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The Leica M9 is a Leica Digital CL


Schwarzer_M3

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Hello all,

 

I'm pretty sure the M9 will be a down-sized M8, instead of an up-sized one.

 

More like a digital CL.

 

I have written a summary article on the Leica invitation video and shots taken from it, as well as Leica's written invitation that came along with it. You can find it at www.portretteur.nl

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I don't think so. If you read the forum and watch the video you would see the M9 is a full size camera, maybe slightly bigger then the M8. One thing Leica has to do is make it thinner then the M8 so they can fit the FF 28mm framelines in the viewfinder and maintain a decent magnification factor.

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Maybe the screen is a bit smaller and moved to the left. It may have to do with anything. But do note that the top round LCD has disappeared. It may well be that there is a smaller screen on th RH side. It may have to do with the location of the battery . Or with the viewfinder configuration as Ed notes. The higher top may signify a larger VF window. All guesses. A CL? Who knows? But the M9 will be a full-sized camera.

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Maybe the screen is a bit smaller and moved to the left. It may have to do with anything. But do note that the top round LCD has disappeared. It may well be that there is a smaller screen on th RH side. It may have to do with the location of the battery . Or with the viewfinder configuration as Ed notes. The higher top may signify a larger VF window. All guesses. A CL? Who knows? But the M9 will be a full-sized camera.

 

Does the top round LCD panel provide any usefull information that cannot be displayed using the screen.

 

My guess is that it is removed to reduce costs. Both battery and memory card status can be read out on the screen (with new software).

 

This is also a kind of information that you don't need to check for each shot, making it unneccesary to use a separate display to provide the info.

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Both battery and memory card status can be read out on the screen (with new software).

 

But what about battery use? We already know from Mark's analysis that having preview switched off increases battery life dramatically. Where's the sense in using that same display to show battery and the remaining shot count?

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But what about battery use? We already know from Mark's analysis that having preview switched off increases battery life dramatically. Where's the sense in using that same display to show battery and the remaining shot count?

 

But you don't need to know battery status after each and every shot, do you?

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But what about battery use? We already know from Mark's analysis that having preview switched off increases battery life dramatically. Where's the sense in using that same display to show battery and the remaining shot count?

 

But remaining frame count is not really an issue anymore and the battery status was rather crude anyway (four bars?). The battery level only really matters once you're close to drained. I don't think I am checking that top display often, certainly less often than I am using the back screen (even with preview off).

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It's in favor of a more clean design, less buttons, less displays.... I think it fits the M-concept very well, we don't want a Gameboy, just a slick, efficient machine to take digital images!

The viewfinder is new, so it's very likely that they installed a better display insiide the viewfinder (maybe even electric framelines?) to give all relevant information even without using the display on the back.

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Does the top round LCD panel provide any usefull information that cannot be displayed using the screen.

 

My guess is that it is removed to reduce costs. Both battery and memory card status can be read out on the screen (with new software).

 

This is also a kind of information that you don't need to check for each shot, making it unneccesary to use a separate display to provide the info.

Or - some information could have been added. The little screen on the S2 springs to mind.

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I think it's strange that so many people consider the M8 inadequate. Sure, ISO performance is disappointing and the IR-filters suck, they annoy the hell out of me on a daily basis.

 

But I think the 1.33 crop factor is brilliantly chosen if using a cropped sensor is unavoidable. Because: 12mm=16mm, 15mm=20mm, 21mm=28mm, 28mm=37mm, 35mm=48mm, 50mm=67mm, 90mm=120mm, 135mm=180mm. All focal lengths that are pretty close to existing focal lengths on FF camera's. So, how big is the need for a FF sensor really, when all sentiments are erased from the equation?

 

On the subject of the M9: I feel the S2 can only be considered a camera for the professional, but Leica stated they will also introduce a camera for the novices. Now, the fact that this camera is called the M9 will imply it's above the M8 because of the number alone already, but it would be a credible marketing move the have a camera with a higher number that is a less pricy version of a previous model.

 

After all, Canon has downgraded their most recent G camera but nevertheless given it a higher number.

 

Please read the article on www.portretteur.nl to see my motivation for thinking the M9 is a Digital CL.

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Or - some information could have been added. The little screen on the S2 springs to mind.

 

Yes, that could be the alterative. Will depent on the cost, though. On the S2, they can afford more expensive solutions.

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The German word used in the video. Does it mean 'novice' in the sense of someone who doesn't have much experience of photography, or does it mean 'novice' in the sense of someone who's a newcomer to Leicas? If the latter then it could be referring to an entry level version of the M8.

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I think it's strange that so many people consider the M8 inadequate. Sure, ISO performance is disappointing and the IR-filters suck, they annoy the hell out of me on a daily basis.

 

But I think the 1.33 crop factor is brilliantly chosen if using a cropped sensor is unavoidable. Because: 12mm=16mm, 15mm=20mm, 21mm=28mm, 28mm=37mm, 35mm=48mm, 50mm=67mm, 90mm=120mm, 135mm=180mm. All focal lengths that are pretty close to existing focal lengths on FF camera's. So, how big is the need for a FF sensor really, when all sentiments are erased from the equation?

 

On the subject of the M9: I feel the S2 can only be considered a camera for the professional, but Leica stated they will also introduce a camera for the novices. Now, the fact that this camera is called the M9 will imply it's above the M8 because of the number alone already, but it would be a credible marketing move the have a camera with a higher number that is a less pricy version of a previous model.

 

After all, Canon has downgraded their most recent G camera but nevertheless given it a higher number.

 

Please read the article on www.portretteur.nl to see my motivation for thinking the M9 is a Digital CL.

Quote from Mr.Daniel: "It is obvious that after the M8 there will come something new, the M9" and later : "the new M camera, be it an M9 or an M8.3" Nothing about superiority, just about a successor (that, clearly, must be, in some ways, an improvement on the existing model, otherwise it would make no sense)

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Goldie, re a distance scale, we should not forget that Leica Camera's siblings make electronic rangefinders.

 

I've often considered buying one for cinematic use, but also wondered why Leica doesn't incorporate its expertise in electronic distance measurement into its cameras.

 

Contrary to Adam Smith, companies do not always follow the shortest or the most efficient path to their own interests, so I'm not holding my breath. This could just be pretty graphics from the video production company.

 

Mark

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