Leica News & Rumors » Leica M9

Two Leica Hermes limited edition kits are also coming today!

LR admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:32:27 +0000

I mentioned that few days ago - there will be also two more Leica M9 Hermes limited edition kits that will probably be announced today:

There is again some talk about two new Hermes Limited Edition kits - the first one will have 1 camera + 1 lens, the other one will have 1 camera + 2 or 3 lenses and will probably include a silver Noctilux with a price tag of €40.000. I don't think those will be announced next week. Update: I've heard also that buyers may have to sign an agreement not to sell the unit within 2 years of purchase.

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The upcoming Leica Monochrome rangefinder will have a M9 styled body

LR admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:20:21 +0000

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The upcoming Leica Monochrome digital rangefinder (with a black and white only sensor) will have a M9-like body. We are not going to see a new M10 camera on May 10 - a completely new M10 will probably be announced in September during Photokina. I am still trying to get a confirmation on whether the new Leica Monochrome will have a LCD screen or not, but the new camera is expected to have very clean/noise free high-ISO capabilities (probably compared to the current M9).

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Quick Leica M9 vs. Fuji X-Pro1 image comparison

LR admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:14:42 +0000

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Today I will be comparing apples and oranges. The Leica M9 and Fuji X-Pro 1 are two completely different beasts. The only similarity is the way both cameras look. Well, actually there is more then that - both have optical viewfinders, similar megapixel counts (18MP vs. 16.3MP) and no anti-aliasing (AA) filter and that's about it. I am not going in details to discuss the features and functions, instead I will just compare few images taken with the Leica M9 and Fuji X-Pro 1 cameras. This is not an easy task because Lightroom 4 currently does not support RAF files form the X-Pro 1 and the Silkypix RAW file converter (included with the X-Pro1) doesn't support M9 DNG files. My only option at that point is to use JPG files taken directly from the X-Pro1. I may redo this test later with direct conversions from the RAW files. Obviously this is not a scientific comparison and it's prone to user's error. Click on images for larger view.

Wide open at f/1.4

Keep in mind that the M9 has a slightly higher resolution count. I took several shots with the M9 to make sure that the focus is correct - I would say the $600 Fujinon 35mm f/1.4 lens is a pretty good performer compared to the $4000 Summilux 50mm f/1.4:

Leica M9 at f/1.4 (100% crop)

Fuji X-Pro1 at f/1.4 (100% crop)

f/2.8

Leica M9 at f/2.8 (100% crop)

Fuji X-Pro1 at f/2.8 (100% crop)

Colors

To my eyes the Leica has a slightly more contrasty/saturated colors (ISO 200, f/2.8, 1/30):

Leica M9

Fuji X-Pro1

Bokeh

The Leica M9 has a shallow depth of field compared to the Fuji X-Pro1 because of its full frame sensor:

Leica M9, 50mm, f/1.4

Fuji X-Pro1, 35mm (50mm equivalent), f/1.4

Leica M9 bokeh sample

Fuji X-Pro1 bokeh sample

Leica M9 bokeh crop

Fuji X-Pro1 bokeh crop

ISO 2500

In terms of high ISO performance, the Fuji X-Pro 1 is a clear winner and probably has one of the best performing APS-C sensors out there. The Leica M9 camera is almost three years old - I will revisit this comparison once the next M camera is released later this year.

Leica M9 at ISO 2500

Fuji X-Pro1 at ISO 2500

Here are some more full size jpg samples taken in aperture priority with both cameras:

Conclusion

In my opinion both cameras have excellent and comparable image quality. The M9 is almost 3 years, the X-Pro1 is not full frame, manual vs. auto focus, price, functionality, simplicity of use, ergonomics, etc. should be driving factors if you are considering to purchase one of those cameras.

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Shortage of Leica M9 sensors

LR admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:03:26 +0000

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Several readers have informed me that there is currently a shortage of M9 CCD sensors. Cameras sent in for sensor repairs were in some case replaced with brand new M9s as a result of this shortage. The 18MP sensor inside the M9 was initially produced by Kodak, but their sensor division was sold to Platinum Equity in November 2011.

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My Leica M9 sensor cracked today

LR admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:46:01 +0000

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I've read about it online, but I never thought it will happen to me - the sensor of my Leica M9 cracked today. I cannot link the crack to anything I did nor to any extreme weather conditions. My M9 was probably from the first batch of cameras that came in the US and it's still under warranty, so it's not that big of a deal. I guess it will be a Leica MP time for the next couple of weeks. This is how the sensor crack looks when you take a shot:

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Leica M cameras: change from vulcanite to leatherette cladding

LR admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:11:48 +0000

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M9-P with current “Vulcanite” cladding. M9-P with new leatherette cladding.

