M9 or wait for M typ 240?

[douglasf13]

Douglas, what's the widest frame you can still see comfortably with the magnifier attached? Can you still see the shutter speed digits? Thanks!

From what I can tell, it pretty much moves all of the lines up one focal length. In other words, the 50mm lines with the 1.25x look like the 35mm lines without the magnifier, the 35mm lines with the 1.25x look like the 28mm lines without the magnifier, etc. I haven't done the math, so I don't know if that is exact, but that is what it seems to me. You can technically still see the lines for the 28mm with the magnifier attached, but the lines are WAY outside, right at the edges of the frame, and you have to move your eye around to see them. Using the 28 with the magnifier essentially makes the entire rangefinder area your frame.

I'm sure it depends on your eye, and I don't wear glasses, but I can still see the shutter speed digits ok, although they are closer to the bottom.

 

[douglasf13]

I have tried many times to take a photo when the camera is off, but not yet with the cap on

Still waiting for that to happen though

I've just been taking Thorsten Overgaard's advice (if I remember correctly) and just leave the camera on all of the time with a 2 minute sleep time.

 

[edwardkaraa]

Thanks Doug! My widest lens not needing an external finder is 35mm, so it might be a good idea to put a 1.25x magnifier permanently on the eyepiece. Not that I'm having any problems with focusing, but it certainly would make it easier/faster.

 

[jonoslack]

I've just been taking Thorsten Overgaard's advice (if I remember correctly) and just leave the camera on all of the time with a 2 minute sleep time.

Thorsten also keeps the camera in his bag without a lens cap - so he won't make that mistake either - altogether, it might be why he takes such fine photos!

 

[jonoslack]

Agreed, Jono. We don't yet know what the 240's output is going to be like (although I'm sure it will be excellent,) and the camera isn't going to be available for a long time.

After three years of waffling, I finally made the decision to buy an M camera, and I bought the M9 slightly used for a steal. I don't really need any of the hot new features of the 240, outside of maybe the weather sealing and better high ISO. Plus, I'm not in love with the LCD illuminated frame line concept, at least not yet.

Hey!
Congratulations - join the club - well done - fantastic!
I hope you're really happy together. As you know, I fiddle about with lots of other things, but I always return to my Leica.

Excellent news!

 

[douglasf13]

Thanks Doug! My widest lens not needing an external finder is 35mm, so it might be a good idea to put a 1.25x magnifier permanently on the eyepiece. Not that I'm having any problems with focusing, but it certainly would make it easier/faster.

The 35mm frame lines are pretty large with the magnifier, but you may be able to manage ok. The magnifier is pretty easy to take on and off, and has a cool little tether and case, so you could switch back and forth pretty easily, if you don't like it with the 35mm.

 

[douglasf13]

Hey!
Congratulations - join the club - well done - fantastic!
I hope you're really happy together. As you know, I fiddle about with lots of other things, but I always return to my Leica.

Excellent news!

Thanks, Jono! It's that fiddling that I'm trying to get over. I happily shot the A900 for years, but, when I decided to try smaller cameras, I've been on a merry-go-round of little cameras and lenses. I'm excited to get rid of it all. I think I even mentioned to you 3 years ago that I was considering selling all of my gear for the M9, but I chickened out, and, not only could I have been shooting the M9 for 3 years at this point, but it also likely cost me more in the long run. Lesson learned!

Right now, I'm shooting a 28 Elmarit ASPH, 50 Summicron and 90 Tele-elmarit, but, if I find that I'm simply shooting the 50 all of the time, which is a real possibility, I may just trade it all for the 50 Summilux. We'll see. I also have a 50/1.5 Nokton, so that may be a suitable alternative if it means I keep the other lenses.

I sure do like the camera, so far.

 

[Robert Campbell]

Have you tried a magnifier on the M9? I've been using the 1.25x, and I like it. It bumps the magnification to .85.

I wondered about that -- from what the others say, it sounds like a good solution.

 

[Hosermage]

I have tried the 1.25X and upgraded to 1.4X. To me, 1.25X didn't make that much of a difference so I rather just not hassle with it. Now 1.4X is limited to longer FL, but when I put it on, it's wonderful and much needed for longer lenses.

 

[douglasf13]

I have tried the 1.25X and upgraded to 1.4X. To me, 1.25X didn't make that much of a difference so I rather just not hassle with it. Now 1.4X is limited to longer FL, but when I put it on, it's wonderful and much needed for longer lenses.

Yeah, it probably would bother me to take the 1.25x on and off all of the time, too. I can use it with all of my lenses, so I just leave it on, so it's no biggie.

 

[douglasf13]

Thorsten also keeps the camera in his bag without a lens cap - so he won't make that mistake either - altogether, it might be why he takes such fine photos!

Recently, I've started to use B+W protection filters on all of my lenses AS my lens caps. That way, I can take them off when I'm not in a hurry and I want to cut down on reflections, or I can just leave them on in a hurry and still shoot without much penalty.

