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Leica M9-P

 
Leica M9-P front
 
Portability
78
Imaging
64
Features
30
Overall
50

Leica M9-P overview

Leica M9-P is Leica's Pro Mirrorless camera first released on June of 2011. It houses a 18 MegaPixel, CCD Full frame size sensor with a peak resolution of 5212 x 3472.

Leica released this camera in an effort to upgrade the earlier Leica M9 (Read Full Comparison)

The M9-P is positioned #67 out of 70 in Pro Mirrorless cameras and all around #433 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can check out our Smart camera finder to get camera rankings based on your personal requirements.

Photography Glossary

Below is a diagram of different criteria used in the scoring system.

Leica M9-P family

The Leica M9-P is part of a family of cameras. You can see the complete list below.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Leica-M11 front thumbnailLeica M11
M9-P vs M11
60MPFull frame4.5 fps2022
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Leica-M10 front thumbnailLeica M10
M9-P vs M10
24MPFull frame5.0 fps2017
Leica-M-Typ-262 front thumbnailLeica M Typ 262
M9-P vs M Typ 262
24MPFull frame3.0 fps2015
Leica-M-Edition-60 front thumbnailLeica M Edition 60
M9-P vs M Edition 60
24MPFull frame3.0 fps2014
Leica-M-E-Typ-220 front thumbnailLeica M-E Typ 220
M9-P vs M-E Typ 220
18MPFull frame2.0 fps2012
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Leica-M-Typ-240 front thumbnailLeica M Typ 240
M9-P vs M Typ 240
24MPFull frame3.0 fps2012
Leica-M-Monochrom front thumbnailLeica M-Monochrom
M9-P vs M-Monochrom
18MPFull frame2.0 fps2012
Leica-M9-P front thumbnailLeica M9-P18MPFull frame2.0 fps2011
Leica-M9 front thumbnailLeica M9
M9-P vs M9
18MPFull frame2.0 fps2009

Leica M9-P Pros and Cons

Here is a collection of upsides and downsides of the Leica M9-P based on criterias that are oftentimes seen as essential in a camera.

big sensor size (Full frame)
doesnt have anti-alias filter
exports RAW formats
good min ISO (80)
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Leica M mount)
resolution is good (18 megapixels)
continuous shooting slow (2.0 fps)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
doesn't have HDMI support
doesn't have headphone jack
doesn't have microphone jack
doesn't have Timelapse recording
does not have image stabilization
fixed screen
lack of video recording
lacks phase detect auto focus
low battery power (350 shots)
no liveview
no shutter priority
screen has low resolution (230 k dot)
screen is somewhat small (2.5")
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Leica M9-P Sensor information

The sensor spec in the Leica M9-P is 36mm x 24mm (Full frame). The 864 mm² sensor is able to resolve 5212 x 3472 pixels with aspect ratios of 3:2.

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The CCD sensor boasts 18 megapixels and delivers a native ISO range of 80 - 2500. RAW photos are saved which means that you have more margin for error.

Leica chose to omit the anti-alias filter inside the Leica M9-P. This can result in more clear photos but can introduce moire under some situations.

The graphic below displays the M9-P's sensor size when compared to other common sizes. The M9-P sensor comes with a crop factor of 1 and is presented in green.

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To get an idea of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Leica M9-P dimensions

Leica M9-P is 1.32 pounds (600 grams or 21.16 oz) and the overall size of the camera is 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5"). The weight of general Pro Mirrorless camera is 722 grams so the Leica M9-P is lighter than various rivals.

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Below is a pic of the Leica M9-P besides a softdrink so you can have a feel for its size.

Leica M9-P dimensions scale

The top view directly below will show the button arrangement on the M9-P.

Leica M9-P topview buttons dials

Leica M9-P Lens information

The M9-P uses the Leica M mount and has 62 lenses to select from. Here is a few of the lenses we have in our database that will fit the M9-P.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Carl-Zeiss-C-Sonnar-T1.5-50-ZM-Leica-M lensCarl Zeiss C Sonnar T 1,550 ZM50mmf/1.5 350g
Leica-Noctilux-M-75mm-F1.25-ASPH lensLeica Noctilux-M 75mm F1.25 ASPH75mmf/1.21055g
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Voigtlander-40mm-F1.4-Nokton-Classic-Leica-M lensVoigtlander 40mm F1.4 Nokton Classic40mmf/1.4 175g
Leica-Summarit-M-50mm-f2.5 lensLeica Summarit-M 50mm f2.550mmf/2.5 230g
Carl-Zeiss-Biogon-T2.8-28-ZM-Leica-M lensCarl Zeiss Biogon T 2,828 ZM28mmf/2.8 230g
Carl-Zeiss-Distagon-T2.8-15-ZM-Leica-M lensCarl Zeiss Distagon T 2,815 ZM15mmf/2.8 550g
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Carl-Zeiss-Distagon-T-1.4-35-ZM-Leica-M lensCarl Zeiss Distagon T1.4 35 ZM35mmf/1.4 381g
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Leica M9-P Connectivity

The M9-P has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Cameras that feature NFC and Bluetooth connectivity are able to be used wirelessly by smartphones. You will be able to copy pictures and in some cases change camera settings without the hassle of connecting directly with the camera.

