Is the Leica M9 the best digital camera for film photographers?
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- Testing out a camera that was introduced in 2009 is quite the experience, the Leica M9. With its CCD sensor from Kodak. Is it the best digital camera for film photographers that want to save a bit of money while film prices keep rising?
The M9 I used in this video is already sold, but if you are interested in buying a used M9-P camera, check out: www.leica-shop-antwerpen.be/p...
00:00 intro
00:28 M9 camera
02:05 Body design
05:00 sample images
09:08 conclusion 
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The segment at your grandparents' house goes to show that besides the aesthetic value of the photos we take, there is the irreplaceable emotional value. We can capture moments, memories, or even a feeling that would otherwise fade or be lost. It feels like life for our grandparents' generation was a universal experience: the actual hoover brand hoover in the attic, the discolored candy tins containing odd hardware (nails, buttons, a hinge?), and of course the ubiquitous crucifixes.
Looking at the comparison photos, I catch myself having alternating favorites. That supports your point that - within the parameters the camera can handle - it is in no way outdated.
Amazing comment, thanks for that 🙏🏻. Exploring the emotional, personal aspect is something I want to do more of. Some type of portrait project or something like that.
The yellow hoover still works by the way 😁.
I can smell that garage through your photos...and I love it.
The moment a photo can convey more than just a visual, I consider it a success 😇💯
I really like this M9 review because it's not like a typical YT review, it's more of a user's experience. Also the choice of subject matter for the "filmic" CCD sensor was from your personal family story. Really nice shots as well. Thanks very much for this video!
Happy to read you liked it. Still trying to figure out good angles for these review videos, but this one felt like a step in the right direction. ✌🏻
Really loving this sample images of the light falling in, such smooth colours. Kodak did such a good job on that sensor!
Kodak should work with Leica to create licensed profiles for JPEGs. Would be so cool to be able to choose Portra or Ektar.
I used to shoot M3, but sold that camera after crazy film price increase, and bought Leica SL with that money. I still kept M glasses to be mounted on my SL. Enjoyed SL for quite a bit and I still do but these days I really miss the optical viewfinder/rangefinder of the M. SL's EVF is still one of the nicest to this date but all EVFs just feels constrained and not natural. Now I'm debating myself whether I should get M9 or M240 or M10. Found this video during that process and watched multiple times. Amazing video! Looking forward to see more videos from you.
Thanks for the kind words 💯! Happy to read you enjoyed the video and that it helped you in your digital M process. Personally I would opt for either the M9 or the M10, with the M10 as my top choice if budget permits. ✌🏻
Honestly the M9 is very usable even at 2500 ISO now, thanks to the AI denoise in light room. I more or less shoot mine either color up to around 1600 and B&W all the way out to 2500 these days. Throw a F1.4 on it and you're got a pretty usable M.
I mainly use CaptureOne these days. Don’t think that denoise feature is in there already. But that’s a very nice piece of information. Like you said, the M9 becomes even more relevant thanks to it
This isn't considered nearly enough in the newer reviews. It really gives a lot of cameras a far greater usable iso range.
Love my M9! The colors coming from it is still something you can’t get elsewhere. CCD for the win!
I observe a trend that most M9 owners are very happy with their camera ☺️. A nice compliment for a camera that proves it stands the test of time 🕰️ ✌🏻
As someone who has both an M9 and M10-P, I agree that the M10 is the better option. M9 is great if you're entering the Leica world. The M9 was my first digital Leica which is why I have not yet sold it, due to sentimental reasons. But I now only shoot the M10-P for almost all things given how good it feels in the hand, the quality of the body, the quiet shutter, and the quality of the files. When I want film, I shoot film with my MP film camera. The idea that digital can emulate film is just absurd. I came from Fuji digital cameras with the simulations but it just never produced the images I wanted so I switched to Leica. Went from M6 to getting the M9, selling the M6 for an MP, and acquiring the M10-P. The only thing I have yet to discern is when to shoot film vs when to shoot digital. Convenience often leads to using digital but there are circumstances where film is the only rational choice. Still figuring it out though.
