Traveling With an M9

Posted by: Classic Connection

I’ve been a devoted Leica enthusiast for the last 30 years – starting off with a classic IIIc Sharksin when I was 16, and have used just about every model since (or so it seems!).

Early last year I took the plunge into the world of Leica digital and bought myself an M9.  The latest digital technology wrapped around a traditional M body was a real attraction for me, not to mention the ability to use both modern and vintage lenses.  As a result, the goal was for the M9 to replace my M-series and screw mount film cameras.

I quickly found out that the M9 was also an ideal traveling companion.  The camera turned out to be quite dependable, and I never gave a backup body a second thought.  Whether I was exploring Europe or North America, the M9 inspired the confidence that I’d get the best images, and worked every day, every time.

In September of this year my wife and I traveled through parts of Arizona and New Mexico.  We thought we’d see the countryside a bit differently this time around, so we rented an old Airstream trailer and a Chevy Suburban from a fellow in Phoenix and hit the dusty trail.

As I’ve normally shot our vacations photos in black and white, this trip was no exception.  It was only natural, given much of the subject matter we encountered – amazing Southwest landscapes, historic sites and of course, Route 66.  My method was to set the camera to shoot both DNG and JPEG basic, with the colour saturation set to black and white.  This made it helpful for me to ‘visualize’ the scenes in black and white.

A few things I learned while traveling with this great camera:

i) Bring a good dust blower.  One thing that I didn’t have with me was a good blower to get rid of dust on the sensor.  This wasn’t so much of a problem during the trip, but later when I was working on the photos at home.  Bottom line, more dust = more time in front of the computer;

ii) Bring an extra battery and the charger.  I don’t know if it’s just me, but I find that the M9’s battery doesn’t last as long as I’d like.  So to avoid being caught on a day hike with a dead battery, I made sure to have a second battery and to keep them both fully charged;

iii) Be sure to have plenty of memory cards!  On this 10-day trip I had six 8GB cards, so I never had to worry about running short of memory;

iv) Travel light!  One of the dangers of travel is the temptation to take too much equipment.  I’ve definitely learned this the hard way (think sore shoulders and a stiff back), and have tried to become a ‘minimalist’ traveler, or at least my interpretation of it!  Along with my M9 body, I brought 4 lenses – my 50/2 Summicron, 35/1.7 Voigtlander, 21/4 Voigtlander and a 75/2.5 Summarit.  I managed to put all of the lenses to use, and never felt overburdened.  This made for a much more comfortable traveling experience, and I was able to truly focus upon the images and not so much the equipment.  Oh yeah, and have a good time too!

My lens of choice during this trip was the 50/2 Summicron – for me this provided the most versatility due to its angle of view, its f/2 aperture, and my confidence in its optical abilities throughout the range.

The light in this region of the United States is incredible – crystal-clear skies, dramatic shadows, and it presents the photographer to make great photos at almost any time of the day.  This can present a bit of a challenge to the photographer, particularly due to the contrasty lighting conditions.  As far as metering goes for most of the photos, I pretty well exposed right down the middle and the camera took care of the rest.  With the M9, I’ve never found it advantageous to under or over expose.  As far as that camera goes (and many others I’ve used), proper exposure was key.

For me, the digital M represents the highest expression of Leica’s commitment to their heritage and tradition while at the same time acknowledging the inevitable technological progress that is permeating today’s photography.  I can’t wait for our next traveling adventure!

Vince Lupo has been taking photos since he was 12 years old.  Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Vince has a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree from Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia.  He is also co-owner of Direction One, Inc., a commercial photography firm in Baltimore, Maryland.  He specializes in architectural interiors, food, people, and of course, Leica!  He can be reached through his website, http://www.directiononeinc.com , or email vlupo@directiononeinc.com .

NY Times Photo Info

While visiting the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Reims, France, I sat on a stone bench across from this little prayer area. After a couple of minutes, this lady walked up to the little altar. She just stood there, motionless. Her hair, her dress, her white high heels all seemed to be such a contrast with the rest of the environment. I took about four shots before she walked away. I never did see her face.

Taken with the M9 with a 35/1.7 Voigtlander lens, ISO 400, 1/15th @ f/2.  This photo appeared in late 2012 in the New York Times. 

Leica M-E camera

Posted by: Classic Connection

The Latest Leica M-E camera (now in stock) is a 18.0-Megapixels Full Frame CCD Sensor Digital Rangefinder Camera that fits Leica M-Mount Lenses. All Metal Die-Cast Magnesium Body, Anthracite Gray Finish with Leather Trim, It features Manual Focus with Optical Viewfinder, 2.5″ TFT LCD with 230,000 Pixels, ISO Sensitivity Up to 2500, Low-Noise Shutter, Included Adobe Lightroom Software. The camera measures (W x D x H) approx. 139 x 37 x 80 mm(5,5 x 1,7 x 3,1 in.) and weight 585 g (20.6 oz).

Same picture quality like the Leica M9/P cameras, for MUCH less money. Plus, the removal of the low-pass filter actually enhances detail and renders a more natural image. Lack of a “Bright Line Preview Selector” doesn’t affect any of the qualities of the M9/P or M-E images. The Anthracite Graytop and base camera is handsome and distinctive, A perfect well priced camera.

