No
surprises here (
at all), but Leica's
09/09/09 event has just led to the formal unveiling of the full-frame, 18 megapixel M9 rangefinder and the compact X1. The former (which is shipping now) supports all Leica M lenses and ships with a "newly developed glass sensor cover designed to guarantee the suppression of the infrared portion of the light spectrum." There's also a quick-access ISO adjustment button alongside a few other hotkeys, a full metal housing, Kodak-sourced CCD, a fresh microprocessor-controlled shutter (which is supposedly "near silent") and a staggering £4,850 ($8,004) price tag. As for the X1, you'll find a 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor (APS-C), a fixed-mount Leica Elmarit 1:2.8/24mm lens, numerous "auto" modes for the newbies in attendance, a maximum ISO of 3200, 2.7-inch rear LCD and a Live View function that replaces the optical viewfinder. Expect to hear more regarding price when the January 2010 ship date nears, but for now, feel free to peruse the hands-on galleries linked below.
Read - Leica M9 announcement and hands-on
Read - Leica X1 announcement and hands-on
posted September 9th 2009 9:30AM
The sensors are quite sensitive to IR light and if not filtered out it can add unwanted artifacts and luminance issues to the picture. You only really want the camera to capture the visible light that your eyes are seeing not the extra that the eyes can't see.
You know, you could get a nice M3 instead for about $1600. For casual use, and lets face it most Leica users are pretty casual users, film development costs wouldn't eat much into the price difference, and it would look just as pretty out on weekends...
Ugh. For this much money I may as well just get a decent DSLR and a few extra lenses. Who in their right mind would spend $5k on this?
Someone who prefers using a rangefinder to an SLR.
Amazing looking camera, but I will never own it. My Lx3 is a little jealous
X1 is priced at $1995 @ Amazon.
More than enough money to buy a good entry DSLR and a few lenses.
$7k US
Well, it looks like Leica as finally regained the look-and-feel of the good old 35mm rangefinder cameras of my youth. Now if only Minox would retool its ridiculous "spy camera" and give us the digital equivalent of the good old Minox B (the inventor of which recently died at the age of 97!).
oh you were lucky when you were young, in our youth world is full of chinese and korean craps
X1 is a fail. $2k for a non-interchangeable lens camera? The Sigma DP2 is around $700...
The M9 uses a Kodak CCD sensor.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/KODAK-CCD-Image-Sensor-Powers-bw-2320721313.html?x=0&.v=1
http://www.reverbnation.com/c./l14/1185995/15281/Label/396716/Fan/MissionsAgent_36099/link