New Leica! Titanium M9, D-Lux 5, Black X1, V-Lux 2.

78 Comments

1. Remember Minolta,Contax,Rollei? All gone. Minolta for example where one of the most innovative camera companies out there in terms of technical development, and a household name all over the world, but they’re gone. Leica is still here and still producing products that generate this much interest.
   Quite remarkable for a small company. Think about it.

   Most of us don’t need a gold watch or a Titanium M9. That’s ok, buy a black M9 and a Casio watch and be happy. Be happy we have the M9. Be happy that Panasonic and Leica benefit from working together and that the Lx5 and D Lux 5 exist because of this collaboration. Think about it.

   When you’re done thinking, get the Leica you like, whatever it is and go and take pictures instead of complaining about Leica not making your perfect camera this year.
   Most of us are not as good a photographer as we think we are, so lets stop admiring or grumbling at the paintwork, swing a leg over the frame, get on the bike and RIDE it, If you see my analogy.
   My Leica M6 is taking great pictures and the designer M9 isn’t bothering me at all, i also suspect that if it was black, we’d all want one. Ha! Ha!

2. one thing i never pathom w the M design… why don’t incorporate a built-in grip?
   rather than having us spend another 100 buck for that?
   or, that’s against the M-design principle at all?

   i mean the strap is nice but it looks flimsy (just look, don’t know how it actually feels until i hold it myself).

   i have to go grip-less with my black M9 cos the only available stock is the grey one 🙁
   it looks funny combining the two.

   if i m not mistaken, nikon did a wonderful job with their ergonomics handling of their dslr’s.
   i was told they consulted a famous designer to come up with the grip (forgot the name)…

   • Well, the M has a distinctive look, and the grip was historically an afterthought for the Ms. As the M is all about heritage, I can understand their design decision (see the ridiculous because highly impractical bottom lid for SD card and battery).

     What I don’t understand is why they chose to do the same design language for the X1, but then show in roughly 40% of all marketing material the camera with this hideous black plastic grip, that looks like an aftermarket solution found and bought for $2 at a Shanghai electronics junk yard (which is probably where the Leica original comes from and costs like).

3. we say all these things because we care… we want the best out of Leica (i do)…
   my friend crowed me over the Alpa Swiss but I still chose Leica (not that it mattered to anyone or Leica)

   i just love Leica so much, its design, IQ, lenses…

   that’s why I can’t wait to get my hands on the 35Lux.
   Maybe i should just get the M9Ti? hmmm… 🙁

4. Man, some people clearly like it but I hate the new look for the M9 titatinium. Lets hope the M10 gets the classic Leica look or I would never buy a digital M. Why change perfection.

5. Hey Max,
   I agree with you, there are some tweaks that could be done to the M9, but as it stands I love using the M9.
   The film crank would be a cool touch. The re cocking is harsh.

6. Perhaps what went totally wrong was all the hype, the shouting, the show with all the head-people…and therefore all our expectations…even when presenting the M9 there was too much hype, with on-line presentation and so on…but they got something in the bag although….but this time there was nothing in bag …and therefore all the topfolks presented themselves a bit miserably, self-bold in a painfull and involuntarely comical way….and we…who just want to use their good cameras got frustrated…
   Leica have to learn that you dont shout and call people together when the bag is empty….then silence or a bit humility is much more to prefer….else we wont take the company seriously in the long run

7. Rainbow Design…
   Bad Road Leica.

8. Leica really bungled it this year. They could have improved the X1 shutter lag instead of coming out with another color! They could have improved the M9, but instead made this Butt-Ugly titanium model that I wouldn’t use as a door stop. I can’t even believe the wrist strap on it. Leica is really out of touch with their customer base. This arrogance of pushing the collectible as opposed to coming out with quality, functional products makes me think Leica has either a bunch of idiots running the company, or they are so arrogant and catering to the richer folks.

   The D-Lux 5 specs don’t make it much better than the D-Lux 4. It’s only a bit better, not enough to upgrade. Seriously!

   Very disappointed with Leica and Nikon too. Come on! Do these companies even listen to their customers? This makes me want to switch to Canon so badly!

