New: Leica M11 Monochrom

[ColdShower]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

This were shot with the M11 color but, shot with BW jpg. Hope it's ok to post here.

A couple form today. And yes that's with his head stuck in the ceiling. realized that after I took the picture.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

Edited July 26 by ColdShower

[JTLeica]

On 7/26/2023 at 5:21 AM, ColdShower said:

This were shot with the M11 color but, shot with BW jpg. Hope it's ok to post here.

A couple form today. And yes that's with his head stuck in the ceiling. realized that after I took the picture.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

What is happening here 🤣

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[cj3209]

Does it make sense to put on a glass protector for the sapphire back screen?

 

JL

[JTLeica]

50 minutes ago, cj3209 said:

Does it make sense to put on a glass protector for the sapphire back screen?

 

JL

Yeah probably. Touch still works and they are cheap as chips.

[Alex1976]

35 apo. Sunday morning drive to work...while everyone else sleeps in...

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Alex1976]

Morning in Rome. 35 summilux 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Alex1976]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Malaga. 50 noctilux

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Bitbooll]

Still with Torres Brandy.

M11M + TTArtisan 50mm f/0.95.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[DBounce]

So like many of you I’ve experienced the incremental lock ups that occur when the M11M goes into sleep mode. I had the brilliant idea of deciding to bypass the SD card and shoot directly to the internal memory. Well I’m properly Fu€ked… I cannot get the images out of the camera. Leica photo app does not connect to anything anymore. Not my iPhone or iPad. USB cable to my MacBook, does not mount the camera as a drive… heck it doesn’t even know anything is connected. So the images have no way of being transferred. 
 

I’m sooooooo angry, I dumped almost $20k into this pos! Why must it be such a frustrating user experience? Does Leica actually test any of this stuff? Granted, most camera apps are garbage, the one… and honestly, only one exception… Red Control. That app is rock solid! Pro level all the way. A quick look in the App Store reveals it’s just about the only one that has a decent user rating.

 That said, USB not working is next level horse $hit. Unbelievable!

[maxpower]

4 minutes ago, DBounce said:

USB cable to my MacBook, does not mount the camera as a drive… heck it doesn’t even know anything is connected. So the images have no way of being transferred. 

If you configure the camera to the PTP usb mode in settings you should be able to get the photos on your MacBook using the built-in application Image Capture, Photos, and I think even CaptureOne and LightRoom can import. But there is no mode to mount it as an external drive unfortunately no. If that doesn't work, it might also depend on the USB cable you are using I believe.

Edited September 23 by maxpower
added usb cable bit

[DBounce]

17 minutes ago, maxpower said:

If you configure the camera to the PTP usb mode in settings you should be able to get the photos on your MacBook using the built-in application Image Capture, Photos, and I think even CaptureOne and LightRoom can import. But there is no mode to mount it as an external drive unfortunately no. If that doesn't work, it might also depend on the USB cable you are using I believe.

Thanks, I really hope this works. It’s very frustrating not being able to access the photos outside of the camera.

No dice… no devices shown in image capture.

Edited September 23 by DBounce

[maxpower]

53 minutes ago, DBounce said:

Thanks, I really hope this works. It’s very frustrating not being able to access the photos outside of the camera.

No dice… no devices shown in image capture.

Weird, it's still possible that's cable related because not all usb-c cables are alike and it's hard to know for sure if the one you have works for it. So if you have other data usb-c cables worth a shot perhaps.

But another option could be inserting an SD card and copying photos from internal storage to SD. In settings there is "Storage Management" and there you can do "Backup memory (IN => SD)". Maybe try that?

[DBounce]

42 minutes ago, maxpower said:

Weird, it's still possible that's cable related because not all usb-c cables are alike and it's hard to know for sure if the one you have works for it. So if you have other data usb-c cables worth a shot perhaps.

But another option could be inserting an SD card and copying photos from internal storage to SD. In settings there is "Storage Management" and there you can do "Backup memory (IN => SD)". Maybe try that?

The backup option is grayed out. I’m not sure why it is unavailable?

