Yep I see the appeal of using one, was quite tempted with an m9 myself but the overall cost was too much. I just havnt seen the miraculous better than canon output.
There's nothing magical about them, that's for sure.
Leica users often sound as if they're talking about more than photography, as if shooting Leica were a religious experience--something sacred in a profane world. Commenters in this thread have pointed out that Leica zealots spend almost as much time on the experience of shooting Leica as on the actual photos when defending the brand. That's the case because lots of Leica shooters have drunk the kool-aid.
Here's an anecdote I think summarizes that phenomenon. Leica has stores in major cities across the globe. I stopped by the Mayfair store while in London a few months ago because my battery was dying and I needed a charge. I was buzzed into a bright, clean shop that had just a few glass cases and cabinets (classic Leica minimalism.) Swaddled in rich red were a handful of cameras, lenses and binoculars. The staff took my battery to a charger in back and offered me food and drink (sherry, if I recall).
We discussed lens availability (terrible everywhere) and the effects of the Japanese tsunami (forcing battery production to China, a disgrace for the proud company). Shooting and knowing Leica lore was the price of entry to this very selective club, and the people running that club assumed anyone who got in could and would spend $30,000 on an S2 kit on the spot if the mood struck.
I wish Leica would stop stroking the egos of its fortunate users by running its store that way and by producing special editions with Hermes or for the Sultan of Brunei. That nonsense touches the whole brand and permeates the entire user base to some degree, but the vast majority of Leica shooters just care about making photographs, which is why they shoot with a rangefinder to begin with.
Now we can move on! 