Awesome feedback! The question about when to shoot film and when digital is a big one that I am also trying to figure out. I plan on doing a video about that very topic soon 🤞🏻💯. What’s your current view on it, right now top of mind?
@@berndvandecruys In a world where film prices are expensive and where I have to dedicate a lot of time to scanning my own film (I have lab develop for convenience), I opt to use an M10-P for most day-to-day shooting. If those two things weren't a factor, I might shoot film a lot more; it's crazy to me that some people choose to shoot film exclusively.
I pair the M10-P with a 35mm (or 50mm) Summilux, so I like what I get and can get it immediately without having to wait for processing as is the case for film. I think the choice of when to shoot digital and when to shoot film is going to be different for everyone. If you search the topic only, the debate is instead which is better than the other. I think that is the wrong way to approach this. Digital has its place as does film. Ignoring cost and time, like I said, I might do more film. Given that those two factors are extremely relevant, I shoot more digital than film.
I love shooting film for "special things" such as traveling or for photoshoots with a specific objective where I want the analog quality of film to be an component of the final product. Earlier this year, I took a trip to Cambodia with my family for the first time ever. I had never been to Asia. I shot 22 rolls of film in two weeks and maybe 200 digital shots (at the time I only had the M9). Capturing those travel experiences on film was important for me. Similarly, I do photoshoots with my wife or with my family for fun and I choose to use film then too. But for all other things, I use the M10-P. I know that if price of film wasn't a factor, I might shoot film more. I imagine frequency of shooting digital vs film is different for everyone though.
I have considered giving up film but everytime I scan film negatives from a new roll, I end up tricking myself into loading the MP with another roll of film because I'm so pleased with the images I've scanned. I'm not sure I can ever give up film.
Been wanting to use this camera !!! Need to get
Let me know how you liked it, once you get one ✌🏻
Light and useable with my vintage 35 mm Summaron f/2.8 and 50 mm Summilux version 1 lenses.
Pretty awesome kit indeed. Like the lens choice!
big thumbs up for public transportation content 👍🏼
If only those vintage trams and buses would be in operation in 2024 🙌🏻💯
I love my m9-p!
Gorgeous home and very interesting design! The upstairs/attic was very nostalgic in feeling. Even from a mobile phone screen watching this video on the other side of the globe, it conveys a feeling of many memories and special moments. Made even more apparent by those two portraits on the wall. In comparison with the M9 and M10, I honestly preferred the M9. Just something really unique and inviting with the coloring and rendering. Does the camera happen to still be for sale?
Thanks for the feedback! The M9 has been sold already, bought by someone who watched the video earlier on :-). It does have a special rendering, and even in 2023 it's still a highly capable camera. Hope you can find another one somewhere 🤞🏻
The same store has a M9-P at the moment, if you're still looking for one www.leica-shop-antwerpen.be/product/12452453/leica-m9-p-occasie
Great video man! What lens are you using on those photos?
The 50 Lux and the 35 Cron type IV ✌🏻
Imagine if they made a Leica M9-D!
As a Leica m monochrom (m9m) shooter, I can confirm the ccd is the closest to film appearance and film grain. The monochrom at high iso has very nice grain (does not look like noise at all). The corrosion is a bummer and is also prone to crack 😭
A Leica M9-D would’ve aged even more nicely. No complaints about an outdated screen 😁. How’s the dynamic range of that monochrome sensor?
@@berndvandecruys not as good as the modern sensors at all but it doesn’t clip the whites as easily, I’ve noticed. Pros and cons. I love it 😊 inspired by jacob sul sol.
I have both the M9 and an M10-P but I would love if I can have a CCD sensor in an M10 body.
