Why I Hate My Leica M9

November 30, 2009 Leica, News 52

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Wow, with all of the love on this site and on the internet for the Leica M9, I decided I would write about what I HATE about the camera. After all, why not point out the negatives of this camera? So, without further ado, here are the top 10 things I hate about my Leica M9:

  1. The M9 is so good, I want another M9 as a backup. I can not afford this, so yes, I hate you M9. You are just too good.
  2. The M9 has now spoiled me. When I shoot other cameras I think they suck because the M9 file quality is so good. Thanks M9.
  3. I am now beyond broke due to buying a used Noctilux, one of the most unique lenses ever made on any system. A dream lens! Damn you M9!
  4. The M9 is such an awesome camera I spend all of my free time shooting with it. Now my wife hates the M9, and gives me the stink eye more. M9, you suck.
  5. Thanks to the Noctilux, the cops stopped me when I was out at midnight shooting an old house thinking I was robbing it. I can now be nocturnal, shoot at night, and get some very cool images but I risk my freedom to do so. I hate you M9!
  6. Thanks to the M9, people on the street no longer even notice me. When I had a big Nikon, I always got noticed! What have you done M9?!?!
  7. When I show people my images shot at F1 with the Noctilux they wonder why the image is out of focus. Now my reputation is ruined! Arg!!
  8. Thanks to you M9 I am now getting more requests to shoot weddings, portraits and events. Damn, more work!!
  9. Thanks M9! My buying and selling days are over! I will no longer go through cameras every month looking for the perfect one! Wheres the fun in that?
  10. Finally, I hate my M9 the most because I am a married man but I keep getting hot chicks approaching me who see the M9 around my neck. They then ask “Is that a Summilux In Your Pocket…?”

So as you can see, there are many things about the M9 that I hate. If you can deal with some of these issues than you should be OK. If not, I suggest looking elsewhere for your camera fix!

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50 Comments

  1. I have to say that when I ordered mine the shop said it would take an age, they phoned me a week later to say it had been delivered, I picked it up on Christmas eve!

  2. I have no idea why I bought an M9, it does not look as cool as my full frame DSLR and I love being noticed, I hate my M9.

  5. I hate my my M9, because I use it all the time its making my other cameras lonely and fed up as they are not being used, mixed emotions in the house, the joy of the Leica and the sadness of neglect.

  6. “My buying and selling days are over! I will no longer go through cameras every month looking for the perfect one! Wheres the fun in that?”

    I understand you completely and wish I could say the same thing. Right now, I’m too much researching for portable/lightweight/mirror-less cameras to use next to my D3. After reading review after review (Panasonic GF1, G2, Leica X1, Olympus EP2 etc.) I can’t get the M9 out of my head. I’m convinced that selling my DSLR gear and buying the M9 and 1 or 2 lenses is the solution I’m looking for. But I hesitate to dive into the world of Leica, mostly because of the heavy price tag, but also because I’m used to the high iso’s of my D3.

  7. Rick, no worries. This post was all in good fun 🙂 I also agree that a good photographer can use ANY camera to get beautiful and powerful images. It just depends on what that photographer wants to use to get the image. My choice is the M series of cameras but I admit, I am really digging this E-P2 lately.

  8. Chris,
    Reason 3: is a big problem. You should save your money for medical bills. You may need a good “shrink” soon. Despite Steve’s continuous harping on the M9, a good photographer can compose a good photo regardless of camera. Digital photography will take you broke. Buy a good M6 or MP and shoot film for a while. It’s cheaper and more fun!! Leica will be offering an M9.2 soon! They’re catching onto good Japanese marketing techniques.

  9. No M9 for yet, i sold my spleen and got the M8 (demo mint) instead. Being a student and all, it just didnt work out trying to finance an M9. Go figure..

  11. Hi Morgan. You are right. I talked to my dealer (Interfoto (the main Leica-dealer)) today, and two cameras has arrived. The only problem is that the line is still long, even for us who ordered early in September. And as I want my camera before summertime 2011 I was thinking of the possibility of buying it in New York when I get there in the end of february if there is a shorter line there. Read me?

  12. eivind – several people have received their m9 in norway as well.

    how fast you get yours depend on which dealer you placed your order with.

    -morgan-

  13. Hi,

    I just ordered a black M9 body, after a lot of deliberation about the expense I decided to go for it this afternoon, I have only gone for the body as I am still not sure what lens I want, I thought I would get an order in for the body as they are in short supply, in the UK there is a dealer called Wilkinson’s who are Leica agents and and I am fortunate as the local branch is only about fifteen minutes walk from where I live, buying on the doorstep is good as you can deal with people personally if any problems arise, the funny thing is I am not excited about it, I am strangely calm and I seem to have a silly smile on my face, I am doing a lot of research into lenses, I think the initial purchase will be the 50mm Summicron.

