Leica M9

[35mmdelux]

any idea if it'll be film or digi?

[leon chang]

I truly hope film.

[Bill Blackwell Images]

"Any idea if it'll be film...?"

 

Not a chance (assuming it ever happens at all)!

[andy_piper2]

Realistically, I don't think Leica will put any further design effort into film cameras.

 

If there's an absolute clamoring market for a film equivalent to the M8 (faster shutter,

motor advance) then perhaps - but only if they feel thay can sell more MP8s than M8s -

which I just don't see happening (it's up to you, Leica users!).

 

My 'crystal ball' view is:

 

the M7 fades away within 18 months;

 

the MP, as the "all-mechanical, no batteries" camera, will continue as a cult camera for

'artistes'. Possibly becoming an a la carte special order item fairly soon;

 

(My Leica rep disagrees - she says the M7 outsells the MP 4-to-1, and therefore the MP

will fade away first. We shall see.)

 

The M9 will be full-frame digital if and when Leica considers the results up to their

standards (and I'm not about to guess at a date for that...) or has retooled the wideangles

to be more friendly to digital sensors (the new superwide Tri-Elmar perhaps being among

the first to do so).

 

Personally, I'd rather not slip into that "dpreview" mindset of - "Oh goody, a new 20D -

NOW, when's the 30D (40D, 50D) gonna get here??"

 

Let's let the M8 get out the door and into use before worrying about the next model.

[subhash_tiwari]

Probably a Leica M8 version 1.1

[piotr_panne]

It would have to be simple - maybe no batteries.

[agf]

It'll take at least 15 years before we see it...:)

[nolan_ross]

My crystal ball: Leica's M8 turns a profit and perks up the Leica business. They come out with another digital camera with more buttons and functions. This group over the next year or so slowly quits talking about the film camera's and the Leica forum becomes yet another digital group...Nolan

[Rob F.]

The M9 will be a satellite uplink model. The Leica satellite will auto-photoshop your pictures and downlink them to your home printer, which will have a set of 16x20's waiting for you.

[simon_dai]

Who needs 16x20" prints, Rob? my crystal ball says most M8/M9 users will only enjoy their pictures on 17" LCDs or downsize for some bragging rights on photo.net.

[gabrielma]

What about the M14? Any idea if it'll be digital or hologram?

[johnny massey]

Rob F, home printer? That is sooo 20th century - the M9 will upload pictures (almost) instantly to the digital picture frames in your home/gallery/client's lobby etc, titter ye not, yesterday I sat in a friend's garden shed(!) and was shown a wooden picture frame with the remnants of a (wi-fi) lap-top mounted in it, when I suggested that you could mount a whole new exhibition without going anywhere near the gallery I was shown a few sites of people developing this stuff commercially. Sorry if this isn't news for most of you. Johnny.

[steve_ries]

Sure "some" Leica fans are going to buy the M8 but I don't see the Leica cult following jumping on a digital treadmill.

[joshua_dollins]

Well it shouldn't be to long because leica won't be able to get away with 20 year gaps between new models anymore, and they pretty much have to go digital. I would think the m9 would be digital. Maybe 12mp or higher. They also need to come out with a DSLR. They seem to be doing well with point and shoots in digital with panasonics help. They should go ahead and continue producing the M7 for some time longer though as film is quite dead, might as well squeze the last bit out of it.

[gabrielma]

... Line!

[jerry_pfile3]

The M9 will come around, although perhaps badged the M8 v 1.x as someone else noted.

 

When they can figure out firmware/software to allow non-vignetted images with a FF sensor to allow current and future lens to provide proper images. Five to siz years I imaginine.

 

After all, the apparant purpose of the 6 binary codes on lenses is to combat this now. When it happens around 12-13 megapixels I would suspect.

 

Best,

 

Jerry

[drolo]

as above, but I guess they figured out all of it today, but decided to cash-in on the first digital M which seems to be accepted even with all the flaws discussed. Time line 2-4 years. First fill all M8 preorders (roughly 1 year), fix apparent bugs and weaknesses (another year), spread the word of the M9 imminent arrival and book pre-orders, and "tat-ta" in 2010 Leica takes the leading edge in digital: 16 MP FF, absolutely no vingetting even at 8mm fish eye etc etc. If they manage to produce a live preview to the 3inch display, who would need a DSLR then??

[bob_rosen]

Hi Everyone, We must remember that the great advantage of a rangefinder digital is the live LCD view it can be made capable of, similar to my Oly C5050. I think that this feature and the FF will be incorporated into the M9, which will be the TRUE M digital Leica. The M8 missed the FF sensor development a la Canon's D5.

 

Bob R

[bob_rosen]

Olaf, I agree. The M8 was premature. Nevertheless it is an historic model. The digital Leica I'll be able to afford will be the digital version of the Leica CL, still my favorite walking around camera. Naturally, I expect to us my two splendid CL lenses with the CLD.

[graham john miles]

I hear the M9 will also have a tilt mode for producing those irritating slanted street images Leica photographers seem to love.

[stupid_photographer]

Pre-order yours today:

 

http://stupidphotographer.blogspot.com/2007/11/first-m9-seen.html

[kelly_flanigan1]

The M9 will be in pink; with a Hanna Montana theme. <BR><BR>They will be released first at concerts only; then later available at rural Walmarts; then later at B&H.<BR><BR> The pinkish imagery look will be a smash hit with preteens. An MP3/4 player will be standard; with a 256Gig flash drive standard and cell/video phone too. The sticker printer attachment will be optional for preteens ; but a mandatory requirement for a professional purchase.<BR><BR> The new HM lens lines will be in blue and pink themes; with an extra millimeter added for the HM to M adapters; and 2mm for the HM to LTM adapters. The camera finish will feel like bubble gum; easy to grip; quite knock resistant; eatable too. Optional skins will be available at an added cost for the retro M look; or old pro black look; or used brassed look. The brassed versions are not edible.<BR><BR> Collectors Cameras will be in special bubble pack themes will include each season of Hanna Montona DVD's included; plus T shirts and hats. Mac users will require installation of Leo; and PC users Jupiter. A 64 bit processor and software is recommended along with 4 gigs of ram. With Ubuntu Zero only a 32 processor is needed. <BR><BR>Focus will be by laser beam or RF rangefinder. Filters to add the new pink look will be available for CS5 thru CS3 at a cost.

[anthony_brookes5]

I've just been shown the M9 but decided to ignore it. Too much traffic.

[robert gordon]

If there ever is a new Leica M film camera, I sure hope they enable date stamping between negative frames--the way my Contax RX did circa 1994.

[alex_hosking]

"the M7 fades away within 18 months; "

Imagine that, that would cause a stir I think.