Thickness of M9 a problem?

[jaapv]

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I think it has a lot to do with the anatomy of the user. The M8/9 has a superb grip in my hands, but I take size 10 gloves. It may well be that an M3 or even more so a IIIG is more suitable for those with smaller hands.

[250swb]

nodrog, the Thumbs Up grip is not a rotten solution. If like me you carry a film camera with the advance lever out to act as a grip/brace, then thats all a Thumbs Up replaces and makes the M9 feel very much like a film 'M' in use. All the points of contact are the same.

 

Steve

[zlatkob]

The M8/9 has a superb grip in my hands...

 

Jaap, a few days ago you mentioned dropping your M9. Others have written about dropping their M8. Any camera of any size or shape can be dropped for any reason, but I suspect that sometimes they are dropped because of the way they fit in the hands.

[chris_tribble]

Not an issue IMHO - and I sold my Thumbs Up - I found it snagged on bags. Likewise the grip - and I use all lenses from 18 Zeiss through to 135 Apo Telyt..

[jaapv]

Jaap, a few days ago you mentioned dropping your M9. Others have written about dropping their M8. Any camera of any size or shape can be dropped for any reason, but I suspect that sometimes they are dropped because of the way they fit in the hands.

Not in this case: It was in its bag with the top open and I opened the door of the car. The belt snagged on the catch of the door.... And an M8 slammed on the pavement whilst I had it around my neck. The dogs went between my legs and over I went. And the third tim I crashed into a 6 m dep ravine - yes I had it in my hand and it slipped out of my hand, as I needed the hand to grab a bush on the way.....That is my total of dropped M8/9s.

[jaapv]

The only Leica I ever really dropped out of my hands was an M4-2. It fell in front of a Pretoria city bus. Bump-bump-bump (three axels) The only thing that happened was that the rangefinder was out of adjustment, apart from some impressive dents. Of course, Leica managed to present the insurance with a 2000 Deutschmark bill. The camera was a lot better than before:).

[jaapv]

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Just so. On the front, the self-timer (M2-4) or battery cover (M6) used to give a bit of anchorage for the ring finger of my right hand, but the M8-9 has nothing there.

 

On the back, the ball of my thumb rested on the vulcanite and the distal phalanx on the back of the top plate. Somehow, the control wheel, arrow keys and monitor on the M8/9 get in the way of that, enough to make the digital camera feel less secure than the film Ms.

 

FWIW I never used the wind lever as part of my hand-hold.

I must hold it differently from you. My index finger rests on the collar of the lens release and my thumb just clears the control wheel; probably a different shape of hand.

[wparsonsgisnet]

My first M-camera was the M4, acquired used in 1970. I have been shooting with either that or an M6-classic since then, and until I acquired first an M8 and then an M9.

 

I have *always* used the M8./9 with the Leica grip and find it handles extremely well this way.

 

Many recommend the thumbs Up, but I have no experience with it.

 

Nevertheless, the only difference I find when using either the M4 or the M6 is the silkiness of the shutter and the **quiet** of those bodies. (I actually feel that the M4 is quieter and more solid than the M6.)

 

If you are holding off on getting an M9 because it's "too big," that's probably not what you will feel when you get the camera.

 

The images produced by the M9 continue to be Leica-magical.

[giordano]

I must hold it differently from you. My index finger rests on the collar of the lens release and my thumb just clears the control wheel; probably a different shape of hand.

 

We must hold it very differently: my index finger rests on the shutter release.

 

I guess you mean the ring finger, the one next to the little finger. Also, from another post I think your fingers are longer than mine. One of these days I'll get some of that skateboard tape stuff and try one or two strategic patches.

[adan]

I just picked up the M8 (and then the M9) and began shooting. Never really noticed the thickness as an issue. But then I've been perfectly happy shooting Konica and Epson "M" bodies - and M6 ttls that have the same extra height as the M7/8/9 - as well as Contax G's. At least as far as the ergonomics were concerned. I guess I just lack "Princess and the Pea" sensitivity.

 

I've shot with film M's a couple of times since getting my first M8, and swapped back and forth between bodies without a second though about thickness (although I have been surpised and irritated when the film cameras refused to automatically advance the shutter for me )

 

In 42 months of shooting M8/9s, I have come close to dropping a camera exactly - never.

[cldp]

Any aesthetic disappointment I felt with the increased thickness of the digital M quickly vanished as soon I began working with the camera. I am often changing back and forth between the M7 and M9 and take no notice the different depths when I'm concentrating on the image. The only difference I noticed was when I first took a shot with the M7 after it had been idle for a couple of months. The shutter was so silky and quiet I wasn't sure it had even fired.

 

charlie-lieberman

[richard_man]

I think it has a lot to do with the anatomy of the user. The M8/9 has a superb grip in my hands, but I take size 10 gloves. It may well be that an M3 or even more so a IIIG is more suitable for those with smaller hands.

 

That must be in. I have small hands and the M7 fits perfectly. On the M9, the bottom of my thumb just sits on the control wheel. Not painful, but definitely the "pea under the princess' mattress" feeling :-) The Thumbs-Up helps securing the camera, but again, it does poke at me when I hang the camera off. I live with these "issues" though. It's still the best digital M solution there is.

[jaapv]

We must hold it very differently: my index finger rests on the shutter release.

 

I guess you mean the ring finger, the one next to the little finger. Also, from another post I think your fingers are longer than mine. One of these days I'll get some of that skateboard tape stuff and try one or two strategic patches.

Middle finger, actually . And I do not bend my index finger on the shutter, it rests flat.(as long as I remember to hold the camera properly;))

[Manolo Laguillo]

I also have small hands, and the Leica handgrip is a very good solution for me. It's actually a must!

[cheewai_m6]

Actually the camera is 4 mm thicker, which is to accomodate the LCD screen and sensor mother board. The lens mount was moved forward 2 mm to leave 2 mm for the body. The rest of the dimensions are identical to the M6TTL and M7. If you want to have it smaller, have a look at Mark Norton's anatomy thread. It is a marvel of design that they managed to cram everything into the body as it is.http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/21331-anatomy-leica-m8.html

 

did he ever get the m8 put back together and functioning again?

[k-hawinkler]

did he ever get the m8 put back together and functioning again?

 

Yes, he did. Please, note post #184 and #185 of the thread http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/21331-anatomy-leica-m8-10.html#post226845

 

K-H.

[glacierparkmagazine]

My only problem when I first got it was that I tried to shut it off by setting it to "bulb." The additional thickness made no difference whatsoever.

[diogenis]

We can understand the concerns of some on this matter, however the camera shape has a very long and proven story of some 50 years+ that guarantee ergonomy.

The camera needs nothing more: no cases, no thumb ups, (particularly) no softies..

The camera as designed is perfect -even if you have large fingers- dials are big, buttons are mechanical easy to use, there is no justification for accessories.

The camera is a mechanical marvel of precision and quality and you have to feel this. we don't see this kind of manufacturing quality anymore in consumer products.

[jaques]

I am not sure if it is just the thickness- or the lower height- or the solidity: but whenever it is whenever I pick up my M6 I get a bigger smile than with the M9. To me the M6 size feels absolutely perfect- and the M9 feels too thick- and less substantial. I have medium sized hands...

 

I for one would love it if the M9 was the same dimensions as the M6 or M3.

 

On another note- I also get a better feeling looking though the M3 finder- I love that the frame lines are unbroken, and uncluttered, and the RF patch has wonderful contrast. It looks to me to be better than the m6 or m9 in some ways.

 

I still love the M9 and if I didn't own and handle all three the M9 would seem just about perfect I should say.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[zlatkob]

We can understand the concerns of some on this matter, however the camera shape has a very long and proven story of some 50 years+ that guarantee ergonomy.

The camera needs nothing more: no cases, no thumb ups, (particularly) no softies..

The camera as designed is perfect -even if you have large fingers- dials are big, buttons are mechanical easy to use, there is no justification for accessories.

The camera is a mechanical marvel of precision and quality and you have to feel this. we don't see this kind of manufacturing quality anymore in consumer products.

 

Oldness does not guarantee ergonomic design. The Volkswagen Beetle was in production for some 65 years, from 1938 until 2003. That time span does not prove that its design was perfect, or that cars built today should look like an old Beetle. I wouldn't want my desktop computer to be shaped like the most perfect typewriter from 1954.

 

Ergonomics, by definition, is about obtaining optimum comfort and efficiency. The M3 camera shape of 1954 was related to the transport and exposure of 35mm film. With no film to transport, the wind and rewind cranks have been removed. To perform digital functions, a large LCD and numerous buttons have been added. While the M9 does some important things the same as the 1954 model, the camera uses a new technology at its core and introduces many new functions.

 

Is the removable baseplate from 1954 the perfect way to reload a memory card or battery in 2010? Is the viewfinder perfect for Leica lenses between 16 and 24mm? And what happened to that perfect little frame counter on top? Now you have to push a button just to see the frame count. While the M9 is beautiful in its way, let's not imagine that it is a perfect 50+ year old design. It's a new camera that superficially looks like an old one.