Leica M9 - The holy grail digital camera for film photographers
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- As a film photographer, I have spent years struggling to find a digital camera that gives me the same experience I have shooting with 35mm film cameras. The Leica M9 is about as close as it gets. From its Kodak CCD sensor, to its 35mm like film limitations... The M9 is the quintessential film shooter's camera, and in this video I do my darnest to explain why I think that is.
I decommissioned my iG, sorry! Mostly on Twitter @dankinaround, and can find me everywhere, here: linktr.ee/frankdavalos
Skip the longwindedness:
00:00 - Intro
01:14 - Kodak CCD Sensor
02:08 - ISO Limitations
04:08 - Shutter
04:34 - The wonderfully bad LCD screen
05:25 - The bottom plate
05:42 - 18 MP - The sweet spot for people who aren't shooting billboard campaigns
07:20 - The JPEGs - Hijacked by my love for its monochrome JPEGs
07:53 - A couple of more useful features
08:10 - Its best feature for analog lovers - No Bluetooth!
08:59 - Expensive AF... but cheaper than an M10
10:08 - Conclusion
Hey Frank
Thanks for a M9-P rundown. Just my words. As an "old" BW filmguy, I have some problems with the digital censors. They are great but I needed someting.
When I got my Q2 Monochrom I was in heaven - great monster - and I shoot a lot of ISO 6400 or 12500 - backstage - theaters etc. SUPER!
But a color camera - STRUGGLING! I just sold my M262 - great camera, but not for me. Wrong censor.
THEN!!!!! I walked in to my local Leica Store in Copenhagen and they had a M9-P in silver. Year 2012 - 5303 shots on the clock - never been out in "real life" - only demo - directly from Leica Factory in Weztlar, Germany - mint condition. Thanks to Peter in Leica Store Copenhagen. You are the guy.
WHAT a camera and outstanding colors. The lightmeter are perfect - you point, shoot and bang! - it´s there. Just like shooting Kodachrome 64.
I´m in heaven again.
All the best from Denmark
Lasse
I bought the M9 new when it first came on the market, I still use it(with replaced sensor), I have never upgraded, it’s just by chance next to me on my settee, fortunately I had no problem using it as I had owned an M3, it’s looking rather battered now lots of brass showing but it looks great and still does the job, I sold my Leica lenses when I was short of money, now my M9’s constant companion is my Zeiss Ikon f2 Planar.
Frank, you made the right points! I love my M9 since 7 years. Combined with my Summicon 50 it makes beautiful images even in JPEG and even in b/w JPEG. Thank you for your video!
If you can't find or afford a M9, you could look for a Fuji x-pro1. Not full frame, but super analog looking files and camera handling.
Agreed! Love the XPro line up. I’ve only used the xpro 2 but it was awesome!
Great camera, love my X-Pro 3, but manual focusing experience is better on the Leica, which is annoying due to the high prices 😂
I had an XPRO1 and it was nice. Then I traded up for a Leica M9. Never looked back. I was finding that XPRO with the M adaptor had MUCH better images with the M lenses than the fuji native glass, which is good, but not Leica level. M9 back screen is junk, yes, but the actual images are super.
Glorious effects
Great review, Thanks!
I have the M9 and the M Monochrom, and I love them both. The M9 is like shooting colour slide film, and the MM is like shooting Delta 100/400/3200. I've shot less film after getting these two just because of the convenience and cost.
Thanks for your video really liked your enthusiasm and love of the m9 I was working as a pro photographer some years ago and had a Leica m9 and lenses in my kit sadly I had to stop and sold all my kit just getting back into photography again but for my own love. Just got a Leica q and love it and am now hankering after a m9 again. I`ve been looking at some of my old files from the m9 and they are beautiful, it`s like you say it has a very filmic look like slide Kodachrome. Thanks once again for a great film.
That’s great man! Thanks for watching and I hope you find your long lost love after all!
I have an M9 and M8 and even with the smaller APS-H sensor and lower resolution I think the M8 takes much better black and white photos. Probably due to the poor IR filter on the sensor but it gives a better greyscale imo.
But I pretty much use the M9 for everything the other resolution and full frame just let me do what I want in post processing for cropping and whatever I need to do.
Great video. Made me smile. I have an M9 and I also say I like cameras AND photography…but mostly cameras.
Thanks for watching mate! 🙏
Nice video, man. Thank you.
Thanks for watching 🙏🙏🙏🙏
yes the M9 is iconic, and we had wait a long time for a Leica with a affordable look. Now I switch to the m10r, not for the resolution just for the look of the images. But the M9 will not leave me anytime
Great video. I agree with all 😉 Resolution wise, 18MP on CCD puts out only 14% lower resolution than the 24MP CMOS-sensors that followed on the M240/262/M10, according to Leica themselves, so I've never felt I was missing out on anything here.
