Leica The "new-old" M9 is what I hoped.

[carlb]

After shooting the M240 for a year or so, I've become a huge fan of the camera. Operate the camera as a rangefinder or with modern live-view with EVF. Focus with Leica R glass or any manual lens, no problem.

And yet, for certain kinds of shots, I miss what a CCD sensor can do for the image. Leica's first digital rangefinders (M8, M9) are of course CCD sensor cameras. Lately used M9 examples have dropped down in price to where I could just afford the purchase, so I've done just that.

After shooting my "new-old" M9 over this past week, I can say I'll never sell it. It's a beautiful camera allowing me to create the "CCD look" scenic images that I love. The camera has just the right tools for providing informed control over composition, exposure, focus, and depth of field, without ever needing to look through the lens.

I love it's near-instant turn-on time; I like the fact that it doesn't need a huge battery to do what does. It's shutter response even reminds me of the old winding-motors for film cameras - along with manual controls it makes the experience reminiscent of shooting a film camera. I like that a lot.

Here's a few shot's I've captured so far:

rice creek south of CR I by Carl B, on Flickr

path to the footbridge by Carl B, on Flickr

lakeside path at como by Carl B, on Flickr

day giving-way by Carl B, on Flickr

 

[uhoh7]

M9 just rules.

 

[Raid]

I am still stuck with/on the M8 and M9 cameras for the reasons that you have mentioned.

 

[dalethorn]

Those photos should make nearly anyone want the same kind of results.

 

[asiafish]

I still love the M9 sensor as well. My M-E is two-months-old, and at the one month mark I noticed some lines and spots in the sensor. Since the camera was so new, Leica gave me a July 7 "appointment" to clean or replace the sensor as required, and the camera has been at Leica NJ since July 2. I am eager to hear from them whether or not my sensor is corroded, but doubt that I would get the new and improved sensor as a replacement.

It doesn't matter if I do or don't as I am delighted with the way the existing sensor renders images and am confident that if replaced with the original type (or hopefully just cleaned) that I will enjoy years of trouble-free use and a free sensor replacement if and when it is ultimately required.

Below is the line on the sensor followed by a few images where the lines and spots aren't too noticeable (wide aperture) from my recent trip to Korea.


Sensor Line

f:16 by Lawman1967, on Flickr


Leica M-E with 50mm f/2 Summicron (v5)

L1001471.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

L1001501.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

L1001485.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr


Leica M-E with 1963 Zomz 5cm f/1.5 Jupiter 3

L1001077 by Lawman1967, on Flickr

View attachment 10812L1001062.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

View attachment 10813L1001037.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

L1000971.jpg by Lawman1967, on Flickr

 

[carlb]

Let's see what they do, but it sounds like the new sensor is the same as the old, with a new glass cover.

Great shots from Korea. Wish I could travel there someday.

 

[asiafish]

Let's see what they do, but it sounds like the new sensor is the same as the old, with a new glass cover.

Great shots from Korea. Wish I could travel there someday.

All it takes is a plane ticket. Korea is a wonderful place to travel, and at least according to the owner of the Leica store in Seoul, Leica is extremely popular there. I have doubts though, as I see many Koreans with DSLRs and advanced mirrorless cameras, but the only Leicas I've ever seen there were either on display in that store, or in my possession.

 

[xdayv]

I think the M9 will be a classic, the way it renders differently from the modern CMOS.

 

[asiafish]

I think the M9 will be a classic, the way it renders differently from the modern CMOS.

Yup, which is why I don't mind so much waiting until late September for my M-E to come back or sending my M Monochrom back to New Jersey after the "splotch" reappeared exactly where it was before Leica cleaned it in December.

 

[dalethorn]

Yup, which is why I don't mind so much waiting until late September for my M-E to come back or sending my M Monochrom back to New Jersey after the "splotch" reappeared exactly where it was before Leica cleaned it in December.

Someone told me, back when I had the Monochrom, that certain mechanisms in the camera can throw stuff onto the sensor at times. So I wonder when I read this, if there isn't something lurking in that camera that Leica missed, which could cause the same problem again.

 

[asiafish]

I think that the sensor is corroded from something that was "on" the sensor. They cleaned it, but in the seven months since the corrosion under whatever they cleaned has worsened.