Leica M (Typ 262) - Reduction to Rangefinder Photography (at 1000 € less)

[AAK]

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Is the 262 basically an upgraded M9 - CMOS, pixels, processor - improvements  ... - but what are the list of new features in the 262 which don't occur in the M9?

 

It depends what you mean by "upgrade" and how much we concern ourselves with semantics. When the megapixel count is increased from 18 to 24, the processor is different, and so on, I think of it as a new camera rather than an upgrade. For the same reason, I don't see the M262 as an upgrade to the M-E. They're too different not to regard the former as being a new camera, in the same way that the M240 is more than an upgrade of the M9, IMO.

[Ai_Print]

Well according to B&H it looks like it uses the same battery and if the specs they are giving are correct, it is stuck with the same 60 second max exposure limit which says a lot for any future firmware fixes addressing the same limit for the 240. 

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[Peter H]

The M262 retains all the Leica balls anyone will ever need.

I love the fact that I can easily get beautiful and accurate results from my M with my Macro-Elmarit R 60mm f2.8 attached.

 

That's not why I bought the M, but it's why I wouldn't happily settle for anything less.

[jaapv]

I wonder why Leica kept the M 262 a secret for 1,5 years. At a German forum, somebody is complaining about Boccalini's pictures in the blog being from May/June 2014. Since I actually am from Vienna, I have to say that the guy is right... One picture even shows an Austrian newspaper that makes it easy to research the date.

 

Assuming all is right (pictures were taken with the 262 as implied by the blog), the M 262 has been around for longer than most Japanese cameras live.

Possibly because the ME was still selling well?

[luigi bertolotti]

Possibly because the ME was still selling well?

... and the M240 too, probably... why adding something in the middle ? Confusing only...

also , SL has been introduced NOW, and they act well keeping the attention also on the M line, through a "sideline" announcement.

In pure engineering terms, probably the M262 in itself could have been ready 3 months after the M240... keep away some pieces of hardware, streamline software... but it wouldn't have had sense to introduce it so soon.

[Paulus]

You are not paying extra for video... why do people keep this misinformation going - it actually doesn't do justice to either camera or Leica.

 

 

 

, 2G buffer (of the M-P), shutter and rangefinder... plus the CMOS sensor...

 

So what's not to like...?

according to the tech specs it's 1 G buffer , might be the same as the M 240.

[Bill Livingston]

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Really?

 

Maybe I was mistaken.

 

The new 'a la carte' M camera is certainly 2Gb... so perhaps that confused me. I'll check... brb

 

Yes, I read it in the newsletter and, from memory, thought it had made a point of 2Gb on the 262... when it was actually this:

 

 

Leica M (Typ 240) a la carte programme

Leica now offers a complete range of personalisation options for the Leica M (Typ 240) digital rangefinder camera.

Leica photographers can choose from a selection of customisable features and combinations, to create a bespoke camera that is unique to them. In addition to all the technical features of the Leica M (Typ 240), the Leica M à la carte camera comes with a two gigabyte buffer memory, delivering twice the capacity of the standard model.

 

So it was the 'a la carte' version I was thinking about. My mistake, well spotted Paulus.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Bill Livingston

[Paulus]

I'm curious about this too.  Out of all the changes, this is the most important to me because I often photograph in audio-sensitive environments like quiet music concerts or on film sets.

In my experience,  a person with camera moving around the musicians very softly, makes more noise than the sound of an  M 240. If the M 262 realy is more quiet, in practise it will not make much diffence IMHO. I just hope the noise it makes is a nice sound. One of the reasons for me buying the M240 was the awful noise of the M8/M9.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Paulus

[Paulus]

M-P is exactly same size as M9. Extra weight, yes, but size - NO

Still, my Luigi from the M9 had some trouble fitting on the M 240. Exact size, but different volume...

Edited November 20, 2015 by Paulus

[IkarusJohn]

Is this an invitation to make it to Australia for tea my friend, or are you an alias for Craig Trevel Horwood?

 

I'm sure the Australians will be very welcoming.  It's a long way from Belgium!

[Paulus]

It depends on your hand size I guess, mine is average and I feel a much better sense of clamp pressure in using my M6 than the M240. In the grand scheme of things, the size difference is negligible. However in actual use it makes a bigger difference than I would have thought, so much so that I had to add patches of Griptac on the back thumb rest area of the 240 to make it feel more secure. 

 

If it uses the same battery as the 240 and depending on the feature set like the buffer and other things, I might be tempted. I suppose I will rent it when Lensrentals gets it in, the quieter shutter could be reason enough. 

 

The price sure is right, harkens back to the day I paid $4,750 for a new M8 from B&H.

My hands a relatively small for a man of 2 meter. After switching from the MP/M6 to the M8/9 M240 my hands just adjusted to the " seize " of the M240. I guess you get used to seize very quickly. Especially it the real difference is less than a millimeter.

