I happened upon this case back when I was still saving up for my M9 and internet window-shopping took up all of my free time. "No way!" and I scoffed at the jerks who would pay $200 for a half case (with barely enough leather to cover the sides, even!). After all, my M9 was not going to be some status symbol, it was a going to be a tool dammit! Well ... that was then and this is now.
Not that my M9 isn't a tool. It's just that it has become so much of a tool that I can barely put it down. I walk with it, I run with it, I shop with it, I dine out with it, I sleep with it next to my bed. So the first thing to go was the Leica strap. Rubber nibs + neck skin? Come on Leica, seriously?! Seriously. For what it's worth, I landed on the Artist and Artisan cloth strap (short, fixed length). I also picked up a ThumbsUp device to make up for the fact that the advance lever is gone. If you're coming from a film Leica, your thumb might miss one too. The next thing was the need for a case. Since I finally did sell enough of my organs to buy this dream camera, I simply couldn't let it go unprotected. Shirts and jackets with their buttons and zippers ... you know what I mean. If you've clicked on this review, chances are you know what I mean.
I tried a Zhou case first. If you haven't seen them, you should google them. They're cheap (relatively) and fit well. They have a bump built-in that acts as a hand grip, that's what really attracted me. Kill two birds with one stone! But ... I never did figure out how exactly my hands were supposed to grip that grip, and what's worse the thing kind of smelled like ... like "new" thing. Some people may enjoy that, but for an item that I put up to my nose all day, I wasn't a big fan. But even all this I could have lived with ... until I saw the BlackBag case. Okay, to be fair, I saw the Artist and Artisan one first. They are essentially the same thing. But since I had the good fortune of comparing them in real life, I have to say that the BlackBag leather was softer and the stitching was tighter. To use a cliche, it fits like a glove. Like a really soft, beautiful glove that you want to hold all day. I realized that the tactile interaction I have with my camera actually takes place with my camera case. And the Zhou case just wasn't ... worthy. Does that sound crazy? If you want something to protect your camera, then there are a lot of (cheaper) options. But if you live with your camera, this choice is not just about protection. It's more like how you should choose your mattress knowing that you're going to spend about a third of your life on it.
Some things about the BlackBag case:
The leather is thin, super thin. This is a good thing. I did a direct comparison with a Luigi case (considered by many Leica aficionados to be the Maserati of cases), but I liked this one better. Both beautiful leather but the Luigi cases evoke, well, guys named Luigi who live and eat in Italy while the BlackBag cases evoke skinny people in New York who eat ... nothing?
The skinny leather holds its shape around the camera because there is a layer of metal inside. If the case gets bent out of shape, you just bend it back. Because of this, the case won't slide down the camera or get too loose or anything.
Ok, so there is not much leather being used here (as per my initial reaction to the case). I want more for my money. More! But as it turns out I don't actually want more in this instance. The Zhou case had a piece of leather that came across the back of the camera just above the screen. Same with the Luigi. It was too close for comfort. I don't know how you turn your wheel, but apparently I use the top of the wheel a lot. It's something I only noticed when my thumb couldn't actually access this sweet spot.
Built-in grip? I wanted the Zhou case for its grip (and its pricetag) but this case kind of has a grip too. I find that my fingertips naturally fall where the case ends around the front of the camera. So the case itself serves as kind of a "grip" only there is no bulk and no bump. Rather an elegant solution (happy accident?) actually.
When I handle it, it sounds like I am clutching a really nice leather steering wheel the good stuff, not that vinyl wannabe crap.
In conclusion: if you've gone this far and purchased an M9 or an M8/M8.2, then you owe yourself a nice case. But please note that this only applies if you actually USE the camera you know, if it's your tool and your companion for seeing everyday life. If it's just a status symbol sitting on the shelf, then the Zhou case should do you just fine.
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