My recommendations about the Leica M9 system:
Be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of the “classic Leica” way of photography:
- Have a small collection of carefully chosen equipment.
- Because it is compact and lightweight, have it with you always.
- Because it is easy to learn, get some practice with it and then be ready to use it in a fluid, spontaneous way.
- Keep both eyes open, maintain a personal connection with your subject, get in close since the camera rig is not intimidating, and wait for the perfect moment.
And, be aware of the limits:
- Trying to use extra wide angle lenses will be awkward, because you’ll need to add an accessory finder in the hot shoe, switch between viewfinder and rangefinder, and lose the compact and convenient nature of the operation if you wish to switch to other types of lenses. This will change if there’s an M10 with Live View. Until then, DSLR’s do better with extreme wide lenses.
- Trying to use lenses longer than medium telephoto will be awkward, because the subject will be smaller in the rangefinder, the actual contents of the image will be hard to see, and the rig will be front-heavy with a big long heavy lens on a compact camera. This will also change if a forthcoming Leica M includes live view, but even then the compactness of the camera may make use of extra-long lenses impractical.
- Same thing with macro lenses: not practical on the M series without live view.
- It’s possible to use the world’s fastest production lens, but this is a very heavy and expensive lens. If you need extreme low light coverage, one of the newest high-ISO “monsters” such as the Canon 1dMarkIV or Nikon D3 line may be more suitable to use a less exotic lens and still have acceptably low noise levels.
- Therefore, if you really need extreme wide angle, extreme telephoto, macro, or ultra low light coverage, use a different system.
If you can afford an M9 system and would like to take photos in the “classic Leica” way, or simply enjoy owning an exceptional object of craftsmanship, then get it. Consider the combination of the 28/2.8, 50/1.4 or 50/2, and 90/2 lenses.