Leica M10-P with level gauge, touchscreen and a much quieter shutter

[Jeff S]

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In this global economy, who cares as long as something works well.. and no labor was abused in the process.

 

Jeff

[Herr Barnack]

Only a month before photokina 2018 the german camera manufacturer introduced the new LEICA M10-P with some great new features. The new camera is available as of now for US $7,995 in black and silver chrome.

 

The main changes compared to the Leica M10 are:

• The touch screen
• The high demanded level gauge
• A distinctly quieter shutter

» Information and official press release

» Leica M10-P Review by Jonathan Slack 

 

1:  Touch screen?  Meh.

 

2:  Return of the level gauge?  SWEEEEEET!!!

 

3:  Quieter shutter?  See #2 above.

 

Want one, need one, can't live without one!

Edited August 25, 2018 by Herr Barnack

[roelv1]

Hello,

 

I think the quieter shutter is the most important improvement over the M 10. But one should not exaggerate this. Leica writes on their website: to be unnoticed. I worked professionally for a long time with the analogue M's and although those cameras were also more quiet than the M 10, unnoticed was seldom the case. If it was silent inside a room one could hear the shutter and often I coughed to disguise the sound. Outside when working close too people ( which is mostly the best for good pictures) they noticed you anyway because there was a camera pointed on them. So there can be situations where a silent shutter has its benefits, but to be unnoticed requires more than only a silent shutter( and a black camera). 

Personally I won't upgrade my M 10. Waiting for the M 11 is a better option. The M10 P will still have a not so good battery life, which is very annoying when working in live view. The dynamic range could be better and so does the high ISO performance. Plus the camera should be less heavy. Probably these features will be realized in the M 11. Until than the shutter of the M 10 will do and is good enough for the job.

 

Kind regards, Roel. http://www.roelvisser.nl

[NigelG]

And the level gauge should it not show VERTICAL as well? Often with wide angles the vertical information is more important.

It wasn’t till I watched the Red Dot video that I realised the “horizon” was just that.....no vertical level like the 240.

For me holding a camera horizontal is not too much of a stretch (!) but seeing small deviations from vertical is much harder and more importantly the keystoning is more difficult to correct post exposure if you want to maintain architectural proportions.....

[rivi1969]

In this global economy, who cares as long as something works well.. and no labor was abused in the process.

 

Jeff

 

Leica cares apparently, otherwise, they would specify "Portugal" and not Germany.

[ianman]

1:  Touch screen?  Meh.

 

2:  Return of the level gauge?  SWEEEEEET!!!

 

 

I have to say that I was not too keen on a touch screen but if they can use this as a starting point and get rid of all the buttons on the back of the next M I think it could be good.

 

However a level gauge ? I really don't get it !  I am totally incapable of taking a photo with a horizontal horizon... but not so wonky as to need to crop off a large part of the image if I want to straighten it. And anyway, I have made my wonkyness a feature of my photography :-) 

[pico]

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However a level gauge ? I really don't get it !  I am totally incapable of taking a photo with a horizontal horizon... but not so wonky as to need to crop off a large part of the image if I want to straighten it. And anyway, I have made my wonkyness a feature of my photography :-)

Agreed. Using the framelines to align the horizontal became habit long ago.

[jdlaing]

 

However a level gauge ? I really don't get it !  I am totally incapable of taking a photo with a horizontal horizon... but not so wonky as to need to crop off a large part of the image if I want to straighten it. And anyway, I have made my wonkyness a feature of my photography :-)

 

I can show you how to do that a little better. It’s not as hard as you think.

[4pipes]

Just for giggles, I asked my local dealer what the trade in value of my M10 was towards a M10-P. $4400 for a perfect M10. So, $3600 for a touch screen, level gauge, and quieter shutter.....MEH.

[daveco]

M10 Product Team meeting, early 2016:

 

"Okay, it looks like the final prototype is ready, folks!  Before we sign off on it, we need to look at what significant new features we will be adding for the M10-P two years from the M10 launch.  What have we got?"

 

Silence.

 

"Hmmm, anybody?"

 

     "Metal screw to replace red dot?"

 

"well, yeah, but we always do that.......okay, what else can we take away from the M10, and add on the M10-P?"

 

     "How about the electronic level?"

 

"Great idea, Larry!  Anybody else?"

   

    " Why not put the touch screen on the P, instead of the M10?"

 

"Super!, but I am afraid we will need something bigger than that to sell the same camera at a premium.  I know everyone loves the dampened shutter sound, but we better move it to the P, or else we won't be able to pass the red faced test."

