I can no longer use an M9 without my trusty Thumbs Up. It makes the camera much easier to hold. What are your favorite accessories or add-on items for your M9?
The only thing I regularly use is a built-in grip case from Luigi at Leicatime…I originally bought it with the M8 a few years ago. Beyond that, I just use a RRS plate with the grip for when I am doing a lot of tripod work. I don’t really think the M9 needs many accessories, to be honest! That’s the beauty of the camera…it really works perfectly without too many add-ons…
All I use is the “Thumbs Up”. Agree with other post, no need for any other accessories.
I have the “Thumby” on my M9.
I think other essential accessories for me include the Leica viewfinder magnifiers. My eyesight is far from perfect, even with glasses, so having a bit of extra magnification in the viewfinder has proven to be very helpful. Even with wider angle lenses, I might use the 1.4x and an external viewfinder. A very useful gadget I always keep in my camera bag.
The M body is a bit difficult to hold, in particular with a heavy lens … but the Thumbs Up doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t like the idea of putting constant torque on the hotshoe, and I also heard from users who have dented their camera’s top cap where the Thumb Up’s curved part touches the body.
A hand grip would change the shape and the size of the M body, so I was hesitant to acquire one of those, too … until I actually tried one. Since then, the grip has hardly ever been removed from the camera (except for tripod work). It’s the original Leica Hand Grip M for me. While for example the RRS grip looks more elegant, I do like the way how the fingertips can slide a tiny bit into the gap between the Leica grip and the body.
I also use the Leica eyepiece magnifiers—1.25× for 50 mm and 75 mm lenses; 1.4× for 90 mm and 135 mm lenses. Please note that the magnifiers bring along a bit of negative diopter correction; they are not optically neutral! The Leica M’s eyepiece has a built-in base setting of -0.5 dpt which to the normal-sighted user means the viewfinder elements (framelines, focusing patch, LED elements) will appear at a virtual distance of 2 m. The magnifiers add approx. another -0.5 dpt or so to that. For a younger, normal-sighted person this will hardly make any difference. For a person with a bit of hyperopia or presbyopia, it might strain the eye. For the naked eyepiece, I can get away with no diopter correction but using a +1 dpt correction lens makes focusing a bit easier for me (I am slightly hyperopic). With the 1.25× magnifier, I definitely want to use the +1 dpt diopter lens. With the 1.4× magnifier, I even use a +1.5 dpt correction lens because the built-in negative correction is even slightly greater than in the 1.25× magnifier. So the +1.0 dpt correction lens mostly lives on the 1.25× magnifier, and the +1.5 dpt correction lens always lives on the 1.4× magnifier.
A diopter correction built into the eyepiece and/or the magnifiers would make life much easier … at least, the low-figure positive screw-in correction lenses (+0.5, +1.0, +1.5 dpt) don’t take away anything from the viewfinder’s field-of-view (don’t know about the higher-strength or the negative correction lenses).
A company called Photo Equip that makes a grip called MD-Grip which attaches to the bottom plate rather than replacing it. The grip is covered with neoprene and triangular in shape – much better to hold than the Leica round grip. Also the Megaperls 1.35 magnifier, it has a built in diopter! Artist and Artisan Silk strap, great to wrap around the wrist does not abrade the skin like nylon.
Like Doug I use a Thumbie too, which seems to balance the M9-P better as well as giving better grip. I haven’t had a problem with the adhesive strip and I’ve used one on my M8 for 18 months or so.
I use a Leica 1.25 magnifier most of the time (because I forget to take it off:o) but it helps with fast lenses especially the 90 APO-Summicron.
An Abrahamsson softie that helps me get at least an extra stop and maybe two if I’m lucky.
Pete.
I like this accessory so much I wrote a review:
When I was 40 I developed cataracts. During the time that the cataracts developed, I gave up photography. After the surgeries, and all the various treatments were complete, my vision started to settle down, and I started to shoot again. At this point I felt my vision was pretty good, and since I had always enjoyed rangefinders, I bought my first Leica. I have used the Leica Correction Lens and the Leica Viewfinder Magnifier, with minimal success. Basically, I simply wore my Glasses. The problems with glasses with rangefinder cameras are well known to all who wear glasses. You have a choice of seeing the frame-lines or see in focus, especially for lenses 35mm or wider. But even then, there is a sense of distance from the entire viewfinder experience.
My vision is not bad, I can pass the drivers test and read a menu without glasses. But to focus accurately requires glasses. My right lens on my glasses is severely scratched from my M9. I have tried to train myself to focus without glasses, but the photo’s always came out soft. Even with glasses, if I focus with the wrong part of my lens, the image was out of focus (progressive lenses). So it was always a struggle with accurate focus. This is the “Lot” of poor vision with a rangefinder camera… So I thought…
Over the last month or so I have been hearing about a new eyepiece, called WalterRX, which correct not just for the diopter, but for astigmatism. So after emailing a copy of my prescription for my shooting eye, I ordered one. Apparently production and sales are quite separated. Walter is the inventor and the optician in the background, and Jean-Louis Beek is the person is the person in charge of sales. Jean-Louis is wonderful to work with, and most accommodating to most any reasonable request. Jean-Louis Beek also runs another web business called http://www.cameratique.com/ while the WalterRX can be found at http://walterrxeyepiece.com/
So after a several weeks, I received the eyepiece. There are two reasons it took so long. The first is that it takes time to create the custom lens, and the second is the business is out of South Africa, and I live in Central China. Installation is simple, after cleaning your viewfinder window, you slip the eyepiece over it. Tighten the screw slightly just so it grasps the rim of the viewfinder window without putting pressure on it, and your done.