I recently received an M9-p as a gift and a couple lenses. When I look the stuff up, it's all so expensive which makes me think about how crazy the quality of everything must be but at the same time I'm a beginner photographer this would be my first camera and idk if I could do justice to this camera because I find very little material on how to use it and I think I should just start trying but at the same time I often think about selling it and buying something more up to date that I can use for work idk what to do. Help. Lol the pictures seen in the video look amazing but I know the camera has so many limitations that it kinda means more to the people who actually got to shoot with it when it came out, are experienced photographers or that know what the camera can do. Any resources or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I know it's a jewel 😢
Thanks for sharing this and indeed not an easy choice. It depends a bit on which type of photography you want to explore the most. If it’s low light l, animal, sports or portraiture, I would go for another system and use fast autofocus and a more modern sensor to assist you. If you want to explore the rangefinder experience, manual focus and focus on street, documentary, architecture type of photography, then keep the M9 and practice your skills. You can always sell it later on 😇. If you sell it now, without giving it a chance, I expect you to regret that decision a couple of years down the line 🙂✌🏻
I'll stick with my M10 and MP for when I want the film look - by shooting actual film. :)
That’s quite the combination of camera bodies 💯. Favourite film Stock?
@@berndvandecruysAgfa Ct Precisa 100, I got four rolls left of that stuff, then that’s it. :( Other than that I shoot a lot of Kodak Gold and Tri-X.
Same! If I want a "film look", I'll shoot my MP film camera too. Otherwise, I'll shoot the M10-P for day-to-day stuff. Film is film and digital is digital.
That M10 has a Sony sensor. 😂
Die foto's van je grootvader zijn top vind ik!
Merci 🙏🏻! Een eerste poging tot environmental portraits. Nog wel wat werk aan de winkel, maar toch al blij, want deze momenten komen niet meer terug ✌🏻
@@berndvandecruys dat klopt helemaal, en is belangrijker dan perfectie (wat dat dan ook wil zeggen).
I used to have a gunmetal grey M-E with chocolate leather. To this day I still regret selling that camera.
It's fun to change from time to time, but to some we should hold on 😇
It has, and it will always be
💯
Which lens is this?
I used it mainly with the Leica 35 Summicron IV, King of Bokeh lens ✌🏻
What kind of Lens showing ?
On the thumbnail it’s a 35 Summicron type IV
Thank you,@@berndvandecruys
Et bien et bien… je viens d’acheter un Leica m9 en état quasi neuf, avec son nouveau CCD ID:15, et un Summicron 50mm f2. Merci.
Bon choix! Tu vas certainement aimer cette combinaison 💯👌🏻
I saw a Leica m9 on eBay the other day for £500 and I’m so pissed I didn’t buy it.
That would have been the bargain of the year, for sure. The one that I used is less than 2000 EUR (link in bio) and comes with a handgrip. Not as good a bargain, but still quite nice for a Leica. ✌🏻
The only filmic digital camera to ever exist is the Epson R-D1 it was even the first digital rangefinder with a Leica M mount
0:46
That’s a camera I would love to try out one day! That design was pretty sweet indeed with the shutter advance lever and all. Thanks for reminding me 💯👍🏻
I have that M8 M8.2 and M9P I would say they all are special.
Shots do look like film
In some instances it really does 🪄
ive had both and couldn't justify the m9, the 10 its just better in every way. call me crazy but the color on the m9 seems super weird, too vibrant, too inconsistent. also I liked better the body of the m10, its smaller
The M9 is a great way to get in the M system. But if budget or opportunity allows, the M10 is indeed the better choice. Thanks for sharing your experience ✌🏻
My first digital Leica was the M9, I still have it but since I got an M10-P, I rarely ever use the M9. The M10-P is far more comfortable in the hand (although heavier) and the overall usability is more enjoyable than the M9. Haven't decided to sell the M9 yet for sentimental reasons but I agree that I find the colors too vibrant and "stylized" due to the CCD sensor. It makes for an interesting interpretation of the subject given the vivid reds, purples, blues but it's not exactly an "accurate" representation of the subject. Editing m10-P files is easier too since there is more data to work with, especially in the highlights. Sometimes I think I've blown the highlights on an M10-P DNG file but I'm able to recover quite a bit.
You should get a Sony mate.
