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Leica refuses to confirm M9 launch...


cadthis

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I can't believe I'm posting about this BUT...

 

2 things... my dealer here in NY has informed me that "The M9, we understand, will be announced on 09/09/09, but not sure when it will ship. With some luck before Xmas...

We will start accepting deposits shortly..."

 

AND

Copied via clubsnap.com - This guy does import and sell Leica equipment often...

 

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toto

Member

 

Join Date: Nov 2005

Posts: 113

toto WTSell: DSLR - Leica M9

Advertisement Category: Want To Sell (WTS)

 

Equipment Type: DSLR

Equipment Brand: Leica

Equipment Model: M9

Price (S$): $9,400

Description:

Selling a brand new in the box, direct from Leica Germany, the all new Leica full-frame digital M9. Comes with 2 years warranty. Expected delivery date is mid-September. Price is firm, unless you have bought from me before. M9 comes only in black paint / steel gray finish. PM me for more details.

 

Real Name: Toto

 

Condition of Item (as per guidelines): Mint

Warranty Status: 2 years

 

Package/Accessories/Extras:

Full

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Retaining the battery would only make sense if they couldn't make a much better one. At some point it's better to have a better battery, even if different.

That is true, but it would probably mean that spare batteries would not be available right away, making the camera all but unusable for first months.

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And you managed to be the third one to post this link here. Congrats, you'll get a bronze medal ;)

 

That will be the only medal I have ever got!

 

Apologies for the duplication (triplication?), I can't keep up with these fast moving threads, there is also a rumor about a digital version of the Zeiss Ikon, I might be able to afford that! (Edit, I know see that ones been done as well!!! I'm off on holiday, it will all be over when I get back)

 

Back to the film Ms as penance :rolleyes:

 

Gerry

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another pebble in the water...

 

from a blog page (not new tough)

 

 

Kodak sensors - the M series future?

 

DPReview have a press release from Kodak about their sensors - used in the new Leica S2, various other medium format and 35mm cameras. The interesting paragraph is…

 

The sensor also includes specific design features that optimize its use in the S2 camera, such as the use of microlenses to increase the overall light sensitivity of the device, enabling improved image quality under low light conditions. In addition, an infra-red absorbing optic was incorporated directly into the sensor’s packaging, enabling the development of a thinner camera design by eliminating the need to include this IR-absorbing function as a separate camera component.

 

This could have big implications for a future M series camera, as DPReview notes. The issues with the current sensor in the M8 and M8.2 are three fold…

 

It’s not a very high resolution by today’s standards - many smaller sensors now have more megapixels and in many cases with better high ISO noise.

It’s not full-frame but due to the short distance from the back of M lenses to the sensor this is unlikely to change any time soon. The light angle at the corners of a full-frame sensor would be extreme and is probably still beyond micro lens or similar technologies.

Also due to the short lens / sensor distance it’s not possible to fit a standard IR filter. Something which is much easier in a DSLR due to the (in comparison) huge distance from the lens to the sensor. The space taken by the mirror-box ensures plenty of room for such filters.

This ‘built-in’ IR absorption of this new sensor may well solve the 3rd issue and finally make the M series what a lot of people hoped it would be from the outset. It could also allow the use of the wide variety of non-Leica and vintage lenses. Of course, it would mean any M body using this technology would be less useful for IR work and perhaps have flatter black-and-white too.

 

Then there’s the fact that the pixel size on the S2 sensor is finer than the M8. They are 6µm instead of 6.8µm. If you take the 37.5 mega-pixel resolution of the S2’s 30×45mm sensor and apply it to the 27×18mm chip in the M8 you get 13.5 mega-pixels.

 

That would lead me to think an M8.3 or M9 would have a 13.5 mega-pixel sensor of the same physical size (and crop) as the M8 / M8.2, much better IR filtering and possibly a top ISO of 6400.

 

The higher ISO is because ‘medium format’ quality at 3200 ISO in the S2 is likely to be very clean and they should be able to push that figure up at least one stop (perhaps even two) for the M system.

 

Users of smaller systems and ‘film’ are used to / will accept higher levels of noise. Certainly, you’re more likely to be using an M series hand-held in a dark location that an S series. The latter is more likely to be seen in a studio with bright lights or on a tripod - hence one reason for higher expectations and requirements on image quality. That and the images will be printed larger in most cases - billboards, large posters, etc.

 

Neil Duffin Blog Blog Archive Kodak sensors - the M series future?

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In addition, an infra-red absorbing optic was incorporated directly into the sensor’s packaging, enabling the development of a thinner camera design by eliminating the need to include this IR-absorbing function as a separate camera component.

The M8 already has an integrated IR blocking filter as part of the sensor unit; nothing new here.

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The M8 already has an integrated IR blocking filter as part of the sensor unit; nothing new here.

 

can only find the integrated IR blocking filter on the front of the lens of my M8. I may be wrong tough...:confused:

 

Low-noise CCD sensor specially optimized for the requirements of the M lens system.

Pixels: 10.3 million. Dimensions: 18 mm x 27 mm.

Extension factor: 1.33 x.

Aspect ratio 3:2.

Coverglass thickness 0.5 mm, full suppression of infrared light by additional UV/IR filter. Moiré filter: no, but full exploitation of the lens capabilities by Moiré fringe detection and elimination by digital signal processing.

 

let's wait impatiently for 09_09_09 at 9 hours and 9 minutes

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Even if the M9 were real, why would you want one now anyway? Every Leica "early adopter" has been burned in one way or another. This includes the M8 IR and frameline things, the M7 patch flaring, R8 and R9 qualtiy control issues and loose DMR knobs. Bide your time.

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can only find the integrated IR blocking filter on the front of the lens of my M8. I may be wrong tough...:confused:

 

Low-noise CCD sensor specially optimized for the requirements of the M lens system.

Pixels: 10.3 million. Dimensions: 18 mm x 27 mm.

Extension factor: 1.33 x.

Aspect ratio 3:2.

Coverglass thickness 0.5 mm, full suppression of infrared light by additional UV/IR filter. Moiré filter: no, but full exploitation of the lens capabilities by Moiré fringe detection and elimination by digital signal processing.

This has been explained a couple of times here over the years … The coverglass on the sensor is an IR absorbing filter reducing IR by 90 to 95 percent. As that is usually not enough, an additional filter on the lens is required that takes care of the remaining 5 to 10 percent.

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Even if the M9 were real, why would you want one now anyway? Every Leica "early adopter" has been burned in one way or another. This includes the M8 IR and frameline things, the M7 patch flaring, R8 and R9 qualtiy control issues and loose DMR knobs. Bide your time.

 

Because I had no problem with my DMR, that the M8 was able to take pictures even with the IR issue. The framelines were just a mirror problem easy to circumvent.

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Nothing new? So S lenses will need IR-cut filters as well?

No, there is nothing to suggest that.

 

The point is that an IR-blocking filter as part of the sensor unit isn’t a new feature. Yes, prior to the current generation of CCDs, most of Kodak’s sensors didn’t come with an integrated IR absorbing filter, but the M8’s KAF-10500 did. The problem with the M8 isn’t that it didn’t have a filter to combat IR, but that the filter isn’t that effective. While it does cut out most of the infrared light, the 5 to 10 percent that creep through suffice to create issues.

 

Whether the filter is a part of the sensor unit as supplied by its vendor or is an additional component on top of the sensor is just a minor concern.

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