Specifications

LEICA
R9
Program Modes
The R9 offers four different operating modes,
all of which can readily be combined with
the three metering methods. (Shutter speed
is stepless in automatic program and
aperture priority modes from 32 to 1/8000
sec., and in half-steps from 16 to 1/8000 sec.,
in shutter speed priority and manual
exposure modes.) For added convenience
the operating mode selector dial can be
locked, ensuring that your setting will be
retained, so that you can start making
exposures in the selected mode at any time.
P – Variable Automatic Program Mode:
Interesting subjects require a quick reaction.
Those are perfect situations for the variable
automatic program mode, because it
spontaneously and instantly sets the
appropriate combination of shutter speed
and aperture. In addition, by turning the
shutter speed dial, you can change the shutter
speed and aperture combination established
by the camera at any time to suit the desired
pictorial effect. Thus the variable automatic
program mode very conveniently takes care
of freezing a fast-moving subject or
deliberately reducing the depth of field.
A – Aperture Priority:
While you concentrate on the choice of just
the right aperture for your photograph the
the camera sets the proper shutter speed.
On the R9, you can use the preview lever to
evaluate the depth of field directly through
the viewfinder. And thanks to HSS (High
Speed Synchronization) you can now use
flash with all shutter speeds.
T – Shutter Speed Priority:
You set the shutter while the camera
automatically sets the correct aperture. By
pre-setting the shutter speed, for instance,
you can opt for a sharp, frozen image of the
subject, or use it to create a dynamic blur.
M– Manual Operation:
Ideal when you are working under unusual
light conditions and you wish to capture a
very special mood. In this mode, you set both
the shutter speed as well as the aperture, and
you can change them in half steps. By using
the selective metering mode, you can control
the exposure very precisely.
USING FLASH—LIGHT DOESN’T EQUAL LIGHT
The flash exposure control of the R9 enables you to achieve any desired lighting
mood. It determines the particular individual flash intensity and automatically
and precisely balances the flash with the surrounding ambient illumination. If
you prefer, you can also make these settings.
Metering During the Exposure:
Flash illumination – like daylight illumination – is metered through the lens. With dedi-
cated flash units, this takes place in the center-weighted integral mode. You can, howev-
er, choose one of several modes in order to take advantage of different creative possibili-
ties: The variable automatic program mode measures the ambient light and tailors the
flash intensity to it in a pleasing manner. In shutter speed and aperture priority modes
or in manual, you can preset the shutter speed or the aperture, respectively, and enter
the corrections of the amount of flash for the desired pictorial effect.
Metering Before the Exposure:
With the R9, flash exposure can also be metered before
making the actual exposure. The metering in this case is
limited to the part of the subject outlined by the circle
in the center of the viewfinder image. This makes it
possible to tailor the flash illumination specifically to a
particular detail of your subject. Flash brightness is
metered by means of a pre-flash directed at the subject.
The result is shown in the over- and under-exposure
reading in the back cover display and it can be corrected
quickly by manually selecting the appropriate aperture. Brightness of the entire subject
is subsequently measured in one of the three metering modes, and then the actual
exposure is made. The selective flash mode F thus leads to perfectly balanced pictures in
conjunction with an external flash unit.
High-Speed Flashes:
With High Speed Synchronization (HSS), the R9 permits super-fast flash exposures with
shutter speeds up to 1/8000 (in conjunction with an HSS flash like the Metz 54MZ-3.
By triggering numerous flashes in very fast succession, the effect comes very close to that
of a constant light source that uniformly illuminates the entire image area. This makes it
possible, for instance, to achieve a fill-flash effect in portraits being taken in sunshine
with a wide-open aperture. The flash exposure is determined by means of a pre-flash
with selective metering of the main subject. As
long as the camera’s electronics are acti-
vated, the result of the pre-exposure metering remains stored independently of the result
of the ambient light metering, so that the desired cropping can be chosen freely after
that measurement has been stored.
First or Second Shutter Curtain:
You can set the timing of flash synchronization yourself by using the respective lever
position. This determines whether the flash is triggered at the beginning of the exposure
as usual, or whether it is fired at the end of the exposure. These two modes can often
render the very same subject quite differently. When the flash is triggered at the end of
the exposure (i. e. synchronized with the second shutter curtain), moving subjects are
depicted more realistically. This effect becomes much more dramatic with long
exposure times.
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