My love affair with the Leica M9
Ahead of my full review in Digital Photographer, read the preview and view test shots from the Leica M9 digital rangfinder
Ahead of my full review in Digital Photographer, read the preview and view test shots from the Leica M9
As a seasoned DSLR user, I approached the Leica M9 with a certain sense of trepidation. This high-end camera has a wonderful heritage, elevating it to an almost cult-like status. Would I be ‘good enough’ to do it justice?
Anyone picking up a rangefinder for the first time will be instantly aware that there’s a bit of a learning curve to negotiate before you can use one with confidence. That said, I was really surprised to find just how quickly I picked it up. A few shots down and I was getting images that I was really happy with.
All of the controls are at your fingertips – if you’re used shooting on Manual you’ll have no issues with this aspect of the M9 – the thing that’s really different of course is focusing. For the uninitiated, it can be tricky at first to master, but if you’re a new owner – or want to be – help is at hand in through the fantastic Leica Akademie workshops: http://www.leica-storemayfair.co.uk/leica-akademie/leica-akademie.html I had the pleasure of visiting Brett in Mayfair yesterday for some intensive M9 training, and I have to say I’m even more in love with this camera as a result.
Here’s a few shots I created prior to the training session, I’ll post some more once I’ve had the chance to put some of Brett’s fantastic tips into practice!
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Is this Leica as quiet as the old film ones I used to use? Grant
It’s a little bit noisier on its default setting, I think you’ll find, however it has various shutter release options for different situations – if you need to be really quiet, then there’s the option to press and hold the shutter release, which will delay the shutter cocking until you’ve found a place in which it’s safe to release it, for example. You can read about the different modes in detail in my full review in issue 98, on sale 15th July.