Using the eyepiece is also simple, just shoot. One caveat, don’t expect to have accurate vision while standing on your head while shooting. The special part of this eyepiece is the ability to keep the eyepiece tilted vertically no matter what position the camera is in. So as long as you stay vertical, your vision will be corrected accurately. The build quality is excellent, the bearings are smooth, and it rotates effortlessly.
So the first day, I went out to my usual haunts shot the events that were my usual, except no glasses. This day I had my Summilux 75mm, and Summilux 35mm. I was shooting mostly portraits and street. The lens I started with was the 75mm, and I notices two things, first I could see the focus patch more clearly, and it took less time to find the sweet spot. The photos were sharp, better than I had seen with the 75mm Lux. I had always accepted it as a soft lens, but now I found out it was me…. Argh. The 35mm frame lines were well within the viewfinder window, and performed as always. The Summilux 35mm is a pretty accommodating lens.
The second day, I took out my f/1 Noctilux and my 135mm Tele-Elmar. Both of these lenses can be focusing nightmares, in there own way. Again without glasses, to the usual haunts, and again the fine detail of the focusing patch were made clear. I was able to see with greater accuracy than even when I was wearing glasses. I think this due to the narrow focus patch of the progressive lenses.
The third day, I took my Macro-Elmar 90mm with adapter to the park to shoot some flowers, primarily to see how the eyepiece would work with the goggles on the adapter. I found the vision clear, and focusing accurate. Each one of these test was done over several hours of shooting, not just a few minutes. I found my keeper rate greatly improved.
The experience of using the WalterRX eyepiece, is much like using the Leica viewfinder magnifier, except there is no reduction in the viewing of the frame-lines, and of course no magnification. There is a very slight reduction in brightness, but is offset by the increased sharpness. Like using the Leica viewfinder magnifier, under certain circumstances there is a slight tendency to fog, but simply wiping off the eyepiece with a lens cloth, and your off and running.
This eyepiece is expensive, but for glasses wearer, it’s a godsend. To help offset the cost, it’s designed so if your vision changes, it can be updated by your optician. It is simple and built to last. Yes, I sound like a fanboy… I know it, but if you struggle with vision issues, and find a simple and elegant solution you would too.
I have the original Leica grip but dont use it any more.
Maybe my hands are different but I can hold the M9 pretty good without any additional things – specially since I need 2 hands anyways (for focusing). Different with the x1 where I now use the grip all the time since I can hold it one handed if I want.The magnifier 1.25 I had used a lot but now its not so often on my M9…because I dont want to screw it on and off (for wide angle)…and after my lenses were calibrated I also get the focusing pretty accurate (even without a magn.)
Hi,
I found you comment very relevant.ka7197;426 wrote: The M body is a bit difficult to hold, in particular with a heavy lens … but the Thumbs Up doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t like the idea of putting constant torque on the hotshoe, and I also heard from users who have dented their camera’s top cap where the Thumb Up’s curved part touches the body.
A hand grip would change the shape and the size of the M body, so I was hesitant to acquire one of those, too … until I actually tried one. Since then, the grip has hardly ever been removed from the camera (except for tripod work). It’s the original Leica Hand Grip M for me. While for example the RRS grip looks more elegant, I do like the way how the fingertips can slide a tiny bit into the gap between the Leica grip and the body.
I also use the Leica eyepiece magnifiers—1.25× for 50 mm and 75 mm lenses; 1.4× for 90 mm and 135 mm lenses. Please note that the magnifiers bring along a bit of negative diopter correction; they are not optically neutral! The Leica M’s eyepiece has a built-in base setting of -0.5 dpt which to the normal-sighted user means the viewfinder elements (framelines, focusing patch, LED elements) will appear at a virtual distance of 2 m. The magnifiers add approx. another -0.5 dpt or so to that. For a younger, normal-sighted person this will hardly make any difference. For a person with a bit of hyperopia or presbyopia, it might strain the eye. For the naked eyepiece, I can get away with no diopter correction but using a +1 dpt correction lens makes focusing a bit easier for me (I am slightly hyperopic). With the 1.25× magnifier, I definitely want to use the +1 dpt diopter lens. With the 1.4× magnifier, I even use a +1.5 dpt correction lens because the built-in negative correction is even slightly greater than in the 1.25× magnifier. So the +1.0 dpt correction lens mostly lives on the 1.25× magnifier, and the +1.5 dpt correction lens always lives on the 1.4× magnifier.
A diopter correction built into the eyepiece and/or the magnifiers would make life much easier … at least, the low-figure positive screw-in correction lenses (+0.5, +1.0, +1.5 dpt) don’t take away anything from the viewfinder’s field-of-view (don’t know about the higher-strength or the negative correction lenses).
I already bought a +1 correction lens to be able to use my M9 without glasses ( I suffer of a small presbyopia resulting in a mandatory +0.5 correction).
I sometimes used a 1.4 magnifier for an Apo-Telyt 135mm but it happened to me that I was sometimes “out of focus” (despite the magnifier and in spite of the +1 lens coreection).
Your comment about the non neutrality of the 1.4x magnifier is true: I bought yesterday a +1.5 correction lens and admit that the focusing (with my 1.4x magnifier) is now accurate.
Based on your comments, I thought I would need a +2 correction but I tested it and it revealed to be too strong and fuzzy to my eyes. Conclusion: the +1.5 correction lens is the best relevant correction for the 1.4 magnifier !
It also proves that adding a 1.4 magnifier needs a +0.5 diopter correction lens.
Best regards
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