charlesphoto99 Posted November 3, 2024 Share #41 Posted November 3, 2024 Advertisement (gone after registration) 13 hours ago, Derbyshire Man said: The only problem I have is that without the power to see in the dark, when I change the shutter speed dial I have no clue what the shutter speed is in dark situations. This has been an issue going all the way back to the M6 (and even black paint M3 and M4's.). I do think Leica could make more use in other modes of the LED's in the rangefinder. For no, if you know you're going to be working in dark environments, wearing a little led flash light on a lanyard is your best bet. I always thought a little led light on the body that splays over the shutter speed dial when pressing a recessed button (or say, function button) would be interesting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 3, 2024 Posted November 3, 2024 Hi charlesphoto99, Take a look here M11-D review by an actual D photographer?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Stevejack Posted January 3 Share #42 Posted January 3 I'm probably Leica's ideal target for the M11-D but I'm probably too annoyed with Leica to buy it. For me the reason for a D camera is the tactile experience. Holding a leather backed camera rather than touching a glass screen is great, but the feel of the dials and switches are even more important... The M11-D doesn't offer a tactile experience dissimilar enough in comparison to the standard M11. I loved that they shifted the ISO dial onto the back, but using it in person it's not a particularly nice wheel to slide around... it moves and it has hard stops... but it's not satisfying to turn. I don't WANT to turn that dial when I'm holding the camera... The thumb rest on the M10-D makes a satisfying 'snick' when it reaches extension. It also feels solid and the ridges in the grip feel nice on my thumb. The M11-D just has the standard smooth M11 thumb bump. Leica didn't even put a knurled shutter speed dial on the 11-D (the M10-R black paint has it!), so it's the same old dial as the regular M11. You turn it on with the same old slidey switch under the shutter button, so there's nothing different there. It's a lazy release from Leica. And I'm annoyed at the wasted opportunity to offer up something special. The creature comforts of the 11-D are the only appealing thing... it uses the same (great) batteries as the other M11 cameras, and it offers a much better visoflex experience when I want to use wider/older lenses, but I'm most often on my Monochrom when I'm using those anyway. But that's really it for me. Everything else about actually holding and interacting with the 11-D is a backwards step in comparison to the 10-D. Digital is never going to offer an experience which is as tactile as winding on a film camera, but Leica does need to think hard about offering something which is first and foremost a tactile experience. Place emphasis on the switches and dials - give us 'snicks' and 'clicks' and bumps and lumps. With the 10-D when I see in on the table I want to pick it up and use it. I don't feel that way about the 11-D. 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
evikne Posted January 3 Share #43 Posted January 3 2 hours ago, Stevejack said: Digital is never going to offer an experience which is as tactile as winding on a film camera, but Leica does need to think hard about offering something which is first and foremost a tactile experience. Place emphasis on the switches and dials - give us 'snicks' and 'clicks' and bumps and lumps. With the 10-D when I see in on the table I want to pick it up and use it. I don't feel that way about the 11-D. Thank you so much for this very useful feedback! Exactly - these cameras are first of all about the tactile experience (those who still talk about no chimping and the like have not yet understood anything). I really hope Leica is reading this. The best possible and most film-like user experience is the way to go for the D-Series. 3 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenykepesz Posted January 3 Share #44 Posted January 3 (edited) i agree with both of you, @Stevejack and @evikne, and kind of feel with many of your suggestions. still, i must say, for my part, that i was never so satisfied and happy with a digital camera than with this new m11d - and i owned many cameras in my life, including an m10d for 4 or 5 years. it's for its size, compactness, weight, surface, touch, buttons and switches, simplicity, reliability, and electronic performance, i.e. the quality of the pictures taken, that i love the m11d. moreover i prefer the new ISO dial, its position and the way i comfortably change the ISO settings, turning it logically clock-wise for higher values, blindly with two thumbs, while composing the shot through the viewfinder. what else do i want, really ? it's just that darned thumb rest which i truly miss as it allows to hold the m10d in one hand, a position slightly cumbersome with the m11d - but i can live with that. perhaps the m11d does offer a bit less 'character' than its predecessors, its handling is more smooth, too sleek or just perfect - though who cares ? i need something to work with, a workhorse that does what it was designed for, allowing me to take photographs in the most direct and undisturbed way. in my own way. Edited January 3 by fenykepesz 4 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
