Yes, it even works on an M9 (with the right adapter…). Of course this was shot with a Leica iiiC. Tell me again, why do I need an M9? If $6K showed up on my doorstep, I would buy and M9 right now… But w/o a bit of help, I think I will stick with film…

Sweet!

Okay, I admit it. I really, really wanted an M9. I love my M6 and M3. They are wonderful cameras to use. I think an M9 would be the digital equivalent too. And the M lenses are amazing.

I almost sold my Canon gear, to get an M9. I even signed on to a waiting list. While I was waiting, I reconsidered. $7K is a lot of money. Way too much money for me right now. Even if I sell all my Canon gear (which would have gotten me over half-way there). I have this belief about cycling that applies to photography. For bikes I say “It’s the engine first then the bike.” For cameras that translates as “It’s the brain first, then the camera/format.” The camera is only a tool, and an M9 just wasn’t going to make that big of difference in my photography. No matter how much I loved the gestalt of the camera.

And so, I still don’t have an M9. Maybe I will buy one in the future, but maybe not. In fact, to keep myself from thinking about the advantage of shooting digital w/ Leica lenses I decided to buy a Panasonic GF1 (at roughly 10% of the cost of an M9) and an M-lens adapter. Now the advantage of digital is gone — though the lure of a full frame sensor is still real. I’ll just have to use my Canon 5d when I want digital and wide angles. I would probably do that anyway because I have the lenses.

The Honeymoon Really is Over

Michael Reichmann at Luminous Landscape is a self-professed Leica fan. His role in the industry as a photographer and writer puts him in the position of getting to use, and justify buying, some pretty amazing cameras. Including the Leica M9. He has been shooting M9s since before their launch, and he has been doing some raving. But he recently posted An Open Letter to Leica on what he sees as the shortcomings of the M9 in its current state, and what needs to change when the M10 is designed. It’s an interesting read.

In addition to Michael’s essay, he has posted a couple of other opinions that differ from his own, but also include criticisms of the M9. More interesting reading:

• The Next M Leica, a Different View – by Mark Dubovoy
• Thom Hogan Considers – What’s Next For Leica?

Enjoy!

Well, not for me, but for many others. New Leica M9 cameras are appearing regularly on Flickr now. Most, it seems, are not in North America yet, but at least they are being shipped somewhere!

Thanks to all those posting pictures of their new cameras! Photos are linked directly back to the shooters’ Flickr pages, so go take a look.

You have to love the bravery and sense of duty of this little guy! This photo was taken by saseki. Nice one!

Well, you need a quality capture device, like a Leica M9 and a good lens. Here is a picture from my M6 (quality is not a question) and my Leica Summicron 90mm lens. This lens rocks, and film is fine. Can’t wait to see it in action with an M9. But I have no choice, so I will certainly wait…

I wasn’t sure how things would turn out here when I decided to create this site. Flickr doesn’t give us direct access to pictures taken from a single camera make or model. That meant I had to figure out a way to capture Leica M9 photos to be viewed here. Well, we seem to be doing okay, though I know I am missing some photos. All I can say is if you are shooting with a Leica M9, you should tag your photos with M9 or mention the camera in the text of your photo. Or, join an M9-oriented group. If you do that, and your pictures are good enough, they will show up here.

Ranking the pictures; deciding what is good enough,is also not an easy matter. So far, I like my buzz index the best, which is based on the number of views/hour since the photo was uploaded. It is simple, and it makes sense. The problem with that model is that there are good photos that are not seen very much. The buzz index gives those flickr members that have developed a large network an advantage over other, probably equally talented, photographers that haven’t figured out the impact of doing that, or those that are not interested in developing that type of network. I understand and respect the latter group, but I don’t know how to capture their pictures easily. One of these days I will figure out a way to at least see them…

Speaking of seeing them, I have found the Leica M9 Buzz page to be a lot of fun to surf. Most of the pictures are amazing. All of them are interesting. And we have them all in one place to enjoy. I like that, so I’m glad I put the effort into the page. It’s a good place to spend some time surfing Leica M9 photography. I hope it’s working for you too.

Finally, today’s photo is not from an M9. I shot it yesterday at the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge near the Philadelphia airport with my Leica M6. I had a little time to kill before my flight home, and it was a very worthwhile stop. Plus, it was a very beautiful morning with the colorful leaves, warm weather, and mostly cloudy, but occasionally sunny, skies. The picture is a bit of a brain teaser, so you may have to get out of the box a bit to figure it out. I hope you like it!

Ah, well, Masa@ has made his photo of the Noctilux .95 private. Not sure why, as I did not hear any concerns mentioned from him/her. Maybe there was another issue elsewhere. Coming to our rescue is futureancient with another great view of the M9 and the Noctilux. Plus, Matt’s photo has taken off with rocketing buzz. Great work again Matt! Thanks for sharing.

Wow, what a lens! This photo by MASA@ on Flickr gives you a great perspective on what it takes to make a lens with a wide-open aperture of .95. Lots of glass, even when Leica is making the lens. It’s kind of like putting a telescope, which is just a huge light collector, on your M9.

Of course, I’ve never actually seen one of these lenses in person. And I doubt I could ever get myself to spend $10k on one. But it sure would be fun. Low light. Very shallow depth of field. Lot’s of exercise lifting it to my eye. Awesome!

And, nice photo MASA@. Thanks for posting it!

If you look at the Leica M9 photos generating the most buzz on Flickr at the moment, you will see that futureancient is dominating the field. In fact, right now he practically owns the “Most Famous M9 Photos” banner in the header on this page.

Aside from using a Leica M9 camera (;-)), why is this? Better photography? Better networking/social media management? Probably both. Futureancient, aka Matt, tweets when he posts a new photo. This seems to drive enough early interest in his photos to push him into the Flickr Explore engine. Since a lot of people look at Explore, this generates more traffic and interest. From there, it’s all about quality, catchy, photography. Better, more distinctive, “interesting”, photos generate traffic, and that makes lots of buzz.

Matt’s photos (hope he doesn’t mind me calling him Matt) are very good and very catchy. I congratulate him on his talent and success. And obviously, we will be seeing a lot of his work here.