The new Leica M-E is now in stock at a few dealers. For those looking for the new “M9”, well, this is it. It is a newly color schemed M9 without the frame lever preview. Looks pretty nice but not everyone digs the color. I am happy Leica is making the M-E for those who want to stick with the M9 look and feel as I heard it from a little birdy that the new M’s image quality will be a bit different in look and feel so maybe, just maybe some will prefer this M-E at the end of the day. THE GOOD NEWS (if you can call it that) is that the new M-E is lower priced than the M9 with the body only coming in at $5450 US. That is $1500 less than the M9 and $2500 less than the M9P sold for in their prime. 🙂
B&H Photo now has the camera IN STOCK
Amazon is now sold out (shipping from Amazon) but a few other dealers have them there.
Ken Hansen MAY have a few and you can e-mail him at khpny19@aol.com
Dale Photo is sold out but had them for the past two weeks and PopFlash is also sold out but they do have some good used M9 deals.
Guys I need help,
I have been looking to buy a Rangefinder on and off for years now and finally I come to the conclusion that I will buy one. The question is which one M-E, M9, M9-P and than what lense …
or should I buy something else all together
I currently use a D300 and D800 but this Leica business is just confusing me, any advise is appreciated.
Just upgraded to the M-E from an old M8, and I’m stunned! My first pictures look as sharp as pictures can be and the dynamic range is amazing. No regrets! Also, with my 50 ‘lux asph its an awesome combo!
I think Sony is at the threshold of a new era in digital photography – kind of like when Target became
“tar-ZHAY”.
In fact Sony reminds me of another upstart Japanese company some forty years ago. None of the big 3 automakers even blinked or took notice when Toyota came on the scene back in the seventies (the first Toyota actually hit U.S. shores in 1957 but it would be another decade before they were on the public’s radar) – and look how that’s worked out for them now.
Sony has come a long way since their first entry level Cybershots back in digital camera infancy, and if the big camera companies (Nikon, Canon, Leica, Olympus, Pentax, etc…) don’t blink or take notice – Sony is going to surpass everyone.
To some extent they already have with their ridiculously good RX100, and groundbreaking full frame
RX-1. There hasn’t been a lot said about their newest D-SLR’s yet, but I suspect they will give the Nikon D’s and Canon Mark’s a run for their money too.
The M-E was an interesting move by Leica. It essentially holds up the value of the M9/M9-P. I’ve been waiting for used M9 prices to dip more, but I don’t think that they will, now that the M9 is a better version of newly released camera. So, I decided to go ahead and just buy a black M9 last week, and I’m loving it. I probably would have preferred an M9-P, but I couldn’t pass up the M9 for the price I paid. Plus, I slapped a black dot on it, which gets a little closer to the M9-P aesthetic. 🙂
I think the new M with its CMOS sensor will not be like the CCD in terms of the Leica look. It’s like my Canon 1Ds III which produces a special look and does not need sharpening in the camera compared to all new cameras like 1DX and Nikon D3/4. I will stick to my M9-P. It’s not all about high ISO!
For the price I will go with Sony RX1 and the rest of money I spend to travel!!
If you calculate the Leica M-E + a 35 mm lens it is above £6500 !!!
Ahhhh now someone sees the value of the RX1 🙂 It is expensive and I wish it was $1999 but the camera is outstanding in quality so if you want small full frame and a 35mm Zeiss all in one, it is the only game in town.
You didn’t explain where you are getting your UK price from, but a new M-E with a new 35 cron from Red Dot Cameras in London works out to 6005 GBP (M-E 3900 GBP, 35 f2 summicron 2105 GBP).
FWIW, well taken care of, used M9s are going for around $4k US right now. Add a ZM 35 and you’re at around $5K US. I know that is still quite a bit more than the RX1, but it is something to consider.
That being said, I do think the RX1 is cool. Great concept.
Dont forget the RX1 is also a Macro Zeiss lens! Very close minimal focusing distance. Them other lenses can’t do that!