setuporg Posted January 3 Share #45 Posted January 3 (edited) When I had the M11-D, the ISO wheel was actually very fine. It is as good as the Edition 60. You need two thumbs to easily turn it and it clicks in position. So on that front Leica did deliver. Never had an M10-D but apparently that one's convoluted wheel was not very popular. Also remember that M11-D got rid of the rather idiotic ISO knob. I never liked that knob. It was an M10 gimmick and it failed often, with folks stuck in a random ISO and the thing had to go back to Wetzlar to get unstuck. It is cumbersome and not easy to pull it put, select and push back down for a quick ISO change. The wheel wins hands down. I personally don't give a rat's end for a faux lever. But overall Edition 60 feels just so much better that I don't miss the M11-D anymore. Strangely a camera with a screen is important for daily usage, so my M-P is refreshing even with Edition 60 as I can check videos and other basic qualities that are actually important with kids. The enormous amount of buttons on the 240 series feels strange. M9 and M240 had all those buttons and I like the M9 wheel and menu button layout! Overall I agree that Leica should think more about the tactile experiences. Also, on the tactile front, returning to more frequent usage of the Edition 60/Monochrom M246 and now daily M-P 240, for the winter break with kids, I find it much more convenient to hold. They balance much better with bigger lenses like the 28 Summilux and 75 Summicron. And even a smaller 35 Summilux sits better on them. The thinning of M10 now seems an unfortunate step back. The bigger battery of the 240 series and better grip are worth it. Going back in time has never been more fun! Edited January 3 by setuporg Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyCheng Posted January 4 Share #46 Posted January 4 I've used all the D variance. Let me just put it simply, the m11d feels, and is much superior to all previous versions of D. Simple as that. USB-C is a god-sent. You can charge with your battery pack. You don't need to use the app once properly set-up. And the files are amazing. The biggest gripe for m11/p for me is I can't stop but using the back lcd when shooting, which takes the fun out of the exp. Yeah I know you can ignore it. But in reality, you get lazy and you frame/focus using it all the time. So the D addresses the biggest issue for me. Otherwise this gen of M is perfect. 4 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tseg Posted January 4 Share #47 Posted January 4 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm now a few months in with using the M11-D, which happens to also be my first rangefinder. In all quality items I buy I appreciate when all design features have a useful purpose. To me, the M11-D achieves this very well. I actively use all (of the few) knobs and buttons regularly and they seem ergonomically placed for my use. I have other cameras with gadgetry built in I may not touch for months. I also have other cameras with LCD screens and all kinds of automation. My attraction to a Leica Rangefinder was how it puts tech in the background vs. being loud and proud of it. Arguably, I should have considered a film camera but the labor and cost of developing film currently does not appeal to me. My impressions after a short while: It is easier to get a good photographic result than I was anticipating. I'm enjoying the look, size and weight of the camera and M lenses. I rarely have missed the LCD screen. I did get a Visoflex 2 to accommodate my close-focusing lenses. While some would argue that is counter to the intent of the M11-D, for me it adds great versatility to the camera. When I am on a photo walk I have no need for the Leica app, but there are other times when I utilize the camera for other than street shooting and I find the app and the new bluetooth download capability providing additional versatility. In summary, while the M11-D offers some fundamental benefits of old school photographic simplicity, it also has the ability to much more sophisticated... and the camera effectively keeps these two avenues segregated. I really don't see me craving a non-D version rangefinder ever in my future. Nailing a great photo with this camera (that I would only discover when back in my office) is very rewarding. And learning/dissecting why I missed nailing a shot with this camera and identifying what could be done differently next time is also rewarding. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahesh Posted January 4 Share #48 Posted January 4 On 1/3/2025 at 8:00 PM, setuporg said: When I had the M11-D, the ISO wheel was actually very fine. It is as good as the Edition 60. You need two thumbs to easily turn it and it clicks in position. So on that front Leica did deliver. Never had an M10-D but apparently that one's convoluted wheel was not very popular. Also remember that M11-D got rid of the rather idiotic ISO knob. I never liked that knob. It was an M10 gimmick and it failed often, with folks stuck in a random ISO and the thing had to go back to Wetzlar to get unstuck. It is cumbersome and not easy to pull it put, select and push back down for a quick ISO change. The wheel wins hands down. I personally don't give a rat's end for a faux lever. But overall Edition 60 feels just so much better that I don't miss the M11-D anymore. Strangely a camera with a screen is important for daily usage, so my M-P is refreshing even with Edition 60 as I can check videos and other basic qualities that are actually important with kids. The enormous amount of buttons on the 240 series feels strange. M9 and M240 had all those buttons and I like the M9 wheel and menu button layout! Overall I agree that Leica should think more about the tactile experiences. Also, on the tactile front, returning to more frequent usage of the Edition 60/Monochrom M246 and now daily M-P 240, for the winter break with kids, I find it much more convenient to hold. They balance much better with bigger lenses like the 28 Summilux and 75 Summicron. And even a smaller 35 Summilux sits better on them. The thinning of M10 now seems an unfortunate step back. The bigger battery of the 240 series and better grip are worth it. Going back in time has never been more fun! I think the size and weight of M240 works very well. I never found the M10 series comfortable to hold for their weight despite using a thumb grip. From that aspect the weight of black M11 works well for that size of the camera. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwimac Posted Tuesday at 01:08 PM Share #49 Posted Tuesday at 01:08 PM I’d quite like an M11-D Monochrom. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted Tuesday at 04:02 PM Share #50 Posted Tuesday at 04:02 PM Just now, Kiwimac said: I’d quite like an M11-D Monochrom. People have been saying pretty much the same thing ever since the M-D Typ-262 appeared in 2016. Hasn't happened to date... Philip. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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