Q2 Monochrom User - M11 Monochrom Worth It?

[lalowdwn1]

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Hello all.

New member.  But I am that guy - shoot 100% b&w and no editing.  Amateur and just personal hobbyist.  The idea of monochrome for discipline (i.e., limited options, reduces stress, focus on the composition) appeals to me. 

I've used a Q2M for a few years now and love it.  Would be more that sufficient for my street photography and travel needs forever, I imagine.  

But I keep having the itch for an M11 Mono.  Would you talk a user like me into it or not?  Of course the $$ is a major factor.  Minor comparative features would not budge me one way or the other - it comes down to image quality and lens flexibility/switching.

Also - on lens, in the realm of Leica...is it considered hacking not to use Leica lenses?  I realize I am probably saying the quiet part out loud, but been wondering a while if that sort of shorted the idea of having a Leica rig, but I figured not.

Thanks!

MJ

Edited February 25 by lalowdwn1

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[JonPB]

The M has different viewfinder and more manual operation. I like them, but there's more to it than focal length. If discipline is something you like, an M is as good as it gets. Superbly rewarding.

Non-Leica lenses are fine in my book. Each choice must be made on its own merits. That's a deep rabbit hole to go down, and lots of fodder in these forums to peruse. Small lenses have character. I have both Leica and Voigtlander on my M, though my favorite remains the 35 Summilux FLE.

[ramarren]

If you want a more manual and more versatile mono camera, then an M monochrom (M9, M240, M10, or M11) makes sense. If you're not going to use the lens versatility, it doesn't. 

Regards lenses: there are tons of excellent lenses for M-mount cameras and not all of them are made by Leica. Leica do make some of the best but, eh? You should pick lenses based on a lot of factors other than just what brand is on the bezel. My M lens kit has Leica, Voigtländer, Lomo, Zeiss, and M-Rokkor brand names, amongst others. Each lens has its unique rendering signature that you can exploit to advantage.

G

[Dazzajl]

On 2/25/2025 at 1:31 AM, lalowdwn1 said:

it comes down to image quality

The answers to your questions depend very much on just what qualities you're looking for?

The M11M will provide you with the crispest, sharpest, high resolution files that are possible from a mono camera. Very modern, very digital and while it might not be your area, very workable too. The M10M is extremely similar, I really can't see any difference in rendering between the two.

The M9M offers something quite different. A rendering and tonality that always reminds me of the soulfulness of charcoal drawings. Much smaller files and much less digital feeling. The M246 sits somewhere in between but essentially more like it's younger brothers, the M10 and M11 monochroms.

[Jeff S]

FWIW, the OP made his one and only forum post above on Feb 24, last visiting on March 15.

No matter, since he never edits files, which would severely limit results from an M11 Monochrom.

[jimtong]

If you do not plan to edit the RAW or I assume you only use JPG, then it may defect the purpose of the M11M. If you are open to brand outside Leica, the X100 series with film simulation might works for you if you want the out of camera look.

[lalowdwn1]

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On 4/28/2025 at 10:05 PM, Jeff S said:

FWIW, the OP made his one and only forum post above on Feb 24, last visiting on March 15.

No matter, since he never edits files, which would severely limit results from an M11 Monochrom.

I apologize for that and appreciate the thoughtful replies!  I went down the trail of analyzing the new v. used bodies a little too deeply and really like what Dazzajl had to say.  Six months later I still have not decided, but after a few recent outings with the Q2M, I am feeling the itch to consider adding the M body again.  Again, sorry to disappear, but grateful for these responses.

[Jeff S]

Still “no editing”?  If so, my last comment still applies.  

All of these cameras are fully capable of superb, or mediocre, results depending on the user.  No viewer will know which camera/lenses were used; much comes down to personal preferences regarding shooting/editing/display methods.

Edited July 23 by Jeff S

[Maverick1st]

I would say try using a rangefinder first to see if you like that experience. Image wise you wont see a difference. 

[sometimesmaybe]

On 2/25/2025 at 12:31 PM, lalowdwn1 said:

But I am that guy - shoot 100% b&w and no editing

if you dont want to edit, you'll basically be relying on JPGs only. nothing wrong with that but you might be better off with using the older bodies like the m246 or m10m (the m9m has sensor corrosion issues) and use the rest of your budget on glass.

or better yet, shoot BW film 

[lalowdwn1]

On 7/23/2025 at 7:37 AM, Jeff S said:

Still “no editing”?  If so, my last comment still applies.  

All of these cameras are fully capable of superb, or mediocre, results depending on the user.  No viewer will know which camera/lenses were used; much comes down to personal preferences regarding shooting/editing/display methods.

Yes, still no post-editing.  And with these thoughts, I realized I was defaulting M11 solely on the notion of "get the latest so it lasts the longest" which is a failed logic in the camera/Leica world.  You are right that all of those will produce superbly, and the Q2M is still beyond sharp for 90% of my needs.  I want to be able to use a good 50mm and just experiment here and there, so maybe I should look to a M246 to cover that and save costs.  Thanks!

[Olaf_ZG]

2 hours ago, lalowdwn1 said:

Yes, still no post-editing.  And with these thoughts, I realized I was defaulting M11 solely on the notion of "get the latest so it lasts the longest" which is a failed logic in the camera/Leica world.  You are right that all of those will produce superbly, and the Q2M is still beyond sharp for 90% of my needs.  I want to be able to use a good 50mm and just experiment here and there, so maybe I should look to a M246 to cover that and save costs.  Thanks!

