Adam's Amazing Book: Leica M9

If you've been longing for a digital version of the legendary Leica rangefinder, your wait is over. The Leica M9 is the world's first full-frame Leica digital rangefinder, and also the world's smallest full-frame camera, period. It boasts an 18 megapixel, full-frame 24 x 36mm sensor, full compatibility with Leica's M lenses, ISO from 80 to 2500, shutter speeds of up to 1/4000 of a second, a sturdy one-piece, full metal housing, with a magnesium alloy body and solid brass top and bottom plates, a 2.5-inch monitor, and quick access to the features and adjustments serious photographers care about most.

To put it into perspective, the sensor on the excellent Nikon D90 I’m itching for measures a mere 15.8 x 23.6 with 12.3 megapixels. Full frame digital cameras don’t come cheap at the best of times. Nikon D3 priced at $5,549, while the Canon 5D Mark II costs $4,149.00.

The older Leica M8.2 runs $6,699. from Vistek. Simply put, these are professional cameras for professionals. Leica, a German company, makes some remarkable equipment. They’re like the Ferrari of the camera world. So it’s not a surprise that the new M9 comes in at a whopping US$8,075.