Hi Richard
(This topic really has not much do do anymore with medium format, anyhow...)
I use a Leica M9 for outdoor photography (besides my Nikon gear and a P45+) and am extremely pleased with it!
There's simply no other system on the market offering the same great quality in such a small package.
I use it mainly with the 24 mm, 35mm and 75mm, the 18mm and 135mm I only carry when I expect to really need them.
To shoot panoramics isn't any more difficult than with a single lens reflex, you get used to the range finder quickly, even hand held.
On the tripod, I use and recommmend the nodal point adapter from PT4Pano, a small German manufacturer
http://pt4pano.com/en/products/kiss-panorama-systemIt's a great little smart and lightweight adapter, which lets me produce very precise panoramas with great detail.
Any stitching software will be able to render seamless images from those captures, I use Photoshop (CS5) and AutoPanoPro.
Mind you, if you never used a Leica before, you have to be aware that it's a whole different style of shooting: More demanding but at the same time more rewarding.
Good luck
Jost von Allmen