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Leica M and M-E


TheBogart

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Hmm I see the Leica M as a $10,000 camera. I use my visoflex regularly with bellows. It may fit the Leica M or it may not. Lets say it does not. To get the same function I would need the EVF, the M>R adapter, a R>Visoflex adapter. I have flash on my Visoflex, I use the PocketWizard III+, so I would need the Multifunction handgrip. This setup would be larger and heavier than doing the same thing I am doing now with my M9 and my Visoflex III, and I am certain that with accessories the total would be over $10k USD.

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A lot of good comments here. All I can say is thank you for early adopters because for me this camera would be a real leap of faith to go out and buy right now. No information on image quality, iso or battery life though we can guess the battery life is an issue due to the option for an add on battery. Seems like a frankenstein camera to me this point and the size creep to add features is a concern, apparently recognized by the introduction of the M-E.

 

Seems to me some at Leica have been drinking the cool aid and are now trying to be like everyone else. I used an m4/3 with evf and Leica glass for sometime before getting the M9 and just don't see manual focus for video or evf focusing with a zoom feature as desirable compared to the simplicity of the M9. A bit smaller, better dynamic range and higher iso even with 18mp would have been a dream but apparently still pose real technical challenges so instead we're off to the mp and electronics race. Hopefully I'm wrong and this will turn out to be a brilliant camera with stunning images under a wide variation of conditions.

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just my opinion, the leica look comes from the 100% from the lens, not ANY digital sensor.

 

We can't all shoot Tri-X.

 

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Wow, a lot of changes! Being a conservative old guy I'm not so sure that I'm ecstatic. Next thing you know "they" will invent a telephone that takes pictures. regards, ron

 

P.S. great news for the "R" people

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I for one would want to see actual user reviews of the Leica M before committing to buy the new Leica M as this model at Photokina is only a prototype. I also do hope some refinements are made on the styling. The red dot is far to big and out of balance in it’s positioning and the silver dial wheel looks like a cheap add on.

 

The Leica ME from what I understand is a rebranded M9 at a lower cost minus a few features and from what I have read maybe it is not made of all brass like the M9/M9P.

 

Personally I am still very happy with the camera I own and think I will be waiting a year or two more until the next generation.

 

I was lucky when I purchased my M9 under the short lived Leica Educators/Student discount program giving 25% off the cost. Which turns out I paid a few hundred dollars less than the price of the new Leica ME and that was 2 years ago.

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just my opinion, the leica look comes from the 100% from the lens, not ANY digital sensor.

 

We can't all shoot Tri-X.

 

I do not agree. It's been a while since it's possible to mount Leica glass on several other cameras(ricoh, fuji, sony), and they were always missing the "magic" of the M9 files.

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mostly, im impressed. Im very purist but I welcome those products. Those will sell as hot cakes. Some photogs dont need a few systems like canikon, macro, studio equipment, etc

 

Glad to see M/E , hopefully it continues to develop.. maybe to own direction?

 

Im a bit surprised that M one doestn support multitouch, would be easy to look around the zoomed image than that funky button. I think the rear layout can be improved a bit more.

 

 

Well done, LEica, the future feels secure and bright. It is hard to be fool and live on traditional values then lose money. Leica marketing has made clever moves.

 

who knows if I may own ME some day before final switch to MM :p

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The new M is clearly a disappointment for me. I'd second someone else on this thread, it just makes me want to buy Monochrome.

Coupled internal digital viewfinder, a-la fuji could be a real improvement: switch it on when you need critical focus, use optical for mind sanity rest of the time. The external viewfinder is bulky and looks g@y, ruins looks and feel of the camera, I'm not going to use it with Leica.

So it leaves it to live view at monitor, but to make a photo with M while holding it on raised hands like point and shoot? Please.

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But I personally dislike the metallic whirring and clicking sound of my M9. Granted I came from the M6 (no comparison, the M6 sounds luscious.) But I actually like the sound of my D3s shutter better than my M9. It has an authoritative solid sound (even with a mirror), but the M9 sounds more like a stone rattling in an empty tin can.

 

I didn't hear the whirring, just a soft click.

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I am now intending to buy either a M-E or used/demo M9/M9P which will be my first ever Leica camera. I have so far been using second hand Leica lenses with a Ricoh GXR and A12 M mount (cropped 1.5x sensor) and have just learnt that Ricoh have not produced any new GXR modules at Photokina (such as a full frame M mount sensor).

 

I welcome the lower RRP of around £3950 for the M-E which may mean that used M9s can be obtained at more accessible prices. This may encourage more photographers to become owners of Leica cameras.

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I do not agree. It's been a while since it's possible to mount Leica glass on several other cameras(ricoh, fuji, sony), and they were always missing the "magic" of the M9 files.

 

I'm going to respectfully disagree with you on the 3 year old M9 (as fine a camera as it is...) being the main ingredient for the 90+ year legacy of the concept of the Leica "magic". For ME, It's always been about the optics. The box holding the film/sensor, and shutter are secondary.

 

One could easily assert that only images made using Tri-x developed in HC-110 had the "magic", but they'd be wrong, wouldn't they?

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The new M is clearly a disappointment for me. I'd second someone else on this thread, it just makes me want to buy Monochrome.

Coupled internal digital viewfinder, a-la fuji could be a real improvement: switch it on when you need critical focus, use optical for mind sanity rest of the time. The external viewfinder is bulky and looks g@y, ruins looks and feel of the camera, I'm not going to use it with Leica.

So it leaves it to live view at monitor, but to make a photo with M while holding it on raised hands like point and shoot? Please.

 

You don't *have* to use Live View OR the EVF... :( So I just don't understand where your disappointment comes from.

 

We're not talking a Fuji here (which has a horrible OVF and non-existent MF, IMO...and not-great AF either).

 

Why would the new M (a RF-based system) make you want to buy an M Monochrome (an RF-based system)?

 

They're exactly the same, except perhaps the new M's RF mechanism might be improved a bit from the M9 /MM (the illumination for framelines will be nice for sure).

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