Leica M-E rangefinder: Almost an M9, for a whole lot less?

 

 

Think quickly! How much would you pay to have a USB port and an extra switch on your Leica digital camera? Did you say US$1,500 or more? If so, then you can stop reading this preview: the German camera legend would rather you looked at our review of their M9 and M9-P instead.

If, though, you're the kind of person who's willing to sacrifice a couple of features that--let's face it--you probably wouldn't use much anyway... Well, the brand-new Leica M-E might just be the rangefinder camera for you! The M-E retains almost all of what made the M9 so popular with Leicaphiles, and yet somehow manages to shave a very handy 21% off the list price.

 

The biggest difference between the Leica M-E and M9 is to be found in the pricetag.

Available immediately, the Leica M-E is priced at around US$5,450 list. That's a pretty impressive US$1,500 off list pricing for the M9, a significant difference for a camera that lacks only two small features! In fact, the price difference is so significant that we found ourselves poring over the spec sheets looking for any slight differences. We were convinced we must be missing some significant omission between the Leica M-E and the more expensive M9, which has been shipping since September 2009--but no. We can find only three differences between the M-E and M9 beyond their pricetags.

 

There's no denying the Leica M-E is a handsome-looking camera.

Want to know what they are, and what they mean for M-E shooters? Read our Leica M-E preview!