15 years of digital Leica M - which model is your favorite and most hated?

[Stephen.s1]

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On 8/9/2021 at 2:09 AM, Harvard Kiwi said:

My current camera is already better than me, so I need to improve to the point where my skills can justify an upgrade. The challenge with that however is that the better we become, the less we need the newer, fancier version!

Truly spoken

[darylgo]

Any and all Leica digital M's are a better experience than other brands for me.   

The M10-R is my favorite, but when I shoot the M10-P, M240 they give me beautiful images and each is a pleasure to use.  The M60 is special, I enjoy the pure simplicity of the camera, as close to film as possible with digital.  I've enjoyed the  Leica film cameras for many years however digital convenience is too great to go back, the M60 is my film body, kind of.   

 

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[Al Brown]

On 8/11/2021 at 1:10 AM, darylgo said:

The M60 is special,

That camera is something. All the digital Ms without the display seemed wildly popular here on the forum yet Leica discontinued them all...

[AndreasG]

vor 56 Minuten schrieb Al Brown:

All the digital Ms without the display seemed wildly popular here on the forum yet Leica discontinued them all...

Probably due to low demand?

[darylgo]

2 hours ago, AndreasG said:

Probably due to low demand?

A reasonable assumption, or perhaps high demand for M digital bodies and production limits.  Leica (the company) is difficult to understand, the recent elimination of 18mm and 24mm lenses continues to be a mystery.   

[nicci78]

Everybody applaud such concept : no screen. But very few are buying them. 

So they are only very limited run cameras.

By the way Dr Kaufmann is against screenless cameras. Because it goes against the benefits of digital cameras. That certainly explain why the production is so limited.

 

 

[egrossman]

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I purchased an M10-D a few years ago. I love this camera and when it breaks will keep it until no parts area available to repair it.

 

[setuporg]

My favorite is Edition 60, the first screenless and the only lugless digital Leica.  It was the one that got me inspired to get into Leica, when I couldn't yet afford one, so I found it only after I already was a happy Leicaist shooting with the M10 right when it came out.  Several M Leicas later, the M10R (upgraded from that first M10) and M10M are best in class, and a silver M9M is very special too.  I don't think anyone can hate their Leicas. 

[setuporg]

On 8/13/2021 at 1:50 PM, nicci78 said:

By the way Dr Kaufmann is against screenless cameras.

The paperwork for my Edition 60, the penultimate number 599/600, is signed by him, and it was a celebration masterpiece in (proving they were all made and signed in 2014).  My hunch is, as someone who managed the turnaround, would choose something highly representative of it for the 60th anniversary of the M3, and probably at least liked it.:)

[250swb]

My favourite was the M9, the best the M10, the biggest disappointment the M246 (failing miserably after the MM), and one I'm most ambivalent about, the M240. 

[pippy]

The M-D Typ-262 is my favourite. Can't really see that situation changing with the way things seem to be heading. Honourable mention and runner-up spot goes to my Silver-Chrome M Monochrom.

Don't actively hate any Digi-M but the closest it gets is with the M10-D. I was seriously disappointed by the way Leica developed the M-D. By all means have all the extra bells'n'whistles on the 'regular' M10 but on a 'D' model? Horrible idea.

Still sort-of miss my old M8.2 (first digi-M) and M9-P but purely in a Nostalgic way; as a 'user' the M-D is unbeatable.

Philip.

[nicci78]

6 hours ago, setuporg said:

The paperwork for my Edition 60, the penultimate number 599/600, is signed by him, and it was a celebration masterpiece in (proving they were all made and signed in 2014).  My hunch is, as someone who managed the turnaround, would choose something highly representative of it for the 60th anniversary of the M3, and probably at least liked it.:)

Dr Kaufmann has said in one of its interview two years ago that he did not like the concept of screenless digital camera. Just like he disliked the Visoflex typ 020 design. 
But he also stated that he also trusts his team hunch. That’s why M60, M-D and M10-D exist. 

Great CEO and/owner trust their team. Even if they want to do the opposite of its own belief. Because best boss hired more intelligent people to work with him. 

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by nicci78

[egrossman]

5 hours ago, pippy said:

The M-D Typ-262 is my favourite. Can't really see that situation changing with the way things seem to be heading. Honourable mention and runner-up spot goes to my Silver-Chrome M Monochrom.

Don't actively hate any Digi-M but the closest it gets is with the M10-D. I was seriously disappointed by the way Leica developed the M-D. By all means have all the extra bells'n'whistles on the 'regular' M10 but on a 'D' model? Horrible idea.

Still sort-of miss my old M8.2 (first digi-M) and M9-P but purely in a Nostalgic way; as a 'user' the M-D is unbeatable.

Philip.

Philip: Just curious… Have you actually used the M10-D? I only ask, because I own one and absolutely love it. It’s not a perfect camera (it’s rather slow connecting to the photos app) but I love that I can do that to customize how the camera operates (it’s really only a one-time event. How often are you likely to reconfigure your camera?). To each their own.

Erik.

[pippy]

37 minutes ago, egrossman said:

Philip: Just curious… Have you actually used the M10-D? I only ask, because I own one and absolutely love it...

Hi Erik.

As a matter of fact I checked-out the M10-D before I bought the M-D Typ-262. I had loved everything I had read about the M-D and was very excited to try-out the M10-D when it was released. I've been an M-user since '79/'80 and was delighted to see that Leica had managed to revert to the 'original' M body-thickness.

I duly went in to Leica Mayfair where the very capable sales assistant took me through all the new features which the 10-D had and which the M-D did not. As each new feature was described I realised that the new model had gone further and further away from everything I loved about the 'D' concept as a whole and it really was not the camera for me.

