M9M purchase in 2022

[DennisPT]

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Greetings everyone,

I have been using the M9 since 2016.  Earlier this year I traded it for an M9P and thought that will be good enough for my amateurish skill level and enjoyment.  Until I started reading this forum to find out the black and white mindset change with the M9M which is exhilarating!  I could not shake off this thought and now here I am, an owner of a used M9M (new sensor) in 2022.

 

Thank you Leica Forum!

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[gotium]

I love the monochrome cameras. Hope you love using yours!

[DennisPT]

1 hour ago, gotium said:

I love the monochrome cameras. Hope you love using yours!

Thanks gotium.  I am studying the zone system and hope it helps to deepen my love to this special camera.

[davidmknoble]

@DennisPT excited for you!  Especially as I see what looks like a 35mm f/2.8 on the camera with a heliopan (yellow?) filter.  Just know, different from the M9, it is more important to underexpose to save the highlights.  The color array typically has at least one color in a blown out highlight, saving some detail.  In the monochrom’ s if its blow, its gone!  

[Guest]

the monochrom( ccd) is out of the ordinary ,the first of its kind,  have fun with it!

[a.noctilux]

8 hours ago, DennisPT said:

  I am studying the zone system and hope it helps to deepen my love to this special camera.

Dennis,

Don't bother with zone system, it was for film use and large format one "frame" view camera.

I suggest using the more productive very nice RAW based histogram of your Monochrom.

I regret that RAW based histogram did not come with M246, as I was used to "learn" the sensor rendering, when lighting is not optimum.

One ofthe reasons I do keep the two Monochroms.

 

...

1 hour ago, davidmknoble said:

@DennisPT excited for you!  Especially as I see what looks like a 35mm f/2.8 on the camera with a heliopan (yellow?) filter.  Just know, different from the M9, it is more important to underexpose to save the highlights.  The color array typically has at least one color in a blown out highlight, saving some detail.  In the monochrom’ s if its blow, its gone!  

I know well this lens, so called 8 element Summicron 35mm with UV "0"filter.

My suggestion using the RAW histogram saved me when lighting is tricky.

Always underexposing (what I was told ) can be good but not always.

Better learn to use the nice histogram, weird two stage showing ( time for calculation I guess, no in hurry using it ) with unequalled EV lines.

Edited March 29, 2022 by a.noctilux

[DennisPT]

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3 hours ago, davidmknoble said:

@DennisPT excited for you!  Especially as I see what looks like a 35mm f/2.8 on the camera with a heliopan (yellow?) filter.  Just know, different from the M9, it is more important to underexpose to save the highlights.  The color array typically has at least one color in a blown out highlight, saving some detail.  In the monochrom’ s if its blow, its gone!  

@davidmknoble, thank you for your advice!  The great thing about shooting the M9M is it makes me to think more before pressing the shutter release. 

Edited March 29, 2022 by DennisPT
Typo

[DennisPT]

2 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

Dennis,

Don't bother with zone system, it was for film use and large format one "frame" view camera.

I suggest using the more productive very nice RAW based histogram of your Monochrom.

I regret that RAW based histogram did not come with M246, as I was used to "learn" the sensor rendering, when lighting is not optimum.

One ofthe reasons I do keep the two Monochroms.

 

...

I know well this lens, so called 8 element Summicron 35mm with UV "0"filter.

My suggestion using the RAW histogram saved me when lighting is tricky.

Always underexposing (what I was told ) can be good but not always.

Better learn to use the nice histogram, weird two stage showing ( time for calculation I guess, no in hurry using it ) with unequalled EV lines.

@a.noctilux, nice catch and thank you for sharing your experience.  Now I learnt why there is a 2 stage histogram !  To be honest, I am only at the very beginning with the M9M, trying to understand the sensor behavior as well as the in-camera settings such as contrast and sharpening on output.  I first thought the difference between M9 (shooting B&W) and the M9M should be minimal but after a day or two, I am surprised how vastly different they are!

[pippy]

Hearty congrats on acquiring the M9M, Dennis. I managed to pick one up just 25 months ago myself and absolutely love the files it produces and I'm sure you will love what yours will give you, too. Nice lens as well; together they'll make a perfect team!

On which note...

2 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

...I know well this lens, so called 8 element Summicron 35mm with UV "0"filter...

Gosh! It looks exactly like a 35mm f2 Light Lens Lab '8-Element' lens!!!..................quite seriously; I had to do a double-take and inspect things very closely to see any differences.

Philip.

Edited March 29, 2022 by pippy

[Jeff S]

I was getting ready to sell mine after moving to an M10 Monochrom (and M10-R).  But taking out the M9M for a last outing, and again making some prints, convinced me that selling it would be a bad idea. It’s a special camera.

So, I didn’t buy it in 2022, but I did re-commit to it.  

Enjoy.

