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M9 shutter lag?


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...new to digital, finally took the plunge and got the M9 after years of film M use. Intention is to continue shooting film and grow into digital. Initial feeling re: M9 is "wow", but I am a bit concerned about the discernible shutter lag (relative to mechanical Ms) and need to understand if this is normal for digital Ms.

 

Would appreciate input from users that shoot with both film and digital Ms. Thanks.

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Guest Bernd Banken

Two days ago I had the opportunity to test the M9 at a local shop. After loading the SD card the response of the shutter was iiritating "slow" for me. Not really slow in the meaning of a p&s camera, but I felt some very small delay in comparison to my Bessas and the MP.

The young guy had no deep knowledge about the camera so the "soft release" could be the reason. Anyway - tomorrow I meet the shop owner.....

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As I read it, the shutter is essentially the same as in the M8.2. In the M8.2 there is no discernable lag. In fact it feels faster than my 5DII. You may be thrown off by the re-cocking sound, which give the perception of a later exposure. Try setting the shutter to "discreet" then actuating the system. While your finger is pressed down it will not re-cock. You will only notice the original shot.

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Compared to all other digital cameras, the M's are near instant.

But have you tried the "soft" release mode yet?

 

Or is your issue the "turn on" or "start up delay rather than shutter delay?

 

 

...thanks, LeicaS2 - I am referring to a straightforward shutter lag. Press the shutter release, fire the shutter - this is my expectation, based on my mechanical Ms.

 

With the M9 there is a slight time lag which may be be attributable to the complex electronics, but I need to understand if this normal behaviour.

 

Being new to digital, I am no authority on "all other cameras", but it sounds like you are saying the delay is normal. Can anyone else add to this?

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...thanks, LeicaS2 - I am referring to a straightforward shutter lag. Press the shutter release, fire the shutter - this is my expectation, based on my mechanical Ms.

 

With the M9 there is a slight time lag which may be be attributable to the complex electronics, but I need to understand if this normal behaviour.

 

Being new to digital, I am no authority on "all other cameras", but it sounds like you are saying the delay is normal. Can anyone else add to this?

 

No this is not normal. I only have a M8, and have had four of them since there release, and I can not tell there is any lag from the full release press to the shutter firing.

I've also had many M film cameras and I can not tell any difference between the film M's and the M8.

 

Could be you are thinking the second stop is the release and when you push down a little further the shutter fires. that would lead you to think there is a lag.

On both the M8 and M9 there are 2 distinct stops and then some movement to the spot where the shutter fires. A slight press of the release turns on the meter, if it is off, and then there is a distinct stop. Just after that first stop there is a second stop that Locks the meter reading, if you are in A mode. Once you go through that second stop you hit a point that the shutter fires and the point where the shutter fires is not the end of the release travel, it will move slightly past the point the shutter fires.

 

Could be the M9 you tested did not have the shutter release switch or the actual shutter release button adjusted properly.

If there was any discernible lag in the shutter release of the M9, especially if it was different then the M8, you would of seen at least 3-5 long threads on it on this forum.

 

From what I see you are the only one that has posted this.

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On the M7 the shutter cocking occurs when you advance the film. On the M8-M9 it occurs when you release the button if you have Discreet set, else wise it occurs following the shutter release. So far, I have found little difference between the M7 or M8-M9, from the time you have pressed the shutter release to the time the picture, however on the Digital cameras there is additional sounds following the picture taking, which is the shutter cocking.

Edited by swamiji
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<snip> I've also had many M film cameras and I can not tell any difference between the film M's and the M8.

 

 

...thanks, Shootist. My understanding is that there is a difference between film and digital M shutter release times. It is not unreasonable to expect a delay - I just need to understand how long (short?) it should be. Does anyone know if Leica or an independent tester publishes such numbers?

 

On the upside, I am meeting up with a couple of seasoned mixed-M users tomorrow and should be able to clear this up. Thanks. :D

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Sean Reid, who posted above that there is no detectable lag is an independent tester, actually the best and most thorough one around, who has measured the lag in his review of the M8 and presumably on the M9 as well.

 

From my own experience with the M6 and the M8.2, your statement on the delay seems, in keeping with your pseudonym, to be a fable.

 

—Mitch/Potomac, MD

Scratching the Surface©

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Don't expect a straight answer right away: I asked this of the M8 years ago and had to answer my own question after Leica finally published the info; check an old thread started by me http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/5316-m8-shutter-lag-delay.html.

 

For the M8 the shutter lag according to Leica is 80ms.

 

I suspect it is the same for the m9 but this is mere speculation.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Pushing this thread up also as more M9's are getting out there now. There is a double click upon firing the M9. I have shot 3 samples, including mine, and noticed it on all. This does seem to effectively give the M9 a shutter lag when compared to my M8u AND my M8.2. I don't have timing instruments to test this, but I can say the M9 does not feel as responsive as the other.

 

Hope this is changed via firmware.

 

Anyone else care to chime in?

 

-Ron

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Pushing this thread up also as more M9's are getting out there now. There is a double click upon firing the M9. I have shot 3 samples, including mine, and noticed it on all. This does seem to effectively give the M9 a shutter lag when compared to my M8u AND my M8.2. I don't have timing instruments to test this, but I can say the M9 does not feel as responsive as the other.

 

Hope this is changed via firmware.

 

Anyone else care to chime in?

 

-Ron

 

 

...Ron, the M9 shutter lag (see post #1, etc.), which is the desired behaviour and not an error, was unacceptable to me. As a direct result, I no longer use the M9 and have reverted back to my film Ms. I may, at some point in the near future, try out the original M8 to find out if the shutter release is consistent with my requirements.

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The shutter lag, or perhaps the perception of it drove me nuts on the M8 - one of the many reasons I stopped using it.

 

Maybe the problem was the sound of the closing shutter was much louder than the opening, giving a false perception of a lag, although I found it difficult to time exposures when somebody was sawing for example. Either way, it never 'felt' as instantaneous as my film M's.

 

What also doesn't help, is the slow cocking of the shutter. I never needed a faster frame rate, and I understand there is no need for a faster re-cocking of the shutter, but the whole thing just 'felt' rather sluggardly.

 

When I tried the M9, there was no difference.

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Anyone who can detect shutter lag in a normal M8 or M9 must have superhuman perception. Essentially there is none to speak of.

 

Cheers,

 

I too am amazed anyone can notice a difference - even if there were a measurable lag compared to film. It's not something that has surfaced in my long transition to digital.

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Regardless of whether there is or is not a shutter lag on the digital M's, something in the process of taking pictures has clearly made a lot of people think there is a shutter lag, whether real or otherwise. There are many posts about this issue here and on other forums.

 

For me it was primarily a feeling rather than perhaps a reality. But if it feels slow, then it interferes with the way I work. But obviously for many others it appears not to be problem, or to trouble them.

 

I don't know if the M8/9 has less of a lag than, for example, 1 series Canon for example, but it 'feels' much much slower.

 

However, with the exception of the manufacturers, I don't understand how anybody can actually time it accurately. How do you time shutter lag?

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I too am amazed anyone can notice a difference - even if there were a measurable lag compared to film. It's not something that has surfaced in my long transition to digital.

 

 

I'm amazed this has not been noted more by M9 users. Are you shooting with the M9? I would agree the "lag" is nearly non-existent on the M8.2, but it is definitely there in the M9.

 

Speak up M9'ers.

 

-Ron

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Compared to all other digital cameras, the M's are near instant.

 

If you really believe that then it's clear you haven't tried any of Canon's or Nikon's pro-level DSLRs.

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