    Barrie

  14. Thank you for your wonderful review. It made me actually order an M9 in the end of september. But it seems to take so long before they deliver here in Norway, and it has not arrived yet. Actually not one single camera has been delvered yet to Norway, and I am tired of waiting. I am going to New York in February/ March. Do you think it’s easier to get it there than here? It would also save me for 1000 USD.

  16. I have wanted the M8 the M8.2 and now the M9, what I hated was I did not have the money, God is good, I am getting a surprise legacy tomorrow, when the cheque has cleared you wont see me for I will be moving to the Leica Dealer so fast, I will be a blur, sadly it will not be here till January.

  18. I now take the M9 to work with me (and I work in an office). My staff now hate the M9 too (though they like the candid shots.) Hope this doesn’t get me in kind of labor law trouble.
    I stop by the lakefront on the way in to take shots in the early morning which always puts me at risk of being late for meetings.
    I stop by the lakefront on the way home for sunset shots which makes me late for dinner.
    I walk down Wisconsin Ave. on my way to meetings taking candid shots. Fortunately everyone is a little diff on Wisconsin Ave. so no confrontations yet.
    I can blame all this on one damn fun little photo shoot with a friend with a M8 where I asked “Is that Leica digital?”

  20. Yes, the M9 is a great camera. And, so is my M8.2. However, I have recently come to the realization that the Leica machines cannot “cut the mustard” for all applications. There is a tool for every job and the Leica is not a “do it all” tool. I hate my clunky Canon DSLR, but it has a place in this world. And, so does a Leica. It’s just a different “place”!! Somewhere, there must be a tool that can “do it all”. Does anybody know what it is?

  21. @ Thorsten Overfaard

    True to an extent, but I just don’t see professional or semi-pro DSLR’s being replaced by the M9 in several applications such as sports / wildlife photography and other hi-speed applications, telephoto applications. For everyday shooting though, I absolutely agree.

    The thought of shooting an NBA game with an M9 is fun(ny) though. 😀

    • Thorsten, When was the last time you saw a pro photographer at any sporting event using a Leica? I’m afraid you have the wrong idea of pro photographers and their editors who want close to the action shots, sharp and in focus and the ONLY way at the moment is with Pro Spec DSLR’s such as the Canon EOS 1DX or the Nikon D3, usually with 300mm F2.8 lenses on them. This type of photography is just not suited to the Leica rangefinder. I’m not knocking the Leica, it’s a beautifully made camera, it’s a case of ‘horses for courses’, one camera may be supreme in one sphere, another camera in another.

  24. LOL…too funny! Finally, my soon to be hated M9 shipped from B&H and will be delivered tomorrow! Now I will only have to keep talking myself out of a Noctilux-oh what a relief….

  25. Loved this article. LOL! Listen, anytime you get totally fed up with that awful M9 and Noctilux just send them my way 😉

  26. I think a kidney is worth a Nocti and a M9 these days… You could prob. get an m8 system with a spleen.

    I agree with all your points.

    I hate that every Leica lens I get is so good I will never want to sell it, but at the same time I will still want to collect them all and even at the same focal length because they all have different characters…

    damn Leica…

  28. The Chris,

    Take out of loan on your spleen, its worth it, and the good news is the M will never argue with you or leave you.

    Joaquim, good move, the noct is a fine lens under bridges in the darkness there.

    Bo

  29. Why I hate the Leica M9:

    1: Even if i sell my 3 months old 5D Mark2 and L’s, i still cant afford one.
    2: Even if i sell my spleen, i still cant afford one.
    3: I spend more time fantasizing about the M9, then about girls. (!)
    4: No matter how basic i try to keep my 5D2, it’s still a bulky lump of plastic.
    5: Regardless of how much $ i spend on fixed L’s, there is still a greater ff system out there for my photographic needs.

