"you buy into a lens system and update bodies every 2-5 years. How will this work with the M9? Don't get me wrong, it looks to be a wonderful piece of engineering, I'd love one, but it doesn't offer the 'camera for life' scenario of the old film cameras." That's exactly what you do with Leica. I'm still using my 5o year old Leica lenses with my digital Leica M8. How many other camera systems can still use 50 year old lenses? Not only that, but the old Leica lenses are the best ones around! Tina www.tinamanley.com

"So, you can focus with the RF patch in the corner? :P or do you just prefer to center all your RF images?" With a rangefinder camera, you focus and then compose. Once you are used to it, it's much faster than any autofocus twirling of dials. Tina www.tinamanley.com

For the working photojournalists and documentary photographers who have been waiting for a Leica M digital equivalent to the Leica film cameras, the M9 is the answer to a prayer. I've been using the M8 happily since it was released but will gladly switch to a full-frame M9 ASAP. I won't get rid of my M8s - they are still very useable, but an M9 would be a return to my film M's and my wonderful wide angle Leica lenses. To those who are worried about the price, it has never been truer that you get what you pay for. When you pay for a Leica, you get the very best. Tina www.tinamanley.com