[DBounce]

So, I did some more troubleshooting, and here is what I learned… after switching the write option to only capture to the SD card reader, the camera shows an SD card error. I’ve tried several different SD cards and the error is the same. The SD cards are not cheap, I only use ProGrade SD cards, and they are confirmed working on my MBP and my other cameras. It seems whatever died also took out the Bluetooth radio. 
I’ll be calling Leica concerning this issue. Having owned, frankly, too many cameras to list, this one, thus far, has been the most problematic. I believe the idea of Leica quality, is only an idea at this point. It does not reflect reality. Now I’m hoping that Leica service is not also just a forgotten memory.

[Alex1976]

Good morning. 50 noctilux 1.2

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[CharlieLoon]

I tried out the M11M this past weekend. I was very impressed by it's capabilities, but overall didn't find it as exciting of a camera as the M10M. Spoiler/summary--the reason is because I shot an M10M and M9M previously. Had I never touched one, I'm sure I would've been in instant love with the M11M.

For background: I'm a longtime 120 film shooter (Hasselblad, 80mm lens only, plus close-up tube, always with external meter as my 501c had no battery/electronics). Photography major in college. As I started a family/full-time work (physician), I just didn't have the time to develop and scan the film (darkroom went by the wayside in med school). Plus my photography transitioned from 100% artistic landscapes/architecture to quite a bit of "fine art family" photos, lol. I still to this day have never picked a Leica film camera, so I am not a Leica purist. I tried multiple much cheaper digital cameras before moving to Leica, including the original hasselblad CFV back. The latter required a 60mm lens to approximate my 80mm on film, and ended up being quite heavy/bulky, slow, and limited (ISO 200 was usable, but 400 rarely so). All the other digital cameras I tried felt like toys. They produced great results, but were not a joy to use. I enjoy the process as much as the output--hence why I never opted to pursue professional photography.

I had the original M9M. Quite a pleasant camera. I rather enjoyed the sound of the shutter re-cocking. I shot exclusively with a 35mm lens (I still shoot 1:1, cropping in post, so a full frame sensor will look similar to an 80mm on 120 film). I was very happy with the camera, but kept getting blurry vision in my L eye when I used the RF, so I sold it thinking I'd find something different. (I saw an eye doctor--not very helpful. )

Tried the M10M next. Turns out I could shoot/focus with my L eye and if I kept my R eye open (but blocked by the camera body) I had no issues. Wish I'd thought of that earlier...

I felt the M10M was an improvement over the M9M in just about every way, the exception being I rather liked the CCD sensor. I like to do close ups (not macro per se), a RF camera was really never ideal for me, and the M10M allowed live view/EVF, which allows for a full and accurate framing. I use a small extension tube with my 35mm lens. After trying multiple lenses, my favorite was the Voightlander Nokton 35mm f1.2, but I found the Voightlander Nikton Vintage 35mm f1.5 to be almost as great, but at a significantly more compact/lighter size. The Zeiss 35mm f1.4 was certainly the sharpest, but frankly too sharp/not "poetic enough" and the out of focus areas became less pleasing with the higher resolution sensors. Having been ok with the relative softness of film (an irony considering Hasselblad were known for having the sharpest Zeiss lenses), the Voightlander just felt right. The Leica lenses didn't really impress me enough to keep based on their price point (again, I'm not a Leica purist). 🤷‍♂️ I did find my M10M photographs were generally nicer/better than the M9M--particularly with highlight rendition.

I sold the M10M a few months ago. Bad decision. Quick story of it was I thought I wasn't enjoying photography as much and that it interfered with enjoying the moment with family. The latter was true, the former wasn't. And the latter could've been remedied, so after realizing how much I missed photography (and my special B&W artistic memories/fine art photos), I purchased an M11M, since by all accounts, it appears to be the better camera.

Firstly, the M11M is certainly the "better" as in more capable camera. The new menu was a bit confusing at first, but I could adapt. I didn't find the shutter sound/change to be that notable as I've seen lots of complaints about it, but it had been a few months since I shot on an M10.

Yet, I found myself not being able to stomach many of the same "petty" things others mentioned.

1) The texture of the paint/finish. I just didn't like it. A little too grippy. By all accounts, it's probably better than the old finish and grippy is usually a good thing for a camera, but I was used to the prior texture, and just couldn't get used to the new one.

