| Price |
• US: $6,995 (body only)
• UK: £4,850 inc VAT (body only) |
| Type |
Compact digital viewfinder system camera for professional use with Leica M lenses. Microprocessor-controlled metal blade slot shutter. |
| Body material |
Enclosed all-metal body of highly stable magnesium alloy for professional use over many years. Black synthetic leather coating. Top panel and bottom cover are milled from solid brass and are silver or black chromium plated. Available in Steel grey (10705) or Black (10704). |
| Sensor * |
• 36 x 24 mm CCD sensor (by Kodak)
• 18 million effective pixels
• 18.5 million total pixels
• 6.8 x 6.8 µm pixel pitch
• RGB Color Filter Array
• Offset microlenses near frame corners
• No anti-alias filter (low pass filter)
• No FOV crop (same size as 35 mm negative) |
| Image sizes * |
• 5212 x 3472 (18 MP)
• 3840 x 2592 (10 MP)
• 2592 x 1728 (4.5 MP)
• 1728 x 1152 (2 MP)
• 1280 x 846 (1 MP) |
| File formats |
• DNG (RAW) 14-bit uncompressed (36 MB) * / 8-bit compressed (18 MB)
• JPEG (Fine / Basic)
• DNG + JPEG |
| Lens mount |
• Leica M bayonet
• Identification of 6-bit coded lenses
• Manual selection of lens type / focal length (internal database) * |
| Lens system |
• Current 6-bit coded Leica M lenses of 16 - 135 mm focal length *
|
| Lens coding |
• 6-bit lens coding system (detection can be disabled)
• Reduction of edge shadowing
• Identification of lens (recorded in JPEG EXIF / DNG)
• Auto slow-sync function in aperture priority mode |
| Incompatible lenses |
• Hologon 15 mm F8
• Summicron 50 mm F2 with close focusing
• Elmar 90 mm F4 with collapsible tube
• Some examples of the Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 (not aspherical, manufactured from 1961–1995, Made in Canada) cannot be fitted to the LEICA M9 or will not focus to infinity. Leica Customer Service can modify these lenses so that they can be used on the Leica M9.
• Lenses with retractable tubes can only be used with their tubes extended otherwise you risk damaging the camera |
| Focusing |
• Manual focus via lens ring
• Superimposed focusing system via viewfinder |
| Exposure modes |
• Center-biased TTL exposure metering with preset aperture
• Light reflected from white and grey pattern * in center of blade slot shutter
• Silicon photodiode with collection lens
• Range: 0 to 20 EV |
| Exposure compen. |
• +/- 3.0 EV
• 1/3 EV steps
• SET menu / Rear dial / Rear dial with half-press * |
| Exposure bracketing * |
• No. of exposures: 3, 5 or 7
• Sequence: 0/+/- or -/0/+
• EV increments: 0.5 to 2.0 EV |
| Sensitivity * |
• AUTO ISO
• PULL 80
• ISO 160
• ISO 200
• ISO 250
• ISO 320
• ISO 400
• ISO 500
• ISO 640
• ISO 800
• ISO 1000
• ISO 1250
• ISO 1600
• ISO 2000
• ISO 2500 |
| Auto ISO * |
• Slowest speed (Lens dependent or 1/8 - 1/125 sec)
• Max ISO (any ISO) |
| Shutter |
Microprocessor-controlled low-noise metal blade slot shutter with vertical action |
| Shutter cocking |
Using low-noise integral motor, optionally after releasing the shutter release button |
| Shutter speed |
• In aperture priority mode steplessly adjustable from 32 to 1/4000 sec
• Manually selectable from 4 to 1/4000 sec in 1/2 EV steps
• Bulb |
| Shutter dial |
• "Wrong way" shutter dial (same as M6 TTL / M7)
• Auto shutter speed position
• Bulb position
• 4 to 1/4000 sec in 1/2 EV steps
• 1/180 sec indicated as flash sync |
| Shutter release button |
• Three position soft-touch button
1. Initiate metering
2. Lock metered exposure
3. Shutter release
• Advance modes *
o Standard
o Soft
o Discreet
o Discreet & Soft |
| Aperture |
Selected on lens |
| White balance |
• Auto
• Six presets
o Tungsten
o Fluorescent 1
o Fluorescent 2