Mmmm, no post-editing…. All monochrom’s deliver flat files, in order to be processed, now I am not sure about the jpg’s and their flatness (never tried it), but maybe the original mm is a better choice.

I had it, replaced it with a m10m, which has been replaced again with the original, as I liked its files better.

[Chris W]

Editing in post can be as easy as three clicks in Lightroom or Capture One. There are some nice pre-sets as starting points. I never shoot jpegs.

The biggest issue is going to be focussing. Are you happy to manual focus, are you happy to focus with a rangefinder?

[misteracng]

The optical viewfinder and changing lenses is really the main benefit, of course at the cost of price.. I like the M11M alot, use it often, but basically it requires raw files and some editing. Everything its shot underexposed to avoid clipping highlights. You can  get away with a preset for most the basic stuff to get you in the ballpark. The Q2M to M11M is not going to give you significant change in image quality. M11M or any M body is to use a rangefinder and to change lens. I would say that the M11M will be able to take advantage of the highest quality M lenses like the APO and show you what they really can do. Its really quite amazing. Out of the camera you need like ISO 50,000 or more to have the grain of like HP5 film at 400. Monochroms can shoot is basically no light.

[S Maclean]

The M Monochrome files are very easy to edit. Extremely easy. You can almost create a couple of basic presets that adjust black and white levels (avoiding contrast and clarity level until the very end. ANd maybe a touch up or down in exposure.

And that's it! one preset for right or over exposed images, one for low exposures and then tweak a little the curve, clarity etc.

Now, once you di that you will have an equal or superior image to the jpg from any camera.  If you really want to get the full potential of the file you can spend a little more time with dodging and burning, mask adjustments etc. But that's for any file, color, B&W or converted.

 

Also, in an ironic twists to the OP's thread, I struggle with "I have an M11M....should I also get a Q2M?  the onkly thing keeping me from that is waiting for a possible Q3M.  I have the Q43 and LOVE it. I use it instead of the M11 often if I just want to travel very light and have one tool at hand.....should I get a QM to pair with my M11M?  or do I just live with conversions? Before getting the M11M I really beleived in conversion as a great solution....but the files from the M11M (or any M Monochrome) are simply irresistible and superior in so many ways.

[misteracng]

Monochrom files will always need adjustment due to the nature of avoiding clipping, but as previously said a preset will get you close. Monochrome  cameras are like ultimate point and shoot. You can basically recover anything as long as you don’t blow the highlights 

[Jon Warwick]

Being accurate with the exposure on a Monochrom (ie, narrowly avoiding clipping the highlights, but not excessively underexposing either) is very easy with the Histogram.

For landscapes in particular, where I have time, I use the Histogram (on the rear screen or via the Visoflex) for every image.

In some ways, if Leica ever produced an EVF M, I’d really like to see it on a Monochrom version too, specifically to have a Histogram in view the whole time.

 

[Olaf_ZG]

On 8/13/2025 at 5:55 PM, S Maclean said:

The M Monochrome files are very easy to edit. Extremely easy. You can almost create a couple of basic presets that adjust black and white levels (avoiding contrast and clarity level until the very end. ANd maybe a touch up or down in exposure.

And that's it! one preset for right or over exposed images, one for low exposures and then tweak a little the curve, clarity etc.

Now, once you di that you will have an equal or superior image to the jpg from any camera.  If you really want to get the full potential of the file you can spend a little more time with dodging and burning, mask adjustments etc. But that's for any file, color, B&W or converted.

 

Also, in an ironic twists to the OP's thread, I struggle with "I have an M11M....should I also get a Q2M?  the onkly thing keeping me from that is waiting for a possible Q3M.  I have the Q43 and LOVE it. I use it instead of the M11 often if I just want to travel very light and have one tool at hand.....should I get a QM to pair with my M11M?  or do I just live with conversions? Before getting the M11M I really beleived in conversion as a great solution....but the files from the M11M (or any M Monochrome) are simply irresistible and superior in so many ways.

Hi, did you made up your mind?

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[S Maclean]

14 hours ago, Olaf_ZG said:

Hi, did you made up your mind?

Not really. I’m still hoping for a new Q, monochrom or not, to show.  I do know that the M11M and the Q43 are the two cameras that keep sticking most with me. 
 

I have a master class in October and plan on taking my 28 with the monochrom and see how it fares.  The 59 and 35 focal lengths are natural to me, so I need to test the 28 more and see how it handles.

 

we used to have a Q2 non Monochrome and I liked it, but flipped it for something else ( it was my wife’s)  

anyway.  No resolution yet 

[ramarren]

With any Leica monochrome camera, if you do not want to edit the raw files, experiment with filters and exposure settings when making your exposures. I am pretty confident now that I could switch my M10 Monochrom over to JPEG only output and, by juggling the right filter and the right amount of plus or minus exposure, based on the scene, can achieve exactly what I otherwise achieve using raw files and image processing, modulo the notions of selective area editing. 

Think of it as a combination of shooting slide film without color. 

It's not hard, it just constrains what you can get by some amount. As the masters say, 'Constraint motivates creativity!' to which I add '... at the expense of insight and some effort.'

G

Edited September 15 by ramarren