my (modest) redesign of the M9 body for M10

[jaques]

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ok- everyone is a Leitz engineer and designer these days- proposing what should, and shouldn't be done- so what the heck.

 

However I don't want a manual shutter cocking lever (??).... and I think the old baseplate is OK. whimsical maybe- but I like that. It should have a rubber seal though... don't tell me that's too expensive.

 

Here is what I want to see on the M10.

 

1) Leica engraved on the Top! It looks so good. I love the original Leica logo font- I want it on top of my camera. Leica should not hide their magnificent logo. Make it the opposite: if you don't want the Logo on the top- you pay extra. Not me- you.

 

2) Replace the little ridges around the rangefinder and viewfinder windows on the front like on the M3. Virtually anyone who looks at my M9 and has never used a Leica grabs it and covers the RF window with their fingers. They then wonder what the hell I am taliking about when I tell them to allign the image in 'the little yellow patch' with the 'larger image'. Then they pass the camera back with big greasy marks all over the windows...

 

The ridges around these windows on the M3 are unobtrusive- but make a huge difference. They send a subtle message to the user: "Window Here- Don't touch". And if the user misses this hint- and covers the window with their fingers- the amount of contact with the glass and skin is massively reduced. It is quite surprising see how much the ridges protect the glass considering their modest height, at a guess 65% less finger grease per touch.

 

 

3) Shutter/Power button Lock- or more firm indents between functions and off. The switch can be flicked on too easily all by itself.

 

that'll do for now I guess- I await a confirmation from leitz...

 

So Come on Solms: Just Do It!

[jtorrents]

I agree with all above ;-)

[menos I M6]

Ahh - why not, these threads are always fun (although it must be the 20th or so…).

 

I repeat myself:

 

No logos, whatsoever, nowhere - just a naked top plate with a service screw in place of the vertical setting.

 

Proper weather sealing with Leica being confident enough, to send customers to use their cameras in the rain. Love my Nikon D3, want to treat my Leica M the same.

 

Want to have a simple non stop less shutter speed dial back (love my M6 classic for that one).

 

Want clean higher ISO, as I still need to lug the D3 in the night.

No need for noise less, but need to match at least pushed B&W film @ ISO6400 - read grain, but no streaking and other digital sensor strangeties, not to talk about locking the user out completely from metering and shooting at ISO 6400, which was entirely practicable with Leica film cameras during decades.

 

I would not need 18MP for all that - 12MP is just fine and would make me much happier at ISO3200 +, rather than locking me at ISO2500 and still massively underexposing, resulting in Leica streaking, almost impossible, to post process for a clean print.

 

That's all and would make me spend 5.500,- EUR for an additional digital camera.

[Xmas]

Ahh - why not, these threads are always fun (although it must be the 20th or so…).

Proper weather sealing with Leica being confident enough, to send customers to use their cameras in the rain. Love my Nikon D3, want to treat my Leica M the same.

 

You need to be careful, seals breath so you can still get internal condensation.

 

What is wrong with using an umbrella, and how do you keep the lens clear, from windblown rain or condensation?

 

Noel

[adan]

Regarding the ridges around the finder: I don't know that the ridges do that much (and prefer the smooth front of the M2/4/4-2/P) - what really helped keep the windows clear of fingerprints in pre-M6 cameras was the fact that the viewfinder glass was attached inside the body (recessed) rather than to the front (flush with the metal).

 

I'm not sure why Leica made that change - something to do with the change to cast-zinc top plates, or the addition of the mirrored strip to increase contrast of the meter diodes, or economy (or all three).

 

But yes, I'd like a return to the recessed windows - I actually had an M6 .85x finder where the cover glass of the main VF window fell out - twice. And I do get my own fingerprints all over the RF window. The good news is that the flush windows are easier to wipe clean than using a Q-tip on the recessed or ridged windows.

 

50/50 on the engraved logo - but engraving requires extra employee time, so don't expect Leica to spend more in the manufacturing and charge you less. Personally, I feel all Leicas are supposed to have some black photographic tap covering them somewhere, and the red dot is the perfect place to put my token black tape.

 

ISO - yes, I would like an M10H with 12 Mpixels (bigger pixels) and thus ideally ISO 5000-6400 with the same performance as the M9 @ 2500 (noisy but no banding). Or, alternatively, a 33% price drop for Summilux/Noctilux lenses

[menos I M6]

You need to be careful, seals breath so you can still get internal condensation.

 

What is wrong with using an umbrella, and how do you keep the lens clear, from windblown rain or condensation?

 

Noel

 

Noel - you're absolutely correct on the potential failing seals.

My issue is, that the D3 gives a very good secure feeling in just using ti in the occasional rain.

 

With the digital M I am quite paranoid and I hate, to stop shooting, because rain gets heavier.

 

An umbrella has been tried, but considered to be cumbersome to handle with both hands preferably using the camera.

 

I use B&W MRC filters in the rain on my Nikon glass.

The filters are wiped from time to time, if water hits the front.

In light rain I use sealed lenses naked.

If there is more water or I shoot longer than half an hour, I use thin black trash bags and 3M tape, to waterproof the lenses and mount.

 

With AF lenses, this is no issue - manual focus lenses could be more difficult, but manageable.

[earleygallery]

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If not weather sealing then how about a barometer on the top plate somewhere?

[bill]

...or a hotshoe-mount umbrella?

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[jaapv]

Easily solved...

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[Jeff S]

But above outfit requires all black M10 (no red dot or white lettering) for stealth mode street work.

 

Jeff

[noah_addis]

I don't think recessed RF windows necessarily reduce fingerprints. But the nice flush-mount windows on the M6/MP/M8/M9 etc. are much easier to clean. When the windows are recessed cleaning the corners of them seems more difficult to me.

 

My only complaint about the Mamiya 7II, and it's minor, is that the windows are recessed. Maybe I'm clumsy but I still manage to get finger prints on them, and they're harder to clean than the ones on my M6.

[tobey bilek]

I would like a top with proper plating, no paint.

 

That or a quality plastic with color through the whole piece. Or perhaps plastic over a metal frame.

 

A camera of this quality should not have some chintzy paint job.

[WestMichigan]

+1 to the original poster.

It strikes me that there might be a place on the build to order option list for an M9/M10 which has an exterior esthetic evocative of a 111F with uber retro engravings, logos, fonts, and such.

 

and

 

+1 to Tobey re: Construction of the top plate.

 

At this time in my life I can't yet get an M9 without skipping getting lenses, so am working to get the M8, but I can't see the changes in the cover construction as anything but a major problem with M9 ownership.

When routine real world usage of a camera leaves an owner with scuffs and scratches which neither blend in nor become elegant brassing, I can accept it - at the price point of a good NikConSonTax dSLR. When they're asking for most of 10 Grand U.S. - it feels a more than a little bit "inadequate" for it not be of premium construction

 

Expensive car bumpers are often color all the way through to hide blemishes while cheap car owners get paint on plastic and every mark and blemish is front and center on display.

 

To me, Leica is evoking a cheap car experience at a premium car price.

 

OOPS.

 

Richard in Michigan

 

I would like a top with proper plating, no paint.

 

That or a quality plastic with color through the whole piece. Or perhaps plastic over a metal frame.

 

A camera of this quality should not have some chintzy paint job.

[jaapv]

I would like a top with proper plating, no paint.

 

That or a quality plastic with color through the whole piece. Or perhaps plastic over a metal frame.

 

A camera of this quality should not have some chintzy paint job.

Which it hasn't. The coating wears better than chrome in my experience, though not as good as the plastic of the R8/9