    Thanks for continuously rubbing it in Steve, appreciate it. 😛

  30. Why I hate your M9… ha thats easy… you got it and i have none…. joking…
    Best regards from gerMany (homeland of the M). Found your site this week.. great work and enjoy your m

    cu

    achim

  31. Hi Steve,I have just read your “Why I Hate My Leica M9″ comment. I must say that I agree with the top 10 things but in my case It’s even worst because I also ” hate you”(Jocking).After reading your review on the M9 AND BECAUSE OF YOU, I decided to say bye bye to my brand new Nikon D700,plus the 14-24 the 24-70 and 80-200. So here you have some more reasons to hate you and the M9.
    11… My dog is going to leave home because I have no more money for bones.
    12… My wife is thinking to leave with my dog too.
    13…I’m broke too!!!
    14…And the worst…I have a call from my dealer in Barcelona (Spain) and tomorrow I’ll buy a used Noctilux, (The new one and in perfect conditions) for 5000$ so I’m planning on living under a bridge or in a cave.
    Your Site it’s great and I like your enthusiasm and the way you seem to understandPhotography,so thanks to send me back to the RED DOT path….I’m again a believer (A poor one)!!!

  32. Steve,
    How about No. 11?

    I hate my M9 because in 6 months there will be an M9.2 and in one year there will be an M10 and my $7,000 camera will be worth $1,500 (in I’m lucky)! I went through this type of torture with Canon cameras.

  35. Hi Steve

    For your readers, you should add Point No.11:
    Since Steve got a M9 and adds new interesting topics about it daily on his website, we spend much more time in front of our computers instead of shooting our M9s . . . Keep up the good work!

    Matthias

    P.S. Made a last minute change in favor of the summicron 28 asph instead of the elmarit, thanks again for the reviews

  36. I can not blame you for hating m9. I am starting to feel the same way as you do. Hahaha, I hope m10 will come at least 3-5 yrs later, so i can still send my kids to college !

  38. Hello Steve, I don’t remember how I found this website, but I put in my favorite sites in a second!! All days I come here and check the news!

    Awesome site to date M9 camera !!

    I’m from Portugal, and congradulations for this work!

  39. Steve…you scared me for a second with the title of this post…but, a great post!!

    I am still saving money for this dreadful camera…and can’t wait to hate it as much as you do…

    Scotty

  41. Steve….what a great post!! Love it!!

    When I saw the title of your post, my first reaction was, “uh oh…what happened?” I mean, seriously, I read your blog for my own justification to buy this camera we all hate, and when something bad is said about that terrible M9, my heart sinks…so was relieved when I read further…I am still saving for that god awful camera….but will be “joining-in” with the misery of others soon…

  42. You can see on these kind of blogs that world-crisis didn’t arrive here…

    Concerning this I am waiting for soMebody to start the ‘M9 Church of believers’

    But some day never comes….that’s reality

  43. Chris, I have owned the 50 lux 3 times, the Nocti twice and the 35 cron twice. I have had 3 M8’s, and M8.2 and now an M9!

    Juan, thanks!

    Bo, ha ha, yea I can see where an M8 would start to be kind of a pain with the filters, but an M8 is better than no backup!

    Mark, I love your film shots and envy your self control!

    Per, great! I am starting to see more and more people get their M9’s.

  45. Steve, you are no making this any easier for me. I thought I could be content with living in denial and just shoot my film Leicas. I thought I could just ignore the digital camera of my dreams. I thought I could say that I don’t hate your M9.

    I can’t.

    Carry on, sir.

  46. Funny you should point it out…. I had thought the M8 would be my backup… but don’t want to deal with the multiple filters issues….. so there will definitely be a second M9 in the future… This is a camera I can love to hate.

    .

  48. As the owner of an M9 and a classic f1.0 nocti I can sympathise with all, but have to point out that there is a problem with #9. You see, the rest of us poor sods aren’t being sent new lenses by the carton to try out for fun, so we find that our buying and selling days still continue! Which reminds me, there must be a name for the syndrome that keeps us buying and selling the SAME lens over and again – says he who has just bought a Lux 75 for the third time. I might take consolation in it being called eponymously Moss’s Syndrome….

    Chris

    • Someone called it EAS (Equipment Acquisition Syndrome). Once you are infected, there is no cure for it. All you can to do is “buy low and sell high” or vise verse to get over it.

      Reading the reviews and comments on this site are very interesting, entertaining and inspirational. Looks like M9 can fix this EAS problem for some period of time. When the M9+ come out. The EAS virus may spread again. Some would say “upgrade” instead of “contagious”. ha ha ha!!

      I like the Sony NEX 5N review (by Steve Huff). It convinced me to buy a bundle package from Amazon.com last month. Now the price went up 20% (This maybe temporally). I have some fun with it. Buy a few accessories for it and return some of them. I like the magnify focus feature very much, peaking focus(not always spot on). There are still some features I haven’t explored yet.

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