Yea the best digital camera for film photographers ,because the screen is next to unusable, it's buffer slower than a tortoise and it's white balance is totally unpredictable, it's noisy as f**k over iso 640, so yea just like a film camera
that pretty much sums up the downsides of this camera in 2023 indeed :-)
Pure Drivel. M9 is a faulty camera with an out of date sensor, which I use happily, in small, old CCD cameras! Digital even by Kodak, is never gonna be a film camera. NEVER! Using a Film/analogue camera is easy. I have my Leica-M3,M6,M2 and lots of SLR Nikon=F..
Thanks for sharing your perspective. You’re clearly in the camp of digital can never be like film, which I understand. Although I would like you to watch this video around the 10:00 mark ruclips.net/video/d-JzS76o7Oc/видео.htmlsi=5YnOYZhXpNEuRhj7 where I compare edited M10 photos with M6 ones of the same scenes. ✌🏻
Most of the results come from the lens itself. This is a massive blindspot to every single RUclipsr for some reason. An A7C with adapted Leica/Voigtlander M-mount glass is what you want. . Most of the "film experience" is from the *manual* lens. You don't have to put an autofocus lens on a camera. And and A7C has a screen that flips to blank. If you want to see your shots 3 weeks later, just don't look at them until later. Or keep the screen and use self-control. Where are the individuals being creative? Everyone is parroting the same stuff year after year.
Thanks for sharing your feedback! I've done a video about the M6 and M10p with the same lens and indeed, with a bit of post processing you can get very similar results. The lens is a major part of the final result, no doubt.
When it comes to the film experience, I do feel that an optical rangefinder wins out over an EVF. Also the body design of an M camera and the fact Leica stays true to that design language, is a big plus for me compared to other brands. But if someone likes the convenience of an EVF, paired with a manual lens, go for it.
On the creativity part, for me it's a constant learning process trying to come up with original perspectives. With every new video, I hope to improve on that.
Glass plays a big part, but also sensor type, default colors (raw & jpg) and goals (or not) for color accuracy, resolution, dynamic range, etc. on output, but, of course, rangefinders aren’t just about output. With all the choices out there recommending a recent Sony camera as THE M9 alternative (yes, I’ve shot Sonys with mostly Loxias and CVs) seems a very odd choice.
there’s a lot of resources that show adapting M glass to mirrorless doesn’t yield as good results as native m. This is because of the thickness of the glass filters on the sensor, and the way they refract light
@@SpencerLupul Except it's not true. Those studies were from early mirrorless cameras and just spread like a meme.
lol what?
If you don't know what you're talking about, why bother commenting? Sony sensor stack not playing well with adapted glass is NOT a myth. I've witnessed it first hand on the A7c, and countless reviewers have ample proof. Go check out Phillip Reeve. He has literally hundreds of examples.
If you think focus peaking through an EVF with smudgy adapted glass approximates the film experience over rangefinding through an OVF with native M glass... all that means is that you absolutely have never even touched a rangefinder. I've shot tens of thousands of images on both systems. The build, handling, and color science of Sony is a stark departure from anything with even a whisper of the "film like" experience. That wasn't their goal at all, so it looks patently absurd to take that stance.
Sony does many things great. Many of them Leica can't even do, and never will. People pretending like this pocket rocket covered in buttons is better at traditional photography than the camera which operates identical to how it did 75 years ago 😂
No.
Clear and concise opinion
Leica m12: 10MP, no autofocus, no color, no LCD, shutter speed max 1/125
Price: Body $25‘000.-
Leica fanboys: OMG exactly what i needed 🤡
Lets be real. At this point leica is just trolling
The no LCD was an actual thing with the M10-D 😉.
You say that but there are actual people out there who want a manual car for the connected, self controlled experience, and there are people who would call them stupid since automatics shift faster and cleaner every time. It’s a preference. Also the M bodies are nice and compact for what they are. Some people say just buy X camera and change things manually but that’s also like someone telling a manual car driver to just buy an automatic and use the tap shifting. It’s not what they want.