Long-term review: The new Leica M10-R

[Herr Barnack]

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From our friend the august Jono Slack comes a review of the M10-R.  Yes, this an old review - guilty as charged.  But it seems that it is still relevant, as is the M10-R.

All things considered, I am beginning to wonder if the M10-R will become a cult camera. 

To quote Jono, "This is a real photographer’s camera – in my opinion, it has the best image quality of any M camera ever made, and it’s a pleasure to use."  That sort of sounds like the making of a cult camera in the works.

 

Quote

 

Long-term review: The new Leica M10-R

https://www.macfilos.com/2020/07/16/long-term-review-the-new-leica-m10r/

 

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Herr Barnack

[jakontil]

28 minutes ago, Herr Barnack said:

From our friend the august Jono Slack comes a review of the M10-R.  Yes, this an old review - guilty as charged.  But it seems that it is still relevant, as is the M10-R.

All things considered, I am beginning to wonder if the M10-R will become a cult camera. 

To quote Jono, "This is a real photographer’s camera – in my opinion, it has the best image quality of any M camera ever made, and it’s a pleasure to use."  That sort of sounds like the making of a cult camera in the works.

 

 

Weird i must have missed this article, thanks for the lead up! Always love to read jono’s experience in writing, earlier article made me the jump the get m10r in BP, i was lucky 😀

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[Herr Barnack]

I'm guessing that the black paint M10-R cameras are going to go up in value, not down.

[LeicaR10]

Herr Barnack,  I think Jono might well be correct and I too believe the M10-R will be an iconic M camera.  I personally consider the M10-R to be the last and best digital M camera with many of the features M camera users both love and enjoy shooting.  Everything like the great color of the sensor, black chrome finish, removable bottom plate, easy to use and very reliable.  I have taken the M10-R and M cameras to some really harsh climates and hiked really challenging terrain and both R and M cameras never failed me.  Not bashing the M11 that I owned and used heavily for 6+ weeks before swapping back to the M10-R, because it simply wasn't for me.  For me, it became no longer fun using that M camera. The M10-R brought back the fun of shooting a digital M.  Maybe Leica will make the M12 the next fun M, but that is truly a wait and see.  r/ Mark

Edited February 20, 2023 by LeicaR10

[Jeff S]

Jono of course posted the article here for discussion…

 

Jeff

[darylgo]

Waiting for the M11-P and trying to determine which M body to sell, the M10-P, M10-R or the M240.  They're each great cameras, I blame Leica for making cameras difficult to part with.  And further blame for lenses.  

[jakontil]

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14 minutes ago, Herr Barnack said:

I'm guessing that the black paint M10-R cameras are going to go up in value, not down.

Either way, it’s a keeper for me, love just how beautiful…imho m10 compact body already a masterpiece, adding the black paint only makes it more pleasing in my book

[Milan_S]

The M10-R is indeed a classic I love mine and still won't upgrade to the M11 until Leica offers a M11 BP or another special edition...

[M Street Photographer]

Before I bought the M10R in August 2022, I of course also checked the M10 and M11.
Based on my experience with 60 MP, which I never needed, the choice quickly fell on the M10R. Technical points aside, as with the M9, I felt like the camera was mine, made for me, from the moment I picked it up for the first time. The quiet, shallow shutter sound never fails to amaze me, quiet so as not to be distracting, loud enough to show I've just released. Dynamic range, exposure width, as well as high ISO are excellent properties.
I'm still getting to know my M10R and I still have positive surprises, especially in the color scheme.
For me, the M10R is actually the "last real" M today. And so I also share the thought that the M10R will achieve cult status.

[Adam Bonn]

I was perfectly happy with the M10.

Then I met up with a bunch of folks (some of whom are members here) and of course the M10 v M10R v M11 subject came up and was discussed.

About 30 hours later I owned an M10-R.

I kept the M10 because I was perfectly happy with it.

Then when I hadn't used it (M10) at all for 2 months I sold it.

Future classic? Well who knows how these things get started and gain traction..

Personally speaking it's the best digital M I've ever owned (FWIW that's all of them except the 262 and M8 and M11)

also FWIW, I've no great fear of the M11 or emotive attachment to lack of permanently attached base baseplate, it's just that the M11 upgrades are largely ambivalent to me (obv OMWV) ISO64 would be nice I guess..

On 2/20/2023 at 11:43 AM, M Street Photographer said:

Technical points aside, as with the M9, I felt like the camera was mine, made for me, from the moment I picked it up for the first time

I feel this too, it's actually quite strange at first I thought that it was just all silly coincidences (I got my M9 used in the UK in November some years ago, it was pretty mint bar a small mark near the VF window. I got my M10R used in the UK in last November it was really mint bar a small mark near the VF window) 

But I enjoy to use the 10R as much as I do the M9 (I still have it), and that wasn't true for the other post M9 digital Ms

I think the 10R is pretty much everything I need in an M (OMWV) and the upgrades over the M10 work better in real life more than they would appear to on a spec sheet.

[charlesphoto99]

On 2/19/2023 at 5:28 PM, Herr Barnack said:

I'm guessing that the black paint M10-R cameras are going to go up in value, not down.