   • Last year we got the M9, the X1 and the S2. That was a lot. We can not expect new cameras every year or significant changes or upgrades. Many have not even received their ordered cameras yet, those who just got their cameras would be upset with a new model or upgrade being out there. So why introduce something for the photographer base. I think they showed last year that they understand photographers very well. Fine with me if they cater to collectors this year. I think it is one leg that they stand on and it helps to keep that company alive.

     • I guess my point is they should have improved what they have. People’s complaints about the M9 and X1 should have been addressed. That would have been a good thing. Also, why make a D-Lux 5 when the improvements aren’t much better?

       • Also, that M9 Ti is extremely ugly. It looks like a M5 with a cheap wrist strap.

         • 😉 I like the passion in this blog. People here care a lot and that is good. Personally I like to see designs that are polarizing. Some find it stunning, some boring/ugly. That is good. It is the only way to progress. I agree that shutter lag and M9 issues should have been addressed but that might happen throughout the year. It is not great marketing to introduce fixed problems at a trade show. 😉
           The M9T will address collectors and I think it will underline Leica’s position as a lifestyle brand. They might come out with designer editions every two years. Many photographers might not like it but Leica is a lifestyle brand and it secures its existence. That is good, because it allowed them to make cameras like the M9 while every other manuacturer was just doing SLRs.

9. Leica know their market, so I guess it’s just ‘business’.

   If I had the money, would I buy it? No. But I do like the idea of LED framelines and scratch resistant glass etc. Scratch resistant glass for the monitor is something the M9 should have had from the outset. For a company that prides itself on the longevity and robustness of its cameras, a serious omission to my mind, especially as this is ‘old’ technology and nothing ‘clever’ these days.

   Probably it’ll be introduced with the M10 together with higher resolution than at present. Leica have to ‘improve’ successive models… a little like washing powder marketing

   Am I knocking Leica? No. I love their cameras and have used and owned models from IIIc, IIIf to M2 and M4-P with absolute pleasure and enjoyment. I even love the M5!

   Leica have always made and promoted oddball models for collectors and those with more money than sense; the M9T is just another in the line, and as has been pointed out by other posts, it helps pay for R&D, which is just great.

   It’s a shame Leica missed a trick with the M9: great though the sensor is and its wonderful handling qualities combined with sublime lenses, the rest of the technology is, to my mind, however one glosses over it, little better than a point-and-shoot.

   Brian

10. HOW CAN LEICA SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON A Ti M9 … WHILE THE M9 LCD IS CRAP … WHILE THERE IS NO LIVEVIEW etc … etc … is leica about fashion like D&G or is it about photography !!! ???

    really upset

11. Sheesh, what’s with all the Leica whiners? This is a tiny boutique company, maybe 1/50th the size of a Canon or Nikon. They released two big models only 12 months ago (M9 and X1). I would expect a “refreshening” after two years (2011) and a new model in 2013 or so. In between, you get some cosmetic tweaks and maybe a lens or two.

    I’d love to see an updated X2 more along the lines of the Fuji X100, but remember this “small camera large sensor” thing is only about 18 months old! They started off with the “point and shoot with large sensor” idea, only now are they figuring out that what everyone really wants is a “digital Contax G2.” Leica has already released a line of autofocus lenses for Micro 4/3, it would be great to see them release a line of prime lenses for an interchangeable lens X2. If Leica managed an X2 by next year I would consider that a great accomplishment for a smaller company like this.

12. There is nothing to analyze about the M9 Titanium. It’s not a photographer’s tool but a collectors piece, or fashion statement. At $22K, it certainly won’t help anyone take better or different pictures than with a camera worth a 10th of that or less. It’s pointless, but Leica needs to sell cameras and they want to cater to the elite who has the money to spend. Nothing wrong with that..it’s business.
    What does anyone expect these guys to release any way? It’s a camera for goodness sake. There are people out there making beautiful art with view cameras and meniscus lenses built in 1860. NOTHING has changed and there is nothing new to say or invent. Repackaging, useless features, it’s always the same stuff.
    The hottest camera there was what? The Fuji X100 because it looks retro and it offers the simple controls that camera from 50 years ago have. How funny.
    The only thing that would stir some emotion would be a capable medium format digital system that can give true 6×4.5 or 6×6 and costs as much as a Rolleiflex or Contax 645 with all the great Zeiss lenses. Until then…big fat YAWN!