Leica Camera will be changing the Leica M camera leatherette cladding for several M cameras. The following M cameras will now have a leatherette cladding as opposed to the previous vulcanite cladding:

10703 Leica M9-P, black paint finish
10704 Leica M9, black paint finish
10716 Leica M9-P, silver chrome finish
10360 Leica MP à la carte, if the option “Vulcanite” is selected
10560 Leica M7 à la carte, if the option “Vulcanite” is selected

Leica is making this change as the “Vulcanite” material is no longer available. After extensive quality control tests, Leica has selected this particular leatherette cladding for the black Leica M 9, the black and silver Leica M9-P, the Leica MP a la carte and Leica M7 a la carte. The leatherette differs from the “Vulcanite” used up to now. The new leatherette cladding is slightly softer with a flatter surface embossing and a more matte finish. The change will be implemented during serial production, meaning that the first cameras with the leatherette cladding will be delivered shortly.

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How (not) to paint your Leica M9 pink

LR admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 15:12:31 +0000

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Watch this horrifying video where Kai from DigitalRev paints a Leica M9 camera pink:

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The latest firmware version 1.176 is also applicable to the M9 Titanium

LR admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:29:32 +0000

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I received a confirmation from Leica Camera that the latest M9 firmware version 1.176 will also work on Leica M9 Titanium cameras. The reason for the initial confusion was that Leica does not lists any firmware updates for the M9-T on their website.

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New firmware version 1.176 for Leica M9/M9-P released

LR admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:09:20 +0000

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The new firmware 1.176 for Leica M9/M9-P is now available for download on Leica's website. As previously reported, the new firmware contains the latest fix for the SD card compatibility issue (note: this firmware update is not compatible with Leica M9 Titanium):

Allendale, NJ (December 6, 2011) - Leica Camera, Inc. announces the latest firmware update, 1.176, for the Leica M9 and M9-P, the world’s smallest, full-frame digital system cameras. Users wishing to benefit from the new offerings can download the firmware update from the Leica Camera website.

Firmware update 1.176 eliminates a rare fault occurring during the formatting of SanDisk cards, ensuring compatibility with the Leica M9 and M9-P in accordance with the cameras’ respective standards. All card types available from SanDisk have been fully tested by Leica’s expert technical team and firmware version 1.176 guarantees their proper function, resulting in the previous constrictions on the cards being revoked.

Leica Camera is dedicated to providing products that exhibit mastery in optics and mechanics, high-quality design and outstanding craftsmanship, resulting in an uncompromised customer experience. The company thanks all affected customers for their patience and support in searching for the cause of the compatibility issues as well as SanDisk for their intensive technical assistance.

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Leica to release new firmware version 1.176 for M9/M9-P tomorrow

LR admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:59:45 +0000

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Tomorrow Leica Camera will release a new firmware version 1.176 for M9/M9-P rangefinders. The new firmware will fix the memory card compatibility issue for all SD card models. The previous firmware release still had issues with the San Disk Extreme Pro SDHC I UHS-1 and HD Video SDHC I cards.

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Leica M9 instructional videos

LR admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:57:27 +0000

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If you are new to the Leica M9 digital rangefinder, here are two instructional videos from Dale Photo:

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Probably the last Leica M9 Titanium camera available now for sale

LR admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:17:37 +0000

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Since the last time I covered it, the price of this (probably last) Leica M9 Titanium limited edition camera on Amazon went down from $35k to $28k which is slightly more than the original price of $26,500.

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New firmware version 1.174 for Leica M9 released

LR admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:41:57 +0000

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Leica Camera released new firmware update v.1.174 for M9/M9-P cameras that should fix the SD card compatibility issues reported few months ago:

Leica Camera has become aware of customers experiencing compatibility issues related to select types of new memory cards when used in the Leica M9. This Firmware 1.174 fixes a bug that led to the faulty behaviour. Generally Leica recommends to use SD / SDHC Cards from San Disk. Until further notice, the following SD-Cards are still not recommended to use, because some misbehaviour occurred in the test phasis.

- San Disk Extreme Pro SDHC I UHS-1 (all card sizes)
- San Disk Extreme HD Video SDHC I (all card sizes)

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Some Leica camera porn

LR admin — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:32:02 +0000

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Custom case for Leica M9 Titanium made by camera-hirano (Japan):

This is the rest of the Xinhai revolution limited edition Leica cameras for the Chinese market. The serial numbers of the M9-P are from 1911 to 2011. The price is $88k HKD (about $11000 USD):

Leica UK confirmed that the Leica D-Lux 5 Titanium is not made out of real titanium, it just has titanium color. The Leica M9-T however was made out of titanium.

Special Edition Leica D-Lux 5 Titanium first look video:

Boutique Leica de Paris Montmartre:

Check also those Leica cameras on eBay:

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New Leica M9 firmware update to fix SD card compatibility issues

LR admin — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:06:36 +0000

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Leica issued a third update on the M9 / SD card compatibility issue. It seems that they have isolated the problem and a new firmware for the Leica M9 will be released for testing in few weeks:

STATUS 11.10.2011 (Update of the report from 8.8.2011)

Thanks to the close collaboration with SD card manufacturers, Leica has now managed to rectify the fault by making adjustments to the firmware. To ensure compatibility with as many cards as possible and to ensure that all the related processes remain fault-free and are not compromised, comprehensive testing must be carried out in the development phase.
In the coming weeks we will test a beta version of the firmware in practice in cooperation with affected and selected customers.

