M10-D first day of play

[enboe]

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They said available starting 10/24, and that's what my receipt says.  Also, born-on date was October 2nd, so a day over three weeks from Wetzlar to Los Angeles.  Alas work took priority until yesterday, the first day of play with my new M10-D.

Overall impressions, it's a great tool, very much in line with its precursors the M10 and M-D.  Handling is very M10 like, as expected.  I kind of wish the thumb brace didn't extend quite as far, with nearly 90 degrees of travel, but it's nice to have it there, and totally ignorable if your grip is different.  That's really all there is to say about the brace, it's a take it or leave it function, much like the frame preview lever.  Many M shooters use their cameras for a lifetime without using the preview lever, but when it's needed, it's good to have there.  Same with the thumb brace.

On-off dial on back is sturdy and clicks well into place.  I only had one time I over-rotated into WiFi, and a little thumb muscle memory training will resolve that.  The switch is in a different location than any other M, and that cost me one nice street candid as my index finger went to the shutter collar only to find no switch.  I also found myself leaving the camera in "On" mode half a dozen times, again requiring some retraining on my part.

I am a little concerned this camera is a battery hog.  It went through 20% in 100 images with only 4 downloads to Fotos.  It may be fresh battery syndrome, only time will tell, but a second battery is likely a must if you use Fotos much.  I did set the camera for 2 minutes before sleep to save battery.

Auto white balance was a little less reliable than with the M-D, we will see if that is a trend and if there is an update later on.  Shade turns out quite blue, but sunlight is lovely.  Classic metering is reliable as ever.  If you know how to use the shutter curtain reflection method and adjust accordingly for darker or lighter areas in the frame influencing the reading from your subject, you'll do well.  I hit exposure 99 of 100 times.

One of the perils of M-D/M10-D type cameras is the unknown dust spec on the sensor.  You don't find it until you download your photos.  My first 50 frames were spotless, then a speck from somewhere inside the camera or lens found its way onto the sensor.  Drats!  The M10-D does have an easy sensor cleaning mode, hold down the function button on top while releasing the shutter.  This opens the shutter for cleaning.  I use a rubber blower bulb against the advice of folks worried about blowing dust into corners of the chip or shutter mechanism.  Wet cleaning is beyond my skill level.  My procedure developed using the original M-D is as follows: 1)  Select the lens you wish to use and blow out the back liberally for any dust.  2)  Attach to camera.  3)  Take a sky shot or similar uniform-illuminated shot at f/22.  4)  Download the file to see if you have any dust specks.  5)  If you have dust specks, open the shutter and blow out dust with a low-pressure clean air source, then return to step 2).

Fotos is part of the M10-D experience, right?  The application still has some development needed.  The Format Memory Card option does not work, and gives a failure message when you try it.  The camera activity light flashes for awhile, but the format reports as failed.  Using the application to transfer DNG files to an iPhone X is brutal on camera battery life, as previously reported on the regular M10.  Connection is a multi-try experience, but eventually gets there.  Sharing a photo via email runs into limits on message size, at least it does with AT&T as a provider.  Yes, even WiFi would not send the 40MB file.  I will revisit the application after a couple of more updates.  One more thing, if you were a beta-tester for Fotos, you need to delete the beta and reinstall the application from the App Store to be able to connect the M10-D.

The shutter is quiet.

Overall, I am pleased with the M10-D and would not hesitate using it as a sole camera on a trip, along with a spare battery of course.  It's not quite as mature in development as the M-D is currently, but a firmware update or two will fix that.  The camera is robust and handles well, and the files are very good, although I would say DNG is a must to cover all ranges of white balance.  Fotos needs work, so if you grade on a total imaging solution with Fotos, then 6 months of patience might be a good strategy.  I'm not sure you will be able to buy one before 6 months is up anyway.  Niche M cameras tend to trickle out of the factory.

Eric

 

 

 

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[scott kirkpatrick]

I've formatted a chip successfully with either 1.0.1 iOS FOTOS or 1.0.2 Android FOTOS, don't recall which one I used.  I also found that even with the new version of the Android app, the memory of the old beta M10-D lingered and got in the way of connecting to the new one.  But it has cleared up now with a clean reinstall.  And it was a pleasant surprise to see all the controls of the M10-D that suddenly appeared in 1.0.2.

[baci]

Hi Eric - Great post. I'm keen to know how the first month has been? Any quirks emerged?

[enboe]

Baci,

Work has interfered with play, but I have has it out for 3 days.  Only lien I see is the black chrome coating of the top plate issuing to wear very quickly.  I already see the beginnings of burnishing, and this is using the factory strap with leather wear protectors.  I wish they would do an Mxx-D in silver chrome one day.

Standard Mxx-D challenges of learning the finer points of the meter pattern and blowing out the sensor one more time to address a dust spot.

Eric

[Linford]

Thanks, Eric. Very nice candid intro to the M10-D. I have been through the M9, Monochrom, M240, M246 and now the M10. I have been coveting an M-D for some time but forced myself to wait on the the arrival of the M10-D. I missed the order on day one because of travel. So, I put mine in on day 2, which makes me one of the people standing in line. I just returned from a 2-week trip to Asia with the M10 and four lenses. The WATE, 28-Elmarit, 50-Nocti and 135-Telyt. In hindsight I could have made do with the 28-Elmarit and Nocti but it was a very light kit that fit into a man-purse anyhow. Whilst I was walking the streets of HK in particular, I treated the M10 as a -D--by turning off the display and never taking the time to look at it. Of course, that was not sustainable throughout the trip. I still occasionally shoot film with my Leica MP and my first camera the Nikon FG just for fun. I imagine the M10-D will give me that same sensation. Hopefully mine arrives sooner than later. I'll be sure to let you know how it feels to me. On a side note, my (Leica) thumb support fell of no less than 1/2-dozen times and eventually ended up in my bag as I was convinced I would eventually not hear it bouncing on the ground and lose it. I have been in support of the crank/thumb rest but this last trip only reinforced my feelings about it. Cheers--lt

 

Edited November 24, 2018 by Linford

[enboe]

Linford,

For a person with three thumbs on their right hand, I have verified the Leica M10 thumb brace fits on the M10-D.  That gives you the bump on the body, the integrated thumb brace, and the Leica hot shoe thumb brace, all at once.  The grip also fits, although there is a gap along the lower backside where the grip is cut out to clear the screen.

Eric

P.S. I really wanted the FG in high school, but could only swing an MX, and yes, I have one to this day.