Alternative to Leica M8/9

[laurence_rochfort]

<p>Hello,<br>

I was wondering if there are any other digital rangefinders/compacts that allow ease of access to shutter and aperture settings the way a Lecia M8/9 does?<br>

The Fuji X100 does, admittedly without interchangeable lenses.<br>

Can anybody provide alternatives for under £1000?<br>

Cheers,<br>

Laurence.</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>Maybe you can get a used Epson RD-1 for that amount of money? That's the only other option with interchangeable lenses.<br>

But do look at all the mirror-less cameras, like Micro-4/3, Pentax Q, and Nikon 1.</p>

[paul_wheatland]

<p>Adding to the list of mirrorless digicams: Sony Nex and Samsung</p>

[bobtodrick]

<p>Word has it that the next generation Fuji x100, with interchangeable lenses is being announced in January.</p>

[j_sevigny]

<p>RE: the NEX, I use it for street stuff and I like it a lot. But full manual operation is about multiple button pressing. At least as far as I've been able to tell. Mine kind of lives in aperture priority mode at f/8. </p>

[geoff_r1]

<p>I have been using a Ricoh GXR with Leica M mount for the a couple of weeks now, and it produces very nice images. I've been using my 21mm elmarit and 35mm summicron, there are also Ricoh lenses, but I have not used them. </p>

<p>

<p><a title="Fans, Condell Park by Geoff A Roberts, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6092/6381717849_1942bb92dd.jpg" alt="Fans, Condell Park" width="500" height="375" /></a></p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<blockquote>

<p>But do look at all the mirror-less cameras</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I'm using the Samsung NX100. It works very well with many of my old MF lenses, 14.6MP and a breeze to use in manual focus, exposure mode. Fairly inexpensive too. However if the Fuji X200 becomes a reality I will be eyeballing that one. </p><div></div>

[frederick_muller]

<p>RD-1 family, without a doubt. I use both the RD-1s and the M8. I find the M8 an excellent black and white platform for street shooting, but don't really like its color performance. Don't like its menu system, don't like its high ISO perforformance. For me it is a special purpose platform. Maybe the M9 is better; I haven't tried it. But for all-around color work, I far prefer the RD-1s.</p>

[Alex_Es]

<p>The awful truth is that there is no digital alternative for the M8 and M9. The RD-1 comes close, being a rangefinder, but is not a viable alternative because it is now a limited distribution camera with uncertain after service. It only has frames for 28, 35 and 50, which become 42-50-75. <br>

The micro 4/3 and similar cameras are wonderful and unique entities in their own right. (I just got an E-PL1s and am having a ball with it.) But they are not alternatives to the M8 and M9, as they belong to another universe of cameras.</p>

<p>The only real alternatives the M8 and M9 are film rangefinders. There is the whole range of Leica Ms. If you want something cheaper try the Zeiss Ikon with the most seductive viewfinder ever made. Then there are the Voigtlander Bessas. After that there are the Leica thread mount cameras. And oh yes, I forgot the late great automatic M mounts--the Minolta CLE and Konica RF. And the mechanical Leitz Minolta CL--HCB's last Leica. And then there is the plethora of fixed lens RFs.<br>

And you get full frames with your film RFs (save for a classic half-frame cameras).</p>

<p>And with a scanner you can join the digital world. A dedicated scanner is best, but recent upper level flatbeds are nearly as good.</p>

<p>So there you are if you want to shoot RFs. Of course the professional DSLRs are brilliant, fantastic and out of this world. But they weight a ton. </p>

<p> </p>

[aplumpton]

<p>Acknowledging that there are no digital alternatives to the M9 (and possibly M8) in terms of image quality and RF camera operation and metered manual exposure settings, unless some of the larger sensor interchangeable lens compact cameras are attractive to you (as you are in the UK, you can see reviews of some of these in past issues of B&W Photography), you might, for less than about $1600 (1000 pounds), look at a clean example of the very fine discontinued Mamiya 6 camera (6x6 cm) and 75 mm lens and a good tabletop scanner (scanning 6x6 cm negs or positives is easier than 35mm to do with good results on a tabletop scanner). The quality will probably match that of the M9, and, as Alex has mentioned, this also gets you into the digital world. </p>

[rossb]

<p> The digital rangefinder to choose is the M9. As far as I know it's the only current under production digital rangefinder out there. Then there is a flood of mirrorless camera's to choose from. I do not know how the buttons and such work on them however. You just have to review them one at a time to determine if they have buttons that suit your preference. </p>

[steve_bellayr]

<p>If this were a poll I would vote NO. Sometimes it is difficult to deal with but if you need a full frame professional camera with high quality lenses a la 50 years ago choices are very limited.</p>

[travvel]

<p>A follow up on the Fuji x100 please !<br>

But Im looking very hard around also for a small body with interchangeable lenses.<br>

The GX3 Ricoh looks lovely and just money preventing me from jumping in with both feet and going for this. If you have the lenses I believe you can get a system for under 1000. At the moment Im trying to learn what the best solution is also. </p>

[desmond_kidman]

<p>I keep biting my tongue because I know you want interchangeable lenses. I am an interchangeable lens guy too, but the x100 is such a compelling <em>image maker </em>that I have to suggest you borrow one if you can. It is the most natural camera I have used in the digital age, so simple, so few decisions, with the important controls RIGHT THERE. It is the only non-interchangeable lens camera I have used for more than a few months (including several Rollei TLRs and Hasselblad SWC). The generous image size allows pretty heavy cropping, so I use it everwhere. </p><div></div>

[kparratt]

<p>It didn't take long for Far East copy cats to come out with an iPhone, so you can be sure there's a soya sauce full frame sensor in production somewhere. Leica Camera AG will be hoping to move enough M9 units before an alternative knocks the wind out of their 'sales'. It's only a matter of time.</p>

[larry_clark4]

<p>It looks like the rumors are coalescing with regard to a Fuji interchangeable lens RF-like digital (X-Pro1) -- supposedly for delivery as early as March. The initial lens lineup is said to be 18mm/35mm/60mm yielding 35mm FF equivalents of 27mm/53mm/90mm on an APS-C sensor. If one already has an X100 hanging around, that's a nice, workable set in two Fuji bodies.<br>

Although the Leica M series will always have some cache (and I love shooting with my M8) this move by Fuji will open RF type shooting for many, many more photographers. I have been enjoying both my X100 and X10, but look forward to seeing what the new Fuji will do.<br>

And maybe this is the time for Fuji to make an offer for Leica -- preserving that line while allowing more R&D capital.</p>