M9 purchase your "last" of Leica bodies??

[tdtaylor]

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Interesting thoughts, many of which I agree with.

 

I am an architect and have spent years buying computers. Every 18 months bought dozens of new ones- the staff was complaining and there were serious advancements. We are now to the point I have not bought new computers in 2 and a half years- I know we probably should soon upgrade (recession is helping to hold us back), but I am not feeling the strong need, the computers are keeping up with the 3D and animation software, no one is complaining, and small, specific software purchases are keeping up up with the competition.

 

Until lately, I have always wanted to jump on the latest Nikon trend/equipment. I have a few Leica lenses, getting back into rangefinder photography (happily so), and outside of wondering about a 50 lux, am not feeling the strong desire.drive to upgrade. A few items might get my interest (high ISO), but like my Nikon, and my computers, the technology seems to have done a good job of catching up with my needs/capabilities.

 

As Jaap mentioned, I now find myself challenged by the technology as opposed to waiting for it to catch up with me and meet my needs/expectations. Yes, if the M10 is actually a technological improvement, as opposed to a marketing improvement, I will probably oblige Leica and purchase, but I'll probably be down on the order list, happy to stay with my M9 until the replacement eventually shows up. I guess the question is, since I have heard this in many corners, how does Leica keep up excited for new products? Of course, the same question facing Nikon, Canon, Intel, Apple...

[Ed_K]

For me the M9 will be my last M-body (just sold my M6 to help the funding) but not the last leica for sure

[Chris_R]

It depends on how long I live I guess. That being said, I hope it is not my last.

 

Cheers

Chris

[norm_snyder]

I've been following the M9 forum, while deciding whether to replace one or both of my M8's. In the meantime, I find I'm still producing prints from the M8 files with which I'm very happy, even some at A2 size [uprez. w/ software]. So, back and forth I go, just as I have for years, all the while thinking about the new gear. Then I recall, just as I decide this will be the last of my Leica purchases, that years and years ago, having purchased a Leica III [F] for $45 US, I questioned my dealer when I traded it on a IIIf Red dial w/ self timer [which I recall was about 120-] as to why he was only giving me 30- in trade. He pointed out that, unless I took up knitting, he would still be able to pay his rent.

 

I'll get the M9, sell one M8, and try to think about photos, not technology or dollars. I sincerely doubt this is the last time I go through this....Interesting that I"m still using some lenses I've had for 25 and more years.

[gwelland]

I've been following the M9 forum, while deciding whether to replace one or both of my M8's. In the meantime, I find I'm still producing prints from the M8 files with which I'm very happy, even some at A2 size [uprez. w/ software].

 

....Interesting that I"m still using some lenses I've had for 25 and more years.

 

Hmm, that sounds like a good reason NOT to upgrade at all! If it isn't broken (your photography), why try to fix it? I know that I upgraded because I wanted the full frame characteristics of the lenses and the removal of the filter hassle factor but if these don't worry you and you are getting the results you want then why not just shoot with the M8's?

[norm_snyder]

In part, I guess, for the same reason that I wanted a IIIf RD all those years ago, when I already had a pre-war LTM body that worked. I liked using the gear. Probably the only real benefit is that my 35mm Summicron will now cover the same field of view that it did with the film cameras, and I can stop pretending my 28mm Summicron looks the same with its 35mm equivalent FOV.

[adan]

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I guess I'd put it this way - if no further Leica M body ever appeared, but Leica fixes the red-edge problem, I would happily shoot with the M9 until it dies and can't be repaired.

 

I doubt I would sell the M9, but am keeping my powder dry regarding a second camera (besides - why be greedy when some people don't even have their first M9 yet?)

[250swb]

I've had one, or sometimes two, of every Leica M film body over the years, and the only one I still have is my MP, because it is achingly beautiful. Its also 'built down' to a lower technological spec than say the M7, and as such the need/desire to upgrade (even if Leica ever released another film camera with more bells and whistles) isn't there, it is what I want, a simple camera.

 

The M9 is something similar, although not as beautiful. Its as simple a digital camera as can be. My Olympus and Panasonic's have more technology packed into a smaller space than the M9, so I didn't buy it for its technology in the first place. I wanted a simple no nonsense camera. So if the M10 is packed with more technology I don't think this would make me want to sell the M9. There will still be better DSLR's on the market for the technological stuff. But I still might want an M10 to see what all the fuss is about......

