I haven't tried an M9 so I don't know how they'd compare. It also depends on your preferences. I routinely go up to 12,800, but I like my photos to look “atmospheric” so I don't mind noise as long as it's smoothly distributed and not clumpy. The biggest issue I find is that correct exposure becomes more critical the higher the ISO goes. Overall I'm satisfied, but if you're looking for smooth noise or the ability to lift underexposed shadows, there are probably various mirrorless cameras that can do better.

No, like other Pixii models it uses built-in memory only. Pixii SaS says the 64gb model can store about 1,600 DNG files and the 128gb model about 3,200 DNG files. Ways to export files from the camera include: individually to a phone via the Pixii app; in bulk to a phone using an OTG cable; (OTG, for ‘on the go’, is an Android standard but also works with iOS as long as you use an OTG-specified cable); to a USB-C memory stick via a built-in routine which copies and verifies each image and then clears the camera memory; to a laptop or desktop computer via a USB-C cable or WiFi network; or to a Linux computer using the trusty ‘curl’ command.

Yes, it's possible for the rangefinder alignment to drift over time, especially if subjected to banging around. That's true of Leica, Canon, Nikon, and just about every other rangefinder camera as well; it's not so much a matter of fragility as of the ludicrous level of precision required. Of the classic brands, my personal opinion is that Canon is the most likely to stay in adjustment, and also is the easiest to adjust if it does go out; Nikon is about in the middle; and Leica is the most likely to go out and also the hardest to adjust. The only one of the classic rangefinder Big Four that almost never goes out of alignment is the Zeiss Contax II (and its Ukrainian clones) - these use a different principle, with sliding prisms instead of pivoting mirrors, that makes them more robust. The downside is that if a Contax DOES go out of whack, it's almost impossible to realign it! As for Pixii, not only is the system user-adjustable, but they publish an illustrated how-to guide and printable alignment chart to walk you through the steps: s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/dev.pixii.fr/docs/Pixii+A2572%2B+Rangefinder+Control+%26+Calibration.pdf The only tools required are a small straight and a small crosspoint screwdriver. The adjustments needed are a bit hard to reach and require VERY tiny movements, but if you're accustomed to working on cameras you should be able to do it. More to the point, I'm sure you could hand the guide to any competent repair technician and s/he would be able to get your rangefinder alignment set up in no time…

@@jlwilliams thank you for taking the time to give us detailed reply!

Interesting thought, but my guess is that won't happen, for two reasons: (1) It seems to me that a big priority for Pixii is minimizing the number of proprietary components, so adding an EVF driver, cabling, etc. is something they would want to avoid. (2) Some of us would just rather look through a direct optical system than at an EVF, no matter how much resolution it has. We shall see! I suspect an EVF-only Leica M is more likely than an EVF Pixii... have you noticed how Leica's marketing has shifted toward referring to it as an "M" camera and AWAY from referring to it as a "rangefinder" camera? Hmmm...

I hope both companies keep making rangefinder cameras for a long time!

I used Leica M cameras back during the "film era" (it was the only model of camera that the Iowa Supreme Court would allow to be used in courtrooms) but I always felt they were overrated. Once I no longer had to do courtroom photography, I happily switched to a Canon 7s, which gave me more convenient film loading, a built-in meter instead of a klutzy add-on, and a rangefinder much less likely to go out of alignment. Of course I'm sure the Leica digital cameras are different, and the various M11 models do have some appealing features. But I really like Pixii's software-defined approach and smooth integration between the camera and the app, while the practical advantages of the Leica M don't seem to justify the exorbitant extra cost. But of course that's just one person's opinion!

It's an interesting question, but I don't really think they compare directly. For one thing, you're making a choice between buying a new camera and a used camera (for the same or possibly even more money.) Buying a used camera is like buying a used car: you have to decide what specific make, model and equipment you want, and then you have to find a good example of that make/model/equipment, and then you have to research whether the seller is reliable, and evaluate the risk of potentially needing costly repairs... it's just much more complicated all around than buying a brand-new camera with a 30-day exchange privilege and a 2-year manufacturer warranty. For me the decisive argument would come down to whether you definitely need a mechanical shutter or not; the M10 has one and the Pixii does not, so if you want to buy a digital rangefinder camera in the roughly $4000 price range and MUST have a mechanical shutter, finding a good used M10 is your only real option.

If you like to compose carefully when using your 28mm lens, you probably would not like the Pixii Max because it has no 28mm frame LINE at all! The full unframed area of the optical viewfinder is used for 28mm. This works out fine for me because I use a 28mm lens mostly for spontaneous/street shooting and don't worry about precise composition, but if you are a more deliberate shooter you would regret not having parallax compensation etc.

@@jlwilliams Thank you for your answer. With the Pixii Max, does your eye have to "hunt" a bit to see the frame edges in 28mm mode? Just wondering if seeing the frame edge is better or worse than my Leica M10!

