While my Leica M8 broke last spring, I still have the Leica M9 which accommodates a CCD 18 MP sensor. I bought it back in Oct 2011. This was Leica's first fullframe digital Leica M camera.

To be honest... it is a pretty clunky experience *LOL* It is also easy to miss the exact focus point with a rangefinder. I kind of had forgotten that. (But you learn, the more you use a rangefinder) and get fine-tuned skills over time.

Any modern Leica M is probably miles ahead, I am sure.

Leica M EV1

Including the brand new Leica M EV1 without rangefinder that was just released the other day. Not as a replacement for rangefinder cameras, but as an alternative. Given that it now has built-in diopter correction, i am sure it makes some people very happy.

Now that it has a digital viewfinder - that means it is way easier to adapt other lenses to the Leica M mount. You see what you get, directly when you look through the viewfinder.

My primary criticism is, that the focus aid implementations appear... clunky. (non sophisticated, backwards). The lack of joystick I find utmost irritating due to that you have to push the arrow buttons several times in order to move the focus cursor where you want it, e.g. border or corners.

(Same principle like you did on a Olympus EM1 Mark II and earlier, but even on a modern OM-5 it still is that clunky) The OM-1 has a joystick. So does the Olympus EM1X. That Leica uses arrow buttons to move the cursor... is incredible backwards in 2025.

Especially given the price of 8000 €.

Leica M9 - Max ISO 2500... barely.

In the ISO department the Leica M9 is of course way behind all modern Leica M cameras. It maxes out at ISO 2500 - on top that it is very noisy. Things get better at ISO 1250 - like the portrait of Sal above. The colors are surprizingly vibrant.

Notice that I did use Adobe's Noise AI in order to reduce the overall noise.

The limitation of high ISO is why I later added the Sony A7s camera, in order to get both extended (and way better) high ISO quality with Leica M lenses. But it isn't any good for images that require critically sharp corners - due to the very thick sensor stack in the Sony A7s; the borders get smeared, fuzzy and weird.

But for black & white low light portraits, it works excellent. So, does the Canon EOS R6 too. I love to sometimes use the older Leica Noctilux-M 50/1 on the Canon EOS R6.

Yet - also with the EOS R6: for images where critically sharp borders and borders are important the corners are not critically sharp with Leica M lenses, due to the too thicker sensor stack.

Future alternative for Leica M lenses ?

I would probably buy a second hand Leica SL2s [24 MP]. It works well for Leica M lenses (with an L-M adapter), has IBIS (image stabilization) and of course a better, extended high ISO. I also do like the boxy shape of the Leica SL to be honest. I think those can be had for around 2200 € second hand today in 2025.

A way better price than a 8000 € Leica M EV1.

So, the Leica M experience for me personally, will be simply to use my old Leica M9, as well the film based M6 (which is a delight to use). I will not buy a Leica M in foreseeable future.

It works

Now you have seen the type of photos and portrait which works pretty well to use Leica M lenses on other cameras, despite their thick sensor stack. But this only works (mainly) for images where borders and corner sharpness doesn't matter.

Once you wish to do landscape, with critically sharp borders and corners - things get messy. Unless you use a Leica M or Leica SL camera for Leica M lenses.

Full stop.

So, in my way of making portraits - i have a huge amount of flexibility and do not truly need a modern, brand new Leica. A Canon EOS R, Canon EOS R6, a Sony A7s - they all do well for Black & White portraits (in more or less) low light with Leica M lenses.

Sal is getting sick ?

He wasn't doing so well late in the evening, and felt sick-ish. It came pretty sudden. While he has no fever, on the contrary only 36.1°C - but I could hear how his nose was all stuffed and "thick". His aura also changed almost as if somebody pushed a button and let out some of his life energy. Strange isn't it ? I felt it very clearly...

Sal most likely caught a cold.