Thread: Leica to sell Black and White sensor "M" camera? (rumor)

Originally Posted by Kingsfan

where did you get an M9 for $3k?! that's almost what i paid for an M8!

Read it again

Originally Posted by Kingsfan

where did you get an M9 for $3k?! that's almost what i paid for an M8!

I sold equipment, cameras and lenses, to pay for the M9 and a pair of Noktons. Figure I spent about $4,000 for the cameras and lenses- sold them for about $8K. Time and effort went into repairing cameras and converting lenses to Leica mount. I have 20% of the M9M sitting in Paypal as of this week. If I get one, most of it will be subsidized by selling gear.

Hi,

I'm not so optimistic about this cam, because......it's from Leica....... ;-) Why?

With the first glance it looks terrific to offer such a b&w shooters dream, but until now the over all adjustments as there are tuning the sensor to appropriate wavelengths etc. isn't solved by Leica. All pics which I could see are dull, flat and sharp or totally overprocessed. Now it seems that Leica repeats the story of the M8 with its filters, but now there are no color channels which can be adjusted......

Fore me this cam is a huge trick to overcome the dead time zone until at Photokina in autumn the M10 will be introduced.....

As a mainly b&w shooter beside the price this cam is my dream but Leica and their software rookies might repeat the mistakes with the M8, the M9 (SD card glitches + colorshift with wide angles) and now the M mono.
We shouldn't forget that their main goal is the M10 as a much higher volume model, the M mono will be a cam for the niches of niches......

But all the brave who might buy - Good Luck! I trust the TRi-X or Acros more...... ;-)

Of course you are looking at JPEG conversions on your own monitor.

What the DNG files do on print- different medium.

Kodak has been making monochrome sensors for a very long time. The "spin-off" group is the same unit, they know what they are doing. Kodak management- different story.

Originally Posted by silverbullet

Hi,

I'm not so optimistic about this cam, because......it's from Leica....... ;-) Why?

With the first glance it looks terrific to offer such a b&w shooters dream, but until now the over all adjustments as there are tuning the sensor to appropriate wavelengths etc. isn't solved by Leica. All pics which I could see are dull, flat and sharp or totally overprocessed. Now it seems that Leica repeats the story of the M8 with its filters, but now there are no color channels which can be adjusted......

Fore me this cam is a huge trick to overcome the dead time zone until at Photokina in autumn the M10 will be introduced.....

As a mainly b&w shooter beside the price this cam is my dream but Leica and their software rookies might repeat the mistakes with the M8, the M9 (SD card glitches + colorshift with wide angles) and now the M mono.
We shouldn't forget that their main goal is the M10 as a much higher volume model, the M mono will be a cam for the niches of niches......

But all the brave who might buy - Good Luck! I trust the TRi-X or Acros more...... ;-)

Interesting comments about the M8 and M9. While I agree there have been problems (I disagree about the colour shift on the M9) it's as if no other manufacturer ever has issues. Canon have released the 5D3 with a light leak from the top LCD panel that actually affects the cameras meter. Mirrors started falling of 5D's because they were incorrectly attached. The flagship 1D3 Canon designed for sports shooters wouldn't AF properly in CAF and Canon tried first to deny it and then to cover it up. Nikon SB900's burnt out by the dozens and the solution in the SB910 is to shut the flash down rather than implement heat management.

The M9 corrects for colour shift with software corrections to help overcome a major technical challenge with a sensor that large close to the lenses it uses. And Leica lense don't have colour issues, only third party ones do. The card issue is probably a Leica issue but easily solved. Don't use Sandisk cards in the M9.

Leica camera can certainly have issues. But to assume that it will because it's a Leica and wouldn't if it were another brand just doesn't hold up. Leica don't need a huge trick. They're still selling large numbers of M9s and lenses. Especially lenses. Personally I think Leica know they're a niche brand and they're learning to exploit that. Find niches and make money.

99% of photographers would be better off without a Leica. They're either too restrictive, to expensive, too limited or they just don't get it. For the other 1% they are a joy. And that 1% is all Leica needs. That 1% will make the camera work for them. And they'll be prepared to make changes to make it work. And they won't feel bad about it.

Gordon

Originally Posted by Brian

I sold equipment, cameras and lenses, to pay for the M9 and a pair of Noktons. Figure I spent about $4,000 for the cameras and lenses- sold them for about $8K. Time and effort went into repairing cameras and converting lenses to Leica mount. I have 20% of the M9M sitting in Paypal as of this week. If I get one, most of it will be subsidized by selling gear.

got it, too bad i can't get that much for my m43 gear