via Leica Rumors
Check back here for my own Leica M9 review next month.
Jan 262010
Sep 102009
Leica, as part of the 09-09-09 Festivities surrounding the Launch of the Leica M9, threw a little soiree at Dale Photo & Digital in Hollywood, FL.
Roland Wolff, Director of New Market Development for Leica Camera USA, was on hand and he brought along a Leica M9 to play with.
I got there early and got some extra hands-on time with the new camera. I was so excited about this that I stupidly left my SDHC card at home so I don’t have any good sample files to share. Fear not, for I shall acquire them. I have little slideshow after the jump. Continue reading »
Sep 092009
With today’s webcast, the NDA on the new Leica M9 and X1 cameras has been 
lifted. Leica had tweeted that not everything had been leaked to the web, but I saw no new surprises in the webcast (other than Seal strutting around with his new M9 and the fact that they gave him an S2! Lucky bastard.)
The Leica M9 will be available in the next few days for a retail price of $6,995 USD (which, while still high, is lower that what most pundits expected.)
The leaked Leica M brochure can be downloaded from here.
The Leica X1 will begin shipping in December 2009 and retail for $1.995 USD.
I will post a gallery of photos from today’s Leica event at Dale Photo & Digital later this evening.
Sep 092009
Leica’s webcast covering the new products being introduced today will be covered in this blog post. Please refresh this thread for more information.
9:02 AM – Placeholder still on the screen.
9:06 AM – Placeholder updated. Show starts at 9:15 AM.
9:10 AM – BJP reports only coffee drinking and chit-chat. 5 min to go.
9:15 AM – Showtime. Theoretically.
9:17 AM – Show actually starting. Leica CEO, Rudi Spiller saying “hi”.
9:19 AM – Rudi still crowing about Leica engineering history and why Leica’s cost more.
9:22 AM – History of Leica Camera.
9:25 AM – Image of Seal holding an M9. Why isn’t there an image of Carlos holding an M9?
9:26 AM – Three new Leica products being introduced.
9:27 AM – Stefan Daniels taking the stage.
9:28 AM – Leica M9 formally introduced. Digital full frame M camera. Almost all M-lenses supported. Kodak sensor exclusive to M9 – 18 Mpix.
9:33 AM – M9 available for purchase very shortly. Leica X1 introduced. Microphone malfunction.
9:35 AM – APS-C sensor, Elmarit 24mm f/2.8 fixed lens. Full manual controls, autofocus, all metal body. Auto-exposure and P&S modes. Available early December 2009.
9:37 AM – Leica S2 production model shown. Only MF system that is weather/water sealed. Will ship October 2009.
9:40 AM – Seal introduced. Big Leica fan. Packing an M9 already. Lucky bastard.
9:42 AM – Leica beta tester requirement – International singing star.
9:44 AM – Seal: “Love affair with Leica cameras…” bought an M6 + Noctilux right off the bat. Guess that’s whom Leica is after.
9:47 AM – Seal: “Leica has stayed true to their philosophy.”
9:49 AM – Rudi Spiller gives Seal an S2. No R10.
Sep 062009
Leica last week sent out invitations to everyone to see their live webcast on 09/09/09 at 9:09 AM EDT to hear about their new line of products. Astute observers noticed discrepancies in the M camera portrayed in the video from the standard M8/M8.2. Add to that more rumors hitting the web, the plethora of nines in the date and the time, and a lot of other subtle indicators and a consensus was reached that an M9 was in the offing. Spy photos were posted and taken down. Links were posted then removed. Well, the Leica M Brochure has been leaked to the web and there’s an M9 on the front page.
Wednesday is going to be very very interesting.
Jul 252009
Leicarumors and other sites are reporting that Leica is planning to announce a new digital M camera on 09-09-09 at 9:09 AM. The timing is serendipitous, that’s for sure. Many Leica owners are unloading their M8′s and M8.2′s in anticipation of the new M which is rumored to be full-frame.
Here are some mock-ups that have made their way around the rumor circuit:
