m9 water proof?

[alastair_anderson]

<p>I received an M9 brochure in the post and was intrigued to read the following:<br>

"People who take photography seriously usually live their lives at the edge; in searing heat or bitter cold, pouring rain or swirling dust. The M is built to be consistent, dependable, and tough under almost any imaginable conditions."<br>

I seem to recall threads in this forum about the M8 not dealing particularly well with getting wet.<br>

Surely then this is misleading advertising if the M9 is not significantly better weather sealed?</p>

[ilkka]

<p>I doubt it is any more wetaher sealed than other Leicas. At least pictures of the removabel bottom plate that covers the memory card and battery do not show any sign of sealing. I wonder if they have fixed the somewhat weak bottom plate. The tripod socket is in the middle of the removable bottom but it only attaches with small studs in each end. </p>

[aplumpton]

<p>Leica is no better than anyone else in the use of cliff-edge hyperbole in vaunting their products. Ignore the advertising and read the independent reviews.</p>

[bms]

<blockquote>

<p><strong>almost</strong> any imaginable conditions</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>key word highlighted...</p>

 

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>I wouldn't expect any camera "waterproof" unless it were designed for complete immersion. "Weather tight" or "drip-resistant" is reasonably attained.</p>

<p>Leicas have certainly been used in adverse weather, with more exposed seams than in the M8/9. You can't judge by the cover of the memory card slot - it could be adequately sealed internally even if the cover leaks. Memory cards aren't the weak point either. I've had two CF cards go through the laundry and come out unscathed. My Nikon has O-rings and seals everywhere, but I wouldn't use it in a deluge without supplementary protection. My M2 is tight enough from the top down, but I wouldn't check it for bubbles in a bathtub.</p>

[andy_piper2]

<p>I'd expect the M9 to hold up like my M8: http://www.photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00UKDD</p>

<p>Maybe a tad better since it had one less hole in the body to let stuff in (M9 no longer has the circular LCD for exposure/battery check)</p>

[Rob F.]

<p>Thye searing heat and bitter cold part could be within reason. The pouring rain or swirling dust part sounds more like a description of a Nikonos. I'd say they got a little carried away, there.</p>

[ilkka]

<p>All purely mechanical cameras are somewhat weather proof. Very little to go wrong, at least in the short term. Leica is riding on its past success here. I mentioned the lack of sealing in bottom plate because that is a removable part and it is easy to see that it does not have any sealing. Whether shutter button and switches and wheels have, is much more difficult to say without dismantling the camera. But surely in a weather sealed body the biggest removable part should have at least some sealing. And there is no sealing inside the bottom plate either, in the battery and memory card compartments. </p>

[dennis lee]

<p>Nice shots on that rock thing Andy!</p>

<p>You know, I never saw any of my M's get wet on the inside of the base plate, nor wet film, and I really abused them when it came to rain... electrics certainly are a different matter however.</p>

[john_newell2]

<p>According to Stefan Daniel in the LL interview, there has been no change in weathersealing from the M8 to the M9.</p>