Leica M9 FAQ User Manual

LEICA M9

Technical Data

Camera

Order no.

Camera type

Lens attachment

Lens system

Picture format/

Image sensor

Resolution

Data formats

File size

Color spaces

White balance
Storage medium
Menu languages

Compatibility

Exposure metering

Measurement principle

Metering range

Measurement cell for

available light

Sensitivity range

Exposure mode

Flash exposure control

Flash unit connection

Synchronization

Flash sync speed

Flash exposure metering

Flash measurement cell

Flash exposure

compensation

Displays in flash mode

Viewfinder

Viewfinder principle

Eyepiece

Image framing

Parallax compensation

LEICA M9

steel-grey paint finish 10705 black paint finish 10704
Compact digital view and rangefinder system camera.
Leica M bayonet with additional sensor for 6-bit coding.
Leica M lenses from 16 to 135 mm.
5270 x 3516 pixels (18.5 Megapixel) CCD chip, active area approx. 23.9 x 35.8 mm 5212 x 3472 pixels (18 Megapixel)

(corresponding to usable format of analog Leica M models).
Adjustable, DNG™: 5212 x 3472 pixels (18 Megapixel), JPEG: 5212 x 3472 (18 Megapixel), 3840 x 2592 (10 Megapixel),

2592 x 1728 (4,5 Megapixel), 1728 x 1152 (2 Megapixel), 1280 x 846 pixels (1 Megapixel).
DNG™ (raw data), choice of uncompressed or slightly compressed (by non-linear reduction of color depth),

2 JPEG compression levels.
DNG: 18 MB (compressed)/36 MB (uncompressed), JPEG: approx. 2–10 MB.
Adobe® RGB, sRGB.
Automatic, manual, 7 presets, color temperature selection.
SD cards up to 2GB/SDHC cards up to 32GB.
German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Russian.
Windows® XP/Vista®; Mac® OS X (10.5).
Exposure metering through the lens (TTL), center-weighted with working aperture. Center-weighted TTL metering for

flashexposure with system-compatible SCA-3000/2 standard flash units.
Measured by light reflected by bright shutter blades on the first shutter curtain.
(at ISO 160/23°) At room temperature and normal humidity corresponds to EV 0 to 20 or f/1.0 and 1.2 s to f/32 and

1/1000 s. Flashing left triangular LED in viewfinder indicates values below metering range.
(continuous light measurement) Silicon photo diode with condensing lens, positioned in the bottom center of the

camera base.
ISO 80/19° to ISO 2500/35°, adjustable in 1/3 ISO increments, with aperture priority A and manual exposure setting,

choice of automatic control or manual setting, automatic control with snapshot profile.
Choice of automatic shutter speed control with manual aperture selection – aperture priority A – with corresponding digital

display, or manual setting of shutter speed and aperture and adjustment using LED light balance with indication of correct
exposure, or risk of overexposure/camera shake (with snapshot profile only).

Via accessory shoe with center and control contacts.
Optional synchronization on first or second shutter curtain.

= 1/180 s; longer shutter speeds possible.

(with SCA-3501/3502 adapter or SCA-3000 standard flash unit, e.g. Leica SF 24D/Leica SF 58). Control with
centerweighted TTL-pre-flash metering.

2 silicon photo diodes with condensing lens in camera base.
±3 1/3 EV in 1/3 EV steps adjustable on the SCA-3501/3502 adapter. On Leica SF 24D, ±3 EV in 1/3 EV- steps with

computer control, or from 0 to –3 EV in 1 EV-steps/on Leica SF 58 adjustable in all modes ±3 EV in 1/3 EV-steps.
Flash readiness: flash symbol LED in viewfinder constant. Correct flash exposure: LED constant or flashes rapidly after

exposure. Underexposure: LED extinguished after exposure.

Large, bright-line frame viewfinder with automatic parallax compensation.
Adjusted to -0.5 dpt. Correction lenses from -3 to +3 dpt. available.
By activating two bright-line frames: For 35 and 135 mm, 28 and 90 mm, or for 50 and 75 mm. Automatic activation

when lens is attached. Any pair of bright-line frames can be activated using the image field selector.
The horizontal and vertical difference between the viewfinder and the lens is automatically compensated according to

the relevant distance setting, i.e. the viewfinder bright-line automatically aligns with the subject detail recorded by the
lens.

