Finally, decided on the M-9 but some questions remain

[JSU]

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11 hours ago, LyleBright said:

Leica got back to me:

"Hi! Yes that serial number had the sensor replaced on 3/10/2015. The warranty would be 1 year after that."

But does this mean with a new, good one? Or with the same old one? (I did email her for clarification). 

Sensors in both my M9-P bodies were replaced in Spring, 2015, I can't recall if it was March or April, or they may have been sent in March and returned in April. Both of these replacement sensors failed due to corrosion. The 2018 replacements, so far, are fine.

[LyleBright]

16 hours ago, ianman said:

Seriously, you are going to get many different opinions here. Of course. People want/need different things. I have no or little interest in bells and whistle features. No need for wifi, video, LiveView, EVF, mirrorball, coffee maker, etc. So have never had the urge to change (some will say upgrade) to a newer model. I'm extremely happy to be using the M9 for 9 years now.

Difference of opinion? Here? Really? 🙂

I have a feeling that the 9 will work for me and for my shooting style. 

I have one question about the viewer of the M9.

Is it comparable, say, to the M4? That is the only other Leica I know except for an M3. 

 

 

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[ianman]

Compared to the M4, the M9 has the 75mm framelines on the same mask as the 50mm. But I think I sw you had the M4-p (me too), which has the 75mm framelines too. With the M9 you also get the meter indications. In aperture priority mode you will get the shutter speed displayed (I think so anyway, I never use that mode!)

 

 

[LyleBright]

 

11 minutes ago, ianman said:

Compared to the M4, the M9 has the 75mm framelines on the same mask as the 50mm. But I think I sw you had the M4-p (me too), which has the 75mm framelines too. With the M9 you also get the meter indications. In aperture priority mode you will get the shutter speed displayed (I think so anyway, I never use that mode!)

 

 

This has a certain importance for me:

On my M4-P I shot a 35mm and a 28mm lens exclusively, and sometimes a 50mm.

I am not sure what you mean by 'the same mask', but to make the issue simpler...

On the M9 I should have no issue using the 28mm lens? And it will show up correctly in the viewfinder as it does on the M4-P? (Framelines).

Same with the 35 and the 50mm?

I have, but almost never shoot, a 90mm but I imagine that it will also work on the M9? and the guidelines (framelines) will show?

[Topsy]

I shoot 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm, 90mm and 135mm on my M9s the frame lines are all fine and set according to the FL of the lens attached. The 28mm view is absolutely all the VF so I need to scan the corners more than 35 onwards. I also have a 21mm with hot shoe viewfinder that works well.

[ianman]

By "mask" I meant the frameline masks inside the camera. The little pieces of glass onto which these framelines are actually engraved. On your M4-P, as with the M9 you get 2 sets per "mask" (maybe mask is not the right word). Attaching a lens will bring up the correct (pair of) framelines and you can change them using the frameline lever on the front, again both M4-P and the M9 have this lever.

• 28mm and 90mm are displayed together
• 35mm and 135mm are displayed together
• 50mm and 75mm  are displayed together

So the major difference between the M4-P viewfinder and the M9 viewfinder is that the M9 will display the meter feedback lights.

I shoot with the 28mm Summaron on my M9 quite a lot and like Topsy wrote, it pretty much fills up the whole VF.

[Frase]

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On 10/18/2018 at 8:21 PM, ramarren said:

Why do Brits use miles per hour and sell gasoline by the liter?

They changed from gallons to litres to make petrol and diesel look cheaper. We still use pints as well and just don't ask about feet and inches!

[lysardman]

Got information from Leica UK. The sensor with the new, improved cover glass came on-line on September 1st 2015. So any replaced after that date should be free from the corrosion of the original ones. Though I'd be cautious about any that were changed within 3 months of that date in case 'old' stock was used. 

[lysardman]

BTW the reason our petrol is sold in litres is probably because that august band of countries called the EU decided everyone had use the same measurements and our EU loving MP's at the time, and since, rushed to comply. It'll be interesting if we drop the litre when we finally leave

[kentishrev]

19 hours ago, lysardman said:

BTW the reason our petrol is sold in litres is probably because that august band of countries called the EU decided everyone had use the same measurements and our EU loving MP's at the time, and since, rushed to comply. It'll be interesting if we drop the litre when we finally leave

Whether it’s sold in litres or gallons is irrelevant really, and I doubt the forecourt suppliers would be keen to advertise fuel units at £6.50 rather than £1.35.  Of far greater relevance would be the still possible ‘no deal’ exit, where there is little doubt the pound will weaken against the euro and import taxes from EU would be applied. In that scenario, the cost of new Leica equipment sold in the UK would probably increase by over 5%.

