Is it worth consider to downgrade from m11 to m9p in 2023?

[hunglephotography]

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On 4/27/2025 at 5:10 PM, pedaes said:

I think after a year he may have moved on!

Haha. True. I have been selling and buying all type of M version. I came back to leica m11 quite a few times that….is all the series for now. M11 - m9p m10p m11p m11d mp240 m11bp - finally now i got leica Md262 which i love the most. I love the D series after using the m11d. I finally quit using m11 series because of the magenta cast which i tried but cannot like it. 
 

people will say that oh the color can be adjusted in post. I agree but the cast is just too much which is very annoying and time wasting editing in post. The color in Md262 is magic. Raw requires minimal editing with no changes to the colors. Its just perfect. The only downside is no auto iso which sometimes limiting during street shooting. You know, keeping high shutter speed and auto ISO for zone focusing which the leica m11 does really good. 
 

im waiting for m10r bp as my final collection piece. Love the color of m10r as well but less than md262. However having a screen is better sometimes. Especially traveling with my wife.

so yeah. After over a year, i changed my camera and leses more than it should be. I kept coming back to m11 for its benefit but finally decided to leave it for the color cast. I love the original color from leica. The m11 color felt like sony version which requires too much time. 

48 minutes ago, FarbSpieler said:

I totally get where you’re coming from. I’ve used both the M11 and M9-P, and while they’re very different cameras, this really comes down to what you value most.

The M9/P’s color has a unique look—some say it’s CCD magic, some say it’s just the older sensor’s limitations turning into character. Either way, it has a distinct rendering that many love straight out of camera. If you’re after minimal post-processing and images with a more “film-like” vibe, the M9-P could be a satisfying choice.

But keep in mind, it’s a big step back in other ways: no live view, limited ISO, slow buffer, no connectivity, and a very outdated LCD. You’ll need to be okay working within those limits—and enjoy it. Some do, some don’t.

The M11 is more capable overall, but yes—the colors can feel more clinical or flat, and it takes work in post to get them where you want. But it gives you a lot more flexibility and dynamic range to shape the image.

If you’re really drawn to the M9-P’s look and want a simpler shooting experience—and the tradeoff gives you room for a nice Summilux—it might be worth trying. Just make sure you’re okay with going much more manual, slow, and a bit blind at times 😎

And, no, you’re not downgrading. You’re just choosing a different tool that better suits your taste. Leica has made it possible—pick the one that makes you want to go out and shoot.

The m9p color is still my favorite. But finally i found md262 is my champ. This is the best colors camera i got so far after trying many leica M. M11 series colors are just annoying when editing because of the magenta cast. I have waited and hoped that the update software or the new m11 may change it. But after using all m11 series versions so far. Its still the same. M11 build is just so nice with supper battery. I just wish the color could be better. 

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[hunglephotography]

14 minutes ago, kiwidad said:

I started with an m10. Liked it mostly. Found the menus clunky compared to my q2. Ended up trading the m10 and q2 in on an m11. 
can’t say I have ever noticed any issue with out of camera color. People say it has a cast. I can never figure that out in reaL life since color in animate is affected by so many things.  
Seems like a crowd said the m10 was hopelessly flawed until the m11 came out and the m9 condemned in light of sensor issues.

my issue today with m9 would be batteries and the menus. 

if you want to avoid sny color issues might I recommend an m10m or m11m. 🙂

M10 colors are good. Very clear. 
 

m11 has a cast. Whatever people might say. Everyone has to accept it. I have used all m11 series (m11-p-d-bp) in hope that some version might not have it but no. The magenta cast is there very clearly. 
 

The only version does not have the color cast is the m11m 

[pedaes]

 

25 minutes ago, hunglephotography said:

m11 has a cast.

Can you provide an example of this colour cast with latest FW installed?

[FarbSpieler]

1 hour ago, Tseg said:

... if on the go and need to share quickly, use Leica Looks app capability...

Yes—SOOC isn’t always flattering, even from M10-R. Personally, I prefer RNI Films to Leica Looks, it's just that more organic and real-film-like feel.

[marchyman]

34 minutes ago, pedaes said:

 

Can you provide an example of this colour cast with latest FW installed?

What editor using what profile.  It makes a difference.  Here are examples an unedited image.  The only change was the profile used.

Adobe Color

 

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Adobe Landscape

 

[marchyman]

Contining -- Adobe Standard

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Adobe Vivid

 

[marchyman]

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And finally Adobe Adaptive...

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All are different.

[costa43]

I don’t know why Leica don’t just introduce an auto WB choice. Say like warm, cool, natural etc. That way they do not disrupt people’s current workflows but give others a choice if they do not like the auto white balance results. 

