Decision: M240 or M10. Ideas requested.

[Me Leica!]

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Good day all.

I'm weighing up a couple of options and I'd like to hear some ideas.

I've used the M240 and its variants before, so I'm pretty familiar with its performance, etc. I am not familiar with the M10 at all.

I've found an M262 (same family as the M240) and an M10 for approximately equal prices; the M10 is slightly more expensive - by around 330 US dollars (50,000 yen; I'm in Japan). It comes with two batteries, which I understand could be important. I was always very impressed with the M240 battery; I never got close to needing a spare.

Assuming they are both in working condition (and this is Japan, so they probably are; people tend to look after their gear so buying used is generally a fairly safe bet), what are the pros and cons of the two?

I shoot a bit of everything. I do shoot at night, etc, but not in the "black cat in coal mine" levels of darkness. With the M240 I tended to stick with ISO 1600 as an absolute upper limit, but I honestly didn't even often go that high. However, if the M10 is that much better (in low light, as well as other image quality related points), it's something I'd consider. The lens I would likely use on whichever one I get is the Zeiss F2 Planar 50mm, which I'm very familiar with.

I'm currently not leaning one way or the other, so I'll take all advice into account equally. Many thanks.

[PCPix]

I had an M262 then moved to M10 (and latterly M10R). I honestly think the M10 is the better camera of the two you are considering, better low light performance for sure, but slightly less battery life (the M10R is worse). The fact there are two batteries included with the M10 is certainly helpful.
 

Also the M10 has the frameline preview lever, whether you think that’s important or not?

The M10 is thinner than the 262 and (as a previous owner of M2’s and M6,) is, I feel, the closest modern camera to the ‘essence’ of a classic Leica rangefinder. 

Edited October 22, 2023 by PCPix

[Hans-Dieter Gülicher]

Take the M 10-R. I prefer it inspite of S3.

[lebanese blonde]

I just made the switch from a M240 to a M10 and got the M10 two days ago.

The M10 feels much nicer and more solid and dense in my opinion. I wasn‘t shure about the M10s ISO dial, but i find it quite useful actually. From what i’ve seen so far there is no big difference in image quality at daytime / good light, but the M10 has about 2 more usable stops. I was using the M240 like you at ISO 1600 max but ISO 1600 only in bw.

Some people (and even Leica) say that the M10 is better for people with glasses because of the bigger viewfinder, but i don’t feel that way. The viewfinder is bigger but so is the magnification. I’m wearing glasses and still can’t see the whole 35mm framelines without tilting the camera. The better magnification helps with focusing though. 

What’s great on the M10 is its speed (after switching on and waking up). The M10’s battery is way worse. 

I would buy the M10, because except battery life i don’t see any advantage for the M240 (except a video mode that pretty much nobody is using :D)

[newtoleica]

Definitely get the M10, it's just so much more refined a camera to handle. What the digital M always should have been.

[NZDavid]

The M10 feels very much like a film M while the early M digitals were slightly fatter. But the differences are minimal. I have experienced no problems with battery life. Mine came with only one battery. 

[hoolyproductions]

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I upgraded from M240 to M10 when the M10 was released. It felt like a pretty major upgrade - the slimmer body, better LV, better in low light etc, so I would tend to agree with the posts above. Having said that when recently returning to the M system (M11) I reviewed my photos from those two cameras and they were equally good/fantastic, nothing really to distinguish the two cameras in terms of output. 

[jakontil]

M10 form factor is what M digital should have been, and it’s quite capable of anything thrown at

an extra battery is a useful addition 

[Jk1002]

I have both the M262 and the M10-R.

There is a very significant difference in capability to focus in low light and also with the metering since the M262 does not provide live view.

On the metering with the M262, while I have no issues with 28 and 50, my 35mm consistently messes up, it almost always seem to capture a piece of the sky and meter for that putting everything else into the dark.

I do love the M262 for its simplicity, "Das Wesentliche", but when I am traveling I do make use of live view at night to focus wide open lenses and I absolutely love the perspective control feature on the M10 / M10-R.

The other thing to consider is that the M10 should receive firmware updates when new lenses are dropped for a bit longer, something that for the M262 may have stopped in early '21 which was when we saw the last one.

JK

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Jk1002

[Herr Barnack]

@Me Leica!  If you are primarily a black and white photographer, hold out for an M10Monochrom.  If you are primarily a color photographer, set your sights on either an M-P 240 or an M10; if at all possible, get an M10R over any other used color M camera.

I have an M-P 240; it is a good camera, but its ISO performance is the Achilles' heel.  the M10/M10R is better in that regard, and the shutter is more quiet than the M-P 240. If you are mainly a B&W shooter, the M10M has a maximum ISO of 100,000 which gives you a ton of low light ISO options. 

As for the M240, it has a 1GB buffer, which in my experience will log jam during rapid shooting.  The M-P 240 has a 2GB buffer, which has never log jammed on me.

[Photojazz]

Very confusing.  I have an M10 mono, an M240, looking to get a full M10, but if batteries are scarce, not good.  I look through my Leica photos, and my M9 photos are typically my best, was it because I was on my game better then, or was it the M9 original sensor!  Which of course we all know was a failure.  I have a Q3, M240, M10 Mono, M Mono, I am about ready to say just stick.  I don't need to spend cash now anyway.  I was going to upgrade my M240 to something for color and using my lenses (4), 3 luxes and a APO Cron 75.  Fact is, I probably won't shoot much until end of year.  Work gets in the way.  I guess no harm in pausing!  Somebody said the original Q was better than Q3?  Sorry, I disagree.  I evaluated images from an original Q, they were not stellar.

[brickftl]

On 5/13/2024 at 6:46 PM, Photojazz said:

 Somebody said the original Q was better than Q3?  Sorry, I disagree.  I evaluated images from an original Q, they were not stellar.

I said it and stand by it, having owned and shot extensively with both the original Q and the Q2.

[colonel]

I agree with most of the above.

The M240 is a great entry level camera into the M digital system. It is reliable, reasonable, and is not depreciating, unless of course you factor in inflation.

The M262 was simply a lower weight one with some features dropped. The price however is higher then the M240.

The M10 is a different animal. The sensor has better dynamic range and low light. The camera is thinner. The buffer is larger. The camera has a faster cpu. The VF is 30% larger. It has wifi. The body is slimmer. There is a hard ISO dial. The menu, user interface and button placement is improved. The M10 has a framelink preview lever.

The M262 is lighter at 60g less. It has a longer lasting batter. 

IMHO if the M262 and M10 are near the same price it is a no brainer, its the M10. If there is a £1000 difference which is a lens difference, then I might get the M262. Anything in the middle is up to you