My First Digital M Leica!

[AllNoAll]

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I just received my very first Digital M Leica in what seems to be perfect condition. I got the Black Paint M-P Type 240. It has a bit of brassing, but is mostly new looking. So far I love the images I'm getting out of it. I'm waiting on the lens I ordered for it, but am using my Voigtlander 28m Ultron Asperical II for the time being (this lens normally lives on my M2). LV is a bit clunking, Menu's are great coming from Sony. Meter seem pretty good, and of course the viewfinder is fantastic. 1080p video on Leica??? Ummmm? No!!. I almost got the type 262, but having the option of LV/EVF for wide and telephoto lenses I felt was a good investment. Plus I wanted a brass top. It seems weird that newer M bodies have aluminum top and bottom plates. I like that the M-P version of the 240 has the frame lines lever, and a sapphire crystal LCD screen. My biggest complaint is that without any need of video the M button on the top of the camera seems to serve no purpose at all for me. I wish this button could be reprogrammed to another function!! I've heard the battery lasts forever? I always get a backup battery for my cameras. Should I get another battery? Any thoughts on this camera? I do wish I could have gotten a version of the M10, but that is currently out of my budget.

[a.noctilux]

Allan,

congrat. for your 'new' M-P.

- the M262 was the only one with aluminium top, it's base plate is made with toughter metal (not aluminium,

later M even the M-D (typ 262) has brass top and base, I know as it's heavier than M262 😉.

- another battery as backup is good idea, as side note I'm so confident in M262 or M-D that I rarely carry another battery

and when I go out with M10 carying one is a must

- for me as user of many digital M (mixing them at will), files from Ms 240 family ARE as 'good' ( enough ?) as from M10

- you can cancel the M function button in menu, but no way to customize it for other thing

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[AllNoAll]

4 hours ago, a.noctilux said:

Allan,

congrat. for your 'new' M-P.

- the M262 was the only one with aluminium top, it's base plate is made with toughter metal (not aluminium,

later M even the M-D (typ 262) has brass top and base, I know as it's heavier than M262 😉.

- another battery as backup is good idea, as side note I'm so confident in M262 or M-D that I rarely carry another battery

and when I go out with M10 carying one is a must

- for me as user of many digital M (mixing them at will), files from Ms 240 family ARE as 'good' ( enough ?) as from M10

- you can cancel the M function button in menu, but no way to customize it for other thing

Thanks for the feedback! I truly appreciate it! I actually was looking for the M-D, but they just aren’t for sale. The only one I found was a 60th anniversary version for like $17,000. I wish they would update the firmware to allow for the M button to be assigned to another function.

 

[kivis]

Good choice. I also have an M-P 240. Mated with a Ver 4 'cron 50mm f2. I have one extra battery and never need to use it, as the main battery is that good. But then I do not use video and rarely use live view.

[a.noctilux]

Allan,

 I wonder for which function you want the 'M' button to do or show.

 

For infos ...

Very clever use from Leica team on the minimalist M.

With my M-D, this 'function-button' ( not marked M along with the rear wheel ) can be used for many things as date/time input, for cleaning sensor, showing battery/'frames on SD" remaining, even for update firmware.

[AllNoAll]

10 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

Allan,

 I wonder for which function you want the 'M' button to do or show.

 

For infos ...

Very clever use from Leica team on the minimalist M.

With my M-D, this 'function-button' ( not marked M along with the rear wheel ) can be used for many things as date/time input, for cleaning sensor, showing battery/'frames on SD" remaining, even for update firmware.

I’m just learning the camera, but off the top of head jpeg film mode. I’m currently shooting DNG files and 12mb Monochrome jpegs. I like to capture B&W jpegs so I have a kind of preview of what an image will look like in Monochrome without importing into Lightroom first. Some other options would be Lens Detection, self timer, flash sync mode, metering mode, any of the jpeg settings like sharpness etc…, DNG compression, and the list goes on

[a.noctilux]

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I think that what you want would not be added.

Some new firmwares for older Ms only added new lenses auto detection in recent past.

 

I also think that it's good thing not to complicate further M use.

Custom programmed button(s) drove me nut on other systems, some not really useful, but programmers wanted to prove that they can do it.

Happily, Leica M programmers look for simple use (in most cases) as photographic tools.

[AllNoAll]

7 minutes ago, a.noctilux said:

I think that what you want would not be added.

Some new firmwares for older Ms only added new lenses auto detection in recent past.

 

I also think that it's good thing not to complicate further M use.

Custom programmed button(s) drove me nut on other systems, some not really useful, but programmers wanted to prove that they can do it.

Happily, Leica M programmers look for simple use (in most cases) as photographic tools.

I’m sure you’re correct, and I hear where you are coming from about over complicated cameras (having shot Sony’s). I still think it would be nice to have a button on the top plate, have a use. I doubt this button almost ever gets used. Maybe a quick way to toggle metering modes. Just seems wasteful. 

[a.noctilux]

I forgot to say that as user of M-D, each time I wanted to use one of those 'useful functions' as changing time/date/firmware/cleaning sensor ,

I need to see how in the M-D's user manual.

Those everyday functions as remaining battery/SD are used often, so good to have these in the function button, and only that.

[AllNoAll]

1 minute ago, a.noctilux said:

I forgot to say that as user of M-D, each time I wanted to use one of those 'useful functions' as changing time/date/firmware/cleaning sensor ,

I need to see how in the M-D's user manual.

Those everyday functions as remaining battery/SD are used often, so good to have these in the function button, and only that.

Agreed!  I actually wanted a M-D, but you just can’t find them for sale. They probably are out of my budget anyway. I got the M-P for around 3200. Now that I have a camera with more of the traditional digital camera functions I find my mind going back to that mindset; when I wanted my digital M to be more like a film experience. I shut  this button off, which will be my first step towards that goal. If the button wasn’t even there I wouldn’t even care, but since it is my mind wants it to do something I would use.

[AllNoAll]

Hey All,

So I got a Boop-O Match Technical soft release for the camera today, and I couldn't get it to thread properly into the shutter button with the included o-ring. Once I took the o-ring off, it threaded perfectly into the shutter button and mated nicely onto the top of the shutter button. It was strange that the o-ring wouldn't allow it to thread on properly. I kind of got it to thread onto the shutter button, but it sat off level/felt like it was barely holding on by a thread. I didn't try to force it on, as I was afraid the force required would damage the camera, and it seem to be cross threading this way.

I wish I could have used the o-ring, as I have heard that soft release buttons can spin themselves off without one. Could this just be a difference between my M240 shutter button, and the shutter button on new cameras like the M10? This button was advertised as being compatible with every camera M-E and newer (including the M240 and M246). Now that the soft release button is on the camera (without the o-ring), and working very nicely I might add, I've noticed the shutter button turns a bit when you turn the soft release button. Just like a few mm clockwise/counterclockwise: I'm guessing this movement is normal?

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