I know, I know, more digital – well, there’s more coming too – I’m a good way through my Leica M8 review so that shall be with you soon enough. It’s a good job really, as I’ve recently sold it and replaced it with a Leica M9.
I’ve only had it a couple of days with the M9, but am already getting the sorts of results I hoped I would. For a good while, my life has been revolving around the Zeiss 50mm ZM Sonnar. I am pretty much obsessed with this lens, and am really only happy when I am shooting with it. This was one of he major motivations for getting myself a digital Leica in the M8. I can mount it on the Sonys I use for work – but it’s not the same experience in use.
The problem with the M8 is that the 50mm becomes 65mm equivalent, which is nice for some things, but less nice for the more atmospheric portraits I like taking with it. This is probably my main motivation for deciding to switch to the M9 from the M8. I enjoy a bit of digital now and then – especially for family snaps… and for family snaps I want to shoot with my favourite lens.
Anyway, I shall go into this more in the M8 review – in the meanwhile though, I thought I’d share a few early shots from the M9 with the Sonnar. To say the combo is everything I could have hoped for would be an understatement. This lens just sings with this camera.
I still have a fair amount of the learning curve in terms of getting the most out of the M9 – the colours are very different to what I am used to out of the Sony, but subjectively nicer I think. Like with the M8, there is still some IR creeping in there – I am almost certain of it; lips seems to go a bit magenta in artificial light for eg. And I’m not sure the colours are really accurate either, but I really like the look.
My first evening with it:
This afternoon, visiting a client form some of their awesome coffee – Method Coffee Roasters
And a few snaps when I got home this evening
A few more here if you are really interested…
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Comments
Mark Sperry on First Shots with the Leica M9
Comment posted: 04/08/2016
DMR on First Shots with the Leica M9
Comment posted: 05/08/2016
As for color adjustments, I'm not trying to market anything or not, but I have had really good results with the VSCO Pack 01 in Adobe LR, specifically Fuji 160 & Kodak Portra 800 selections. The Fuji selection (as with their film) gives a nice cool image that works well with a lot of whites or highlights in the image. And the Portra 800 works well with warm skin tones, again, to my eye.
Enjoy! It's a great camera. Just be warned, the somewhat limited ISO range, combined with the immediacy of digital, will make you want the M9M, which is on a whole different level.
Best Regards,
DMR
Comment posted: 05/08/2016
Theo Wiersema on First Shots with the Leica M9
Comment posted: 07/08/2016
Cheers!
Comment posted: 07/08/2016
Brian Sweeney on First Shots with the Leica M9
Comment posted: 12/08/2016
The M8 used with an IR filter over the lens does a better job of eliminating IR than the M9 without the filter. for my Fast lenses- I use an IR cut filter with the M9. With the M8- you can get some unique Color-IR images by using an Orange filter, M8RAW2DNG, and boosting the Blue channel.
My ZM Sonnar 50/1.5 gets a lot of use, it's also great on the M Monochrom.
With regard to using High-ISO on the M9, M Monochrom, and M8: I use 4x speed SD cards. Remember that the Digital conversion takes place off the CCD, having a slower card reduces noise, especially banding.
Comment posted: 12/08/2016
Neil on First Shots with the Leica M9
Comment posted: 14/08/2016
Comment posted: 14/08/2016
Comment posted: 14/08/2016
Comment posted: 14/08/2016
Comment posted: 14/08/2016
Comment posted: 14/08/2016
Comment posted: 14/08/2016
Comment posted: 14/08/2016
Daniel on First Shots with the Leica M9
Comment posted: 20/08/2016
I really like shooting with the digital M. I was using the Fuji X series before and have now moved my Fuji gear on. I just like the simplicity of it all, not to mention the output which I find requires very little work in post. I used to battle sometimes with the Fuji X files.
I shoot film Leica too and was very against the concept of digital M originally, which I take back now after shooting with one for a good few months. If anything, I have neglected to use my film M for a while.
Comment posted: 20/08/2016
Comment posted: 20/08/2016