Leica M9, X1 and S2's pricing announced

Leonard Goh | Sep 15, 2009

The Leica M9. (Credit: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia)

Much as the Leica M9 fulfills what I wish for in a digital camera (compact body, interchangeable lens system and 18-megapixel full-frame sensor), it seems I won't be able to afford this shooter anytime soon. Priced at S$11,388 (US$8,199.88) for only the camera body, this rangefinder digital shooter is out of most consumers' reach. Throw in a decent 50mm Summicron lens, and that would bump the damage up to around S$13,000 (US$9,360.60).

So maybe I could settle for the X1, a 12-megapixel APS-C-sized sensor compact that has Leica's acclaimed 24mm F2.8 Elmarit optics. A point-and-shoot should be affordable, right? Well, it depends on your definition of cheap, but S$3,200 (US$2,304.15) for the X1 is definitely not for me.

But the most expensive camera on the list has to be the S2. This 37.5-megapixel dSLR-like shooter even comes with its own Premium and Platinum after-sales service plans which cost S$2,450 (US$1,764.11) and S$6,250 (US$4,500.29), respectively. The S2 itself will set interested photographers back S$37,680 (US$27,131.34) for the camera body alone, or S$45,680 (US$32,891.71) with a sapphire glass cover for the LCD.

So it seems like I won't be getting myself a Leica for a long time to come. But I have these pictures below to remember that I once held them.

Click on thumbnails for larger images: