Leica M9-P Review

When Leica launched the M8 in 2007, even they thought that putting a full-frame sensor into one of their M-system cameras would be an impossible feat. Fast-forward to 2009, and the dreams of many a Leica enthusiast came true with the release of the full-frame Leica M9. It's now 2011, and the M9 has been has a new brother, the M9-P, a more professional, hardy, and discreet version of the venerable and revered M9.

M as in "Messsucher"



For the uninitiated, Leica M-Cameras are living legends. The M stands for "Messsucher", a German term for a combined rangefinder and viewfinder. It's a style of photography distinctly different from what most of us know today with our compact, mirrorless, and DSLR cameras.

What that means is that unlike most cameras, you get a huge viewfinder larger than that of even full-frame DSLRs. Because the viewfinder doesn't give a through-the-lens (TTL) view, it's brightness isn't affected by the aperture of the mounted lens. Framing is acheived by superimposed bright-line frames that vary according to the lens mounted, and the bright-lines move according to lens focal lengths to account for parallex errors resulting from the viewfinder and lens being off-axis from each other.

To focus, one only needs to adjust focus on the lens until the superimposed image in the center of the viewfinder lines up; once the double-image resolves into a single image, you're in focus. It's an intuitive and foolproof system.

Factor in the M9-P's compatibility with all Leica M lenses since 1954, and you have a truly timeless system.

Handling and Construction



The Leica M9-P, as with all other Leica M-Cameras, is built to last a lifetime. The camera body is a one-piece metal housing crafted from a high-strength magnesium alloy, and it's top and bottom plates are machined from solid brass blocks. The result is a camera body that is feels solid in your hand. The LCD screen, often a weak point in camera construction, is protected by an extremely scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass cover. This material is so hard that it can only be worked with diamond cutting tools; it is one of the world's hardest materials, extremely resistant to wear and nigh-unbreakable. To improve handling, the M9-P features vulcanite leathering, which combines the simple handling of the Leica M9-P with enhanced grip characteristics.

The phrase "built like a tank" comes to mind.

Ease of Use



The Leica M-system is designed around the principle of allowing the photographer to focus on creating the image. In line with this, there are no superfluous controls found on M-Cameras. The M9-P is no exception; only the essentials are present, allowing photographers to devote all their attention to capturing the decisive moment.

In the photo above, you see all controls available on the top-plate of the M9-P; the shutter button, mode selector, and shutter-speed selection dial. Aperture and focus are controled via rings on the mounted lens (see photo below). Everything you need to control exposure, and nothing else. If the photographer is familiar enough with the camera, he or she can even set exposure while bringing the M9-P to eye level. Shooting with a Leica M-Camera encourages a different approach to photography, and this is exemplified by the controls and how they affect the style of shooting.



Changing settings in the M9-P's menu is simple as well. In contrast to many compacts and DSLRs, which have a multitude of menus within menus, the M9-P only has one main menu. Any setting a photographer might be concerned with, such as ISO sensitivity and lens profiles, can be found here. Again, Leica's design philosophy remains evident; there are no superfluous features such as in-camera photo processing to be found anywhere. Everything lends itself to capturing photos, nothing more and nothing less.

Discretion

The M9-P is built for discrete and unobstrusive photograpy. The shutter is in orders of magnitude quieter than the snap from a DSLR's mirror. Recocking of the shutter after firing is exceptionally quiet as well. The compactness of the M9-P - more compact than any other full-frame camera system - allows photographers to blend into the background. For even greater discretion, the traditional Leica red dot has been omitted, replaced by a discreet Leica logogram on the top plate.

Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH



Eagle-eyed readers might have noticed that lens we have mounted on our M9-P review unit is indeed the esteemed Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH, the world's fastest aspherical lens and Leica's self-styled "King of the Night".



For those wondering just how large this lens' aperture goes, here's a quick comparison shot. The lenses are, left to right, Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM, Minolta MC Rokkor-PG 58mm f/1.2, and finally the Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. All these lenses are known for their low-light shooting ability, but the Noctilux clearly takes the cake here.

Sample Gallery

All our test shots were taken with the Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH mounted on the Leica M9-P. All images are JPEGs taken directly from the camera; black and white and vintage photos are taken with in-camera settings. Many of the photos were shot with low ISO sensitivity despite low-light conditions, proof of the M-System's effectiveness as available-light shooters.


(f/3.4, 1/125s, ISO200)
Sharp as tack where it counts, nice and soft everywhere else. The quality of the Noctilux is unmistakable.


(f/1.7, 1/90s, ISO500)
This shot was a challenge, having to pre-focus manually and avoid camera shake. Note the relatively low ISO setting, only possible with such a fast lens.


(f/0.95, 1/180s, ISO200)
Shot wide-open, this has a magical softness that is hard to quantify. No post-processing was done, the colours seen are direct from camera.


(f/2.8, 1/250s, ISO200)
The M9-P, together with the Noctilux, excels at taking artistic, soft-focus photos.


(f/1.2, 1/90s, ISO400, +0.66EV)
The sharp foreground here melts into a lucious, creamy out-of-focus background, another hallmark of the fast primes in the Leica M-System.


(f/0.95, 1/1500s, ISO400, +2EV)
Also shot wide-open, this photo demonstrates the superb bokeh produced by the Noctilux.


(f/0.95, 1/350s, ISO400, +1EV)
A great example of how the Leica M-System lends itself to low available light photography. Again, shallow depth-of-field from shooting wide-open gives M-System photographers great creative control over their photography.


(f/1.2, 1/60s, ISO400, +0.33 EV)
Another demonstration of the bokeh-licious Noctilux.


(f/1.2, 1/60s, ISO400, +0.66EV)
The M-System is quite possibly perfect for candid portraiture; it's fast and discreet, and subject-background isolation is excellent.


(f/0.95, 1/60s, ISO800, +1.33EV)
A panning shot taken wide-open still manages to achieve respectable sharpness on the subject while blurring everything else in the background.


(f/1.2, 1/1500s, ISO160, +1.33EV)
While 50mm isn't what many consider a portrait lens, excellent subject-background isolation from the shallow depth of field offered by the Noctilux, coupled with the excellent sensor in the M9-P, makes this shot work.


(f/2.0, 1/60s, ISO400, +1.33EV)
Again, sharp as tack where it counts and beautifully smooth in the background.


(f/1.4, 1/2000s, ISO160, +0.33EV)
Colour reproduction from the 18-megapixel CCD is excellent.


A video introducing the Leica M9-P.

Conclusion



The Leica M9-P is the result of more than 50 years of heritage and amassed experience with the Leica M-System combined with the pinnacle of modern technology. For Leica designers, photography has always been the prime concern, and it shows in the construction of the M9-P; the camera never gets in the way of producing stunning photos.

The Leica M9-P can be purchased at the Leica Store Singapore for S$11,400.00. Demand is so high that Leica is selling cameras faster than they can be made; the waiting list for Singapore alone currently has about 30 people. Click here for a look at the Leica M9-P official launch in Singapore.

As for the Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH, it can be bought for about S$15,000+. The first production batch is already sold out, so you'll have to wait to get a copy even if you order it today.