I didn’t have the energy to blog much these last couple of days, still in shock from Leica’s announcement yesterday that the camera they said was technologically impossible just a few months ago is suddenly ready to hit store shelves in a few weeks. I’m referring of course to the M9, a full-frame version of my just purchased M8.2. What’s the difference you might well ask? Well, the biggest difference is that a full-frame sensor now means that all Leica lenses capture the image in the perspective for which they were originally designed, without any “crop factor”. So, for example, while a 28 mm lens shows the same cropping as a 35mm on the M8.2, it reveals its full story on the M9.

Not such a big deal for me actually, since I bought the M8.2 without any “legacy” of lenses, i.e. I bought two new lenses in sizes I knew were appropriate to the perspective I was looking for. The great deception of course is that Leica knew they had this camera in imminent development and yet closely guarded the secret in order to “load” the market with M8’s and 8.2’s. This is one of the most appalling cases of plumbing the depths of immorality for a buck.

My dealer claims innocence and I believe him, as I know the genuine efforts he makes to be a trusted resource for Leica enthusiasts. But Leica refuses to consider any trade-in program for recent purchasers of the M8.2. Anyway, another lesson learned in the world of technology.