M9M or M246

[Dazzajl]

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Hello all, newbie here. Both to the Leica world and the forum. 
 

A little background to the very open question. I’m a working commercial snapper and I spend my days in the world of digital medium format and high tech video/stills cameras. I recently bought an M8 and Zeiss 28 2.8 as play thing and I’ve had the most fantastic time with it. 
 

Except of course it’s been a lure to dive even deeper into this new world and get even further from my work life shooting. 
 

I know all about the specs and differences between these two bodies, so I’m not looking for a low down either. What I’d like is your anecdotal thoughts on what you enjoyed (or didn’t) with one or both of them. 
 

I’m stuck between call of the M9M for all things that it can’t, doesn’t and won’t do. For the most striped back experience. And then the 246 for those more modern additions. 
 

The prices are the same for either in the U.K. right now and they both hold an appeal, albeit in different directions. 
 

(also the Q2M looks really interesting but that’s a whole other rabbit hole)

 

Thanks

D

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[andybarton]

I’d go for the 246, so you wouldn’t have to worry about sensor corrosion in the future. 

[Jeff S]

If the sensor has been replaced with the final one from Leica, then no chance of corrosion (haven’t read about a single instance). Easy enough to check with Leica. Regardless, buy from a reputable dealer; a good one will not sell with original sensor.

Some care about CCD (M9M) vs CMOS (M246). No need debating again here; many discussions already.  Another small distinction besides the obvious is that the M(9) Monochrom remains the only digital M with a RAW-based histogram.  
 

I still own the M Monochrom, but use the M 10 Monochrom almost exclusively. Just suits in all ways.  I moved from the M240 to the M10 platform years ago and haven’t looked back with any regret. But all of these options are fully capable in the right hands.

Jeff

[Dazzajl]

13 minutes ago, andybarton said:

I’d go for the 246, so you wouldn’t have to worry about sensor corrosion in the future. 

Thanks. 
 

The M9Ms I’ve seen have all had documented sensor replacements but being away from the whole corrosion issue wouldn’t be a bad thing at all. 

[Dazzajl]

5 minutes ago, Jeff S said:

 Another small distinction besides the obvious is that the M(9) Monochrom remains the only digital M with a RAW-based histogram.  

Jeff

I didn’t know that, feels like a nice little distinction there. Thank you

[a.noctilux]

I'd say try both, each one Monochrom is kind of unique.

My case is I can not choose one of them, so I use interchangeably the two Monochroms (having them and no need to sell one for money).

Not for CCD/CMOS war or Histogram or battery life or...

Those details are nice to "have" of course but in real life use, knowing how the two can give in results is above those details.

I'm lucky using them and my advice is just use one and try another one (if out of curiosity or anything else).

Each one can give satisfaction (if picture is the most important, as in my case).

[Anbaric]

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1 hour ago, Dazzajl said:

The M9Ms I’ve seen have all had documented sensor replacements but being away from the whole corrosion issue wouldn’t be a bad thing at all. 

Note that early replacements were done with the original sensor, which will also corrode - you need to be sure that it was replaced with the final version.

One significant issue with the the M246/M240 is that the batteries seem to have been discontinued, and (unlike the M9 series) there is no third party alternative.

[andybarton]

M240 batteries last a very, very long time though. I have two and have never needed to change during a day, or even a week’s holiday. 

[a.noctilux]

M246 battery can give a day long use.

Same style picture taking, no chimping, CCD Monochrom battery is very short lasting, for one day use I must carry two or more 14464.

[johnwolf]

That’s a tough question. I owned both and feel the 246 is a better camera. But when I look at my archives, I generally prefer the M9M files. I also had a real problem with the thicker 246 body. Entirely subjective, but I bonded with the M9M and not at all with its successor. I think if I couldn’t afford an M10M and had to choose, I’d pick the M9M. 

John
 

[Rupert Greenwell]

Either camera is very capable.

Personally I would go for the M246 . I have both M9M and M246 plus a M10M now.  I have kept more photos from the M246 than the other two Monochroms combined.  

If I had to choose just one Monochrom camera it would be the M246 as to me it is such a good all rounder. 

A bit of a worry if new batteries for the M240 series have been discontinued as there must be thousands of cameras still in use . 

[jaapv]

1 hour ago, johnwolf said:

That’s a tough question. I owned both and feel the 246 is a better camera. But when I look at my archives, I generally prefer the M9M files. I also had a real problem with the thicker 246 body. Entirely subjective, but I bonded with the M9M and not at all with its successor. I think if I couldn’t afford an M10M and had to choose, I’d pick the M9M. 

John
 

Umm.. The M246 is 0.5 mm thicker than the M9 - just hold the baseplates together. This particular idea was caused by Leica including the thumbrest/wheel in the dimension specification. 

[Olaf_ZG]

I see that you do video, maybe therefore, the 246 might be more interesting…

[sometimesmaybe]

m246 will give you the best bang for your buck. also has EVF support if you need it. 

[Bangrossi]

I just want to share my experience. I recently bought a Leica M9M with CCD ID 53. The body itself is like new, and the shutter count is only 7.7k. It doesn’t have any corrosion on the sensor. However, after using it for a few weeks, I noticed that it has fewer than 5 dead pixels. After researching this topic, many suggested that Leica can remap those dead pixels for a cost of around $450 with a CLA.

