1.4 ASPH Lens

21mm Summilux-M with 6-bit encoding. Leica M-series lenses are 6-bit encoded so that camera and lens can easily talk to each other. All the photos I shot (and shown here) were taken with this lens. Photos courtesy Leica.
21mm Summilux M with 6 bit encoding Leica M series lenses are 6 bit encoded so that camera and lens can easily talk to each other All the photos I shot and shown here were taken with this lens Photos courtesy Leica



M 2_75 6 Bit Code Front
Here’s what Leica has to say about their lenses: “The current M lenses are supplied with a 6-bit code on the bayonet mount (see photo) that is scanned optically by the M9. On the basis of the coded information, the M9 can compensate for any (almost negligible) system-inherent vignetting effects if necessary. In addition, the lens type is recorded in the EXIF data of the image files and, when using the latest flash units like the Leica SF 58, automatically adjusts the reflector to match the focal length of the lens attached.”

What this information fails to address is that the EXIF data omits one vital piece of information: lens aperture. These days I rely on this data so that I don’t have to stand there with a paper and pen or recorder to note the f-stops. And because I was shooting out in the cold, literally, I wasn’t about to stop and jot down notes for each and every exposure. Just wouldn’t be prudent, to borrow a phrase from that noted “Saturday Night Live” bard.

Costume jewelry. I photographed this costume jewelry in an outdoor market-simply as a challenge for the 21mm Summilux-M. I had enough light for a 1/60 sec exposure (ISO 800).  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Costume jewelry I photographed this costume jewelry in an outdoor market simply as a challenge for the 21mm Summilux M I had enough light for a 160 sec exposure ISO 800 ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



But let’s get to the nitty-gritty. If I understand Leica’s statement, they’re saying I shouldn’t expect to see vignetting. Well, not so. Vignetting was readily apparent when shooting at or near maximum aperture. Stopping down to f/4 alleviated the problem considerably, although at wider apertures the effect should only be observable over uniformly toned areas, such as sky, where a little vignetting may be tolerable.

Statue of Liberty in the flesh. We have lots of these living statues stationed around Central Park, here in NYC. I found this one interesting against the backdrop of the towering Time Warner Center. Note the vignetting at the corners, which meant that I obviously shot this at or near maximum aperture (so that the backdrop would blur slightly) with the 21mm lens. Unfortunately, the EXIF data does not record lens aperture, despite the electronic pathways that exist between lens and camera.  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Statue of Liberty in the flesh We have lots of these living statues stationed around Central Park here in NYC I found this one interesting against the backdrop of the towering Time Warner Center Note the vignetting at the corners which meant that I obviously shot this at or near maximum aperture so that the backdrop would blur slightly with the 21mm lens Unfortunately the EXIF data does not record lens aperture despite the electronic pathways that exist between lens and camera ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



I do have one complaint about this lens and it revolves around the lens cap. I can’t tell you how many times this has slipped off in the camera bag. It’s a flexible plastic cap that slides over the screw-on lens shade that comes with the lens. It feels too flimsy and inadequate for a $6000 Leica lens (which is nearly as much as the M9 body goes for). I think the addition of retaining clips on a solid plastic cap would be better.

In the Final Analysis

The Leica M9 is clearly a product of German design and engineering, which has always been a standard other camera manufacturers have aspired to in terms of reliability, durability, and solid construction. It’s a rigorous standard that few try to achieve and fewer still approach with any conviction.

When one learns that 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 machined from solid brass blocks, one can’t help but be impressed. By the way, the battery and memory card compartments are accessed via removal of the base plate. (Make sure the plate grabs onto the hinge, or you’ll get a nagging reminder that the camera isn’t closed properly.)

What’s more, the camera sports a new, microprocessor-controlled, fairly silent, and – according to Leica – highly durable focal-plane shutter that enables shutter speeds up to 1/4000 second and flash sync of 1/180 second. And that only sweetens the pot.

  Statue of Columbus, Columbus Circle, NYC. When I was done photographing the buildings, I turned around to find a bridal party being photographed by the statue. While I was able to get some shots at a closer distance, I like this one, with the huge sculpture reflecting the enormity of the situation.  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Statue of Columbus Columbus Circle NYC When I was done photographing the buildings I turned around to find a bridal party being photographed by the statue While I was able to get some shots at a closer distance I like this one with the huge sculpture reflecting the enormity of the situation ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



Still, it feels a little strange to say that I’ve been shooting digital images with a Leica. I know the digital Leica has been around for a number of years now, but it’s just on principle. Granted, it is a good thing, albeit a sad moment when tradition gives way to technology.

