No doubt if you have been into photography for any amount of time you have heard of the Leica and the expensive price tag that the name demands. I, like most of you, have never even touched a leica but I assumed the image quality and features were top notch for such a price. That was until I saw these latest rankings courtesy of DxOMark in which the Leica M9, M9 P, and M-E Typ 220 earned really bad scores when compared to other DSLRs.
As you can see in the image below, when compared to the recent Nikon D600 (an entry level full frame in Nikons lineup) and the Canon 5D Mark III (Canon’s latest Pro Full Frame) the Leica M9 P ranked significantly lower. Yet the price difference is astounding, The Nikon D600 runs for around $2000, the 5D Mark III run about $3200….. The Leica M9 P runs for $6200!
This begs the title question, is it really worth it? Is the design of the bodies and the name recognition of the brand worth an extra 3,000 to 4,000 dollars over Canon and Nikon bodies that are tested to be superior? If you are asking me, the answer would be a huge resounding no. But as I mentioned before, I have never actually used a Leica nor seen one in person…. But I find it hard to believe that by having seen or used one that my mind would be changed much.
So now I put the question to you, is a Leica worth the price tag in your eyes? Is there something that I am missing here? Let us know in the comments below.
[via Steve Huff Photo]