[robboleica]

Hi, I’ve had an M9 for about 8 years, and never had an issue with damaging or scratching the screen. I have a cheap acetate protector and half case which helps.

As mentioned by others and well reported, it’s  pretty poor in terms of image quality. It’s real use is limited regarding image checking. I use it to roughly look at composition, knowing the real image is great and a rarly have a problem focusing. You have to use it with menus obviously (BTW the menu system on the M9 is brilliant).

I certainly wouldn’t hesitate in getting an M9 and over consider with regard to the screen, it’s not a deal breaker.

I hope you get a decent M9 and enjoy the amazing quality of the aging sensor, started still a pleasure to use and work on the DNG files.

[Jeff S]

On 10/19/2018 at 1:24 PM, ianman said:

By "mask" I meant the frameline masks inside the camera. The little pieces of glass onto which these framelines are actually engraved. On your M4-P, as with the M9 you get 2 sets per "mask" (maybe mask is not the right word). Attaching a lens will bring up the correct (pair of) framelines and you can change them using the frameline lever on the front, again both M4-P and the M9 have this lever.

• 28mm and 90mm are displayed together
• 35mm and 135mm are displayed together
• 50mm and 75mm  are displayed together

So the major difference between the M4-P viewfinder and the M9 viewfinder is that the M9 will display the meter feedback lights.

I shoot with the 28mm Summaron on my M9 quite a lot and like Topsy wrote, it pretty much fills up the whole VF.

Metal masks with slits, same as this legendary M8 strip down shows...

Jeff

[LyleBright]

Esteemed Leica Comrades. Thanks for the help with all these issues and questions. In a few days should have what has been described as a near new M9 with under 4000 activations. It just sort of happened that way.

If no one minds I'd like to continue with a few more questions. 

I have been told there is an internal meter of sorts. However, when I shot a Leica M4 I always used a hand-held light meter. It just became reflexive. Obviously not needed when the lighting is unchanging. 

Do those of you with Ms rely on the internal meter? 

 

 

 

[pico]

52 minutes ago, LyleBright said:

Esteemed Leica Comrades. Thanks for the help with all these issues and questions. In a few days should have what has been described as a near new M9 with under 4000 activations. It just sort of happened that way.

If no one minds I'd like to continue with a few more questions. 

I have been told there is an internal meter of sorts. However, when I shot a Leica M4 I always used a hand-held light meter. It just became reflexive. Obviously not needed when the lighting is unchanging. 

Do those of you with Ms rely on the internal meter?

Sorry, but you have already committed to the M9, and your maximum number of questions has been exceeded. Not.

The M9 meter is just fine and I'll bet that you find greater consistency by using it rather than hand-held. Search here, read the instruction manual and you will find exactly how it measures, how to compensate, how to determine its area in the viewfinder, and lock-in exposure.

 

Edited October 30, 2018 by pico

[ianman]

Remember for film -> expose for shadows, for digital -> expose for highlights.

I tend to underexpose by 1/2 or 1 stop on the M9

[LyleBright]

Thanks for the link to the manual. I quickly looked up page 135 (correct way to hold the Leica) and see I have been doing it wrong. For my whole life in fact. Now, I have got to retrain myself to see with my right eye . . .

I will go through the manual but I'd like to find out if the Leica metering system is known to function (well) just by accepting the exposure it offers? (I am supposing that my question makes sense). 

It will be sort of odd to get back to shooting a Leica rangefinder under the new paradigm of the digital reality. 

 

 

[ianman]

2 hours ago, LyleBright said:

I'd like to find out if the Leica metering system is known to function (well) just by accepting the exposure it offers?

See above.

[Robert M Poole]

The metering is fine. The only time I feel the need to use exposure compensation is shooting in low light. This is to do with high ISO performance though rather than the meter. 

[LyleBright]

Reverend Forum Seignors (and Seignoras such as may be): 

What is the best memory card to use? My Olympus has two slots and each one has a recommended card. What is the story with the Leica?

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Hallo,

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[Robert M Poole]

6 hours ago, LyleBright said:

Reverend Forum Seignors (and Seignoras such as may be): 

What is the best memory card to use? My Olympus has two slots and each one has a recommended card. What is the story with the Leica?

Please see this thread.