I pretty much just use the back screen to check composition and alignment. Sometimes with a rangefinder and parallax it is hard to tell if you got exactly what you wanted or if subject edges or lines are aligned with the frame edges so the screen lets me check and make adjustments. I trust the rangefinder for focus so don't check that. Love my M8 and M9 Monochrom
The M9 has a class all of its own. Even with minor corrosion on the sensor, it’s pretty timeless.
Great vid, thanks for sharing.
I've been trying to get the M9 with the last version sensor for a while, but it's quite difficult.
Check out all the different Leica groups on FB… I always see M9’s upgraded on them!
great video mate
Do you have the latest firmware on it? One of the things that was frustrating back in the day was how it would lock up if you. filled the buffer and how slow it was to write to the card. My M240 used to be hella slow on start-up and between shots, but the last firmware update. they did gave me an option to just use the built in lightmeter and no live view and it's made the M240 much much faster.
I do have the latest firmware! I’m not shooting sports with this thing so haven’t noticed the buffer filling up at all, I’m sure it does, but I just don’t use it like that
@@FrankDavalos Then it's gotten better, it used to lock you out basically after one shot writing to the card, lol.
I have an M9 and have had it a year or so. It is controversial with its CCD sensor. I think the M9 images are the best and what do we want in a photo? Yeah, a good image. It works very well with a good Jupiter-8 and with a Cooke Amotal it will serenade you. Tri-X started at ASA 200 so ISO 1250 is plenty fast for me. I am not doing espionage. ;o)
I had the Leica M9-P and Leica M Monochrom and whilst I liked both the Monochrom needed a new sensor and though yea M9-I was ok, a year ago the prices reflected the defects and best I could get was £1,800. I went off Leica due to this but did buy a M 262, great camera at less than you paid for that M9-P and have now invested in an M11 which I am waiting on delivery. Enjoy that M9-P.
Yeah but I already have a Q2M so I’m covered for Monochrom cameras
Think you'd ever consider the M-D or M10-D? Also, mind my asking where you buy your used cameras? Just subscribed !
Yeah I considered both of those cameras, but they’re wildly priced, and I just think the M240, 262 and 10 series of cameras are just standard CMOS full frame sensors, so I know what to expect from the image quality… vs the M9, I hadn’t used a CCD sensor in years and years, but I always felt like it was much more special, and had a magic that CMOS didn’t. I’d still love to try an M10-D and see how the shooting experience compares though! Also. Thanks for subbing man! I really appreciate it 🫶
@@FrankDavalos I hear you. I've also shot with both CCD sensors and CMOS sensors. Truth be told, though, I've had one or two CMOS sensors (esp. Nikon D3X) that rendered absolutely beautifully and unlike most other CMOS sensors. On the other hand, I've had CCD sensors (e.g. Nikon D200) that you'd be hard pressed to distinguish it from most CMOS sensors. Having said that, though, I admit that the M9 sensor renders in a unique way - some of it I like, some of it not so much (e.g. orangish skin tones). In the end, it's really all very subjective . . . there's something for everyone.
@@bernardlesperance742 yeah I totally agree. I like that it has its own look, and whenever it’s looking a little to orange, I can pull that back in post and still end up post processing less than I would have to do with my CMOS sensor cameras like my A7V for example. The Q2M is one CMOS sensor that I’ve really fallen in love with. Very may agree though, it’s all subjective as you can make nice photos with anything.
If people shit on the M9 screen, they'd have dysentery over my old Leica X2 screen lol
Hahaha they do man. I think the screen is fine, it’s def not near the screens today but I think it adds to the shooting experience. How bad is that x2 screen 😂
@@FrankDavalos I guess for its time it’s what you’d expect (2012 or so) but it’s pretty much only good for seeing if you actually took a picture or if you didn’t. I can’t even tell you how many photos I thought were going to be great by the preview screen and the actual photos were awful. Also so many photos I thought looked terrible and they actually were great when viewed on a good screen lol. I still wish I could get an m9 someday. What do you think a fair price is for one? Any major issues to look out for? Thanks!
@@Deetroiter haha yeah but that’s the best part about it! The surprises. You don’t shoot with Leicas to make it easy on yourself that’s for sure.
I’ve been seeing M9’s going for about $2500-3300 depending on condition, shutter count, etc. Personally, I wouldn’t get one with an old sensor, but you can find cheaper ones with the old sensor. New sensors are ID 15 or 16. Some also have hot/dead pixels which is a common issue with CCD sensors… Leica can remap the pixels during a CLA, but just something to note. It’s a great camera though man, so much fun, and such a close experience to shooting a 35mm M camera.
best camera i’ve owned. used the M9 for 5 years. And regret selling it. I have an M10 and M6but planning to get one again
She is a real gem! What is it that pulls you back from the M10?