Click on the link to order the:

LEICA M-E Anthracite Gray rangefinder digital camera Cat #10759 New USA In Stock !!! Free shipping in (USA only)$5,450.00 

Product Overview:

The M-E Digital Rangefinder Camera from Leica is a full frame, interchangeable lens camera that embodies the notion that less is more. By concentrating on essential photographic functions, the M-E produces high quality images in a fast and stealthy manner. The camera houses a full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor but retains a compact, durable and well-designed form.

The 18MP CCD sensor in full 35mm format offers high-resolution imaging and the omission of the sensor’s low-pass filter creates photos with fine details and an increased visual impact. The sensor matches well with the compact M-system and M-series lenses, giving uniform exposure across the entire sensor. The camera’s compatibility with the full line of superb Leica M-series lenses provides flexibility in shooting and sharp imagery.

By declining to incorporate features such as Live View and Video functions, the M-E frees itself to perfect only those functions that create a better photographic image. Its fast and accurate manual focusing is achieved via the optical viewfinder/rangefinder and the smooth, exact focusing ring of a Leica lens. Shutter speeds from bulb mode through 1/4000th of seconds can be set manually or automatically determined by the camera. The shutter mechanism is a closed type focal plane shutter with external cocking mechanics and provides a quiet and smooth action.

A 2.5″ TFT LCD screen with 230,000 pixels offers clear image playback and menu control and the camera body itself is an all-metal casing made of die-cast magnesium with an attractive anthracite-gray finish and a real leather wrap which provides a good grip as well as good looks. A hot shoe mount is available for optional flash attachment.

This is an ideal camera for those interested in a pure photographic system which produces uncompromised image quality.

18MP Full-frame CCD Sensor

The highly light sensitive full-frame CCD sensor is ideal for the compact nature of the M-E and the high quality Leica M-series lenses. Uniform light exposure from corner to corner of the sensor provides sharp, high quality images.

Omitted Low-pass Filter

The omission of the otherwise usual low-pass filter ensures that images possess fine details and a particularly natural visual impact.

Optical Viewfinder/Rangefinder

Manual focus is provided through the large, clear, bright-line rangefinder with 0.68x magnification and automatic parallax compensation. The viewfinder’s frame lines match the image sensor size at 3.2 feet (1 m). Split or superimposed image rangefinder is shown as a bright field in the center of the viewfinder image. The eyepiece is adjusted to -0.5 dpt. An LED display is visible in the optical viewfinder showing auto shutter speeds and exposure correction warnings.

Exposure

Exposure metering is Through the Lens (TTL) metering, center-weighted with variable aperture. There are two exposure modes: Automatic shutter speed (Aperture Priority A-mode) and Manual Exposure (M-mode). Exposure compensation is -3 EV to +3 EV in 1/3 stops.

Handsome, Durable Design

Milled brass top cover with all metal, magnesium body. Anthracite-gray finish and black leather trim.

Image File Format and Size

The M-E shoots in both DNG (RAW data uncompressed or nonlinear compressed) and JPEG formats. DNG file size is 18 MB (compressed) and 36 MB (uncompressed). Exact JPEG file sizes depend on resolution and image content.

User Profiles

Up to four sets of camera and exposure settings can be saved under a user-selected profile name and rapidly retrieved whenever required.

Menu Languages

English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese

Accessories

All optional accessories compatible with the Leica M9/M9-P digital camera will fit the Leica M-E.

Software

A free Adobe Lightroom software download is included.

Specification

Lens Mount Leica M Mount Camera Format Full-Frame Pixels Actual: 18.5 Megapixel
Effective: 18 Megapixel Max Resolution 18MP: 5270 x 3516

Other Resolutions 18MP: 5212 x 3472
10MP: 3840 x 2592
4.5MP: 2592 x 1728
2MP: 1728 x 1152
1MP: 1280 x 846

Sensor Type / Size CCD, 35.8 x 23.9 mm

File Formats Still Images: DNG, JPEG

Dust Reduction System Y

Noise Reduction No

Memory Card Type SD
SDHC

Viewfinder/Display

Viewfinder Type Optical, LCD Display

Viewfinder Magnification Approx. 0.68x

Diopter Adjustment – 3 to +3 m

Display Screen 2.5″ Rear Screen   LCD (230000)

Screen Coverage 100%

Live View No

Exposure Control

ISO Sensitivity Auto, 160-2500 (Extended Mode: 80-)

Shutter 240 – 1/4000 seconds

Metering Method Center-weighted average metering

Exposure Modes Modes: Aperture Priority, Manual
Compensation: -3 EV to +3 EV (in 1/3 EV steps)

White Balance Modes Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent (Natural White), Fluorescent (White), Kelvin, Manual, Shade, Tungsten

Burst Rate Up to 2 fps at 18 MP

Summary – The latest ME camera from Leica Co. is well priced , keeping the same quality of the Leica M9 and Leica M9-P cameras allowing new users to join the wonderful Leica rangefinder system for much less… ! The great Leica optic could be used with the Leica ME camera, Compact Asph. lenses like the Leica 28/2,8 Elamrit-M Asph six bit cat #11606 New

Or the Leica 35/ 2.0 Summicron-M ASPH. black (E39) #11879 six bit New  lenses