Many apps also provide a Liveview and press the shutter in case you aren't close to the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI out, it can easily be connected to an external display. A good number of cameras will allow you to charge the battery through the USB socket.

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Leica M9-P Video information

Leica M9-P doesn't take video. In case you are looking for a camera to shoot just photos, it is not a problem.

Photography Glossary

Leica M9-P Weather Sealing

Leica M9-P doesn't have weather proofing so damp conditions may damage the camera.

Leica M9-P Display and Viewfinder

The Leica M9-P is equipped with a 2.5" fixed screen with a resolution of 230k dots.

Please note that the screen offers no touch support.

Leica M9-P screen and viewfinder Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

The View Finder details regarding Leica M9-P are below:

  • ViewFinder Optical (rangefinder)
  • ViewFinder Magnification 0.68x

Viewfinders are rather handy during bright outdoor situations which may make the camera display washed out and difficult to view.

Leica M9-P Shutter information

Leica M9-P continuous shooting speed is 2.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/4000 seconds.

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Leica M9-P Flash and Hot shoe information

Leica M9-P boasts external flash ability but does not have built-in flash.

Leica M9-P Autofocus information

Leica M9-P lacks Auto focusing. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot snappier and accurate than Contrast Based autofocusing.

Leica M9-P includes manual focusing when required during low light occasions or you want to have more precise focusing control.

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Leica M9-P Battery life

The battery power on the Leica M9-P is designed to last for 350 shutters based on the CIPA standards which is lower than its competition. The typical Pro Mirrorless camera battery life is 460. Olympus E-M1X offers the highest (870) battery life within this class of cameras.

Here is a collection of Pro Mirrorless cameras having the strongest battery life:

Leica M9-P for different categories of photography

The following bar chart provides a overview of the Leica M9-P for different categories of photography. To see more, have a look at the specific section below.

Leica M9-P Portrait photography features

The Leica M9-P receives a points total of 70 which is nice, and means the camera is a very decent option to use for portrait photos. Shooting portraits leans greatly towards sensor dimension, RAW support in addition to the capability to work with external flash.

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focusing manually
good megapixels (18 megapixels)
great sensor size (Full frame)
delivers RAW files
does not have liveview

Leica M9-P Street photography advice

Coming in at a nice rating of 64, the Leica M9-P is a very decent choice for street photography. A very good street photography camera features a fine balance of picture quality and portability.

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sensor size is large (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
fixed screen
no image stabilization

Leica M9-P Sports photography info

A bad sports photography points tally of 44 means the Leica M9-P is not acceptable for shooting sports. A camera really should have fantastic tracking and shutter speeds for sports photography.

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megapixel count decent (18 megapixels)
sensor size is large (Full frame)
does not have liveview
slow frames per second (2.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
no image stabilization
not so great battery life (350 shots)
doesn't have phase detect autofocus

Travel photography with Leica M9-P

Portability is really important when selecting a camera for travel. In general, the Leica M9-P gets a moderate 54 as a travel camera which is relatively acceptable to purchase for your travels.

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resolution is good (18MP)
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
low battery life (350 shots)
display is not selfie friendly

Leica M9-P Landscape photography details

For anyone planning to purchase a camera for landscape pictures, the most essential aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Leica M9-P at it's moderate grade of 60 as a landscape camera is somewhat acceptable amongst it's rivals.

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focusing manually
switch lenses (Leica M mount)
good resolution (18 megapixels)
large sensor size (Full frame)
doesnt have anti aliasing filter
saves RAW files
screen is somewhat small (2.5")
no liveview
no image stabilization
low battery (350 shots)
does not have Time Lapse mode

Leica M9-P Vlogging highlights

A vlogging camera ought to have a articulating display, microphone port and ideally image stabilization. Taking all things into account, the Leica M9-P is not acceptable for vlogging as it receives a bad score of 9.

Photography Glossary
no video shooting

Leica M9-P Alternatives

If you are trying to find alternatives to the M9-P, here is a collection of the top rated cameras which fall into the family of Pro Mirrorless.

The graph down below offers you a summary of the M9-P vs it's top ranked rivals shown above.

There are more cameras you might view as alternative options. To go through a detailed comparison, go to the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand Name
Leica
Model type
Leica M9-P
Type
Pro Mirrorless
Released
2011-06-21
Body design
Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
Full frame
Sensor measurements
36 x 24mm
Sensor area
864.0mm²
Sensor resolution
18MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
3:2
Highest resolution
5212 x 3472
RAW files
Highest native ISO
2500
Lowest native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Lens
Lens support
Leica M
Available lenses
59
Crop factor
1
Screen
Display type
Fixed Type
Display size
2.5"
Display resolution
230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Display tech
TFT color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Optical (rangefinder)
Viewfinder magnification
0.68x
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
68
DXO Color Depth rating
22.5
DXO Dynamic range rating
11.6
DXO Low light rating
854
Features
Lowest shutter speed
4 seconds
Highest shutter speed
1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed
2.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
no built-in flash
Flash options
Front Curtain, Rear Curtain, Slow sync
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Highest video resolution
None
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
600 gr (1.32 pounds)
Physical dimensions
139 x 80 x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5")
Other
Battery life
350 photographs
Type of battery
Battery Pack
Self timer
Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage
SD/SDHC card
Storage slots
1
Pricing at launch
$7,995