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What's the point of M11 being weather resistant, if M-lenses are not?


Bitbooll

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I am struggling to understand why Leica decided to make M11 bodies (colour and monochrome versions) wether resistant (to some extent), if most (if not all) M-mount lenses are not weather proof. Basically, we mount non-weather sealed lenses on weather resistant body. What's the point behind this Leica's decision? Maybe, M-lenses will see weather protection in the nearest future? What's your take on that, please?

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I’ll give you the official Leica version:

it is true that Leica M lenses are not IP rated. However they are built to very narrow tolerances and contain no electronic parts, so using them in rainy conditions is not an issue. Personally I put a rubber band around the flange to make double sure. 
I have been shooting M cameras since 1976 in all conditions and never had a moisture ingress issue apart from fogged-up viewfinders. 
Just use common sense: keep the camera under your coat when not in use and wipe off excess water as needed 

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We had an issue when we were in Vietnam. It was a very humid weather .. We were staying at a hotel, and we go out for shooting ..When we go out my Leica M 11’s lens got foggy and also my wife’s Leica CL’s lens got foggy too.. we tried to wipe out the fog (humid) but it didn’t work out. Then we went back to the hotel’s air conditioned lobby; after staying there for a few minutes we go out again, and the fog was gone.. the fog (humid) was not at the lens’s filter surface.. it was somewhere inside the lens ..

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I was going to say, the tolerances on most Leica lenses are so tight it's not an issue as long as one is being aware. Plus lenses can be taken apart and cleaned (and/or swapped for another if out in the field). Once a piece of electronics goes inside a digital body from water intrusion, it can become a lot more expensive to fix, or a total loss. 

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3 hours ago, MyLeicaWorld said:

We had an issue when we were in Vietnam. It was a very humid weather .. We were staying at a hotel, and we go out for shooting ..When we go out my Leica M 11’s lens got foggy and also my wife’s Leica CL’s lens got foggy too.. we tried to wipe out the fog (humid) but it didn’t work out. Then we went back to the hotel’s air conditioned lobby; after staying there for a few minutes we go out again, and the fog was gone.. the fog (humid) was not at the lens’s filter surface.. it was somewhere inside the lens ..

YES, you don't have to go to Vietnam for that.
I was in Florida last week and coming from an air-conditioned space to the hot and humid outdoors it will cause condensation inside and outside.

Please suggest putting the cameras in a plastic bag, close it, and let it be outside for 15 minutes before using it. The cold metal can take longer to warm up than a plastic camera.

The fogging-up problem is the same on the SL2 and M11. 

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AFAIK the M11 is not weather-sealed, at least to any recognised standard.

And, as has been commented here before, the M mount is designed around 1950, and gaps can occur between the lens and mount. There have been recorded light leaks around the mount during long exposures.

That said, I have had my M9 and M240 out in wettish weather (fine drizzle, mist, waterfall spray) without obvious problems.

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8 hours ago, nicci78 said:

M11 is weather sealed ? 

Probably, I was misled by the following info found on https://cameradecision.com/: "Leica M11 has environmental sealings on its body which makes it a weather resistant camera" (https://tinyurl.com/2xaydjx2), and "Dust- and splash-resistant build" on https://au.pcmag.com/ (https://tinyurl.com/2p9ahv5m). Considering these sources are quite reputable, I thought I could trust them. Did they lie? What's the point of lying? Now I am confused even more.

Edited by Bitbooll
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All cameras are weather resistant unless they're made of papier maché. "Weather proof" would mean it could deal with any weather, but no maker uses that term. It's just a question of how much resistance to weather they put up, and whether it is measured in relation to a recognised standard. 

Leica's terminology is marketing-speak, but truthful, I guess. Leica are no worse than anyone else. If any maker talks this way I always check whether an IPxx standard is cited: GPS device, mobile phone, camera.....

Edited by LocalHero1953
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20 hours ago, Bitbooll said:

I am struggling to understand why Leica decided to make M11 bodies (colour and monochrome versions) wether resistant (to some extent), if most (if not all) M-mount lenses are not weather proof. Basically, we mount non-weather sealed lenses on weather resistant body. What's the point behind this Leica's decision? Maybe, M-lenses will see weather protection in the nearest future? What's your take on that, please?

P.S. Looks like Leica M11 bodies are not weather resistant at all. I have checked my Leica M11M documentation, and didn't find any mentions of the body being weather resistant (splash/dust proof, etc). Sorry, seems like I was misled by  https://cameradecision.com and  https://au.pcmag.com/ stating that M11s are somewhat weather protected. My bad to trust on-line sources, instead of checking Leica M11 specs.

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I have an M9 Monochrom, and for more than a decade I've used it in all conditions, including snow and rain (but not absolute downpours). I'm fairly sure it has practically zero weather resisitance, so I make sure I regularly wipe moisture from it if it's wet, and make VERY sure the top plate has no big water droplets on it if I turn the camera to take an upright picture. My one worry is water running under the speed dial and inside the camera. And I never put it away wet.

I've never had any problems, and the camera never misses a beat. I carry that same philosophy onto my M11. I like that there might be at least a small degree of water resistance on the M11, but I still don't like to get it wet. As has already been pointed out, few cameras are completely water proof, and I'm pretty sure that anyone returning a water damaged camera to the manufacturer will be blamed, and have to pay for the damage, regardless of whether it's water resistant or not.

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