Brand new M10-P and R

[summicron75]

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Big department store in my home city has, somewhat surprisingly, a brand new M10-R and M10-P for sale. Decent price but nothing crazy (8.000€ and 7.500€ respectively). After my crushing disappointment with the M11 series, I am wondering if either of these are worth buying in 2025. Obviously they will have a full warranty and have never been used. I also have a spare battery.

All I want is a camera for street photography that is reliable and just works. None of the M11 variants managed to do that for me. I much prefer the aesthetic of the P but I wonder if greater minds here would vote for the R as the better camera (I am not worried about highlights as I always shoot at -1). I won´t be printing large but will be shooting at times in lower light.

Many thanks in advance.

James

[jankap]

The m11 software will grow into its tasks too. 🤣

[Smudgerer]

1 hour ago, summicron75 said:

Big department store in my home city has, somewhat surprisingly, a brand new M10-R and M10-P for sale. Decent price but nothing crazy (8.000€ and 7.500€ respectively). After my crushing disappointment with the M11 series, I am wondering if either of these are worth buying in 2025. Obviously they will have a full warranty and have never been used. I also have a spare battery.

All I want is a camera for street photography that is reliable and just works. None of the M11 variants managed to do that for me. I much prefer the aesthetic of the P but I wonder if greater minds here would vote for the R as the better camera (I am not worried about highlights as I always shoot at -1). I won´t be printing large but will be shooting at times in lower light.

Many thanks in advance.

James

That's a nice "find"..........

I'd go for the 10-P. I recently sold my M10-R and some other Leica stuff and traded for a M11-Monochrom, no regrets on that.......But I kept the M10-P that I've had for years and couldn't part with, why? Well I'm sure many people here will favour the M10-R over the M10-P but having used both of them together for a few years I too found I preferred the aesthetics of the P plus I preferred the 24mp sensor's "look". All personal perspectives of course but for what it's worth that was my decision, and again no regrets.

PS, I regularly print to A2 and even an A1 size with the P's 24mp sensor with no problems at all and I found in my usage the P was marginally better in low light......

Edited February 16 by Smudgerer

[Alberti]

Quote

I won´t be printing large but will be shooting at times in lower light.

Then I think the 10-P is the choice. I find that the M10R shows up noise too soon and that critical focus requires a lot of attention wasted if you do not print large. [I print 20x30 and the lower res would suffice too]. Tend to agree with the smudgerer too. To say it differently, the m10R loves asphericals. I don't per se. 

Edited February 16 by Alberti

[costa43]

You will be happy with either, I’ve used both and own the R. Leica nailed the brief with the M10 generation of cameras.

The R sensor is stronger technically. Base ISO is 100 which helps with faster lenses in daylight. Highlight recovery is better as you evidently know. ISO performance is superior at 6400 and above and of course the resolution gives you more scope to crop or print larger if the need ever arises.

 I find the M10 below 6400 to be cleaner. I also find it is easier to shoot at lower shutter speeds and I prefer the look of lower resolution sensors paired with vintage lenses. If you want a new one then you are lucky to have stumbled across these two. A real rarity nowadays. 

Edited February 16 by costa43

[summicron75]

5 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

Get them, absolutely worth it. I have both, never did M11 and cannot be happier.

Was thinking just one 😂 But thank you. I think I shall. Probably the P. 

[Slender]

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M10R best M digital IMHO. Bought one new even when M11 was out... too many teething issues and was not the best feeling in general with the shutter etc...

[tappan]

On 2/16/2025 at 12:07 PM, Al Brown said:

Get them, absolutely worth it. I have both, never did M11 and cannot be happier.

Same here.
Very happy. Sold an M9-P with 35,000 actuations and the best (15) replacement CCD sensor to help finance the M10-R. I do miss the M9-P though 🙂
Mark

[pgh]

You can’t go wrong with either, but just a note that simply shooting everything set to -1 is not going to automatically fix the highlight issue for you. It’s also going to result in some pretty poor exposures generally depending on the situation.

The M10’s only weak point is its sensor - and where it sucks with highlight retention, it does indeed suck - when it came out it was already about 5 years behind most competition in that singular regard. However, I’ve owned the camera since it came out and can count on two hands the number of times I’ve felt like it truly was the failing point of the photograph. None of the other pictures were good enough for it to matter, and all of the rest that were, well, the sensor did everything it needed to do. It’s also worth nothing the M10 sensor does have a particular signature, which means it’s got a little charm. I also shoot with M10M’s and the higher resolution is great but it does indeed require more technical attention - higher shutter speeds for handheld images really.

It’s one reason I’d never get an M11 - 40 MP is about the upper echelon of what can be practical in a camera without IBIS - for me. Beyond that, the level of technical scrutiny needed to make a picture sort of betrays the whole purpose of the M, again, for me. There are more appropriate tools for that sort of work.  

[FarbSpieler]

Both the M10-P and M10-R are absolutely worth it in 2025.

Personally I’d go for the M10-P, unless I wanted a bit more resolution. I have both the M10 and M10-R, and I love the M10 colors much more, it’s just warmer and has more of a certain pleasing character to it.

[Slender]

M10R highlight recovery is pretty spectacular