A Viewfinder Darkly
Phil Northeast is Feature Writer for Photography at 
Stock photography by Phil Northeast is available from Ozimages International
Leica M9 Rangefinder for the Digital Age
The Leica legend is set to re-emerge in the digital age with the M9 more than fulfilling the promise of their first digital effort, the M8, with a new 18 megapixel full frame sensor.
Leica M9
Leica 35mm rangefinders hold an iconic place in the history of photography and now Leica have come up with a worthy blend of old and new for the digital version.
Leica’s first digital rangefinder, the M8, has some problems with Infra Red sensitivity that require special filters in front of the lens to prevent magenta casts on dark colours. There were initial problems with colour streaking and green ghosting that prevented the M8 from living up to the expectations on its introduction.
Kodak Sensor
The larger image capture area of the full frame sensor in the Leica M9, and the short lens to sensor distance in a compact Rangefinder design required a redesign of both the sensor’s pixel and microlens configuration compared to the sensor used in the M8 camera, which Kodak was able to achieve without compromising on Leica’s stringent image quality requirements. This included paying particular attention to a new IR-absorbing cover glass as well as a new red colour pigment for improved colour fidelity and improved image quality.
Leica says the “newly developed glass sensor cover that is designed to guarantee the suppression of the infrared portion of the light spectrum in practical photography. This avoids the necessity of mounting special UV/IR filters.”
The Kodak sensor in the Leica M9
“We are honoured that Leica has again chosen Kodak to supply image sensors for their latest camera – the new M9,” said Chris McNiffe, General Manager of Kodak’s Image Sensor Solutions group. “This new sensor is the latest example of Kodak’s continued commitment to support a broad range of imaging markets with high-performance image sensors that leverage Kodak’s most advanced CCD technology.”
“In developing the M9 camera, we knew that Leica could not compromise on the quality we would offer to our customers,” said Rudi Spiller, CEO of Leica Camera AG. “By working once again with Kodak to supply the image sensor for this new camera, we helped to ensure that images from the M9 would meet the high expectations our customers have for this exciting new product.”
Traditional Camera Body for Leica M9
A familiar Leica M series body hides the new Kodak sensor offering the classic Leica look and feel for photographers. The full frame digital sensor offers the same angle of view for Leica lenses compared to the 35mm film versions. This means that the enormous potential performance of the current M lens portfolio with focal lengths from 16 to 135 mm is now fully exploited in a digital camera for the very first time.
Almost all Leica M series lenses built since 1954 can be used on the new M9. The high mechanical and optical precision and exceptional imaging performance means Leica M lenses are now ideal for use in digital photography. The individual coating of each Leica lens element has long been a Leica standard, and there is no need to develop and implement any special measures for ‘digital lenses’.
The traditional construction of the Leica M9 camera body is typified by retention of the removable bottom plate. In a film Leica this is used to access the film and in digital Leica’s it is used to change memory cards and batteries. The rear view though betrays the digital nature of the Leica M9 with a familiar digital LCD screen and controls.
Image File Formats
Naturally the Leica M9 saves its files in RAW and compressed JPEG formats. The unusual aspect is that Leica do not have a propriety RAW format, rather it uses the standardized and future-proof Adobe Digital Negative Format (DNG).
Leica M9 shutter
The Leica M9 comes with the availability of a free download of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom , a professional digital workflow solution for Apple Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. The online download ensures that the latest release is always readily available.
Availability and Pricing
The LEICA M9 in black and steel-grey will be available for order from all Leica “M” Dealers from 9 September 2009 at RRP $11,499.00 (Body only).
Leica M9's magnesium body
Leica M9 top view