    Now, let’s get out there and take some nice pics with the cameras we already have 🙂

    • Max, I do like your approach..! (and your pictures)
      Thorkil

13. Not sure what Leica were thinking about with the M9T. But hey, they do it all the time with their bespoke range. More for the collector than the photographer.

    X1 in black. Nice, but I don’t see myself changing from my existing X1. They really should have brought them out at the same time. I would then have chosen black, but not now.

    To me, with an X1, the D-Lux is not even on the radar. With IQ the most important thing, the D-Lux just doesn’t cut it anymore.

14. Fuji X100 March 2011 release with retail price of $1000! Huh they surely have my money 🙂

    • Wonder what the X1 resale value will be around then…

15. In the end, its good to see Leica trying. Historically they have been late to almost every innovation (see Erwin Puts Leica Compendium) and it has nearly cost the company its existence on a number of occasions. The profitable year Leica saw with the introduction of the M9 is going to come with a few missteps moving forward, but I am sure anyone who is on the regular M9 wait list was happy to see that they are not missing anything.

    Possible Useful Improvements to the M9:
    A view finder that allows all the lenses from 18-135 to be used without an external finder.
    High ISO levels that will put Leica in front the Canon/Nikon.
    An M3 frame around the front of the viewfinder to keep fingerprints off.
    And grips and cases that take advantage of the relationship with Hermes. High end leather skills can be implemented in half cases, straps, and wrist straps. The current offerings are a joke.

    Did anyone notice the new holster for the M9Ti? Designing a camera holster that is even remotely similar to a handgun holster is dangerous. Good luck reaching for that camera with police or military or even airport security around.

    • Hey Adam,

      Yes, those would actually be useful improvements for the M9. It would be great if they could also meet demand at some point but I guess it is a good problem to have, to a certain extent. Again, there is not much more they can do for that camera, aside from sensor upgrades, before if turns into something else. The M9 Titanium goes into the category with all the other designer, special edition, etc that appeal to a handful of collectors who can’t live without it. Nothing more than that.
      Myself, I would love to see the M9 with a manual shutter crank. I hate the sound of that shutter going back and, shooting more than one frame at a time with that camera, is a joke anyway.

16. The M9 looks like a reject from the Marc Newson “Transport” show at Gagosian Gallery in NYC. Its aesthetic reminds me of a concept car which will never hit the road. By using the space age looking covering, oddly tacked on grip and changing the top plate, the camera is floating away from its roots. Or its awkward, boxy shape might make it the M5 of 2010.

    But..but…the metal lens hood for the 35 LUX has a great look. My guess is the selection of titanium allowed Leica to machine larger vent slots than we saw on the aluminum hood on the Hermes edition. The plastic hoods need to disappear.

    In a mixture of success, innovation, and failure the M9Ti will probably be regarded as a stepping stone, one that will not grace the hands of many Leica owners. In the end, this will probably be a good thing, since its replacement will hopefully respond to the criticism of the Leica community.

17. Don’t really understand why people complain that much. I think the M9T is a great move to finance R&D and to test out new technologies and designs without losing the customer base. Car companies do this every year. Lots of new car designs get trashed in the beginning because people have trouble to adapt quickly to new directions. Design grows and sometimes it takes years. Recently I saw a Pininfarina Corvette from the 60ties that didn’t go into production because the customer feedback was so bad. Now people think of it as an absolutely stunning design. Leica has to find an contemporary design for their products because technology will ask or require a shape that departs from the strict outline of the current M. Don’t get me wrong. I love the M9 look but I like the direction of the M9T as well even if I think that some details are not great. The grip attachment. The chamfered band makes the metal look too thick, too heavy. But going for a simple, contemporary look is great in MHO. Now some might throw apples at me but I am disappointed by the X100. I am disappointed because it looks like a replica versus a real thing. Visually it pretends to be old versus taking classic elements and making a modern camera. Its like copying an old car and putting a new engine in it. The M9 does that in much better way. Overall I don’t understand why manual viewfinder cameras need to look retro. So far I have not seen a manual viewfinder camera that tries to be what it is, a modern camera.

    • I completely agree with your statement re the M9T financing R&D (to the tune of c. $12.5m minus costs, if I recall correctly). It’s also an exercise in building the prestige brand, so a double-win for Leica. Whether you like the design or not is subjective, but put in these terms the company would be remiss NOT to do it.

      I do agree though with everyone who is disappointed there wasn’t a more exciting announcement on the main product lines. They are however in step with their release schedules so not a huge surprise.

      • Who says they will use the money for R&D?

    • To believe that sales from the M9T will
      a) be unanimously fed into R&D
      b) would significantly improve R&D resources
      c) that Leica is actually doing ANY R&D in-house aside of form factor design (even lens design and optical elements manufacturing is outsourced to Schott, with only final assembly and finish of some key lenses executed in Germany)
      is naive.

      Even though Leica for once broke even this year, they are still loosing money in ongoing operations. They also changed accounting practices to include sales of cameras this year that have not yet been delivered to customers. This distorts the revenue stream for this year (as some M and S customer might actually run out of patience) and the projections for the next year as it gives false volume expectations.

      The M9T is the actual kind of development Leica can create and execute completeley in-house: Changes to a body design without any changes to internal construction, electronics, componentry, and low-key adaptation of the manufacturing process and tooling to assemble a standard M9 construct in a slightly modified form factor.
      The Wizards of Leitz Wetzlar are long gone, and have nothing to do with Leica of today. People should understand that to actually appreciate again what Leica is doing with its scarse resources.

      As re. prestige: I think Leica is already pretty much the most prestigious camera brand people can own today, in terms of pricing, sales channel exclusivity, store locations and design, general attainability (or not), and key demographics targeted (AB1 above 45, optimistically speaking). In fact, Leica is already so boutique now, that “serious photographers” or “professional photographers” don’t take it serious anymore. And reliability in the field has also been patchy (field = where Leitz Leicas where once used everyday). As the M9T is also merely a tiny fan service for the collectible market and will not be seen in the streets, there is no halo effect on the X, M and S range.
      Leica ain’t Apple.

      The feedback on the web’s nr.1 leica fansite, i.e. Steve’s here, is already mostly critical or negative. I doubt any active shooter with only a passing interest in Leica will remotely care about the M9T. They just see it as a bizarre abberation at Photokina of a company that is struggling for relevance since roughly 1972.

      The way how and that the M9T was launched this year has made me less enthusiastic about Leica’s future prospects again. The priority should be fixing every-day errors in their current product range. And now that Fuji launched the X100, the one camera that really would have made a sizeable difference in profit and increasing brand awareness to actual potential customers on the street is effectively killed of: the Leica X1.

      • how do you know so much of Leica’s internal matters?

        hmm… that sounds scary to me, frankly reading up your comments (if they were guaranteed truths).

        I actually love the M9Ti design.. it’s cool, different, unique…
        I just don’t appreciate its timing with respect to the backlog of existing products…

        • You are a management consultant, andrew, aren’t you? Peruse the strategic vision papers, analyse their financial reports (not their press notes), discuss Leica with key 3rd party stakeholders (e.g. Panasonic, Schott, Zeiss exec), chat a bit informally with industry reporters, visit Leica facilities in DE & PT, and have a basic understanding of how this industry sector actually works (not how photobloggers believe it work), and as you already have a thorough understanding how business is done (i.e. not selling 500 M9T = $X revenue = all remaining money goes to Leica 100% => straight into the magic crystalball R10 R&D) and you will find the same facts easily.

          I think even though I would find a R solution appealing, given how Leica already struggles with its basic supply chain (lens elements) and distribution (get to market), I increasingly doubt they have the capacity and capability to produce it anytime soon. Unless Panasonic vetoed this (which I could imagine), it would have been much cleverer to launch a Leica-branded clone of the GF1 instead of this V-Lux thingy, and enter µ4/3 cheaply with a set of nice Leica-approved 4/3 lenses (which they have a history of making).