2) The baseplate. What I thought was kind of an odd/inconvenient setup with the M9M actually grew into something I rather liked. It made the camera look and feel so much simpler, less "techy." I never cared about how long it took to change the batter/memory card, or having to take the memory card out and upload through a card reader. A big part of the appeal of a Leica is its simplicity, and I think the M11M loses some of that with the more complex bottom.

3) The USB port, while very convenient, sort of again disturbs that whole vibe.

I did like the function button being moved--I found it rather inconvenient to use on the M10M. I also liked the addition of the push function on the thumbwheel. I can't tell if I liked the lighter weight of the M11M compared to the M10M or not. Maybe I just like the idea of brass, and would've been happier if they lied and said the new body was brass instead of now being aluminum, but lighter still? I did like how much significantly improved battery life was, and the new EVF works much better on the M11M than the M10M. The M10M seems to heat up more with liveview as well, compared to the M11M. The built in memory was a really nice addition as well.

The reality is, I liked the M10M more in comparison to the M11M. Had I never touched an M10M (or M9M), I'd probably be happy with the M11M. But considering I'm not a professional, just a serious hobbiest shooting pictures for fun, and was very happy with my M10M photos, it made little sense to spent $10k on a camera body when clearly the whole reason I bought a Leica in the first place was because of the "feel" of it. For many of us there's no logical/rational reason to why we shoot Leica similar to how many suburban dads buy an F150 or a sports car--it was an emotional decision and we just like the way it handles/works/makes us feel. And the Leica, despite being digital, does hearken back much more strongly to my days as a film photographer than any other digital camera I tried. Originally I found it silly seeing people complain about the little things I pointed out above, but now I find that it's not so silly anymore since so many of us pursue Leica because of the very fact it functions like any other digital camera but doesn't feel as much like a digital camera as the others. The fact we're shooting a dedicated B&W digital camera already shows we're making a very emotional choice.

So I returned the M11M, and I called B&H and thankfully they still had the M10M I sold them a few months prior. It was an odd request, buying my old camera back, but they dropped the price for me a bit and I'm all the happier for it. Now I just have to learn live with a quota when I'm on vacation--just like I did when I could only shoot 12 photos on a roll🙂

Bottom line is I love Leica cameras, but I found I love my M10M the most. And absence sure makes the heart grow fonder.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[cj3209]

On 10/26/2023 at 6:58 PM, CharlieLoon said:

I tried out the M11M this past weekend. I was very impressed by it's capabilities, but overall didn't find it as exciting of a camera as the M10M. Spoiler/summary--the reason is because I shot an M10M and M9M previously. Had I never touched one, I'm sure I would've been in instant love with the M11M.

For background: I'm a longtime 120 film shooter (Hasselblad, 80mm lens only, plus close-up tube, always with external meter as my 501c had no battery/electronics). Photography major in college. As I started a family/full-time work (physician), I just didn't have the time to develop and scan the film (darkroom went by the wayside in med school). Plus my photography transitioned from 100% artistic landscapes/architecture to quite a bit of "fine art family" photos, lol. I still to this day have never picked a Leica film camera, so I am not a Leica purist. I tried multiple much cheaper digital cameras before moving to Leica, including the original hasselblad CFV back. The latter required a 60mm lens to approximate my 80mm on film, and ended up being quite heavy/bulky, slow, and limited (ISO 200 was usable, but 400 rarely so). All the other digital cameras I tried felt like toys. They produced great results, but were not a joy to use. I enjoy the process as much as the output--hence why I never opted to pursue professional photography.

I had the original M9M. Quite a pleasant camera. I rather enjoyed the sound of the shutter re-cocking. I shot exclusively with a 35mm lens (I still shoot 1:1, cropping in post, so a full frame sensor will look similar to an 80mm on 120 film). I was very happy with the camera, but kept getting blurry vision in my L eye when I used the RF, so I sold it thinking I'd find something different. (I saw an eye doctor--not very helpful. )

Tried the M10M next. Turns out I could shoot/focus with my L eye and if I kept my R eye open (but blocked by the camera body) I had no issues. Wish I'd thought of that earlier...