One more thing that we should point out: Leica uses Adobe DNG as their de facto RAW file format. That frees Leica from bundling any software with the camera (so keep that in mind before you spend an hour looking for a CD that is not there). Further, I’d strongly recommend the use of a fast SDHC card, or you may find what-feels-like a limited memory buffer filling up quickly with uncompressed RAW captures. You also have the option of compressed DNG (with or without JPEG), or JPEG alone.

Unlike some of the cameras we’ve reviewed, the Leica M9 is not what I would describe as a “fun” camera. While the design lends itself to ready use by anyone willing to understand and appreciate manual rangefinder focusing and manual exposure (with an Aperture-priority option), it’s not the camera you take to the beach or to parties.

It’s a camera with a serious air and a sense of style, one that should be used with forethought and intent. For those willing to spend the time and make the effort, the M9, in combination with any M-series lens but especially the 21mm f/1.4 Summilux-M, will help you realize your vision. Yes, it’s pricey. But for the price you get more than a brand name. You get a sense of unrivaled quality and a visual awareness that no DSLR will give you. You learn to see in a different light. And that, my friends, is the beauty of a Leica M9.



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For more information, visit: Leica’s website
Technical specifications: Check out the Leica M9 website
For prices and user reviews of the Leica M9:From Amazon (about $8999); From B&H (about $6995)
For prices and user reviews of the Leica 21mm f/1.4 Summilux-M: From Amazon (about $5995); From B&H (about $5995)



This Post Has 14 Comments

  1. Jack, in all honesty — even before you started reviewing it, was there any chance whatsoever that you were going to be anything less than awestruck by the M9?

    Like most of the M9 reviews I’ve read, this one seems all too willing to rhapsodize about its cost and its luxurious build quality, and to rationalize away the limited viewing system, mediocre high-ISO performance, wide-aperture vignetting, inconvenience of such routine operations as changing memory cards, etc., etc.

    I’d have liked to see the review confront some obvious questions, such as: Why would anyone serious about making pictures under challenging conditions choose this over, say, a Nikon D3s?

    Instead it waxes subjectively poetic about “…unrivaled quality and a visual awareness that no DSLR will give you. You learn to see in a different light.” (Presumably a different light in which high-ISO noise and an EI 2500 top end aren’t a problem.)

    It’s not that I dislike Leica, it’s just that I got over Leica idolatry a long time ago. During the film era I shot a lot with an M3, M4-2 and M4-P… all of which I eventually dumped in favor of Canon rangefinder gear (VI-T, 7s) that didn’t have such an illustrious pedigree and luxurious finish, but DID have lots of small but practical advantages that translated into better pictures. (“Golly, a hinged back that allows reloading without taking pieces off the camera! What will they think of next?” Amusingly, Leica STILL hasn’t caught up in this department with the M9!)

    After all the reviews, I’m still left wondering if the M9 is a worthwhile picture-taking tool, or simply a bauble for well-heeled gents who like to demonstrate their class and style, but don’t need to worry how their photos look.

  2. Sorry you feel that way, Ranger9. I didn’t feel I gave the camera more praise than it deserved. Like I said in my review, I’m not a fan of rangefinder focusing. But I have to give the camera its props. And I did point out several flaws in the camera and lens. All in all, it felt good to take that step back in time, if even for a moment.

    And FYI, I did not read even one other review of this camera prior to working with the camera and writing my review. I make it a policy to shun all reviews until I’ve written mine, unless someone calls something specific to my attention. And even then it would have to be major to force me to look at it. I apply my 30 years of photo-technical writing experience to these reviews. I’m not sure how many other online reviewers can make that claim.

  3. Your M9 review told me that a $7,000 camera, with a $2,500 lens, is well constructed. I would assume so. But other than a brief comment about noise at higher ISOs, I could find no meaningful report about image quality on a manual focus, full frame CCD sensor camera.

  4. Well, Steve, what I did observe in this $6000 (not $2500 – where’d that number come from – you know a place that sells at that price?) is first and foremost what I complained about, namely what I considered to be unusually strong vignetting for a Leica lens.

    What I omitted was mention of a trace of pincushion distortion, which surprised me in a wide-angle of this focal length.

    As for image quality (sharpness, contrast), we don’t do bench tests, and field tests are not always adequate to quantify such data. I can, however, give you my overall impression and that is that the lens performed well, albeit not as well as those lenses I tested years ago on a Leica SLR (and I noted why it was difficult to make a valid comparison).

    So, when all is said and done, looking back at the images, was I blown away by lens performance? I wouldn’t say “blown away.” And perhaps some of that is my fault – stemming from my stated discomfort with rangefinder focusing.

    And please keep in mind that testing the lens was also not my primary goal. We have to keep our reviews to a manageable length, and consequently have to decide how much space to devote to different aspects of the camera.

  5. 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 ???

  6. 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…

  7. 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!

  8. ”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?

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

    Thanks for your input.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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.

  13. “… 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 moiré 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.

  14. 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.

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