    • Paying R&D? Forget abt it! Leica has to pay the VW dude, whatever-his-name-is, for coming up with that design. hahaha…. that sure is a helluva royalty…

18. I’ve said it once so won’t waste bandwidth on needless banter … if Leica still used ‘names’ as catalogue references, then M9T = UGLY!

19. Where is a M9.2? There are no real technical improvements. And the new design of the “collectors”M9 is a step back, i think. The technical changes today are so fast. Leica has to go faster!

20. As a dedicated Leica user, I must admit to being completely bemused by the M9 Titanium – are Leica so desperate for additional profit of 500k to 750k Euro that they would risk the wrath of those waiting patiently in line for their “mainstream” products by devoting valuable production capacity to a camera most likely to remain locked away as an “investment” and never used by “real” photographers?
    At a time when one can hardly get hold of products like the S2 and its ridiculously few lenses, not to mention the stalwarts of the M range, because of Leica’s production capacity issues, if I were one of those waiting months for a “normal” Leica product, I have to say that I’d be less than enamoured.

21. Leica’s arrogance seems to have gotten the better of it this year. But then, camera manufacturers can’t reproduce sure fire winners ALL the time!

    Can they!?

    Can they?

    Come on Leica, substance, not fashion (as has been mentioned).

22. SIGMA 15 MP and 1,5 cropp!!
    it will kill every Full Frame camera on the market (except leica, because of it the wonderfull lenses). hurray! 😀

    http://www.dpreview.com/news/1009/10092129sigmasd1.asp

23. Yes very very embarrasing !!!
    All this silly mess for nothing…!!!, just a new edition M9 for the upper class..! what a wrong decision to make for an elsewhere quality-firm! They could have introduced the TI model very quiet another day(or lowered the M9 prices). This upper-class-hype throw the symphaty from all us normally people away (and that you just cant afford, Leica..!!!), and is an arrogant, foolish and ridiculous way to behave. Leica…..never do this again..!
    They could just have put on a turning wheel at the X1 for setting the focusdistance, and I would have bought one, but you missed it, and now perhaps the Fuji X100 are more interesting..(take that Lieca!). And black X1 is ok, but nothing to fuss around and about!
    Keep your feet on the ground, Leica, please… or else you will loose our sympathy.
    Thorkil

24. I’m not impressed with these announcements – underwhelmed as many have said. As a Leica M9 (black) owner I’m a very happy man – I can’t afford the Ti model but I wouldn’t buy it even if I could; what an horrendous design! As for the X1 in black I’d rather Leica had sorted out the well written about ‘flaws’ in the X1 and produced the X2 (although admittedly it looks very sexy in black!). I think if the Fuji X100 performs as well as it looks then the X1 will be blown out of the water. Wonder what Panasonic will come up with in 2011 with the GF2?

25. The M9T is a collectible, not a camera to be used. I wouldn’t get too worked up about it, it’s just a camera 🙂
    Leica make cameras in the way Rolex make watches, sure they tell the time, but that’s not really the point.

    • Well, the very point of Leica ownership is to “get worked up” about the camera. More so than any other brand, incl. Canonikon. That’s part and parcel of owning a Red Dot camera. 😉

      I agree with Harald Benz: the on-stage frolics of the Leica management compared to what was presented (two predictable Panasonic clones of which one is now also offered by Olympus, a colour variant of the X1, and the aesthetically grotesque M9T) are embarrassing and seem to indicate a company indulging in a one-year success (“we made a little profit for once, and don’t have to change CEO yet again, hurray”) without thinking about the next big thing… I mean *really* thinking about the next big thing (not just an M10 in 2012 that will have a denser sensor, new firmware, red-LED-illuminated vf and hopefully no hidden glitch that comes out 2 months after launch).