 

      "But boss, R&D has some great first line, innovative technology that could be ready for the P!" 

 

Laughter fills room.

 

      "You're new here, Phil.   We never use new technology until all the other manufacturers have adopted it, including Canon."

Edited August 25, 2018 by daveco

[microview]

Agreed. Using the framelines to align the horizontal became habit long ago.

 

It's not the horizontal that matters so much but tilting the camera back or forth. The value of the feature in the Q and CL is in those short crossbars which let you correct camera angle to avoid converging lines on architectural photographs.

Edited August 25, 2018 by microview

[Abelee]

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Edited August 26, 2018 by Abelee

[helged]

In this global economy, who cares as long as something works well.. <b>and no labor was abused in the process<\b>.

 

Jeff

An important factor.

 

Pluss much from Leica are still hand-assembled.

 

And where others may mix in plastic, Leica tends to use glass and metals.

 

So when I pick up an M8 (as an example), I get the feeling of having an instrument in my hands. Not so with the Nikons I have,...

[dante]

So when I pick up an M8 (as an example), I get the feeling of having an instrument in my hands. Not so with the Nikons I have,...

 

Funny. When I pick up a pro Nikon, it feels like a tool. Which is what a camera is. An instrument connotes being fiddly. And let's be very frank - the responsiveness and reliablity difference between even a D700 and any digital Leica is pretty staggering. In ten plus years, I never had a lockup with a D2x or a D700. In the first couple year of the the M240 firmware, it was pretty easy to achieve. Every single session. Recently, this has been solved - but nothing is more frustrating and less a sign of poor software engineering than a "battery out" crash.

 

M10 Product Team meeting, early 2016:

 

"Okay, it looks like the final prototype is ready, folks!  Before we sign off on it, we need to look at what significant new features we will be adding for the M10-P two years from the M10 launch.  What have we got?"

 

No kidding. This time, Leica took it to 11 by eliminating substantive features that existed on prior mainstream models. Black dots, black paint, and sapphire screen covers are pretty trivial.

 

Dante

[Jeff S]

No kidding. This time, Leica took it to 11 by eliminating substantive features that existed on prior mainstream models. Black dots, black paint, and sapphire screen covers are pretty trivial.

 

No, the only ‘officially’ released M with a black dot was the black bodied M8.2 (the chrome version had a red dot). This won’t happen again, as the logo is owned by Leica Microsystems, not Leica Camera, and it appears that they were not amused. The only black dots around now are from third parties like DAG...or just DIY.

 

Jeff

[ianman]

Strangely, when my M9's sensor was changed, before the corrosion change, it came back from Solms with a black dot... so I may have last "official" black dot :-)

[Jeff S]

Strangely, when my M9's sensor was changed, before the corrosion change, it came back from Solms with a black dot... so I may have last "official" black dot :-)

Unless you sent it in with a black dot, I can only guess that they mixed it up with someone else who did, and they were just courteous to replace it.

 

Jeff

[a.noctilux]

No, the only ‘officially’ released M with a black dot was the black bodied M8.2 (the chrome version had a red dot). This won’t happen again, as the logo is owned by Leica Microsystems, not Leica Camera, and it appears that they were not amused. The only black dots around now are from third parties like DAG...or just DIY.

 

Jeff

 

Black Logo ?

 

Jeff,

 

When I look at the four independent companies's logos, I don't see any "black dot Leica ":

http://www.leica.com/

 

So I don't understand why Leica Camera can not use it's Leica logo with black "dot" ?

[Jeff S]

Black Logo ?

 

Jeff,

 

When I look at the four independent companies's logos, I don't see any "black dot Leica ":

http://www.leica.com/

 

So I don't understand why Leica Camera can not use it's Leica logo with black "dot" ?

As I explained, the red dot is the officially licensed/leased logo from Leica Microsystems to Leica Camera. At least that’s how it was explained to me. Seems real given the fact that no M before or after the black M8.2 has been released with a black dot. And you can’t buy one from Leica Camera.

 

Jeff

Edited August 28, 2018 by Jeff S

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[ianman]

Unless you sent it in with a black dot, I can only guess that they mixed it up with someone else who did, and they were just courteous to replace it.

 

Jeff

Neither, it was clearly marked in the job list on the estimate. What I never understood was that at the time I had heard of them doing the exact opposite, replacing black with red, for exactly the reason you stated above. We'll never know.