o Daylight
o Flash
o Cloudy
o Shadow
• Manual preset
• Kelvin color temperature (2000 - 13100 K)
• Preset white balance (immediate or from photo) |
| Color space * |
• sRGB
• Adobe RGB |
| Image parameters |
• Sharpening (5): Off, Low, Standard, Medium High, High
• Saturation (7): Low, Medium Low, Standard, Medium High, High, B&W, Vintage *
• Contrast (5): Low, Medium Low, Standard, Medium High, High |
| User profiles |
Four available * |
| Viewfinder type |
• Large bright-line frame viewfinder with automatic parallax compensation
• Viewfinder optics with reduced sensitivity to scattered light and optimum visibility of the bright-line frame in all lighting situations |
| Viewfinder specification |
• Eyepiece matched to -0.5dpt, correction lenses form -3 to +3dpt available
• Enlargement: 0.68x for all lenses |
| Viewfinder bright-line frames * |
• Automatically matched for the lens used
o 35 and 135 mm
o 28 and 90 mm
o 50 and 75 mm
• Automatic parallax correction |
| Size basis range finder |
Combination of split and superimposed image range finder shown as a bright field in the centre of the viewfinder image. Effective measurement basis 47.1 mm (mechanical measurement basis 69.25mm x viewfinder enlargement 0.68 x). |
| Viewfinder information |
• LED symbol for flash status
• Four-digit LED display with dots above and below
• Brightness automatically adjusted depending on ambient brightness
• Memory capacity warning when the SD card is full
• LED light balance with two triangular and one circular LED for manual exp
• Display of: underexposure by at least one aperture stop; underexposure by 1/2 aperture stop; correct exposure; overexposure by 1/2 aperture stop; overexposure by at least one aperture stop |
| LCD monitor |
• 2.5" TFT LCD
• 230,000 pixel TFT |
| Flash control |
• Leica M-TTL flash compatible
• Short calibration pre-flash immediately before main exposure
• Connection: M-TTL guide number control with pre-flash
• Flash sync: 1/180 sec *
• Manual: Bulb to 1/180 sec *
• Auto slow sync: 1/focal length in seconds (only 6-bit coded lenses)
• Choice of long flash sync times up to 1/8 sec for balanced flash in aperture priority mode
• Sync: 1st or 2nd shutter point (front / rear sync)
• Compensation: +/- 3.0 EV in 1/3 EV steps |
| Shooting modes |
• Single picture (one shutter button depression, one picture)
• Continuous (2 frames per second up to 8 frames *)
• Self-timer (Off *, 2 or 12 second delay) |
| Folder management * |
• Select folder
• Create new folder
• Reset folder number |
| Play functions |
• Image (simple)
• Image with histogram and information
o Histogram: standard / RGB
o Clipping indication: on / off
o Exposure information
o Can magnify and browse
• Image magnify up to 1:1 (can browse)
• Thumbnail (4 or 9 image index)
• Page by page (9 image index)
• Protect
• Delete |
| Delete function |
• Single image
• All images |
| Protect / Unprotect function |
• Single image
• All images |
| Set quick access menu * |
• White Balance
• Compression
• Resolution
• Exposure compensation
• Exposure bracketing
• User profile |
| Languages |
• English
• German
• French
• Spanish
• Italian
• Japanese
• Chinese
• Russian * |
| Storage |
• Secure Digital / Secure Digital HC
• FAT / FAT32 |
| Connectivity |
• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (Mini-B connector)
• PTP / Mass storage * |
| Provided software |
• Adobe Lightroom 2 *
• Leica Digital Capture |
| Power |
• Lithium-Ion battery pack (3.7 V, 1900 mAh)
• Compact charger * |
| Dimensions |
139 x 80 x 37 mm (5.5 x 3.1 x 1.5 in) |
| Weight (inc. battery) * |
589 g (1.3 lb) |
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