Edited May 1 by costa43

[kiwidad]

Sigh…. I seem to recall having to use a filter to make my cloudy days look good on every color film I ever used! 
then the lab could fix it too if I asked!
 

does auto white balance need to fix that too?

we shot fuji for greens and Kodak for reds if I recall

I think I am gonna just take my m6 for a stroll with the 50 lux and throw light on some Kodak 🙂

[kiwidad]

4 hours ago, costa43 said:

I don’t know why Leica don’t just introduce an auto WB choice. Say like warm, cool, natural etc. That way they do not disrupt people’s current workflows but give others a choice if they do not like the auto white balance results. 

Or, you could just choose a light color and pick. I wonder if a color meter might help here ?

[kiwidad]

5 hours ago, marchyman said:

And finally Adobe Adaptive...

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!

 

All are different.

My eyes only notice a contrast change which appears to look like a color change

[costa43]

8 hours ago, kiwidad said:

Or, you could just choose a light color and pick. I wonder if a color meter might help here ?

An auto setting choice would be preferred by many people I think. It cannot be a firmware update now as it would have a knock on effect to the many that have workflows in place and for those who enjoy the current colour profile. I’ve never been entirely happy with the colours from any camera I have owned and always just make a base preset in post for all edits and go from there. The best for me so far with the M is the M8 once you have an IR cut filter on. 

[jaapv]

On 12/1/2023 at 5:51 PM, hunglephotography said:

Thank you for the comment. 

your list of limitations are those I like about this camera. as I'm not a full time photographer but just someone who loves to shoot. it's quite challenging to learn deeply about this any time sooner. what I worry is exact what you mentions : exposure and white balance when M9 will not have a good LCD screen for checking. 

 

I have come to conclusion to buy another used M9 in. the future rather than selling my M11. 

1 information is that the freezing on the M11 is likely to be resolved with the new firmware update 2.0.2. for one day, I have not experienced any freezing yet. hopefully it can keep up forever. 

 

Thank you everyone for your advises. I'm very much appreciated. 

I have an M9 and M9 Monochrom. The colour camera is rarely used, but the M9 M is - as the files are the best B&W files there are. 

[kiwidad]

10 hours ago, jaapv said:

I have an M9 and M9 Monochrom. The colour camera is rarely used, but the M9 M is - as the files are the best B&W files there are. 

I think the M10M surpasses the M9m 😉  

I have enjoyed black and white since I got the m10m. It hard to know whether to take the M11 or m10m sometimes.  that amazing high iso and smooth tones are just WOW

[jaapv]

In what sense?  The tonal scale of the M9M is quite unique. Leica took much effort to tweak the coatings of the cover glass to get the rendering similar to film. The M10M renders quite differently and gives a more digital result. 
It is not for nothing that the camera MM1 has a zone system raw histogram. 
We are fortunate that we have three different monochrome cameras with Leica and all render distinct results. 

[Jamie Roberts]

Having now shot many thousands of shots on the M9 and M11P, I would *never* go back to the M9, even though I loved it at the time! 
 
As for colour, yes, the M9's CCD had very good colour, when used with C1. It was, at the time of it being a current camera, quite horrible with ACR and Lightroom, especially for skin tones. I have not tried an M9 with Adobe products lately, though I suppose I could

But anyone will get better colour with a good raw converter IMO (or by training yourself in the converter of your choice). The M11P is excellent in C1, with DR that outstrips the M9 by many stops. FWIW, I still use Photoshop after C1 to finish shots I'm going to print. 

YMMV   

[dkmoore]

On 5/1/2025 at 11:39 AM, hunglephotography said:

M10 colors are good. Very clear. 
 

m11 has a cast. Whatever people might say. Everyone has to accept it. I have used all m11 series (m11-p-d-bp) in hope that some version might not have it but no. The magenta cast is there very clearly. 
 

The only version does not have the color cast is the m11m 

Leica store Miami went to great lengths to compare the m240 and m9 because of the color discussion. They provided many shots and let us viewers guess which camera produced which image. I highly recommend you find this article as I think it will help you make a more informed decision. Even though the M11 isn’t involved I think the results will still help. 
 

my personal opinion, don’t downgrade unless you buy the M9 Monochrom and only shoot BW. 

Edited May 10 by dkmoore

[setuporg]

So this is exactly what I’d done in 2020.  I got the last old new M9-P from Leica while waiting for M11.  I did not like it at launch and kept using the previous generations.  In 2023 I got the M11-P and then in 2024 the M11-D than quickly failed, so I got rid of both and went back to M9P/M, M Edition 60/246, and M10R/M.  I’ve recently added the M-P 240 for amazing rangedinder video and finally Q3 43.  None of them have internal memory.  M9-P colors are better than M11 for me.  We’ll see what M12 will bring!

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Hallo,

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