I've never been a fan of protection filters in the past, but when I realized I could ditch lens caps altogether, this turned into a reasonable compromise for me.

 

[gogopix]

Recently, I've started to use B+W protection filters on all of my lenses AS my lens caps. That way, I can take them off when I'm not in a hurry and I want to cut down on reflections, or I can just leave them on in a hurry and still shoot without much penalty.

I've never been a fan of protection filters in the past, but when I realized I could ditch lens caps altogether, this turned into a reasonable compromise for me.

It would be interesting to do a comparison to see what's missed. Is it resolution? DR? ISO
I bet it is hard to see, except maybe in blow ups. I used B+W filkters on all my Contax gear yet went 'naked' with the Leica based on just the folklore of "better IQ" without.

Hacing missed some neat shots in Paris last month, (I like the sort of PJ type of shots) I would filter the lenses if the give upwere small.

If you have a chance maybe take a fdew shots and post a cropped comparison. I may invest in a filter or two myself anyway, for travel (I 'walk around' with the 28mm 2.8, small and easy to focus...but the hood catches on my small bag, and the lens is pretty close up front!

Let us all know

regards
Victor

 

[gogopix]

Hey!
Congratulations - join the club - well done - fantastic!
I hope you're really happy together. As you know, I fiddle about with lots of other things, but I always return to my Leica.

Excellent news!

Right on. Why wait, and lose 6-9 months (if you are close to the big 70, like me, months count! :ROTFL

Anyway I had the M8 now M9 and I could not believe a 2x6 foot print I did with 7 vertical shots of the Villandry gardens; you can count the pebbles in the walkways! Some of the best megapixels around, even if only 18.

Regards
Victor

 

[douglasf13]

It would be interesting to do a comparison to see what's missed. Is it resolution? DR? ISO
I bet it is hard to see, except maybe in blow ups. I used B+W filkters on all my Contax gear yet went 'naked' with the Leica based on just the folklore of "better IQ" without.

Hacing missed some neat shots in Paris last month, (I like the sort of PJ type of shots) I would filter the lenses if the give upwere small.

If you have a chance maybe take a fdew shots and post a cropped comparison. I may invest in a filter or two myself anyway, for travel (I 'walk around' with the 28mm 2.8, small and easy to focus...but the hood catches on my small bag, and the lens is pretty close up front!

Let us all know

regards
Victor

I've done experiments in the past, and a large majority of the time, I can't see a difference between no filter and a high end, multicoated filter. The only time I notice a difference is at night with bright light sources, because they sometimes, not always, will add little flare blobs. I usually just leave my filters on, these days. Either way, filters are probably a topic for another thread. Here is a link to some tests: UV filters test - Introduction - Lenstip.com

 

[edwardkaraa]

Yeah, it probably would bother me to take the 1.25x on and off all of the time, too. I can use it with all of my lenses, so I just leave it on, so it's no biggie.

This is something I have to consider too. I dont want to clutter the camera with additional stuff hanging from it. I like to keep it simple

But the idea is very appealing, I have to think it over...

 

[douglasf13]

This is something I have to consider too. I dont want to clutter the camera with additional stuff hanging from it. I like to keep it simple

But the idea is very appealing, I have to think it over...

You know, I may need to eat some crow. Since our discussion earlier, I've been taking my 1.25x mag off and on, and I'm not sure that the magnification is worth bothering with, because the viewfinder is more comfortable to my eye without the magnifier attached. So it's a bit of a pick your poison kinda thing, at least for me. I like the extra magnification, but my eye just doesn't rest as nicely on the camera.

If you try it, I'd buy used, so that you can sell the magnifier for the same amount if you don't like the it.

 

[edwardkaraa]

Thank you Douglas. That makes sense. I think I will postpone this decision for a while. My focusing accuracy has been excellent with the M9 so far, so this piece is not an urgent purchase.

 

[gogopix]

I've done experiments in the past, and a large majority of the time, I can't see a difference between no filter and a high end, multicoated filter. The only time I notice a difference is at night with bright light sources, because they sometimes, not always, will add little flare blobs. I usually just leave my filters on, these days. Either way, filters are probably a topic for another thread. Here is a link to some tests: UV filters test - Introduction - Lenstip.com

wow, thanks!
that's what is great about the people here on the forum...sharing

I'll take a look

thx again

Victor

 

[arild]

On the subject of filters, does anyone know where I can find 46mm BW. Clear nano filters in stock? The hood cap on my 35lux certainly looks like a good idea in theory,but in practical use,its disastrously inefficient.

To not drift this discussion any further off, I will say that when my m9 dies after hopefully joyful use over many years,I will probably buy the M in its then current iteration,as long as leica wont do something silly,like removing the rangefinder,and the new camera is called an "E"..

 

[Vivek]

Most Leica lenses filter UV better than the UV filters. Even the 50s Summicrons do not pass any UV.