@@FrankDavalos - I have the same question. It seems the M10 would feel more similar to the M6 when holding it in the hand compared to the M9. Must be the sensor?
The M10 does feel exactly like the M6. And it is a great camera. I like it better than the M240 which I also owned for about a month then sold it. But straight out of the camera the M9 is much much better than the M10. You can tweak the M10 files of course but there’s just something about the M9. Also I never go beyond iso 800 on my m9. Also I always shoot with my m9 at kelvin at around 7000-8000. Give it a try. It really make the images “organic” for lack of a better word.
@@giolee1274 - Thanks Gio.
@@giolee1274 I feel that 100%
Good take! Just wish you touched on how the files hold up today. 18MP isn’t a lot by todays standards but paired with Leica glass the M9 blows a lot of new cameras out of the water
I didn’t feel like going to in depth with that argument because a lot of people that have 40+ megapixel cameras would get offended hahaha. All my FF digital cameras have 33+ megapixel… and I use the M9 probably more than all of them except the Q2M. It’s a beauty man, and the files are amazing!
@@FrankDavalos agreed! It’s pretty crazy! I haven’t got my hands on a Q2 monochrome but I have to imagine it’s pretty insane. I shoot mostly color though so if I go B&W I’ll just use jpeg setting.
Tbh even m8 files is still decent.
@@Bornisen I’ve never shot an M8 but I’ve heard great things
did you edit these photos at all? or are these photos all jpegs
The colour ones are probably slightly edited and the black and white ones are likely SOOC.
Xpro1 or Xpro2 are two great alternative if you can’t afford M9
Imagine combining the M9 with the 50mm Speed Panchro ii lens, now that would be something.
Hi Frank, I've watched this video several times since it first aired. Do you have any regrets about selling your M9? I've just ordered mine, will arrive in two days! 😀
Yes I did, that’s why I bought another one! Haha I hope you love it as much as I do! And thanks so much for watching!
@@FrankDavalos Ah ha, good man! Thanks for the confirmation of my wise purchase!
Why do you not mention the M240 and only the M10 as an alternative ?
Good point. Only because I have never considered the M240, but you’re right… prob the best alternative for value. This video is about the M9 though.
A really interesting thgth re leica’s n the sky-hi cost of ‘joining the club’ even b4 u really know if u want one for always .. thkz mate !
Yes for sure. Buy and sell just to try, and you prob won’t lose much money at all doing that.
Hopefully you got the third sensor. The original sensor fail as does the first upgrade.
Y've changed my CCD sensor, ... this is adorable camera, period!! Though, wonder for how long the CCD sensors from that generation could last? With my M8s that has never been an issue. Wish, though if it had the forwarding lever as the Epson RD1 or my DMR/R9 not just to rest your thumb, only, as in the more recent m10D, but to manually advance the exposure as in the previous film Ms. That way It could help the M batteries to last longer between the two charges, as well, which are not the greatest as we all know.
Loved my M9 but the sensor degraded in 7 months! They replaced it under warranty but it had to go to Germany and was away 5 months. 2 years later and the replacement sensor degraded and I was told I was ‘too late’ to get it replaced under warranty, rendering the camera to a paperweight.
A common problem. The original sensors were prone to corrosion. Most on the market now have been replaced with non corrosion prone sensors
Yes, the early replacements (up till about mid 2017) were with the original type, corrosion prone sensor. Later replacements were with a different, non-corroding sensor cover glass.
imho unless i shoot bw.. iso 800 is my limit for color
Yeah, most people say that. Mine is 1250. Though I rarely ever shoot beyond 800 period
Vintage BW jpegs are really film like.
Kodak dropped the freakin ball damnit.
On the price of film or?
Oh boy wait till u get hold of m9 monochrom files.. u will re think about cmos monochrom
I believe you man! I’ve spent hours at this point looking at M9M images, and I almost bought one several months ago but the seller got nervous. I’m very happy with the Q2M though, it allows me to do things that no other camera can do
@@FrankDavalos true I have m246 too cmos monochrom way too useful than ccd in terms of iso performance, it's my work/war horse built like a tank, fat n heavy I love it. It hates sunlight lol .It's my bad weather camera especially in winter time in alberta lol. I would never recommend m9m has ur only camera But.. m9m has this punch in the image acutance something i can't explain.
@@dtroix that’s unreal. I’d love to try it out one day. Tough thing about Berta is it’s sunny even in winter haha. Honesty though, the M9M is on my list for the next Leica M to buy
@@FrankDavalos if u stop by edmonton by any chance haul at me. Give it a try before u buy.
@@dtroix oh I’m sure I’m due for a waterslide day soon enough! Sounds like a good time! 📸
God forbid you get some noise in your pictures. The horror!