[Lax Jought]

The answer was found here... http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-news/2015/11/leica-m-typ-262/

 

The re-cocking system is new, both quieter and faster.

 

Jeff

I don't know why but clicking on that link takes me to an old thread from 2006 about a photo of seagulls!

 

I'll drop by the Leica website to have a look at the specs.

[Paulus]

Is this a modernised M9 rather than a restricted M240?

The latter. Battery is from the M240 so the body design must be the same. Also the CMOS, Buffer, iso ( starting at 200 ), Stativgewinde, all from the M240. Leica would be silly to used a " old " body design if their goals in 2012 was the make the body better and more watertight. Only thing from the M9 design is the top. Which could be the same because they omitted the microphone.

[Lax Jought]

In my experience, a person with camera moving around the musicians very softly, makes more noise than the sound of an M 240. If the M 262 realy is more quiet, in practise it will not make much diffence IMHO. I just hope the noise it makes is a nice sound. On of the reason for me buying the M240 was the awful noise of the M8/M9.

I am very very quiet and discreet. I was previously photogtaphing a jazz quartet in a large and packed concert hall, the acoustics in the hall were very good and you could hear every step I took during quiet moments. I took my shoes off and spent the entire concert with just socks which allowed me to move around without distracting the audience or the musicians.

 

But particularly on a film set, with a quiet camera I am free to take photos without the audio recordist picking up the shutter sound on the boom microphone.

[marcg]

It depends what you mean by "upgrade" and how much we concern ourselves with semantics. When the megapixel count is increased from 18 to 24, the processor is different, and so on, I think of it as a new camera rather than an upgrade. For the same reason, I don't see the M262 as an upgrade to the M-E. They're too different not to regard the former as being a new camera, in the same way that the M240 is more than an upgrade of the M9, IMO.

I suppose that I mean - it's the next model in the range.  The M240 seems somehow different to me.

 

I had been thinking of getting a Q - but this 262 interests me.

I have an M9 Monochrom and I am very pleased with it.  I have all but stopped using my M7 sometime ago.

[Paulus]

I am very very quiet and discreet. I was previously photogtaphing a jazz quartet in a large and packed concert hall, the acoustics in the hall were very good and you could hear every step I took during quiet moments. I took my shoes off and spent the entire concert with just socks which allowed me to move around without distracting the audience or the musicians.

 

But particularly on a film set, with a quiet camera I am free to take photos without the audio recordist picking up the shutter sound on the boom microphone.

The M6 and M240 do not differ so much. When using the M's in the vincinity of  the microphones of  Erato, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Harlekijn Holland, non of the mices recorded the M sound. But I make it a habit not to take a picture the instant the music stops, because that gives problems. You can hear the click and the technician will have trouble because he has to make an abnomal fade. You will not hear the click on the recording, but you will hear the acoustic snap, giving the music no time to fade in the accoustics of the room/hall.

 

On a persenal note , I never take of my shoes for I 'm afraid that the leather of my camera smells less than my socks....

[IkarusJohn]

... and the M240 too, probably... why adding something in the middle ? Confusing only...

also , SL has been introduced NOW, and they act well keeping the attention also on the M line, through a "sideline" announcement.

In pure engineering terms, probably the M262 in itself could have been ready 3 months after the M240... keep away some pieces of hardware, streamline software... but it wouldn't have had sense to introduce it so soon.

 

Oh, I don't know, Luigi. 

 

With the this camera, Leica offers M(240), M(246) & M(262) - same form factor, one with full functionality, one Monochrom & one entry level. Don't they fit together?

 

The tech differences are pretty subtle.  The M(262) is really just the M-E with the new sensor, isn't it?

[AAK]

 

 

The tech differences are pretty subtle.  The M(262) is really just the M-E with the new sensor, isn't it?

 

No, it's not. In addition to the 24 Mpx CMOS sensor (vs. the M-E's 18 Mpx CCD), the M262 has a 3-inch 920k dot LCD screen (vs. 230k).  The M262 shutter is quieter than even the M240.  I believe the M262 is also weather sealed and can do longer exposures than the M-E.

The M262 is derived from the M240, whereas the M-E is derived from the M9. 

Very different cameras.

Edited November 20, 2015 by AAK

[Rick]

Today I took my M240 out with the little 35 Summicron Asph and had a wonderful time shooting on a cold blue sky day here in Seattle.  I turned off the video function and LV and pretended I had the new M262.  I really couldn't tell the difference, but I had a wonderful time.    Don't believe you could go wrong with either! 

 

It's cold here so I'm going to pop into a coffee shop and warm up.

 

RickM240

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Flu]

This vaguely reminds me of the Nikon DF conceptually because of no video and simpler controls.