The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Available fund for M9 or 50mm lux ASPH ?

James6714

New member
Hi all,

I really enjoy the group of guys on this forum, and I value very much your inputs to my situtation.

I have an used M8 for about a year, mainly I use it for family pictures, travel, and odd times street photography. The lenses that I have are zm 50mm Planar and zm 35mm f2.

I really like the look of 50mm lux ASPH and its low light ability for my M8, have been saving money to finance it and planning to sell off the 2 Zeiss lenses. However, I am struggling with the option of a) should I buy the M9 now (which I like, FF and better files) and keep the Zeiss lenses, or b) as stated above, buy the lux and use it on M8.

Please give me some insight suggestions ? Thanks.
 
S

skinnfell

Guest
I have owned the M8 and currently own the M9.
There is a dramatic upgrade in image quality and usability from the M8 to M9. So if you think the M8 is good (it is!) then you are going to LOVE the M9.
Remember it is almost twice the resolution, and still has much less and more film grained noise. at comparable ISO. With Lightroom 4 and its noise reduction, lens and camera profiles, the M9 produces phenomenal image quality, even compared to current high end japanese cameras.

However, you will only experience a very slight image quality upgrade if you get the optics.
Myself I am pondering the upgrade from 50 summicron to 50 summilux, and the upgrade will cost me perhaps $3000 at least, while bringing perhaps a 5% image quality upgrade. (save for the ability to use F1.4).
 

ramosa

Member
I don't like the FOV of a 50mm lens on the M8--and, in particular, was not enthralled by the Lux 50 asph. (Yes, I'm in the minority in the latter regard.) Thus, I'd go for a FF body. But which one? M9, ME, MM, or M? I have been pondering this lately!
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I'd go with the M9 body over the new lens, or sit back and think about it until the new M is released and then make a decision. Because surely if you can't decide easily, it's better not to spend the money, just keep accumulating savings, until you really know what it is you want.

Maybe by then it will be easier to just buy both. :)
 

Brian S

New member
The M9 improves on the high-ISO of the M8 by about 1.5 stops. No problem using the M9 at ISO 2500, so the F2 lens will give better low-light performance on the M9 as the F1.4 lens does on the M8. Prices of lightly used M9s have fallen, and the new M-E is already available.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Wait for the M. Enjoy what you have in the meantime. :)

The M9 prices have not hit the bottom,yet.
 

Double Negative

Not Available
The M8 is good, but the M9 is better. The Zeiss lenses are great on either.

That said, I've slowly been moving to a more Leica-centric lens selection.
 

James6714

New member
Thanks all for your inputs. It makes more sense to me now to buy the M9, which by the time next year, the price will come down more, hence, more saving to me.
 

pgmj

Member
If you like the 50mm FOV on the M8, perhaps a 75mm lens on the M9 might be a better choice? The 50mm would likely be more versatile on the M9, of course, but it might be worth considering. I really like the 50mm on M8, and have invested in a 75 lux for when I can afford a M9 after selling lots of gear. The 75 is a fantastic "portrait lens" on the M8 for sure, but it is a bit long in many situations, so the 50 gets more usage.
 

Hosermage

Active member
The following is what I would do if I were you... plan to get BOTH :D But which one to get first? Since I don't mind buying gear used, I'd get the lens first while there is a lull in Leica lens resale value now. Then I'd wait to save up for a second hand M9 or M9P and let the price fall even more.

Personally, I've been loading up on lenses recently because I expect lens resale prices to rise again after M10's release.
 

Paratom

Well-known member
I own the M9 and various 50mm lenses, including the 50/2.5 and the 50/1.4asph.
I think the Summilux is a fine lens - but I also believe the 50/2.5 is great as well (and your 50 Zeiss also). If I had to reduce my gear arsenal I could be very happy with just some Summarits (and I bet also with some of the nice Zeiss glass). The Summiluxes are nice to have but I dont find it worlds apart.
If you get a larger sensor M9 you have better high ISO so f1.4 is not needed asmuch as on a M8.
If I were you and had to choose I would choose the M9 which you also can get for good used price and keep your lenses.
Or if you want 75mm sell the 50 Zeiss and get a 75 Summarit instead.
Cheers, Tom
 

douglasf13

New member
I'd get the M9. I do believe that used M9 prices are stabilizing around the $4K US mark for a used copy in good condition. I've been tracking prices for several months, and I just recently bought in at $4k even, because it seems that the new M-E will hold up M9 prices for a while. I wouldn't be surprised if used M9 prices actually creep up a little bit, since it is a slightly better camera than the new M-E. Who knows???
 

wattsy

Well-known member
Get the lens. It has much longer term value.

There is a dramatic upgrade in image quality
I disagree. In fact, I think pixel for pixel I prefer the look of my old M8 files (up to ISO 640). There is a noticeable extra sharpness in the finest detail and, for some odd reason (bearing in mind both sensors have the same pixel pitch), the M8 files show fewer colour and luminance artifacts (moire, etc.). When I look at some of my older files shot in decent light using an M8 and 35 Summicron (neither of which do I now own), the sharpness and fine detail is nothing short of astonishing.
 

Double Negative

Not Available
^ Agreed on both counts.

Bodies come and go, but good glass is forever.

As for the M8, I'd have to agree. There's "something extra" there. One thing that may account for it is the thinner IR filter. Granted, the one in the M9 isn't *that* much thicker, but it is. And as we know, for better or worse, Leica wanted to minimize it as much as possible (along with removing the AA filter) to have the highest IQ possible. Otherwise I find the two sensors to be very, very similar (colors, saturation, feel, etc.).
 

wattsy

Well-known member
One thing that may account for it is the thinner IR filter.
Yes, I think that that is definitely a factor. Leica went with a very thin IR filter in the M8 because they felt it resulted in increased sharpness. It stands to reason then that, if you make the filter a bit thicker, you will presumably lose a little sharpness. It's not a big deal, I've been very happy with my M9 cameras but, I was looking only yesterday at some 'old' M8 files and was struck by just how sharp the finer detail can really be.

Incidentally, I also think that the different Bayer colour arrangement Leica have stated that they implemented on the M9 hasn't been a total success in that IMO it makes the M9 noticeably more susceptible to moire and other similar nasties.
 

douglasf13

New member
Leica made the IR filter thinner on the M8 to combat astigmatism, because they needed better performance with oblique light rays at the edges of the sensor, and they apparently went a little too thin. There shouldn't be a difference in sharpness from this, at least at the center of the frame, especially if you're putting an IR filter on the front of the lens, anyways. Either way, at the output level, you're still going to get more resolution from the M9, so it's kind of a moot point.

Interesting about the different color filters. I've been under the impression that the M8 and M9 have the same color filter type. Are there any links that discuss this?

Always choosing a lens over a camera body was a more logical decision when we all shot film, since the film and IQ likely didn't change, regardless of the camera body that we used, but, now that our digital "film" is tied to the camera body, that decision is a little more nuanced these days. I'd certainly rather have my M9 and a 50 Summicron than a 50 Summilux on my NEX-7, and I'd also rather have my M9 and a 50 Summicron over an M8 and a 50 Summilux.
 

douglasf13

New member
Well that's just it. The resolution is the same. The sensor in the M9 is just bigger - giving you more pixels.
I think it's safer to say the resolution per area is about the same, outside of the slight difference that we've been discussing, but the total resolution of the M9 is greater.
 
Top