+1
Took a look at the link to your blog of the production. Love the images you selected! Great series!!!
I did something similar in 1999 following a college production of “A Chorus Line” from auditions to production. What a great time I had getting to interact with the cast and production crew from beginning to end!!
Everyone who doesn’t like the color at all and would buy one if it was only black: please add a comment to this comment.
This is a hypothetical if anyone can chime in…
If you can only get one or the other because of limited budget what would you get? I know sont has not yet released a fullframe NEX, but by their recent releases of the RX1 and the VG900 I expect them to. So if you only have $10,000usd :
Would it be better to buy a Sony 24mp NEX-FF that might be a little less quality than the Leica M but at half the price, and then use the savings to buy a Leica 35mm Summicron or even Summilux FLE?
Or is it better to get an actual 24mp “Leica M”, but then you would only have enough left for Zeiss ZM 35mm biogon lenses?
Which would be the better combo for final image quality?
Get the dslr, it’s more versatile. Hard to compare the two, it’s like a car VS a horse . Do you prefer riding in a car or on top of a horse?
It’s also much much bigger and heavier 🙂
The Sony NEX is not a DSLR. It is even smaller than the Leica.
Sorry for spoiling the party, but in principle nobody knows what you mean by final image quality. Quality can be assessed in a thousand ways (noise, CA, corner sharpness, colour rendition, bokeh, ‘look’, you name it), but in the end the only thing that matters is if you have access to the kind of quality you need to get your work across. What I mean to say is that it starts with your work, not with some kind of shortlist, hypothetical or not.
I know it’s a terribly patronising thing to say but I’ll do it anyway and I sincerely hope you take it the right way: the best advice in this instance is get to know your work, and the rest will follow. Don’t let anybody tell you what the best camera/lens combo is. In the end there is no ‘best’ combo. The reason you think your question makes sense is because you are insecure about your photography. If you knew your photography, you would know exactly what it took, and you would be perfectly able to make gear decisions on your own. Which doesn’t mean you would not seek advice from others, but in any case you’d ask completely different questions than you do now.
Again, sorry for the perhaps harsh and patronising tone. It’s all meant in the most constructive way possible, and with the utmost respect.
Yep! Well spoken Alexander. @Mat, go out and use your gear and take your ‘shot’. A top shot doesn’t need always the best ‘combo’, capice ? 🙂
I think that at this point no one can tell you how the image quality of the new M looks like. Without having seen any output from that camera there is no way to make any decent recommendation. And I would not automatically say that the Sony would have less quality. They are doing leading stuff when it comes to sensors and we still have to see if the fairly small company, that makes the Leica sensor, can stand up to that. Shooting style is another important factor. Personally I prefer a rangefinder over focus peaking. And I like optical viewfinders over electronic ones. If sensors would be similar I would go with a M and a mint 35 Cron non flt to stay within budget. D!rk
Well put, Alexander. Couldn’t agree more.
Just to perhaps lighten the tone, I found this:
I Want To Buy A Camera, which made me laff: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7304689/i-want-to-buy-a-camera
Enjoy your photography, Mat, whatever camera you use.
Well said Alexander.
I know thet the M-E is essentially a M-9, but in some German forums some people claim that there is a shutter sound difference between the two. Has anyone heard them head to head in comparison?
Is there really a difference in sound, and hence either a slightly modified shutter, or simply a bit more damping material which might cause that little sound change?
Or maybe just because the view lever and USB part is missing, the “volume” of the chassis is different, and that might be the reason for a different sound from the shutter (if there is any difference at all…)?
Thanks!
if i still can sell my 2.5 years old M9 for USD5000, i will change it with the M-E ASAP. LOL..
Yeah but you lost around 2 grand, so that’s one grand a year in camera rental fee. That’s alot of money to rent out a camera for a year, no? LOL
Not really…did you see how much it cost to rent an M9 for a week? 🙂
Yeah but that would be like a a movie star renting a Lambo for a week, at that price, thy should just buy a Lambo! LOL
Call me crazy but I still bought the M9-P after this came out lol
The M9-P is visually stunning. Perfection in style for an M digital. Looks much nicer than the M-E so I do not blame you!