Since there's no frame line for 28mm, I find it pretty easy to see the edges of the viewfinder even when wearing glasses. Just bear in mind that composing with the unframed finder is somewhat approximate! (Actually if you’re super-picky about positioning the frame edges, ANY rangefinder camera is not as good a choice as a camera with through-lens viewing.)

I agree it's definitely not fair to compare the price to an M11, because an M11 is almost exactly TWICE as expensive and that's a very significant amount of money unless you're Lord Farquaad 😸 I tend to see clean desirable-model M10s from reliable dealers priced a little above a brand-new-with-warranty Pixii Max, so the digital-rangefinder-camera shopper with about US$4000-4500 to spend is likely to be comparing between those two options. Then the choice becomes: are you technically knowledgeable enough to feel comfortable with buying a used camera that may or may not need costly repairs? And do your photography needs REQUIRE a mechanical shutter? If yes to both, a Pixii Max won't work for you (no mechanical shutter) and you'll need to search out a good used M10; if no to both, an M10 won't work for you (because you won't find a new one anywhere near that price) and a Pixii Max might suit you. (If you're not doctrinaire about the 36x24mm format, an APS-C-size Pixii Plus is a screamin' deal!) What we all REALLY need are more companies making M-mount digital rangefinder cameras, but I'm not holding my breath for that to happen...

Oh, for goodness sake, didn't you read the ticker at 3:18 explaining the reference to Lord Farquaad, Shrek's aristocratic antagonist in the original “Shrek” movie?

I thank you, and Lord Farquaad thanks you. (Man, that ticker must have been 'way too fast!)

I've seen an occasional auto-white-balance hiccup too, going back to the A1571. Pixii has discussed it in developer notes, so they must be aware of it and I'm hoping for a software fix.

It might make more sense if you were French! It's a tribute to Parisian instrument maker Hippolyte Pixii, described by the Edison Tech Center as "first of the founding fathers of the electrical age." This brilliant "shop rat," who died at age 27, was the go-to guy for early-1800s French scientists when they needed instrumentation or apparatus, and after learning about Faraday's experiments with electromagnetic induction, invented the alternating-current generator, a device it's hard to imagine modern civilization without.

Maybe it's just the way I shoot, but I haven't seen any significant results difference between the Max sensor and the Super 35-size sensor in the Pixii Plus. IMO the difference comes down to viewing angles: if you really love the 54-degree viewing angle of a 35mm lens on a 35mm camera (as many documentarians and photojournalists do) the Pixii Max gives you that with a parallax-compensated frameline and without needing an accessory viewfinder. On the other hand, if you're mostly a normal-to-medium-tele shooter, the Plus gives equally good results.

I've noticed portraits seem to have better separation from the background, like the subject (my kids) seem to pop out of the image.

I see the same thing, but it's more down to lens choice than to the format-size difference between the Pixii Plus and the Pixii Max. Fun fact: depth of field (and foreground/background separation) depends on exactly two things: final image magnification (the size of your subject on your print or screen) and the "numerical aperture" of the lens (the actual diameter of the hole in the center.) If you take same-size pictures of one of your kids at the same exposure settings (let's say, 1/250 @ f/2) with a Pixii Plus and its "normal" focal length (35mm) and a Pixii Max and its "normal" lens (50mm), you WILL see more "foreground pop" from the Max... but only because the 50mm lens' numerical aperture is 25mm and the 35mm lens' numerical aperture is 17.5mm. If you could find a 35mm f/0.7 lens, the pictures would have identical "pop"! So, theoretically there's no difference, but in practice it's easier to get the "pop" effect with a Max...

That's LORD Farquaad to you… (I give up, NOBODY reads that ticker!)

You'll be glad you waited. It seems a lot of work went into resolving issues pointed out by beta testers (including me.) The final release version is a MUCH more polished product!

@@karimnasser9226 Yeah, if you care about *ultimate* sharpness, this is NOT the lens to buy…

Did it arrive?

I've heard a lot of good things about these; hope to give one a try!

Update! I've just watched a bit more of the video and mine is a METER II which takes a CR1632 whereas the one here takes a CR2023. They seem to be otherwise identical but there might be internal differences.

Nah, that would be too extreme. Try a small industrial laser…

You're welcome. I've actually gotten accustomed to its foibles enough that it's my first choice when I just need to process one roll, but I still think most learners are better off starting out with a conventional tank system...

I don't disagree that it would be nice, but I can't think of a time when I've ever actually needed it for the kinds of photography I do with the Pixii. I shot a lot of photos in the rain when I was in Chicago last summer, but I just stood under hotel awnings, shot out open windows, etc. and was fine. Obviously an outdoor or wildlife photographer would want a more weather-sealed camera!