Almost all modifications of the M9 to the predecessor M8 / M8.2 are under the hood. While changes in the M-mechanics, which are still milled from a block, are not an issue, a fully formatted chip with 18.5 megapixels has been built into the interior of the well-tried, but weighty housing. This means: new image processing, new processors, compression in JPEG format and no longer an extension factor for the M lenses. Uncompressed storage in the Leica DNG format has remained.
In addition, the Solmsers seem to have taken the ColorFoto test report from January 2007 to heart, and to put everything to the new model the children's diseases described there. The too strong infrared sensitivity was turned off by a thin, but powerful filter in front of the chip. The same is true for the smear effect the M8 initially graced.
Operation
Also the then criticized impractical exposure correction of the otherwise clear menu has revised Leica. The aperture correction stages now elegantly adjust the rotary wheel by the four-directional cursor keys. However: purists feel this aperture correction as a completely unnecessary reminiscence to modern times. More importantly - precisely because of the largely manual setting - the possibility to perform an exposure series with up to 7 pictures. A histogram with selectable light warning helps to detect over-exposures.
Unfortunately, the flash sync time with the new shutter sank to 1/180. The much quieter lamella closure creates another 1/4000 second - earlier it was 1/8000 second. The sensitivity setting has now its own setting knob and ISO 80 instead of ISO 160 is possible. Otherwise: Operation as used for decades. In the case of a measuring viewfinder, "no" reflex seeker "looks" through the lens. Instead, an optical viewfinder is located in the upper left, in which a lighting frame defines the image section. With a lever it can be adjusted to the focal length you are using. Otherwise, the photographer would not know how far his picture section is.
Zoom lenses are not an issue in the M-System. Focusing is also possible only manually, but the tracking is quite fast, thanks to a clearly visible intersection overlay. In doing so, the photographer brings a motif detail that is twice reflected in the viewfinder. Automatic shutter is also Pustekuchen - a lonely red display (point or arrow) says the suggestion of the built-in exposure meter - you have to turn on the extremely handy lenses itself. If one leaves the exposure time of the only available time automatics, the viewfinder hides the suggested time also .
More automatic is not, sharpness, contrast and saturation can be adjusted, just like the white balance, accurate to 100 Kelvin - that's it. There are no exposure programs, adjustable contrast or noise enhancement circuits. Longer lenses cover a part of the viewfinder, which the careless littered with fingerprints and thus hazy views on the motif risk. Battery and SD memory card are sitting under the floor cover, which is for each switch from the tripod and then detach from the camera. The opening lever still looks like the winding mechanism of the film roll.
For this sympathetic and pleasantly different but also somewhat anachronistic package, Leica calls a Bodypreis of - Attention buckle - 5495 euros, including a full version of Photoshop Lightrooms, which the customer loads with its registration number from the Internet.
The special DSP processors are noticeable in the camera. They are programmable, which means, if Leica wants, via update future functionality can be adjusted. This makes completely new functions, image formats etc. realizable, so much more than a firmware update in many standard SLRs is possible. It is to be hoped that Leica will also make use of this possibility. Normal software updates are possible via the SD card.
Test results
The new Kodak full-size chip does its job very well. The Bildlook, the game with the sharpening depth - outstanding. There were no double contours or efflorescence in the visual blankets, the only negative effect that could be seen in JPEG images was a kind of solarization in dark areas, where black spots sometimes appeared instead of fine grayscale at 100% magnification. The measuring laboratory found therefore also with increased sensitivity in the DNGs used for the test results a quite small object contrast of only 6,5 fading levels. Because the DNGs are a good deal better than the JPEGs, the test is based on the DNG results.
Strikingly good in DNG pictures is how little the camera decompresses fine structures away. Details are retained. Because the lab also gave high scores, only Pentax achieves better results here, but also gives more noise in the picture.
Especially in practice the retro results in the extra adjustable warm-toned black-and-white look. The full aesthetic of the system comes into its own. Also the sharpening regulation can the photographer absolutely from high to normal if he likes a crisp look and large deductions. However, the measuring laboratory has already distributed top marks even in standard mode. Fast 1600 line pairs at ISO 100, which is enormous. Full-format competitor Canon 5D MKII came however on 1600 line pairs.
Up to ISO 2500 the sensitivity of the M9 is sufficient. Even there, their graininess, sorry noise, is quite acceptable, although clearly visible. The measurement laboratory found an increased noise from ISO 800 and gave slightly reduced points against the top models of Canon and Nikon. The camera is very fast with its mechanical lift closure.
If desired, the trigger can also be held to suppress the elevator noise. However, The maximum frame time is just 1.6 images / s. The competitors have arrived at about 6 b / s. And despite the new red filter, the color deviation is even higher than with many SLR colleagues. In the visual test, however, only a reddish-colored backlit veil and some yellow flowers disturbed the overall feeling of color.
In practice, handling the small fixed focal lengths of the M series is a pleasure. The Leica is old-fashioned, cumbersome and of little equipment. But it forces the user to take photographs and motifs - and provides them with high-quality images.
Conclusion: The M has long been a legend, the more pleasing that Leica can now also contribute a few technological reasons to buy in the new millennium: convincing image quality thanks to full-format sensor is a real argument. This also increases the requirements for the arming aids. The unaccustomed coverage in the viewfinder puts newcomers to the test, and the small monitor is no longer up-to-date. Leica also likes to think about M lenses with image stabilizer. With its cumbersome or better automatic-free operation, the camera in the ColorFoto test can no longer play in the front - the image evaluation, however, by itself is top.
Leica M9
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