Jeff

 

[DennisPT]

6 hours ago, pippy said:

Hearty congrats on acquiring the M9M, Dennis. I managed to pick one up just 25 months ago myself and absolutely love the files it produces and I'm sure you will love what yours will give you, too. Nice lens as well; together they'll make a perfect team!

On which note...

Gosh! It looks exactly like a 35mm f2 Light Lens Lab '8-Element' lens!!!..................quite seriously; I had to do a double-take and inspect things very closely to see any differences.

Philip.

Thanks Philip, I sure hope I can get the most out of the camera and I will remain humble and patient while learning how to use it.  A side note, I had the LLL 35mm for a little while and IMHO, there is very little difference from the 8 elements in their performance.  What mattered to me was the lighter weight of the Summicron because I have a crooked neck. 

[DennisPT]

3 hours ago, Jeff S said:

I was getting ready to sell mine after moving to an M10 Monochrom (and M10-R).  But taking out the M9M for a last outing, and again making some prints, convinced me that selling it would be a bad idea. It’s a special camera.

So, I didn’t buy it in 2022, but I did re-commit to it.  

Enjoy.

Jeff

 

Thanks @Jeff S for your reassurance! 

[a.noctilux]

6 hours ago, pippy said:

...

Gosh! It looks exactly like a 35mm f2 Light Lens Lab '8-Element' lens!!!..................quite seriously; I had to do a double-take and inspect things very closely to see any differences.

Philip.

Philip,

😁

you are saying that the LLL clone is with the rear lens LTM to M ring (fit in factory ) here with red dot on it.

Even the screw on top ?

Numerals seem to be same fonts and exactly at same places as original Cron 2/35 "I".

...

Dennis if you use RAW,

setting contrast, sharpening have no effect

 

Arnaud

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by a.noctilux

[Jeff S]

1 hour ago, DennisPT said:

Thanks @Jeff S for your reassurance! 

Compared to my M10 Monochrom, I don’t like the M9M’s  noisy operation, the 1m frame line optimization (2m on M10M), the poor LCD, the sensor corrosion issue, the lesser VF, etc.  But oh those files.  And the Monochrom experience. The RAW histogram is also a nice plus. Worth every penny.

Jeff

Edited March 29, 2022 by Jeff S

[pippy]

My sincere apologies in advance to Dennis if I'm going a bit off-topic here and derailing his thread but, perhaps, one or two folks might find it interesting if I were to answer Arnaud's question as posed....so;

1 hour ago, a.noctilux said:

Philip,......you are saying that the LLL clone is with the rear lens LTM to M ring (fit in factory ) here with red dot on it.......Even the screw on top ?......Numerals seem to be same fonts and exactly at same places as original Cron 2/35 "I"...

Arnaud; you know the original v1 inside-out whereas I'm a novice as I've never owned an original and have only had a passing friendship with one example over the years so I will defer to you, absolutely and unhesitatingly, in terms of first-hand knowledge and personal experience but, if it helps anyone in any way, I will post a couple of snaps taken of my own LLL 'V6' 8-Element for the purposes of comparison with Dennis' Leica original in the visual stakes;

Top-front 3/4 showing Red-Dot alignment 'jewel' and the screw - if it's the one which I think you mean - is indeed on top when viewed at max. res;

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Second is a gratuitous snap with LLL (on my beloved M-D Typ-262) with its LLL reverse-engineered IROOA - but with 'incorrect' (but nice!) BLACK mounting ring! - affixed;

In terms of 'font' the only real giveaway was the specific shape of the infinity symbols engraved on the focus scale / ring. Those on the original (from the example posted) are flatter in the bulbous sections than the somewhat sleeker more tapered style on the LLL but apart from that? Nigh-on identical to the Nth degree...

Philip.

Edited March 29, 2022 by pippy

[a.noctilux]

Philip,

thanks for posting these images of LLL ,

indeed  very good "cloning" with black instead of chrome.

I have seen this one a bit less so, here easily identifying as "clone".

 

[a.noctilux]

😇

Sorry for the xxx out of topic

I had seen this also in gold(en) ...

 

[fotografr]

I've just gone back to the M9M myself. In fact, it arrived about an hour ago. Mechanically, the M10M is far superior for the reasons Jeff mentioned, but I'm really excited to work with files from that CCD sensor again.

There was a pleasant misunderstanding about my camera. I thought the person I bought it from said there were just over 20,000 clicks but when I got into the service menu I saw there are just over 2,000. The sensor was replaced in 2020. It's almost like a new camera.

[Jeff S]

I know the feeling.  The dealer had just received an M9M from Germany the same day with 4k+ actuations, new sensor and full CLA, and I bought it on the spot for less than I could sell it now.  
 

Just made some very nice prints yesterday, which made me smile, even if I had paid triple.

Jeff

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[DennisPT]

Rejoyce is the word that I relate when I take the M9M with me. Only hiccup so far is I can't review this image from the camera after plugging the SD card to my laptop for processing. The card is a 32GB SanDisk Ultra SDHC I (120MB/s).  Definitely something I can live with 😄. 

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