Leica M9 on September 9, 2009

Leica M9 (on 9.09.009)(Post Updated on 10th Sep)

The M9 has an 18-megapixel, full-frame CCD sensor.

The image area is 23.9 x 35.8 millimeters and image size is 5212 x 3472 pixels.

• ISO 80 - 2,500.
• Fastest speed with flash 1/180.
• Auto: stepless from 1/4,000 ~ 32 seconds. Manual: half-stop clicks from 1/4,000 ~ 8 seconds.
• Bulb and Time settings.

It will come in "steel grey paint or black paint."

The camera comes with its own copy of Adobe Lightroom equipped to handle the camera's 16-bit DNG raw files.

Here are the Leica M9 specs:

• Full frame CCD 24×36mm 18.2 mp sensor
• Improved image noise performance at high ISO settings
• Improved operation reactivity
• SD card slot
• LCD monitor 2.5" 230,000 pixels 'brighter output'
• Weight : 589g
  
• Focusing • Manual focus via lens ring• Superimposed focusing system via viewfinder
• Bundled with Adobe Lightroom 2
  

Rangefinder advantages (or disadvantages)

• Fewer moving parts (no mirror or diaphragm) means slower shutter speeds possible (-2 EV)
• More compact, discrete and quieter than an SLR
• Shorter shutter lag
• Lenses are considerably smaller than an equivalent SLR lens
• No auto-focus makes them less suitable for action shots (or at least doing so requires a lot more skill)
• Many users claim rangefinder focusing is faster than using a focusing screen
• Longer minimum focus distances compared to an SLR
• Virtually no telephoto lenses beyond 135mm
• Rangefinder
  • You are not looking through the lens itself and do not have a focusing screen hence it is more difficult to get a sense of depth-of-field
  • Framelines indicate the field of view of different lenses
  • Because there is no mirror you have no mirror black-out
  • Brighter than any SLR viewfinder, and not affected by lens maximum aperture
  • Not as accurate as an SLR viewfinder, especially with longer lenses (or close subjects)

It is now the first choice of the serious digital travel, nature and landscape photographer because it offers the highest possible quality available in digital capture coupled with its small size and weight. There is no other Full-frame digital camera anywhere near this small, and regardless of size, there is no line of optics which offers the always superior performance of Leica lenses. I personally happen to be admirer or rangefinders and Leica image quality, seen a lot of images from these cameras. Its affectionate a bit different from others

Price • US: $6,995 (body only)• UK: £4,850 inc VAT (body only)

Availability: M9 will be available for sale next week.

Visit the link for live webcast

But the real surprise is the X1,

which'll supposedly have a 12 megapixel APS-C sensor, a fixed 24mm lens and that cool grip

handle.

Here are some of the specs :

• 12 mp APSC CEMOS sensor
• Leica Elmarit 24mm f/2.8 ASPH lens (equivalent to 35mm)
• Manual exposure operations (shutter dial/aperture dial
• Autofocus
• Built-in flash (this is the circle cover on top right)
• Bundled with Adobe Lightroom

The LEICA X1 will be available in the UK from January 2010. Pricing will be available nearer to date of launch but estimated price is 1800 USD


Preview: Here
Samples : Here