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M9 Brochure and Specs

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I hear all the high price speculation here but the expected european price is 5500 euro. There's no way Leica are going to price the camera in the US far from that. I've not heard any mention of euro prices way off the 5500 number.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
There is a thread on RFF about rangefinder accuracy.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55500&page=1

According to the calculations, the 135/3.4 is outside the limits of the M8 rangefinder.
Well, I took a look at the chart and I hear what you are saying but the inability to focus the 135/3.4 in theory vs the practice of real shots is something that doesn't match up with this information. Also note that the specs refer to the viewfinder having 35/135 framelines.
 
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monza

Active member
Actually this is the one odd ball part of the M9. The two new luxes won't have framelines and you will need an external finder. Wide open it could be a challenge to nail both focus and framing.
The RF baselength is plenty good enough for nailing wide angle focus, even wide open. The 24mm would need to be f/0.17 before things get iffy. :)
 

monza

Active member
Well, I took a look at the chart and I hear what you are saying but the inability to focus the 135/3.4 in theory vs the practice of real shots is something that doesn't match up with this information.
Depends on what kind of shots. Are you shooting wide open at close focus distance?
 

Terry

New member
The RF baselength is plenty good enough for nailing wide angle focus, even wide open. The 24mm would need to be f/0.17 before things get iffy. :)
That wasn't my point. If you are trying to focus wide open through the rangefinder but then have to move the camera for framing your focus can be off wide open. That's why I said getting focus AND framing will be tougher. I guess you need to frame first through an external finder then move down and focus.
 

etrigan63

Active member
BTW, I noticed in the brochure that lens focal length is now manually selectable! No more coding of CV/ZM glass!
 
R

Ranger 9

Guest
BTW, I noticed in the brochure that lens focal length is now manually selectable! No more coding of CV/ZM glass!
I thought that notation just indicated that focal lengths can be selected in the finder via the frameline preview lever.

There's a paragraph headed "Lens with Six-Bit Coding" which notes that "current M lenses are supplied with a six-bit code on the mount that is scanned optically by the M9" and that "Leica users can contact Customer Service to arrange for retrofitting the six-bit coding to the mounts of most existing M lenses." This all sounds the same as the M8.
 

LCT

Member
Just a matter of RF effective base length and VF magnification. Based on usual CoC values, f/4 should be OK normally. See: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/1021749-post1.html
Btw, I notice in the brochure PDF that the 135 APO-Telyt is covered with reference to the M9 also. However, there's a note: "The use of this lens on the M9 is recommended only when certain criteria are met, for example, it must be stopped down by at least two stops."
Any ideas why this lens would require this special restriction? I assume vignetting wide open perhaps? thoughts?
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
So really what they are saying is that it's recommended to stop down two stops or more to have any chance of focussing accurately using the viewfinder ... ok, I can understand that but why phrase it the way they did?

No big deal - I'll wait and see for myself :salute:
 

LCT

Member
Because Leica chose a CoC value of 0,0250mm instead of the usual one (0,030mm) i guess. On such a basis, f/5.6 is necessary to focus 135mm lenses on the M9.
So really what they are saying is that it's recommended to stop down two stops or more to have any chance of focussing accurately using the viewfinder ... ok, I can understand that but why phrase it the way they did?
No big deal - I'll wait and see for myself :salute:
 

etrigan63

Active member
I thought that notation just indicated that focal lengths can be selected in the finder via the frameline preview lever.

There's a paragraph headed "Lens with Six-Bit Coding" which notes that "current M lenses are supplied with a six-bit code on the mount that is scanned optically by the M9" and that "Leica users can contact Customer Service to arrange for retrofitting the six-bit coding to the mounts of most existing M lenses." This all sounds the same as the M8.
You're right. I must've been breathing too fast.
 

LCT

Member
no IR filters required? even for wides?
According to the M9 brochure "A newly developed sensor filter ensures the suppression of undesirable infrared light. The conscious decision to do without a moiré filter, a cause of image deterioration through loss of resolution, ensures maximum resolution of fine detail. The optimized signal-noise ratio of the CCD image sensor reduces the need for digital post-processing and ensures that M9 images possess an un rivaled and natural visual impact."
 
R

Ranger 9

Guest
According to the M9 brochure "A newly developed sensor filter ensures the suppression of undesirable infrared light."
Although -- applying my "chocolatey chip cookies" principle once again -- that's not exactly the same thing as saying "infrared cutoff filters no longer are required, regardless of lens focal length."

A reasonable guess would be that some people will find the new sensor filter adequate on its own, while others still will want to use the lens filter at least in some circumstances -- i.e., "Smoke 'em if you've got 'em."
 

Terry

New member
Although -- applying my "chocolatey chip cookies" principle once again -- that's not exactly the same thing as saying "infrared cutoff filters no longer are required, regardless of lens focal length."

A reasonable guess would be that some people will find the new sensor filter adequate on its own, while others still will want to use the lens filter at least in some circumstances -- i.e., "Smoke 'em if you've got 'em."
Depends on what corrections the camera is making. The M8 corrects for the cyan drift when using a filter (thats why coding became mandatory). If the filter is there and not needed the M9 won't correct and you will have a problem.
 
R

Ranger 9

Guest
Depends on what corrections the camera is making. The M8 corrects for the cyan drift when using a filter (thats why coding became mandatory). If the filter is there and not needed the M9 won't correct and you will have a problem.
I was thinking more of the original "purple haze" problem (color shifts caused by IR contamination.) Since the extent of that problem depended on the type of object photographed (e.g. synthetic fabrics) and the amount of IR illumination present, it can't be patched by a simple focal-length-based software correction.

As your post suggests, Leica's solution of this problem in the M9 will have to be 100% successful; if it isn't, it will make matters worse instead of better. If filters will still be needed to eliminate "purple haze" in some critical situations but not others, users will really have a can o' worms!
 
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