Keep in mind that if you choose to get an M9M, it’s highly likely to have some issues. Another concern is battery health and the charger. You need to check whether the battery charger can fully charge the battery.

If you like the film M bodies, you’ll love the M9M because it still uses natural light to illuminate the framelines, just like the M film bodies. I also appreciate the discreet shutter advance mode.

I have never used the M246 before, so I cannot comment on it. I do have the M10P for comparison. The M9M files are much sharper than those from the M10P, despite having only 18 MP. Despite some issues with the M9M, I love the experience of using it. Just be sure to protect the highlights; the shadow areas are easily recoverable.

[a.noctilux]

21 hours ago, Dazzajl said:

The prices are the same for either in the U.K. right now

This is very strange as I'm not in the market for so many years.

For a camera that is much older and same price as younger & more features, this might say something I don't know.

 

Anyway, in this case M246 is a much better buy than the M9M.

You don't even have to buy another battery for M246, not the case for the former Monochrom which need at least two or three batteries for peace of mind.

[AceVentura1986]

I owned an M9M for many years and, after buying an M10M, sold it to LeicaStore Miami. They were very helpful throughout the process but insisted they needed documentation that the sensor had been updated to the non-corrosion version on this and an ME I traded in at the same time. Once we got the confirmation from Wetzlar and Leica NJ (they were updated in different locations) we were able to finalize the deal. I say all this because I want to express how concerned they were to ensure that the sensors had been updated and that they could provide written confirmation of this to the buyers. 

Anyway, I checked on the two cameras after the sale just for my curiosity. The deal was finalized on a Friday. The M9M was sold before the weekend was done and the ME within the week. Wow.

Can’t really speak about the M240 models, but the M9 models are still hot commodities and in high demand. Whatever you get, just make sure you get one from a reputable dealer with a return policy. 
 

[lanetomlane]

Forgetting battery issues I would go with theM9M which was my first Monochrom. I upgraded my M9 to the 240 and got feed up of having to carry two lots of batteries and two chargers and so bought a 246, in my opinion a big mistake. I loved the output from the CCD sensor and so ended up going back to the M9M.

https://photographybytomlane.com

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[Viv]

On 8/12/2024 at 3:35 PM, Dazzajl said:

Hello all, newbie here. Both to the Leica world and the forum. 
 

A little background to the very open question. I’m a working commercial snapper and I spend my days in the world of digital medium format and high tech video/stills cameras. I recently bought an M8 and Zeiss 28 2.8 as play thing and I’ve had the most fantastic time with it. 
 

Except of course it’s been a lure to dive even deeper into this new world and get even further from my work life shooting. 
 

I know all about the specs and differences between these two bodies, so I’m not looking for a low down either. What I’d like is your anecdotal thoughts on what you enjoyed (or didn’t) with one or both of them. 
 

I’m stuck between call of the M9M for all things that it can’t, doesn’t and won’t do. For the most striped back experience. And then the 246 for those more modern additions. 
 

The prices are the same for either in the U.K. right now and they both hold an appeal, albeit in different directions. 
 

(also the Q2M looks really interesting but that’s a whole other rabbit hole)

 

Thanks

D

What is a striped back experience?

[Dazzajl]

On 8/12/2024 at 4:39 PM, a.noctilux said:

I'd say try both, each one Monochrom is kind of unique.

My case is I can not choose one of them, so I use interchangeably the two Monochroms (having them and no need to sell one for money).

Not for CCD/CMOS war or Histogram or battery life or...

Those details are nice to "have" of course but in real life use, knowing how the two can give in results is above those details.

I'm lucky using them and my advice is just use one and try another one (if out of curiosity or anything else).

Each one can give satisfaction (if picture is the most important, as in my case).

In all good forums, it's never long until the enablers arrive! This would absolutely be my first choice solution if it was possible, the both have many reasons to be attractive

 

On 8/12/2024 at 5:36 PM, Rupert Greenwell said:

Either camera is very capable.

Personally I would go for the M246 . I have both M9M and M246 plus a M10M now.  I have kept more photos from the M246 than the other two Monochroms combined.  

If I had to choose just one Monochrom camera it would be the M246 as to me it is such a good all rounder. 

A bit of a worry if new batteries for the M240 series have been discontinued as there must be thousands of cameras still in use . 

Appreciate the first hand experience, the 246 does seen to straddle the middle ground between old school and current very well 

 

On 8/12/2024 at 7:50 PM, Olaf_ZG said:

I see that you do video, maybe therefore, the 246 might be more interesting…

I don't tend to shoot much video at all when I'm not working but a true Mono video capture camera could be an interesting option to have

 

On 8/13/2024 at 12:29 PM, a.noctilux said:

This is very strange as I'm not in the market for so many years.

For a camera that is much older and same price as younger & more features, this might say something I don't know.

 

Anyway, in this case M246 is a much better buy than the M9M.

You don't even have to buy another battery for M246, not the case for the former Monochrom which need at least two or three batteries for peace of mind.

The "CCD Premium" seems to hold up the values of those few older models compared to much higher spec ones that came later. I make no comment on whether there is any actual merit to that.

 

19 minutes ago, Viv said:

What is a striped back experience?

 A very basic photographic experience, without the addition of things like liveview, extended ISO range, a specific control for ISO and the larger dynamic range of a CMOS sensor. There is a lot to love about a very basic camera.

 

 

Thank you to everyone that has taken time to reply. It's all very helpful insight.