      Fujifilm showcased a very innovative camera without much fuss that many hoped Leica would not only have on a drawingboard, but also bring-to-market. I start to fear that Leica has not much on their drawingboard. Once they repay the $200m Panasonic loan later this year that kept the company afloat over the past half-decade, they might think of severing R&D ties with the company (which is what German mgmt is thinking about). And that I worry about even more about, because hybris comes before the fall.

      But, hey, maybe the mythical “New R” solution will put µ4/3 & FF X100 together to shame, and offer a mirrorless RF EVIL between-Xand-M solution for “the rest of us”, provided that R-lenses get some adapation work at Leica Solms (they need to make some money, and you don’t make money off a tiny 2nd-hand-lens market as is the case with Leica-R).

      If any collectors are here, I would genuinely like to know: would you buy the M9T because “it’s there to be collected”, i.e. because of a completionist urge, or because you genuinely find that body appealing sitting in a display case?

26. M9T sux, Fuji are stealing the show with the x100

27. That M9 is ridiculously ugly…

28. $22k-$27k for M9T? C’mon this is a joke! Just plain stupid as much as i love Leica.
    Black X1 looks cool definitely, but i think i still prefer the X100’s design and its almost the same size as M9, i like that.

29. Still empty words regarding a R solution, but two rebadged Pany’s and a fashion accessory thank you Leica.

30. The M9T just look like a M9T(oy) version 🙂 Too much for the cute outlook 🙂

31. why is everyone so disappointed about a photo show? Leica has put out many collectible cameras that no one wants. who cares. how can an m9 ti make you embarrassed to shoot your current camera. how does a lack of new lenses or bodies distract you. I love my m6 and 35 lux. don’t need anything new. i bought it because it was perfect for me, not just best of the time.

    look how quickly leica has become another digital camera maker that, every year when the rumors pile up, the “affiicianados” are so quick to bemoan leica’s heads up their asses, and they want to switch. they are nikon with bad autofocus on a 24, they are black dot canon, they are over priced 2.8 zooms or 1.4 primes like the rest now. they are now legion with every other camera maker who has junk cameras now, but rumor is next year pixel count might go up 14% and dynamic range could be better.

32. that M9 is so making me cry. I gave my M3 and M6 a hug today. they almost died of shock.

33. I second Harald’s opinion. The Ti is an embarassment.

    Black X1…
    The X 100 seems to be the way more interesting camera for people who actually still are taking pictures with their gear. Collector items and predictable colours is all that Leica has in terms of news and innovation.

    I also don’t think that many people would still buy these rebranded Panasonic cameras. Any micro four thirds makes my lx3 look ready for retirement. A longer zoom range and a EVF that I guess will cost extra don’t make this a major improvement.

34. The good news, my wallet will remain closed and I can continue to enjoy my M9 and X1. The bad is that Leica resources focus on cosmetics rather than innovation AND evolutionary improvement of exisiting products. A firmware update for the X1 (af speed, focusing scale) for sure, would be more important than an all black version. Especially also with strong contenders (X100) being available soon. All in all, Leica did not deliver.

35. Why did Leica spend energy n resources into cameras for an even more limited market!? My guess people who buy M9Ti would be collectors or would be too afraid to put it out to use.

    IMO, Leica should concentrate on handling the never-ending “out-of-stock” situation on M9 n some of their lenses cos these are what Leica is well-known for. Get some cashflows moving in rather than spending those newly-acquired profits on getting those rare and expensive raw materials for M9Ti. This way, i am afraid will put them heading back into the red zone of profit line. Heck, this might as well be the reasons why they never pump out more M9 n the lux lenses. Too busy and second-place what should be their top priorities. They may be good enthusiatic optical engineers but business-wise, they need serious help from a top management consultant, like McKinsey&co to turn their business around.

    Juz my 1.4 cents…

36. finally just got an M9 last month. love it beside what it can do, and it can do the same as my M3, M6, M7 and almost like my IIIF. it resembled the true Leica M look. i can forget it’s digital except for the wind lever. but it looks as mechanical, traditional, classic yet modern, everlasting design, tough, reliable and SIMPLE (Leicas favorite word), but this new M9 looks like an advance point and shoot from the other place famous for cameras. nothing wrong there, but it just doesn’t look leica TO ME! i hope not much of it sticks thru the M10. that’s just my opinion. i mean if it cost $2500 i wouldn’t buy it. and if i got it for free, i would inmediately traded for some true Film Leica and an M9 Again!!!
    thanks and this is just my opinion but would really like to hear yours.