I felt the M10M was an improvement over the M9M in just about every way, the exception being I rather liked the CCD sensor. I like to do close ups (not macro per se), a RF camera was really never ideal for me, and the M10M allowed live view/EVF, which allows for a full and accurate framing. I use a small extension tube with my 35mm lens. After trying multiple lenses, my favorite was the Voightlander Nokton 35mm f1.2, but I found the Voightlander Nikton Vintage 35mm f1.5 to be almost as great, but at a significantly more compact/lighter size. The Zeiss 35mm f1.4 was certainly the sharpest, but frankly too sharp/not "poetic enough" and the out of focus areas became less pleasing with the higher resolution sensors. Having been ok with the relative softness of film (an irony considering Hasselblad were known for having the sharpest Zeiss lenses), the Voightlander just felt right. The Leica lenses didn't really impress me enough to keep based on their price point (again, I'm not a Leica purist). 🤷‍♂️ I did find my M10M photographs were generally nicer/better than the M9M--particularly with highlight rendition.

I sold the M10M a few months ago. Bad decision. Quick story of it was I thought I wasn't enjoying photography as much and that it interfered with enjoying the moment with family. The latter was true, the former wasn't. And the latter could've been remedied, so after realizing how much I missed photography (and my special B&W artistic memories/fine art photos), I purchased an M11M, since by all accounts, it appears to be the better camera.

Firstly, the M11M is certainly the "better" as in more capable camera. The new menu was a bit confusing at first, but I could adapt. I didn't find the shutter sound/change to be that notable as I've seen lots of complaints about it, but it had been a few months since I shot on an M10.

Yet, I found myself not being able to stomach many of the same "petty" things others mentioned.

1) The texture of the paint/finish. I just didn't like it. A little too grippy. By all accounts, it's probably better than the old finish and grippy is usually a good thing for a camera, but I was used to the prior texture, and just couldn't get used to the new one.

2) The baseplate. What I thought was kind of an odd/inconvenient setup with the M9M actually grew into something I rather liked. It made the camera look and feel so much simpler, less "techy." I never cared about how long it took to change the batter/memory card, or having to take the memory card out and upload through a card reader. A big part of the appeal of a Leica is its simplicity, and I think the M11M loses some of that with the more complex bottom.

3) The USB port, while very convenient, sort of again disturbs that whole vibe.

I did like the function button being moved--I found it rather inconvenient to use on the M10M. I also liked the addition of the push function on the thumbwheel. I can't tell if I liked the lighter weight of the M11M compared to the M10M or not. Maybe I just like the idea of brass, and would've been happier if they lied and said the new body was brass instead of now being aluminum, but lighter still? I did like how much significantly improved battery life was, and the new EVF works much better on the M11M than the M10M. The M10M seems to heat up more with liveview as well, compared to the M11M. The built in memory was a really nice addition as well.

The reality is, I liked the M10M more in comparison to the M11M. Had I never touched an M10M (or M9M), I'd probably be happy with the M11M. But considering I'm not a professional, just a serious hobbiest shooting pictures for fun, and was very happy with my M10M photos, it made little sense to spent $10k on a camera body when clearly the whole reason I bought a Leica in the first place was because of the "feel" of it. For many of us there's no logical/rational reason to why we shoot Leica similar to how many suburban dads buy an F150 or a sports car--it was an emotional decision and we just like the way it handles/works/makes us feel. And the Leica, despite being digital, does hearken back much more strongly to my days as a film photographer than any other digital camera I tried. Originally I found it silly seeing people complain about the little things I pointed out above, but now I find that it's not so silly anymore since so many of us pursue Leica because of the very fact it functions like any other digital camera but doesn't feel as much like a digital camera as the others. The fact we're shooting a dedicated B&W digital camera already shows we're making a very emotional choice.

So I returned the M11M, and I called B&H and thankfully they still had the M10M I sold them a few months prior. It was an odd request, buying my old camera back, but they dropped the price for me a bit and I'm all the happier for it. Now I just have to learn live with a quota when I'm on vacation--just like I did when I could only shoot 12 photos on a roll🙂

Bottom line is I love Leica cameras, but I found I love my M10M the most. And absence sure makes the heart grow fonder.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

I enjoyed the read-thx!