As soon as the firmware solution is proven in practice, we will name a date for the release of the update.

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New Leica M9 Titanium in stock for $35k

LR admin — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 15:26:40 +0000

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Amazon currently has a new Leica M9 Titan in stock for $34,999.00. Few months ago eBay had several M9T for sale, but it seems they are all gone now. Like anything else from Leica, this listing won’t last long.

Leica M9 Titanium was introduced during Photokina 2010. Only 500 pieces were produced. This limited edition camera has sapphire crystal glass on the LCD screen, LED illuminated frame lines and comes with a 35mm Summilux lens, shoulder holster, carrying strap plus finger loops and two books illustrating the design process.

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Leica Camera update on the M9 / SD card compatibility issue

LR admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 07:33:53 +0000

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Leica Camera issued an update on the M9 / SD card compatibility issue:

A specially set up team at Leica Camera AG has been working in close collaboration with SD memory card manufacturers on an intensive investigation of possible causes for the phenomenon reported by Leica M9 users. As no clear pattern has so far emerged on the basis of the error reports at our disposal, this investigation is proving to be extremely laborious. In the meantime, we have been able to narrow down the number of possible causes of the error. Nevertheless, we must unfortunately call your attention to the possibility of errors still occurring with newer SD cards and that such errors are not limited to particular brands or types of card.

Leica Camera is now working towards earliest possible validation of remedial measures that will lead to an improvement of compatibility. We will report as soon as possible when reliable information on the schedule for the implementation of such measures is available.

We would like to thank the numerous customers who provided information about their camera systems and helped us in our search for a solution to the problem.

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Leica Camera AG have sold 30,000 M9 cameras

LR admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:15:48 +0000

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Based on the last stament from Leica Camera AG, "There have been 15 cases of this problem, which is equal to 0.05% of the total units sold" we can conclude that Leica has sold 30,000 M9 cameras since 09/09/09. This equals to approximately 40 cameras a day.

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Leica’s official statement on the M9 battery issue

LR admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:44:31 +0000

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After the M9/SD card compatibility issue, Leica Camera AG issued another statement today about a potential M9 battery issue reported by several websites in the past few weeks:

Leica Camera has recently become aware of an issue being experienced by owners of the M9 in regard to the battery. The issue occurs when an M9 battery is fully charged and inserted into the camera. After a very short time, long before the normal drain period, the camera incorrectly shows a "battery low" message. This may happen every time the camera is used or only periodically.

Leica engineers have identified the source of the malfunction. It is caused by an electronic component that needs to be replaced. Once the component is replaced, the defect is remedied. There have been 15 cases of this problem, which is equal to 0.05% of the total units sold.

If you encounter this issue, please make sure that you are using original Leica batteries and send your camera to your local representative for repair. We will put a high priority on these repairs and fix them free of charge. We apologize for any inconvenience this issue has or may cause.

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Official statement by Leica Camera AG on the M9 / SD Card compatibility

LR admin — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:46:40 +0000

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Leica Camera has recently become aware of customers experiencing compatibility issues related to select types of new memory cards when used in the Leica M9.

First of all, we would like to thank you all for the lively participation on our call for assistance to solve the SD-card issue with the M9. With this information, we would like to give you the latest information on the status:
The facts from today’s point of view are:

Customers report that the camera stops working if shoot in burst mode and view images while others are still in the buffer.
We have a very limited number of customers approaching Leica for this issue. Most users do not have a problem.
If the fault occurs once, it can be reproduced.
Images can be lost in case of this malfunction and the card can be damaged/destroyed.
There are no indications that it is a firmware bug in the latest firmware 1.162.
It is not a general incompatibility of certain cards, the M9 is in general compatible with SDHC cards, including newer San Disk Class 10 and Class 1.

What Leica is doing:

Our dedicated technical teams are actively working on identifying the root cause and solving the problem.
SD-cards in question are being tested at Leica’s QA department intensively to find the root cause for the malfunction.
We are in contact with SanDisk and getting their full assistance.
We started a structured query in the Leica User Forum to get a better overview about the customer’s experience.
As soon as possible, we will communicate the issue's origin as well its solution.

Until the solution is found, what can be done if this malfunction occurs?

If possible, use cards that worked well in the past: Keep on using it, don’t format it.
Please avoid formatting cards in the computer.
If you are forced to use new cards: Use them carefully: try to avoid browsing through the images on the screen while the red LED is blinking.
In case of malfunction, please stop using the card. If images are lost, try to recover them. Here is a tool: PhotoRec - CGSecurity

As soon as we have news on this topic, we will let you know.

Leica Camera AG
Stefan Daniel, Director Product Management Photo
Jesko von Oeynhausen, Product Manager Leica M-System

Source

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