37. The Titanium M9 is unattractive. They should come out with an M9 that looks like the MP3, has a 900K screen, a much bigger buffer and faster frame rate.

    The X1 needs faster autofocus and a faster lens.

    The D-Lux 4 did so well because it had a fast 24mm equivalent F2 lens. At the time, it was the best image quality one could get in a small camera. The fast lens allowed you to shoot at a low ISO, which was necessary with the dinky sensor. Now, why would somebody buy a Dlux-5? In the same size package one can get a micro 4/3 sensor or better yet, an APS-C sensor. All of the medium size enthusiast cameras have lost out to new cameras. Why on earth would someone buy a G12 or P700? The only one worth anything is the Canon S95, because it really is smaller.

38. A rather disappointing result from Leica. Nikon wasn’t that much better.

    On the flip side, since Leica can barely keep up with the M9 demand, why bring out something new?

    The Ti model makes sense – for the uber well heeled collectors…….

39. This M9 Ti honestly makes me have a pit in my stomach. Like many others I am a recent convert to Leica gear. I have an M6 TTL and M8 that I love–but if this is where the train is going, I’m not so sure they will are aware of how to keep me on board. I will keep my M6 forever, but the digital frontier is not looking good as I will never buy a $7,000 M9, as there is most definitely a luxury tax. Even if I could afford it easily I wouldn’t want to be “taken” by them. Nothing against those who have purchased one, I enjoy all of your photos–Ashwin, Steve, etc. It is a personal philosophy. This new M9 is even more insulting.

    I want to clarify something. The framelines are basically the same, except the light is provided by a red LED. Here is a quote from one of the execs off Twitter:

    RT @David_Farkas: Just talked to Stefan D. Frame lines are red LED illuminated. Still uses mechanical frame mask. His words: “very fancy!”

    It seems some are thinking that the viewfinder has been radically improved, this is not the case. I personally have never had a problem with seeing the framelines anyway, and frankly I think that the camera looks weird without the part that lets the light in. I have never loved my M6 more after today’s announcements.

40. That’s such a big let down. And that M9T is one big ugly camera.

41. Gotta love trade show hype…as many others have said, LOL…I like the black X1, but the vulcanite is a bit rough grain for the size of camera it’s on, IMHO.

    For me, the pleasant surprise of the year has been the (gasp!) Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II. I’d all but given up zoom lenses long ago — and my 5D earlier this year for the M9 — but now I’m re-thinking my recently found opinionated-ness all over again. Gotta love progress in camera technology — it’s everywhere! But, titanium skins and a little black paint and vulcanite hardly count as progress.

42. The LED frame is a cool idea but still totally useless when shooting in the dark. I mean the new design of the M9T is not so attractive to let me be jealous of the possible owners. I am disappointed and happy in the meantime because the “ordinary” steel grey M9 is still my top weapon.

43. lol wat. Leica has gone off the deep end.

44. I own an M9 (& love it) and think the titanium M9 is unattractive – hopefully this is not the future design direction for Leica. As for the X1 – I was considering it but think the new Fuji seems better.

45. Wow. This titanium M9 is imo the tackiest looking camera I’ve ever seen. Normally I like Leica’s design, but this is just terrible. What is with the grip?

    • I agree. Maybe not the tackiest ever, but tacky nonetheless.

46. Harald took the words right out of my mouth! This M9 is absolutely embarrassing! King of rangefinders?In my opinion, the MP hasn’t been dethroned yet. And if I wanted illuminated frame-lines, I’d get me a Nikon SP from 1957!

47. When do you predict that the D-Lux 5 will be available for purchase?

48. Underwhelmed? Now that’s an understatement. WTF??!!
    Besides that I think the M9Ti looks like a freaking purse – watch for it on some skinny super-model’s arm at the next fashion show in Paris, Milan or New York – it is ridiculously priced. $22,000.00???? That makes even the S2 look cheap. Are the guys at Leica high on cocaine or where have they been the last couple years???

