Toronto Photography Meetup Group

Supposedly leaked.
"Full Frame" 18MP

Sounds like there's some upgrading to be done.

do you upgrade to each new one that comes out?

$8,000 USD
16 bit
ISO 80-2500 (apparently 2500 looks like what you get out of Canon/Nikon)
No longer a need to have UV/IR filters

Ridiculously expensive when you consider that the M8 was only released about 3 years ago and was also at a price point that seemed too expensive at the time.

Cheers,
Dave

boy, they'll be rubbing it into their faces for the rest of this millennium

nothing personal, dave. it's just that i see this line in pretty much every thread on the subject. obviously, it's very important that you actually can take pictures with an 8K brick

ps. anyone getting rid of their M2 to get this one?

I'm not sure what you're getting at here.

As someone who's owned an M8 in the past (and stayed with the M7 and M2); I personally can't afford an "M9" nor do I want one.
I was merely reiterating information I had been provided regarding the alleged (as it has yet to be officially announced) M9.

Dave

like i say, no harm meant at all

pretty much everyone reporting on the M9 mentions that you no longer need to use the filters--the "feature" is obvious enough for several hundred plastic cameras with the mean price well under $200 so why bother? did anyone expect leica would release another camera that required filters to match no-name key-chain trinkets for colour accuracy?

anyway, all in good spirit, all in good faith

ciao

I think the M9, even if it exists, is bound to disappoint. Those who are familiar with/experienced with using film RFs will inevitably compare it to this M2/3/4/6/7/P in terms of build quality and value for price and no matter how good the M9 is, it is very expensive for most.

For those coming from pro-dSLRs, the IQ bar has been set so high and now at a very reasonable price point (sub-$3000K), the M9s reported $8000+ price point is bound to disappoint no matter the IQ. This doesn't even factor in the automated technical advantages of dSLRs over a dRF.

I'm hoping the M8s drop in price sufficiently that I will consider one over a D700.

Ya im with Ken, the only good news is that all the leicafiles might sell off there M8s & there might be a spike in the used markets that might actually get within reach of University student budget.

what would be REALLY cool is the M4/3 that they NEED to get involved in... id jump on the new Panasonic, if i can get my hands on a Leica made 25/f2 or maybe a 20/f2

well 7k US seems to be the official price, time to break your piggy banks!

i hope mr hitler didn't buy a new M8 at MSRP, he's not gonna be too happy.

No m4/3 Leica, but there's the new X1.

X1 looks useless and will probably cost over $2000.

well, useless as it may be, but something about the pop-up flash makes me want to smile. I know it's a throwback to old film camera design where the rewind lever always had a presence on the LHS of the camera top plate, but still, it looks cute.

I also like the look of it - seems like it's an M series with the rangefinder portion lopped off.

I guess for my money, I'd rather spend it on the M4/3 GF1, and then get some good glass, like, say the Vario Elmarit 14-50

I'd be pissed if I bought a M8.2 in the past four - six months... apparently the M9 is priced at $6999USD.

The sample jpgs on DPreview don't look impressive... ISO400 has significant noise.

Bang on! It's $2200:

http://www.vistek.ca/marketing/procentr ... eica+Enews

M9 is $7700:

http://www.vistek.ca/marketing/procentr ... eica+Enews

Leica's appeal to a very niche crowd, and they try to make it a 'collectors' item that's a must have for hardcore Leicanites.

I don't find Digital Cameras to be very 'collectable' like film cameras.

There's not that many digital cameras or DSLRs i find except maybe the FujiFilm S2/3/5 Pro.

The X1 is actually quite interesting at that price point ($2200) with the APS-C size sensor .. hmmm

FYI Vistek emailed me notification of their introduction event

See the LEICA X1 first at our Toronto Store for its first stop on the North American Tour. We will Unveil it at our Leica S2 North American Launch Event on September 11.

wait... interesting how? as in interesting that you might want to buy it? Or interesting as in it looks like it is ridiculously overpriced? interesting as in the many many people who say things like "my D70 with a 35/1.8 is less than $700 and can do the same!" ?

Personally, I agree with one other commentor I've read - Leica's appeal has been with film bodies that never age, with lenses from 40 years ago that still work on a body manufactured yesterday. Indirectly, that might justify the purchase of a $5000 35mm

a M8 and a M8.2 are currently listed on Toronto CL for sale...seems like folks are already unloading their M8s to raise funds for the M9...

Hey guys, are there any online image samples available? I'm very interested in how the files look at ISO3200.

http://www.dpreview.com/previews/leicam9/page9.asp

M9 or X1?

The M9 only goes to ISO 2500.

M9.

If ISO2500 on the M9 is cleaner than my 5d2's and D3's at iso3200, i'd be sold!

Don't bet on it. in fact, bet on the opposite. The M8's comparable to my G1 at equivalent ISO's for noise (IE, the G1 at 2/3 a stop lower than the M8 due to the G1's pessimistic ISO settings where ISO2000 nominal is more like ISO 3200 actual). The M9's sample images indicate some improvement, but not the claimed full stop. Maybe 1/2 of a stop of per-pixel noise and the rest from the extra pixels.

I'd expect the M9 at 2500 to compare to the D3 in the 6400-12800 range.

That's a REAL deal breaker for me. I was looking forward to ditching both my Canon & Nikon's for 2 M9's, a 21 elmarit or distagon, 50 noct and 75 'lux


Thanks Mawz

From what I've read, the sensor in the M9 has the same pixel density as the M8, it's just bigger (FF vs 1.3X crop), so it doesn't surprise me that the ISO performance is similar - most likely, teaks and improvements in software rather than raw image/light capture ability...

nevertheless, many M8 users will probably jump on it just to own the first FF dRF...

I'm still holding my breath for a Nikon manufactured dRF with an M-mount ;P

Here's a good preview I came across: http://dfarkas.blogspot.com/2009/09/lei ... tzlar.html

If anyone gets a hold of an ISO1600/2500 DMG file, please PM me the link. TIA

I was one of those people who jumped on one of the sales on CL

Anyhow, I don't know if it applies to anyone else, but I found shooting with a RF quite a different experience, with different expectations. The analog experience can't really be compared in terms of sensor noise, framing or performance with a comparable SLR. It will lose out in all counts.

Yes, the m8.2 I have is quite noisy at anything over ISO 640, but it isn't a SLR replacement, but more like an addition. The M9 is just a full frame rendition of the same experience + expectations.

One benefit though is the great selection of cheap Japan glass that has great performance (CV Nokton 35mm 1.2, CV Nokton 50mm 1.1, etc.)

I can never understand the rationale of spending lots on an expensive camera body and going cheap on lenses, especially in this digital age.
Lots of people getting Leica cameras just to participate in the Leica culture, but then they put cheap Japanese lenses on their Leica to take their Leica pictures. I don't quite see the point here.

Why not go the other way around, shoot with Leica glasses and use whatever body that captures light. That IMO produces pictures that are more Leica.

For me, I'd rather shoot with a Noctilux on my R-D1 than a CV on an M8/9,
I feel more Leica this way.

Sorry, I just have to make this post before my eBay M3 (the best Leica body in history) arrives at my door, along with a cheapo 50mm Elmar that costs fraction of the body.