No offence intended to anyone who loves their M10-D; it is a very capable camera and those who have bought and used it seem to be very content with their choice but it just wasn't something I would ever want. Fortunately for me I managed - purely by chance - to come across an ex-demo M-D Typ-262 in a different London dealership 'Mint in Box' very soon afterwards and have been perfectly content with my choice.

"If we all liked the same thing..." and so on!

Philip.

Edited August 15, 2021 by pippy

[egrossman]

To each their own! Enjoy your camera 🙂

[Dan Bachmann]

On 8/2/2021 at 8:43 PM, adan said:

I skipped over the M(240) variants: not enough improvement over the M9 technically; too much red; too fat; and I still hoped the "3rd-window natural frameline illumination" might make a comeback. I calculated the M9 should hold up for at least a decade. Added a used M9M for the ISO 10000.

Then, of course, the sensor-corrosion problem came up. Fortunately, in my case, not until late 2015, and only a mild case (one hair-like track on the M9; the M9M already had a replacement sensor). A sad reflection on Leica and/or Kodak, but not a serious problem in my photography.

By late 2016, I was getting ready to send in the M9 for free sensor replacement - and then the M10 was pre-announced in Jan. 2017. I downloaded some of the sample pix from dpreview.com. Shazzam!

Thinner - a serious usable-ISO increase (1600 > 10000) - new Leica profile with close-to-M9 color/punch  - larger and more precise RF for my 135mm f/4 and 75 f/1.4. And - at the time - actually at a lower price than my M9 had been at introduction ($6500 vs. $6950). A no-brainer change. Kept the M9 as backup until the "last call" for free sensor replacements, got it fixed, traded it for a second M10.

I still miss the classic third-window on the front, a little.

I don't hate any of them either. Adan captures my thoughts exactly. I went from M9, skipped the 240 - it just didn't feel right to me - and went for the M10 when the M9 sensor started to corrode the 2nd time. I prefer the natural light/always on view finder of the M9 and the colours/contrast a little more than the M10, but the M10 is an improvement on everything else.

[pippy]

3 hours ago, egrossman said:

To each their own! Enjoy your camera 🙂

Thank you, Erik, and I wish you the very same in return! It seems that we are both absolutely delighted with our own chosen cameras and, in all honesty, could either of us ask for better than that?

Happy Shooting!

Philip.

[CosmoM3]

I really do miss my M10-D - bought it brand new too. I'm slowly looking for one again haha.

[IkarusJohn]

34 minutes ago, CosmoM3 said:

I really do miss my M10-D - bought it brand new too. I'm slowly looking for one again haha.

Love mine.  In its base form, it’s a joy to use. No need for WiFi connection, no need for an EVF. Just a simple camera. I turn it on, and leave it on while I’m holding it - all the controls are visible.  I have to remind myself what the thumbwheel, fn and front buttons are for. I don’t really care that they are there.  If they release an M11-D without any of them, I might consider the upgrade.  I’m surprised that I like the thumb rest  

M camera I liked the least was actually the M3 - I didn’t like the framelines and my view finder was separating, yellowing and wasn’t as clean and bright as the M-A. Second least favourite was the M9P, primarily because of the corrosion - it came at a time when Leica dropped the ball on the M8 LCD coffee stain, and tried to pretend that the sensor corrosion on the M9 either didn’t exist or was a non-issue. Then Stefan Daniel stepped in.

I switched to the M-A as a trade when everyone here said 10 years for a camera was plenty!  Not at that price. I still have the first camera my father gave me over 50 years ago.  At least I see little reason for my M-A to breakdown after 4 years because of the failure of some electronic part can’t replace because they have failed to maintain a supply of parts.

But I digress …

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[david strachan]

My fav is difficult as all my Leicas have good points.

Once even an M5...but the hatred of pile-on turned me so i sold ...not anymore. 🙄 If had time again, I'd buy again but I've had many hundreds of film cameras as a photographica collector over the last 30 years...now don't any more...gas totally satiated. ( plus quite few classic 35mm, MF and LF cameras, which i haven't got the heart to sell)

But now a IIIc, M6, 2xM8's, M-P (typ 240)...and an V-lux 4 for birding.

Love the cuteness and lovely in-hand feel and basic operation of the IIIc. Always loaded with film, usually FP4.

My M6 is rather nice too.  The batteries last an age.  Not sure if it is better or even compared to my Nikon FE2. Both gorgeous and very good to use.

My M8's are wonderful. And used all the time.  Like the extra reach of the +1/3 apparent focal length.  So 135mm lens becomes 180mm, and i find good to focus (Leica and 135mm Canon ltm lens (extraordinary)).  Don't mind the UV/IR filters at all.  Super for IR and monochrome. The coffee-ring episode a complete overblow...all recovered faded in time. And they are still going...the older M9's with older sensors aren't still going, anywhere, except to the recycling centre...or hang like old suits in wardrobes.

My M-P 240 suddenly gives me live-view and therefore a myriad of other lenses and zooms...particularly Nikkor micro and several Nikkor Zooms...love all that stuff.  And can do copy-stand stuff, etc...the whole wide world opened up with live-view. I use three Nikkor Zooms inc a digital Nikkor 28-105mm which is v sharp. (Only drawback is crap Italian Flag on wide angles which is completely easy to fix in LR 6.14)

I haven't hated any of the Leica cameras or lenses, all historical context.  No camera does everything, and a mighty lot of fun watching photographic evolution here,  and over the last 50 years through practical living and art.

A good camera must feel nice in hand, and have the siren call of "use me".

...

Edited August 16, 2021 by david strachan