[ramosa]

On 10/26/2023 at 9:58 PM, CharlieLoon said:

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Thanks for the chronicling of your experiences from M9M to M10M to M11M and back to M10M. Sounds like something I would do Actually, after the M9M years ago (two versions of it due to sensor problems), I have a ongoing hankering for an M10M or M11M, but--for reasons like yours--the M10M seems like the better camera for me. Thanks again for your story--and hope your M10M Experience Part II goes well.

Edited October 30 by ramosa

[bags27]

On 10/26/2023 at 9:58 PM, CharlieLoon said:

I tried out the M11M this past weekend. I was very impressed by it's capabilities, but overall didn't find it as exciting of a camera as the M10M. Spoiler/summary--the reason is because I shot an M10M and M9M previously. Had I never touched one, I'm sure I would've been in instant love with the M11M.

For background: I'm a longtime 120 film shooter (Hasselblad, 80mm lens only, plus close-up tube, always with external meter as my 501c had no battery/electronics). Photography major in college. As I started a family/full-time work (physician), I just didn't have the time to develop and scan the film (darkroom went by the wayside in med school). Plus my photography transitioned from 100% artistic landscapes/architecture to quite a bit of "fine art family" photos, lol. I still to this day have never picked a Leica film camera, so I am not a Leica purist. I tried multiple much cheaper digital cameras before moving to Leica, including the original hasselblad CFV back. The latter required a 60mm lens to approximate my 80mm on film, and ended up being quite heavy/bulky, slow, and limited (ISO 200 was usable, but 400 rarely so). All the other digital cameras I tried felt like toys. They produced great results, but were not a joy to use. I enjoy the process as much as the output--hence why I never opted to pursue professional photography.

I had the original M9M. Quite a pleasant camera. I rather enjoyed the sound of the shutter re-cocking. I shot exclusively with a 35mm lens (I still shoot 1:1, cropping in post, so a full frame sensor will look similar to an 80mm on 120 film). I was very happy with the camera, but kept getting blurry vision in my L eye when I used the RF, so I sold it thinking I'd find something different. (I saw an eye doctor--not very helpful. )

Tried the M10M next. Turns out I could shoot/focus with my L eye and if I kept my R eye open (but blocked by the camera body) I had no issues. Wish I'd thought of that earlier...

I felt the M10M was an improvement over the M9M in just about every way, the exception being I rather liked the CCD sensor. I like to do close ups (not macro per se), a RF camera was really never ideal for me, and the M10M allowed live view/EVF, which allows for a full and accurate framing. I use a small extension tube with my 35mm lens. After trying multiple lenses, my favorite was the Voightlander Nokton 35mm f1.2, but I found the Voightlander Nikton Vintage 35mm f1.5 to be almost as great, but at a significantly more compact/lighter size. The Zeiss 35mm f1.4 was certainly the sharpest, but frankly too sharp/not "poetic enough" and the out of focus areas became less pleasing with the higher resolution sensors. Having been ok with the relative softness of film (an irony considering Hasselblad were known for having the sharpest Zeiss lenses), the Voightlander just felt right. The Leica lenses didn't really impress me enough to keep based on their price point (again, I'm not a Leica purist). 🤷‍♂️ I did find my M10M photographs were generally nicer/better than the M9M--particularly with highlight rendition.

I sold the M10M a few months ago. Bad decision. Quick story of it was I thought I wasn't enjoying photography as much and that it interfered with enjoying the moment with family. The latter was true, the former wasn't. And the latter could've been remedied, so after realizing how much I missed photography (and my special B&W artistic memories/fine art photos), I purchased an M11M, since by all accounts, it appears to be the better camera.

Firstly, the M11M is certainly the "better" as in more capable camera. The new menu was a bit confusing at first, but I could adapt. I didn't find the shutter sound/change to be that notable as I've seen lots of complaints about it, but it had been a few months since I shot on an M10.

Yet, I found myself not being able to stomach many of the same "petty" things others mentioned.

1) The texture of the paint/finish. I just didn't like it. A little too grippy. By all accounts, it's probably better than the old finish and grippy is usually a good thing for a camera, but I was used to the prior texture, and just couldn't get used to the new one.

2) The baseplate. What I thought was kind of an odd/inconvenient setup with the M9M actually grew into something I rather liked. It made the camera look and feel so much simpler, less "techy." I never cared about how long it took to change the batter/memory card, or having to take the memory card out and upload through a card reader. A big part of the appeal of a Leica is its simplicity, and I think the M11M loses some of that with the more complex bottom.

