Get your order in NOW to be one of the first to get a Leica M9 from B&H photo! Click HERE FOR THE STEEL GREY – Click HERE FOR THE BLACK PAINT
When B&H starts taking real ORDERS that means they expect stock within 7-10 days, or sooner! Good luck! If you do order, you may have your M9 within 7-10 days from now!
UPDATE 2 12/02 – Just got an email from someone who says they got the B&H Ship email after ordering on 11/20, so to those who ordered, it should not be long!
UPDATE 12/02 – I have been told that B&H is expecting a LARGE shipment of M9’s in this month. It could be this week, it could be next. So if you ordered an M9 from B&H and have not yet gotten one, hang in there as you will be the first to be shipped one as soon as they get them all in! If you have not ordered yet, the sooner you do, the quicker your M9 will come so if you are on another dealers list and not near the top, B&H may be a faster option for you.
UPDATE 11/29 – OK, B&H now shows “Available for Pre-Order” where it used to say “Accepting Orders”. From my experience this means that they took quite a few orders and those who ordered during those first few days (from November 20th-27th) will probably get your M9’s fairly soon. If you order now, it could be a 2-4 week wait. Again, this is just MY guess from my past experience with ordering from B&H.
To all who ordered last week, be patient because you will get your M9’s first. You can still order but keep in mind that now that they changed it to “Available for Pre-Order” it may take a few weeks. Maybe not, but that is my gut feeling.
UPDATE 11/24 – I heard that B&H is expecting a large shipment in a week, maybe sooner. I am telling you that I feel this is your best bet to get an M9 before the end of the year. When B&H takes your order and money you can be assured you will get your camera sooner than if you are on some random waiting list at a small dealer. I have spoken with a few people who pre-ordered with B&H last week and have gotten their cameras already. Yes, B&H will charge you when you place the order and they will also tell you they do not have a definite date, but be patient and your M9 will arrive soon.
If you get to antsy you can always cancel but trust me, B&H always delivers and I can think of no other dealer where you will get one sooner. The M9 is in VERY hugh demand and many dealers have lists with 60-70 people on it. B&H is one of the largest if not THE largest Leica dealer and they are as reputable as they come.
Also, if anyone has ordered their camera from B&H AFTER November 20th let me know as soon as you get it as I am curious about the turnaround time. Also, Iwill be able to post updates to this page letting others know that cameras are being shipped!
Just wanted to update this. I was at B&H last week and was told they have almost shipped out all of those pre-orders from the 2 weeks they took them. They have a few left to go but are shipping them weekly as they get their weekly stock.To those who ordered, you should have gotten yours or it will be arriving soon!
The post is still here (as you can see) and was updated today, twice. It was set as a sticky while B&H were taking orders. They still are taking orders but since they now are saying it could take 3-4 weeks for current orders I decided to “de-sticky” it. I only put it up for those who wanted to order right away while B&H were expected to fill them within a week or two. The post is still live and active, just no longer a “sticky”…
Why is this suspicious? Also, why did you post your comment to the Nokton review? I moved it here. Also, B&H did ship come orders from last week as they get more M9’s every week and are expecting a huge shipment this month.
Also, as for the “ethics” of B&H, they have the best ethics in the business. They tell you before you place the order that if you do indeed pre-order you will be charged immediately. This weeds out the serious buyers from the tire kickers.
So Steve, why the “sudden” removal from the top of the page of an almost daily hype on B&H having vast shipments of M9s coming in and pay now to get them? I find it all just a tad suspicious that, two comments raising serious concerns of the ethics of B&H’s practices and their singular lack of transparency of what was going on, and – wow – that article that miraculously had stayed at the top – the drum to which you were constantly beating – is all of a sudden removed?
I had the same level of frustration at B&H, only the impression it was going to be a while. So, I got myself on the list at the Leica Store In Store at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre, I am #1 on the list at this moment. They are a new store so they did not have a long list. http://www.proshopforphotographers.com/ I suspect they will come through long before my friends at B&H. I do not worry about getting my money back from B&H, they have been great to me over a lot of years.
Well, frustrating but I paid on Nov 20 for black and now – and only after many phone calls to find out what the state of play was – finally got this somewhat non-commital email today: “Please be advised that the “LEICA M9 RANGEFINDER DIGITAL CAMERA (BLACK)” you have on backorder, is still backordered by the manufacturer with no definite available date. As soon as we receive it from the manufacturer, we will promptly ship out this order. We apologize for this delay and for any inconvenience.”
I also got a coded nudge, nudge, wink, wink expect delivery in next 14 days when I went through the verification process and paid on Nov 20th. $7k taken out of my account and sitting making money for someone else for an indefinite period of time isn’t really a fair way to do business. I’m a long-standing B&H customer, but, unfortunately, under Washington State Law, this isn’t enough info. If B&H are holding onto such large amounts of cash from customers then they have a duty to be more transparent with information regarding expected shipping dates and where you lay on a list and when you can expect delivery.
Perhaps I am being impatient, but I find the whole ethical thing of taking the $7k upfront for an unspecific period of time as something that is just plain wrong.
Hi,
Does anyone have any idea when the Summilux 50mm lens will be available in B&H?
have ordered it on 25/11 but still not in stock.
-Dan
jb,
grey is the new black. 🙂
@jbhthescots for $7,000 bucks you’re damn right i want it to look cool. Not that black isn’t very nice but the grey is scrumptious!