Page 1 of 2 / As at September 2009 / Specifications are subject to change without notice
Leica Camera AG / Oskar-Barnack-Straße 11 / D-35606 Solms / Telephone [phone] / Telefax [phone] / www.leica-camera.com

Matching of viewfinder

and actual picture

Enlargement

Large basis rangefinder

Effective rangefinder

base

Displays

Viewfinder

On rear panel

Shutter and release

Shutter

Shutter speeds

Shutter cocking

Series exposures

Shutter release

Self timer

Switching the camera

on/off

Power supply

Charger

Camera housing

Material

Image field selector

Tripod thread

Operating conditions

Interface

Dimensions

Weight

Included extras

The size of the bright-line frame corresponds exactly to the sensor size of approx. 23.9 x 35.8 mm at a setting distance
of 1 meter. At infinity setting, depending on the focal length, approx. 7.3 % (28 mm) to 18 % (135 mm) more is recorded
by the sensor than indicated by the corresponding bright-line frame and slightly less for distances shorter than 1 m.

(for all lenses) 0.68x.
Split or superimposed image range finder shown as a bright field in the center of the viewfinder image.

47.1 mm (actual rangefinder base 69.25 mm x viewfinder enlargement 0.68x).

(lower edge) LED symbol for flash status. Four-digit seven-segment digital display with dots above and below, display
brightness adjusted for ambient brightness, for: Warning of exposure compensation, display for automatically generated
shutter speeds in aperture priority mode, indication of use of metering memory lock, warning that the metering or set­ting ranges are over- or underexposed using aperture priority and counting down exposures longer than 2 s.

LED light balance with two triangular and one central circular LED for manual exposure setting. The triangular LEDs
give the direction of rotation of the aperture setting ring and shutter speed setting dial to adjust the exposure. Also as
warning for over- or underexposure.

2,5” monitor (color TFT LCD) with 230,000 pixels.

Microprocessor-controlled, exceptionally low-noise metal blade shutter with vertical movement.
For aperture priority (A) continuously adjustable from 32 s to 1/4000 s. For manual setting 8 s to 1/4000 s in half

steps, B for long exposures of any duration (in conjunction with self timer T function, i. e. 1st release = shutter opens,
2nd release = shutter closes), (1/180 s) fastest shutter speed for flash synchronization.

Using low-noise integral motor, optionally after releasing the shutter release button.
Approx. 2 pictures/s, ≤ 8 pictures in series.
Three levels: Exposure metering on – Metering memory lock (in aperture priority mode) – Shutter release. Integrated

standard cable release thread.
Delay optionally 2 (aperture priority and manual exposure setting) or 12 s (menu setting), indicated by flashing LED on

front of camera and corresponding display on the monitor.
Using the main switch on the camera’s top panel, selectable automatic power-off for camera electronics after about

2/5/10 minutes, reactivation by pressing the shutter release button.
1 lithium ion battery, nominal voltage 3.7 V, capacity 1900 mAh. Capacity display in monitor, when shutter held open

(for sensor cleaning) additional acoustic warning when capacity is low.
Inputs: 100–240 V AC, 50/60Hz, automatic switching, or 12/24 V DC; Output: 4.2V DC, 800 mA.

All-metal die cast magnesium body, KTL dip painted, synthetic leather covering. Top deck and baseplate in brass, black,
or steel-grey paint finish.

Allows the bright-line pairs to be manually displayed at any time (e. g. for framing comparisons).
Stainless steel, A 1/4 (1/4’’) DIN, in baseplate.
0 to +40 °C.
5-pin mini-USB 2.0 High-Speed socket for fast data transfer.
(Width x Depth x Height) approx. 139 x 37 x 80 mm (5

1/2 x 1 1/2 x 3 1/6 in.).

585 g (19.8 oz) (with battery).
Charger 100–240 V with 2 mains cables (EU, USA, different in some export markets) and 1 car charger, lithium ion

battery, USB cable, carrying strap.

Page 2 of 2 / As at September 2009 / Specifications are subject to change without notice
Leica Camera AG / Oskar-Barnack-Straße 11 / D-35606 Solms / Telephone [phone] / Telefax [phone] / www.leica-camera.com