Not mine! Unless wear and tear and brassing will be seen as a value added feature...

[Olaf_ZG]

Why o why are we reviving this kinds of threads. I thought I don’t need a m10-r. Now I am doubting again…

[Leitz.]

11 hours ago, Adam Bonn said:

Future classic? Well who knows how these things get started and gain traction..

I am also an owner of the BP M10R. My only camera. 

If Leica keeps going where they’re going with the M and keeps complicating the M then the M10R will be in fact a classic. The last of the “simple” classic digital M’s. 

I have a real problem adding things to the Leica M to make the shooting too easy. I think the M10 reached the maximum of stuff you can add to an M until you really start changing it to make it easier to shoot. 
 

For me a classic rangefinder (meaning a rangefinder to focus, no IBIS, a single simple metering that isn’t super accurate but you need to get to know to use to its fullest potential, just minimalist experience), vs a mirrorless camera is the difference between …

taking a picture and making a picture 

You can add a lot of things to the M so it’s easier to take a picture. But because the M10 still keeps it classic (with a couple of tweaks in the menu like perspective control that I never use) the M10 lets me make the picture. If you start adding more things to make it easier it’ll go from a picture making device to a picture taking device. 

That’s just only my opinion and why I’ll stick to the M10R. 

So if at some point in the future my camera completely dies and Leica is unable to fix it any further, my option is going to be an MP or whatever film Leica they have at that time. Because if we keep adding and adding in the future the digital M will only be an M by name. 

Edited February 22, 2023 by Leitz.

[Adam Bonn]

8 minutes ago, Leitz. said:

If Leica keeps going where they’re going with the M and keeps complicating the M then the M10R will be in fact a classic. The last of the “simple” classic digital M’s. 

Leica made the M262.

OK alloy top plate, but ZERO driver aids other than a screen to chimp. 

No live view, no metering modes (bar classic)  = just like an M9 but with a CMOS sensor and LED framelines.

It's not viewed as a classic.

Meanwhile the M10x has pretty much everything the M240 did except video and that camera was the unLeica-Leica for being not a real Leica.

Funny things are cult classics...  who knows how they get started and gain traction..

 

[M Street Photographer]

Who knows, it may be a matter of time. The M without a display can also become a classic, you can't get any closer to analogue. I was tempted 2 years ago, but there weren't any left on the market - thank God from today's perspective, otherwise I wouldn't have bought the M10R.
I think that the M10R actually has what it takes to become a classic, no helpers, no electr. closure, the more or less popular base plate,.....
The idea of an M, with Af, stabilizer, night mode, skin smoothing in portraits, focus stacking, etc., then with the M I'm like Sony, Fuji, or whoever.
So I can imagine that there are two types of M: The classic rangefinder camera and a second, with Af, stabilizer and other automatics, or gimmicks. Then we can always choose what we like best.
The Q2, which offers many of these features, is a different concept, which is ok.
But please don't rape the M, leave it as it is.

[Dennis]

Yesterday I had a nightmare. The M12 was w/ EVF, while the Q3 w/ OVF ... 

[LeicaR10]

Dennis,  That would be truly a nightmare come true.  Leica management should stop and think;...stop trying to make the M camera something it is not.  The M camera should be simple, not complicated and loaded with "features" that M users do not want or need to make photographs that capture their vision and moment in time.  They (Leica) tell me the company is trying to meet "market demand", (Really?), if so, then make a "Q-M" with interchangeable Q-M lenses, but leave the M camera alone.   r/ Mark

[dugby]

1 hour ago, Dennis said:

Yesterday I had a nightmare. The M12 was w/ EVF, while the Q3 w/ OVF ... 

I wonder if that Q3 had an 18MP CCD sensor with a APO-Summicron-Q 50mm lens......

[Adam Bonn]

Either way future classic or not, I think the 10R is today’s discerning choice for those wanting modern sensor performance from traditional digital M metering modes.

That doesn’t make the regular 10 (or even the 240) a bad camera, but the 10R sensor is a tangible upgrade over previous platforms.

The M11 isn’t really a radical departure to the usage concept of the M, it just has off sensor metering and the 240 already had the option to meter from the sensor with LCD screen off so it’s not a new concept (the base plate thing is personal preference IMO, not something that changes how we make photos with the camera)

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[Leitz.]

10 hours ago, M Street Photographer said:

So I can imagine that there are two types of M

Leica can make any camera they want. I just don’t think they should use “M” to sell it Because M is for rangefinder cameras. That’s my only issue. Just leave the “M” name for the rangefinders. And hopefully they’ll never kill the rangefinder. 

The problem I see is where they go from here. There has to be something new to sell on the next iteration until they run out of things to sell and make it a mirrorless camera. 

I think the M10R should’ve been the end of it. Like the film ones. You can just improve what it already is without adding more things to it. Improve the processor. Improve the LCD. Improve the sensor (without bumping up the megapixels). Improve the shutter feel and action. Improve the electronics. Etc etc. just make it a better more robust M. No need to complicate the camera. 
 

That’s what I think. Maybe I’m  the minority.