Everyday I wonder why this article stays on top of the page, while there are new articles posted… Bug ?? Keep posting, you made me start keeping money on the side for my future M9. One day… :o)
jb,
Actually i was thinking the grey body would be less cool and less popular and hence less noticeable. ;-(
Steve,
B&H customer service was VERY apologetic for taking my order when the were “accepting orders” and promised to refund me in 2-3 business days. I think I missed my billing cycle so I had to pay for the privilege of ordering with B&H in terms of interest on the $7K charge. 🙁 So, I will think twice about ordering with B&H. My local Leica authorized dealer tells me that their Leica rep stated that the demand for the grey body is far higher then ever expected and Leica is therefore heavily back ordered. Oh and no charge to be on the “no definite date” list with Pro Photo Supply.
Given the color shift issues, even with leica lenses, I suppose I do not mind waiting out Leica and the economy and can live happily enough with my M8.2 black beauty with the grey painted Leica. Something about that grey.
Ordered from B&H Nov.20th. the guy on the phone said not to expect it for another three weeks. Got an email almost right away saying that it shipped!
I received my M9 Black on Nov. 23rd.
I am very surprised as well as happy with my choice.
Hmmm, anyone opting for the grey was asking for trouble – B&H had no way of rolling over in the list those asking for gray being given the option to switching to black if they were short. I would imagine a lot thought they’d be cool and hip with a new grey M9 and signed up for one. You should really have read what Steve was saying when he got offered his early M9.
I ordered a grey, which i think have less coming through than the black – and hence will take longer. Has anyone received a grey yet?
Steve,
This just came via email. Bummer. Mostly
I find sitting on $7K with “no definite date
a real problem in terms of doing business.
Please be advised that the “LEICA M9 RANGEFINDER DIGITAL CAMERA (GRAY)” you have on backorder, is still backordered by the manufacturer with no definite available date. As soon as we receive it from the manufacturer, we will promptly ship out this order. We apologize for this delay and for any inconvenience.
B&H Customer Service
212-239-7765 = 800-221-5743
status@bhphoto.com
B&H always asks for this info from new customers. They have a whole department dedicated to verification. In the past (many years ago) they did not do this and they were being ripped off in a big way with people using fraudulent credit cards. These days, they are very big on security and verify all new customers. They still do it to me every now and then, and always when I use a new card.
I am hoping to see some people getting their M9’s this week. Those who ordered on the 20th at least.
No, I’ve been a long-time B&H customer and all they asked of me was confirmation (either by email or phone) I wished to proceed with the payment for the order. Sounds like a prudent measure there from B&H if you ask me – how would you feel if they hadn’t done the check and it was your credit card being ripped off?
B&H has also asked me to provide a fax or skanned pic of my credit card, which, they said, is needed for internatinal order. Does it happen to you?
Well, I pre-ordered on Nov 19th and also still not showing any movement as yet. I’d leave it another 7 days and then….if no signs of contact we got to figure out if B&H (and others) are making out of all the money they are holding on to. $7,000, say times 100 or so makes for quite a chunk of cash sitting in their bank account collecting interest – nice work if you can get it! I still haven’t heard of anyone being sent an M9 yet. The crunch time comes when you start to hear of punters taking delivery of M9s and B&H haven’t notified you as yet…
I pre-ordered a black M9 on Nov 27th at B&H, and its status keeps backordered all along.
On 23rd of Nov I was told by B&H to call back in 3 weeks if i hadn’t received my grey M9! It doesn’t sound like i’ll get it here in Australia before the new year. =(
Karl,
When I spoke to B&H they told me “7-14” days to ship my “accepted order.” Mum on if the M9 was in stock and mum on where I was at on any “list.” So I am putting faith in Steve’s 7-10 day theory and my order arriving by the end of next week. I must admit having a 7K charge on my card and potentially taking on interest does make me a bit uncomfortable. Suppose I should pay that charge now before the billing cycle hits.
Steve,
Great reviews and photos btw. Keep up the good work! I hope to be able to share M9 in Italy photos with you!
fallon
I just placed a “pre-order” at B&H. As of 11/25/09 at 5:00 EST the website did not still say “accepting orders.” The sales man, and I grilled him, says that they only take pre-orders that they can fill with the shipments on the way. They do charge your card right away, so I suppose this way they know who is serious and who is not. I am on three other waiting lists from as short as “just a few” to over 100… We will see what happens.
Ok, Steve, you’ve convinced me. Just ordered tonight from B&H. I hope I’ll get it soon…!
Steve,
I ordered on 11/22 when BHP was “accepting” orders in anticipation of a 3-week photo shoot in Bologna, Italy with a bevy of Leica glass: TE WATE, Summilux 21 and 35 and perhaps a Summicron 75 or 90. Which I had done so on 11/20. BHP did call me on 11/23 to see if I really did place the order and really do want the camera. Er….yes, of course.
I have a M8.2 with a 28 Elmarit in the black beauty style as my walking around camera. But I really hope to go head to head with a Nikon D3X during the shoot and will be bringing the latest 14-24/2.8G AF-S ED, 24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S ED and some Zeiss ZF glass.
We will see. No M9 shipped by 12/04 means the order gets canceled as I will not be around to receive it on 12/08. That would be very sad and make for a blue Christmas.