Leica M (typ 240) Field Test and Review

[leicashot]

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http://kristiandowling.com/blog/2013/5/3/leica-m-typ240-user-review

 

Before it gets posted and slammed, I thought I'd offer it here myself. Being the first review I've written, from a user's perspective, please be gentle. Hope you enjoy it and find it useful.

[pop]

Thanks for posting. However, there appears to be some kind of problem with the link. My browser reports "too many redirects" and will not show the page. The problem occurs even for the first qualifiers of the link: http://kristiandowling.com/ will produce the same error report.

Edited May 7, 2013 by pop

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[k-hawinkler]

Thanks for posting. However, there appears to be some kind of problem with the link. My browser reports "too many redirects" and will not show the page.

 

 

Leica M (typ 240) Field Test and Review — Kristian Dowling

 

No problem here.

[jaapv]

You put quite a bit of effort into this and it shows. Well done.

One thing - to gain credibility you should add some minuses...

[leicashot]

Thanks for posting. However, there appears to be some kind of problem with the link. My browser reports "too many redirects" and will not show the page. The problem occurs even for the first qualifiers of the link: Kristian Dowling will produce the same error report.

 

Thanks for letting me know. The website just went live after a domain change so hopefully it will start working 100% very soon. Please keep me updated from your end.

 

Thanks

[leicashot]

You put quite a bit of effort into this and it shows. Well done.

One thing - to gain credibility you should add some minuses...

 

I did have some negatives but overall it's a fine camera. I'm not as picky as most when it comes to this stuff. I do have high expectations but I'm fair with what i expect of the Leica M camera, and I'm a positive guy so want to keep things that way in general with my articles. If there was something to really be concerned about I would let people know, as I have with th few issues I found.

 

Things like color and AWB are the least of my issues cause they can be corrected with firmware and post processing. i'm mostly glad to see Leica put in the effort to make the camera better from a usability point of view.

[Ecar]

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Works fine for me. Interesting field review - and some excellent pictures.

Overall, my experience with the camera mirrors yours - with a few additional (mostly FW-related) irritating quirks.

And I agree that color and AWB are a non-issue in practice.

Now, if only the strap eyelet check could be expedited and the camera returned to me...

[Tonki-M]

You put quite a bit of effort into this and it shows. Well done.

One thing - to gain credibility you should add some minuses...

 

the minuses was just put off as being 'different' and rightly so, because it wouldn't be a new camera if it's just like the M9. but then again, a lot just wanted a M9 with better low light performance

[Peter H]

Thanks for this review. I enjoyed reading it, especially because of the high-quality and relevant photos.

 

This is the sort of down-to-earth review that I really appreciate. You liked it and you say, and demonstrate, why. Thanks very much.

[chris_tribble]

Good work - matches my experience. It's the smallest full frame system camera in town. It works.

 

Yes - there some annoyances with the lugs and accessories, but it does what it should, better than any other DRF I've ever owned. Punkt.

 

Thanks!

[pop]

Thanks for letting me know. The website just went live after a domain change so hopefully it will start working 100% very soon. Please keep me updated from your end.

 

Until about an hour ago I experienced several problems accessing your site. Now - after supper - I can see your site as expected. It appears that the changes to your domain took some time to propagate through the internet.

 

Repeat: your site is now accessible from where I sit.

[Yarosuav]

Leica M (typ 240) Field Test and Review — Kristian Dowling

 

Before it gets posted and slammed, I thought I'd offer it here myself. Being the first review I've written, from a user's perspective, please be gentle. Hope you enjoy it and find it useful.

 

Kristian, your presence on this forum raises its value and quality many-fold for me, and I'm sure I'm not alone.

 

Among all the noise and nonsense that fora like this are often filled with, your posts and opinions stand out as truly refreshing. Please keep it up so we can all continue learning from people like you who actually use the cameras to create top-notch images instead of bitching about white-balance (non)issues....

 

Now, if I could just get my M back from the strap lugs check to enjoy amazing spring weather here in New York...

[leicashot]

Until about an hour ago I experienced several problems accessing your site. Now - after supper - I can see your site as expected. It appears that the changes to your domain took some time to propagate through the internet.

 

Repeat: your site is now accessible from where I sit.

 

Thank you very much for letting me know :-)

[rirakuma]

Awesome review mate, the best one I've read so far of the m240. Your samples are great as well, the shot of those two girls with orange hair is stunning,the color really does hold up well in high iso. You included some headshots in your vid just before the pic of the two girls showed up, would love to see those in sample size too .

[Jeff S]

A very nice effort; your enthusiasm shows.

 

A few minor quibbles...possibly just semantics. You describe the MM as the first Leica useful in low light; the history of Leica film Ms shows otherwise. Perhaps you meant with respect to digital Ms, but I suspect that many users of digital Ms would disagree. The MM does however have special capabilities for retrieving shadow detail.

 

You refer to the higher VF magnification of the M240 versus the M9; however, both are the same .68 magnification. It appears you're referring to the frame line distance optimization...2m for the M240 (versus 1m for the M9).

 

I'm glad you took your camera out into the rain. That's the way it should be used (with obvious common sense). I think your caution to avoid the elements is far too restrictive; taking pics in only good weather would be overly limiting IMO even for the other digital Ms, let alone a weather sealed one.

 

But, small matters. Thanks for sharing, including the models.

 

Jeff

[AJB]

Great review. Well illustrated. Your review improved my understanding of the camera and was insightful. One of the best structured "real world" reviews I have seen of any camera. Excellent. Thank you for taking the time and effort.

[dwbell]

Good job Kristian, thanks.

[tashley]

A really nice, useful, interesting and well-written review, with great images too. Thank you!

[leicashot]

A very nice effort; your enthusiasm shows.

 

A few minor quibbles...possibly just semantics. You describe the MM as the first Leica useful in low light; the history of Leica film Ms shows otherwise. Perhaps you meant with respect to digital Ms, but I suspect that many users of digital Ms would disagree. The MM does however have special capabilities for retrieving shadow detail.

 

You refer to the higher VF magnification of the M240 versus the M9; however, both are the same .68 magnification. It appears you're referring to the frame line distance optimization...2m for the M240 (versus 1m for the M9).

 

I'm glad you took your camera out into the rain. That's the way it should be used (with obvious common sense). I think your caution to avoid the elements is far too restrictive; taking pics in only good weather would be overly limiting IMO even for the other digital Ms, let alone a weather sealed one.

 

But, small matters. Thanks for sharing, including the models.

 

Jeff

 

Thanks Jeff I have corrected the comments about magnification so thank you for bringing that up.

 

In regards to low light performance, M cameras in terms of low light 'image quality' have had no advantage over other cameras in low light, other than offering less vibration, and possibly slightly sharper results with lenses shot wide open.

 

With digital, in which I am referring to, Leica has always been behind other brands, but the M9 was probably quite close to film quality. The MM exceeds film by a big margin in relation to low light use with high ISO ability.

 

Thanks very much for your comments Jeff, always good to clarify things

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[Delcredere]

Most interesting and skillful review, thank you. I particularly liked the point you made about how higher ISO possibilities may release the photographer from the current apparent preference for wide open shots - with greater depth of field from stopping down facilitating another kind of narrative using Leica's beautiful lenses. (This is not to criticise or imply that wide open is not interesting - there are many excellent photographers working this way from stylistic preference.) And thank you, too, for the pleasant unassuning manner in which you expressed yourself.