Thanks Steve, that’s the main reason, though I been trying to convince myself it wasn’t a crazy decision so your comment definitely makes me feel better haha.
I don’t blame you either, I know someone in Tauranga that has just done the same. Just to quantify that, its not me!! 🙂
The M9-P is beautiful. I believe that they colored the ME the way they did so there would still be a motivation to go for the M9 and M9P. It is almost purely cosmetic but at that price range you want it the way you like. I think the MM is perfection when it comes to aesthetic. I like that it is not using Leica anywhere bold on the camera. Just black. mhhhhhhh nice. D!RK
Tauranga in New Zealand is an AWESOME place! Not surprised at all. Wish I could get one. But no need for an amateur. An OM-D will do just fine 🙂
haha I’ve moved back to Auckland from California for 12 years now but have yet to visit Tauranga. Any nice photo spots out there?
I guess its like anywhere else, once you become familiar with the place it gets harder to see the images! Beautiful thought 🙂
BTW Love the photos on the site, I just processed my first batch of photos from the M9P and 50 Lux ASPH, they have the that same Leica ‘pop’ as soon as I hit black and white in Lightroom. I hardly had to do anything. I have a 5D2 with the 85 F1.2 as well and it does great photos but in black in white it still lacks the pop I see in the Leica shots.
Cheers, You’ve got a great combo there, the 50 Lux is awesome. I will hopefully have my hands on the Monochrom in the next fortnight…:-) Happy days!
awesome, wonder if its the first MM in NZ considering how hard it was for Steve to get one
Exactly what I did, too! Wanted digital full frame after six years with an M8; the dealer was discounting his last two M9-Ps, and my Visa card is now wilting …
I’d sooner buy the M4-P in black ahead of an M-E or pay more to be a Beta-tester for the M!
Just to clarify. The ME has no new sensor. It is an M9 with a few less features on the body, like frame lever and USB port, and a new color combination. I like that they took the features off because I never used them. The color combination doesn’t fly with me. I just like black Leicas and if this would be black I would buy one. I owned the M9 and the M9P but sold them a few months ago. I am still using a Nex 7, but miss the Leicas deeply. I don’t care if the technology is outdated or not. I look at the photos I took with the Leicas and I look at the stuff I am doing with the Nex and while I have more flexibility with the Nex I just took better photos with the Leicas. It is that simple and I don’t care what is inside if the whole package just lets me do better work. Period. D!RK
True true!
I hadn’t used the usb port until recently when I tethered the M9 to Aperture 3 on my Macbook when shooting the program shots for this – http://aperturepriority.co.nz/2012/09/20/the-producers/
Amazing photographs jasonehowe!
Hey, thanks Anders
Don’t forget the NEX lenses are not so great, in fact they are worse than Samsungs mirrorless lenses by comparison. Sony made a crucial mistake by making the body paper thin, as most their primes look as long as telephotos.
Totally agree, but I did the other way, I kept my M9 and sold the Nex7 last week:)
Will be interesting to see what the difference in image quality (suspect this will still be top class) and “look” is you refer to Steve!!! Given the new sensor will be interesting to see if Leica have deviated with its output combining the lenses.
I think it’s the ideal FF 35mm camera. Stick a 35mm Summicron on it, off you go, take pictures. Forget about the expense or the limitations. It’s a camera.
Making the M-E $5500 and calling it a “new” product is pretty perky considering the technology in the M-9 was outdated when it was introduced.
If it has to be a Leica for this kind of money, I’d take the MP over the M-E any day in the year. It even leaves some money to make a downpayment on a lens. And if it has to be digital, spending another mere $2500 on the M is probably cheaper when you look at what you get for your money. In terms of noise and DR, a lot of recent $1200 camera swipe the floor with the M-E/M-9.