    Frankly, am I the only one here who feels a little embarrassed by this?
    What a gaudy display of pomp and circumstance.

    PS: That new grip is one big rip-off. Check it out: http://www.leicagoodies.com

    • The Leicagoodies.com SLING will never leave my M. I just can’t see it working with just one big loop…

      • If they have a patent or trademark on their sling I wouldn’t be surprised if Leica gets sued over this.

    • The tech doesn’t justify the hoopla – and yes, if the big-shots aren’t embarrassed by their self-indulgence, they should be. It’s not available to the masses – so why not present it when it is and have the collectible scenario as part of the kick-off?

      It’s not even that I don’t like the tech idea, but they have got to get on course – it’s like they’re partying up because they made money this year – ‘Hey big-wigs, you do know that you did that in public, right?’

49. Totally, totally unimpressed by Leica’s thinking they should set up a big event for a camera with, from the specs/comments say is an illuminated finder. Then throw in the $20K price (from what I’ve heard) and it’s 500 unit production run AND call it an M9. Please someone tell me, how is it an M9?

    They’ll sell all of them – but I doubt many photographers will buy – it’s a collectible exercise, presented at a show for the well-healed special collectors with a somewhat hard to believe big tech improvement worth all the hoopla. Oh, and for we R system owners that still believe Leica’s OWN WORDS of the now turning mythical FF R solution – where in the crap is it? All the hoopla today, and NOT EVEN A WORD about it, or how it’s coming along or WHEN, or IF. Tell me quick because my Leica kool-aid glass is full empty.

50. The which-fingers-to-put-in grip and lack of proper strap lungs are just un-Leica. Something of the classic has gone missing in this design. Looks like a military instrument. Clean, yes.

    Better image:
    http://twitpic.com/2qeqix/full

51. Thanks for the quick update, Steve. But I must say these are really boring updates from Leica. About what I expected, I guess, but nothing to make me update my Leica M6.

    Now the new Fuji definitely has me thinking about selling my Nikon D90. 🙂

52. Color me as underwhelmed….the m9 redesign is unimpressive to me…but I am sure an excitement for collectors. I doubt many of these will ever be used, given the collectability factor here. The M9T grip is not much of one, seems more cosmetic.

    The Black X1 is lovely, definitely the analog of the Black M9, but given that I have a “steel grey” X1, I am not going anywhere…..

    As for the D-Lux 5, I will certainly have this camera, and it will be incrementally better than the D-Lux 4, but certainly not a quantum leap, though there’s not more quantum leaping for small sensor compact, I suspect.

    To, Fuji has taken all of the thunder at Photokina with their X-100. As Steve’s poll suggests, as long as this guy is priced aroun $1,500 and has a good lens and solid AF, it will be a big time winner. I am excited about that camera, but probably won’t get it, unless the X1 gets sold…

    • F2, 1/4000 shutter, ND filter. Sunlight. Think about it.

53. Can someone explain this new grip on the M9T?

54. I would use the M9T. Looks interesting. Clean. I am not sure about that grip. From time to time I just like to rest my camera on my shoulder but for active shooting this grip might work well. Usually I wrap my strap a few times around my hand to secure the camera. I just wonder how many will actually ever be used. Feels like one of these super cars that never really see the road. But with all show cars, they test the waters for new aesthetics, technologies, etc and over time it trickles down to main street cameras.

55. I’m not sure I’d say the X100 is twice as big as the X1. Here is a size comparison: http://enticingthelight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Fuji-X100-size-comparison.jpg

    • Thanks for that. So maybe a bit taller, thicker. Bigger but not huge.

56. This is it for Leica this year…

57. Thanks Steve,
    Is this it for Leica at Photokina?
    If so, I must say I am a little disappointed, it seems like they chose beauty over design…(although that m9 Ti is a beauty). I was hoping for something to bridge the gap between the x1 and m9 that will finally allow me to sell my M8.

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