 

Steve

[xabbu16]

buying new (hardware) is an inner demand - couldn´t be disolved by getting the new (hardware) delivered

 

a lot of people are in search for the last watch (exit watch) or last M here.

 

to accept that our demand WILL change while enoying what we HAVE NOW might be the secret of living... ;-)

[Elmo]

How Long Will I Live? - Life Expectancy Calculator

 

+very cool. thanks for the link

[SteveYork]

I disagree with with the tenor of some of the posters here. I think the M9 will be a "long lasting" digital camera. Leica will not come out with anything new until sales begin to slip. And I only see tweaking of the M9 on the horizon; nothing substantial.

 

As long as the camera is selling, why muddle with it?

[leicanut2]

For me it will depend on the resale value of the M9 and what comes out next, and if my eyes don't get any worse.

 

Jan

[delander †]

For me it depends on things like: how different will the M10 or M11 be compared to the M9 and what FW releases are made for the M9.

 

Jeff

 

Edit: and of course what other cameras are introduced.

[jaapv]

I think the only upgrade that would make current M9 users think twice is weather sealing. I would have expected that for the M9 but it didn't materialize. It cannot be that complicated for Leica to implement ( I know-I've said differently ) as they have produced a weather sealed M camera before, as I found out recently.

[wstotler]

Who among you bought the M9 in the same spirit as one like me, with limited funds, may have bought their MP -- a camera for the rest of one's life? With the expectation that the M9, treated well, will "last" a very long time, like YEARS ahead..

 

I can't respond as an M9 buyer--I can say that my M8 buy was made with thinking like this. Maybe not a "last ever" purchase, but certainly to take me off of the camera purchase "treadmill" for many years to come. My M6TTL purchase was my final film camera buy--the M6 is my M8 backup.

 

Cheers,

Will

[rob_w]

Quite possibly photography will evolve in a different direction from what we all think now. There will be an M10, and later, but no-one will care as much.

 

After 20 years of seeking the goal of true hi-fidelity sound reproduction, I acquired an excellent system 12 year ago. While there is still a niche market for esoteric hi-fi, most listeners are interested in entirely different products to any that could have been foreseen when I made my purchase. The market has shrunk, the retailers have disappeared, and even most of the specialist magazines and reviews are gone.

 

When phone or PDA cameras, for example, can take perfectly good 18Mb pictures, the fact that an M10 or M11 is marginally better for the purpose wont matter much. I'm not saying that IS what is going to happen -- more that the future is unpredictable and will evolve in unpredictable ways. In which case, I can see myself being quite satisfied with my 12 year old M9.

 

Cheers

 

Robert

[chris_tribble]

I though my M6 TTL might be my last film camera - but I'm not sure that I'll have film to shoot in it ... British Journal of Photography - Fujifilm kills three pro films

 

M9 my last camera purchase - probably not. I don't feel a need for a change, but this might be forced on me as current models are no longer supported...

[Guest ccmsosse]

There are many good points made here - I am certain that the M9 won't be my last.

Yet what will it take to justify an upgrade? A much improved M9 .

Water seals, dust reduction system i.e. as implemented by Olympus or Panasonic, better sensor (live view?), video capability with Leica glass (sweet) - there could be many things to wish for...

At this point I am longing for nothing more than more time with the M9 ... but a time will come when I wish for a M10.

[Guest]

I've had one, or sometimes two, of every Leica M film body over the years, and the only one I still have is my MP, because it is achingly beautiful.

 

Sorry Steve, but you make it sound as if you've never seen a Rolleiflex whiteface or a Contarex before.

Please don't get me wrong, I love my M6 but a M9.2 chrome a la carte would top everything for me. Digital is here to stay.

 

Cheers, Simon

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[cheewai_m6]

i hope leica retro fits the m9 rather than letting out an M10. or release an m10, but an m9 can be retro-fitted to be exactly the same as an m10. it'd be a waste of finely crafted body to just turn obsolete.

 

the only significant improvements i can see would be faster in-camera process times. things like zooming in and out, increased buffer, high iso performance, formatting sd card. cause from what i hear from everyone that has an m9, is that the iq is superb already.