The new Leica M9 combines new technologies in the camera market with a retro look and feel. While style is a major part of the attraction of the 18 megapixel M9 it is the first camera of its size to offer a full-frame CCD sensor on a digital rangefinder camera. This lets the M9 capture the classic 24×36mm photograph with extremely high resolution. The M9 is by no means a cheap camera at around $7-8,000 and is clearly targeted to the professional market where the high resolution really matters.

Compared to Leica’s previous offering, the M8.2, the Leica M9 has a significant improvement in the noise effects you will see on your photographs, giving you a better quality of image. The biggest improvement over the M8.2 though is the new UV/IR filter, which is thicker than the M8.2 and has improved reduction in the cut off of infra-red light which makes for a major improvement in picture quality.