3) The USB port, while very convenient, sort of again disturbs that whole vibe.

I did like the function button being moved--I found it rather inconvenient to use on the M10M. I also liked the addition of the push function on the thumbwheel. I can't tell if I liked the lighter weight of the M11M compared to the M10M or not. Maybe I just like the idea of brass, and would've been happier if they lied and said the new body was brass instead of now being aluminum, but lighter still? I did like how much significantly improved battery life was, and the new EVF works much better on the M11M than the M10M. The M10M seems to heat up more with liveview as well, compared to the M11M. The built in memory was a really nice addition as well.

The reality is, I liked the M10M more in comparison to the M11M. Had I never touched an M10M (or M9M), I'd probably be happy with the M11M. But considering I'm not a professional, just a serious hobbiest shooting pictures for fun, and was very happy with my M10M photos, it made little sense to spent $10k on a camera body when clearly the whole reason I bought a Leica in the first place was because of the "feel" of it. For many of us there's no logical/rational reason to why we shoot Leica similar to how many suburban dads buy an F150 or a sports car--it was an emotional decision and we just like the way it handles/works/makes us feel. And the Leica, despite being digital, does hearken back much more strongly to my days as a film photographer than any other digital camera I tried. Originally I found it silly seeing people complain about the little things I pointed out above, but now I find that it's not so silly anymore since so many of us pursue Leica because of the very fact it functions like any other digital camera but doesn't feel as much like a digital camera as the others. The fact we're shooting a dedicated B&W digital camera already shows we're making a very emotional choice.

So I returned the M11M, and I called B&H and thankfully they still had the M10M I sold them a few months prior. It was an odd request, buying my old camera back, but they dropped the price for me a bit and I'm all the happier for it. Now I just have to learn live with a quota when I'm on vacation--just like I did when I could only shoot 12 photos on a roll🙂

Bottom line is I love Leica cameras, but I found I love my M10M the most. And absence sure makes the heart grow fonder.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Great story, of course. True to yourself. And a physician who was a photography major! Some med school was brave enough to see a really smart mind whatever the major.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[BobSoltys]

On 10/26/2023 at 9:58 PM, CharlieLoon said:

I tried out the M11M this past weekend. I was very impressed by it's capabilities, but overall didn't find it as exciting of a camera as the M10M. Spoiler/summary--the reason is because I shot an M10M and M9M previously. Had I never touched one, I'm sure I would've been in instant love with the M11M.

For background: I'm a longtime 120 film shooter (Hasselblad, 80mm lens only, plus close-up tube, always with external meter as my 501c had no battery/electronics). Photography major in college. As I started a family/full-time work (physician), I just didn't have the time to develop and scan the film (darkroom went by the wayside in med school). Plus my photography transitioned from 100% artistic landscapes/architecture to quite a bit of "fine art family" photos, lol. I still to this day have never picked a Leica film camera, so I am not a Leica purist. I tried multiple much cheaper digital cameras before moving to Leica, including the original hasselblad CFV back. The latter required a 60mm lens to approximate my 80mm on film, and ended up being quite heavy/bulky, slow, and limited (ISO 200 was usable, but 400 rarely so). All the other digital cameras I tried felt like toys. They produced great results, but were not a joy to use. I enjoy the process as much as the output--hence why I never opted to pursue professional photography.

I had the original M9M. Quite a pleasant camera. I rather enjoyed the sound of the shutter re-cocking. I shot exclusively with a 35mm lens (I still shoot 1:1, cropping in post, so a full frame sensor will look similar to an 80mm on 120 film). I was very happy with the camera, but kept getting blurry vision in my L eye when I used the RF, so I sold it thinking I'd find something different. (I saw an eye doctor--not very helpful. )

Tried the M10M next. Turns out I could shoot/focus with my L eye and if I kept my R eye open (but blocked by the camera body) I had no issues. Wish I'd thought of that earlier...

I felt the M10M was an improvement over the M9M in just about every way, the exception being I rather liked the CCD sensor. I like to do close ups (not macro per se), a RF camera was really never ideal for me, and the M10M allowed live view/EVF, which allows for a full and accurate framing. I use a small extension tube with my 35mm lens. After trying multiple lenses, my favorite was the Voightlander Nokton 35mm f1.2, but I found the Voightlander Nikton Vintage 35mm f1.5 to be almost as great, but at a significantly more compact/lighter size. The Zeiss 35mm f1.4 was certainly the sharpest, but frankly too sharp/not "poetic enough" and the out of focus areas became less pleasing with the higher resolution sensors. Having been ok with the relative softness of film (an irony considering Hasselblad were known for having the sharpest Zeiss lenses), the Voightlander just felt right. The Leica lenses didn't really impress me enough to keep based on their price point (again, I'm not a Leica purist). 🤷‍♂️ I did find my M10M photographs were generally nicer/better than the M9M--particularly with highlight rendition.

I sold the M10M a few months ago. Bad decision. Quick story of it was I thought I wasn't enjoying photography as much and that it interfered with enjoying the moment with family. The latter was true, the former wasn't. And the latter could've been remedied, so after realizing how much I missed photography (and my special B&W artistic memories/fine art photos), I purchased an M11M, since by all accounts, it appears to be the better camera.

Firstly, the M11M is certainly the "better" as in more capable camera. The new menu was a bit confusing at first, but I could adapt. I didn't find the shutter sound/change to be that notable as I've seen lots of complaints about it, but it had been a few months since I shot on an M10.

Yet, I found myself not being able to stomach many of the same "petty" things others mentioned.

1) The texture of the paint/finish. I just didn't like it. A little too grippy. By all accounts, it's probably better than the old finish and grippy is usually a good thing for a camera, but I was used to the prior texture, and just couldn't get used to the new one.

2) The baseplate. What I thought was kind of an odd/inconvenient setup with the M9M actually grew into something I rather liked. It made the camera look and feel so much simpler, less "techy." I never cared about how long it took to change the batter/memory card, or having to take the memory card out and upload through a card reader. A big part of the appeal of a Leica is its simplicity, and I think the M11M loses some of that with the more complex bottom.

3) The USB port, while very convenient, sort of again disturbs that whole vibe.

I did like the function button being moved--I found it rather inconvenient to use on the M10M. I also liked the addition of the push function on the thumbwheel. I can't tell if I liked the lighter weight of the M11M compared to the M10M or not. Maybe I just like the idea of brass, and would've been happier if they lied and said the new body was brass instead of now being aluminum, but lighter still? I did like how much significantly improved battery life was, and the new EVF works much better on the M11M than the M10M. The M10M seems to heat up more with liveview as well, compared to the M11M. The built in memory was a really nice addition as well.

The reality is, I liked the M10M more in comparison to the M11M. Had I never touched an M10M (or M9M), I'd probably be happy with the M11M. But considering I'm not a professional, just a serious hobbiest shooting pictures for fun, and was very happy with my M10M photos, it made little sense to spent $10k on a camera body when clearly the whole reason I bought a Leica in the first place was because of the "feel" of it. For many of us there's no logical/rational reason to why we shoot Leica similar to how many suburban dads buy an F150 or a sports car--it was an emotional decision and we just like the way it handles/works/makes us feel. And the Leica, despite being digital, does hearken back much more strongly to my days as a film photographer than any other digital camera I tried. Originally I found it silly seeing people complain about the little things I pointed out above, but now I find that it's not so silly anymore since so many of us pursue Leica because of the very fact it functions like any other digital camera but doesn't feel as much like a digital camera as the others. The fact we're shooting a dedicated B&W digital camera already shows we're making a very emotional choice.

So I returned the M11M, and I called B&H and thankfully they still had the M10M I sold them a few months prior. It was an odd request, buying my old camera back, but they dropped the price for me a bit and I'm all the happier for it. Now I just have to learn live with a quota when I'm on vacation--just like I did when I could only shoot 12 photos on a roll🙂

Bottom line is I love Leica cameras, but I found I love my M10M the most. And absence sure makes the heart grow fonder.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Thank you for sharing the great story about B&H still having your M10M.

I bought an M11M last week and love it. While I wish the paint was black gloss on a brass top plate, the M11M is so much lighter than the M-P Typ 240.