The M11 is actually a great camera!

[dante]

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So I cashed out my M246 setup and came out with enough money that the M11M was not obscenely expensive out of pocket. Massively expensive, but not obscenely. At least I got that deal done before tariffs became a thing. All I have to say is - why did people seem so meh about the differences between this and an M10 or M24x? If people hadn't been so dismissive of the improvements, I would have bought this 2 years ago.

Great

Image quality is fantastic, and all of my lenses seem to be able to support 60mp (or in the case of 1950s-vintage, not obviously fall short), except in the corners of a few symmetrical wides, wide open. No issues with motion blur or focus being off (subject of course to the usual re-acquaintance with various lenses and where they "hit").

Metering, metering, metering! The highlight-priority metering is great on the M11M and changes previews from "blown sky and muddy black everything" to things that look like pictures. Being able to expose more to the right makes correcting images easier. Center-weighted metering and the unforgiving nature of monochrome sensors was just not fun (and the pattern metering was not quick on the M240/246).

The M11 (well, M11M) in black is considerably lighter than its predecessors; although people like their brass, I can tell you that this is a lot more manageable weight-wise than the M246, with the added benefit that lenses sit more level when the camera is hanging on a strap.  The Vantablack-style finish is not exactly black oxide, but it's cool. I would have preferred some kind of anodized aluminum, or even anodized silver aluminum, but you don't get the latter in the Mono series.

I also know that some people got really upset about the lack of a removable bottom plate. I think they're wrong; eliminating that feature was absolutely the right decision. I was in the camp that felt like it was a little too cute and cumbersome, since it required you to take the half case off the camera every single time you wanted to access the card or battery.

I'd wager that the Visoflex 2 will be basis of the viewfinder in an EVF M. It's sharp, clear, expensive, and huge. It also looks like it is from Minecraft. One day, someone can explain why the eyepiece is not centered on the camera's lens mount (something compulsive me saw immediately on mounting it). It doesn't have to be centered from a functional standpoint, but the fit and finish and design are such that someone got 99% of the way there and gave up. 

Meh

The viewfinder is not significantly better than the original M240 (sorry), and it seems to have a bit more propensity to focusing errors from eye position (probably not a surprise because the exit pupil of the finder is much larger). Also, the apparent loss of red framelines is a disappointment. I never spent enough time with an M10 to find out whether this color choice survived the M24x series.

Putting the SD card under the battery is a little strange, but if you are pulling files and charging via USB, it's not an issue.

The touchscreen is a bit of a nuisance (if you are like me, left-eyed, with an apparently prehensile nose that is good at operating controls).

The ISO dial is a novelty. Leica can't figure out what to do with this space. In my experience, it's been a frame counter (M8), awkward step (M9), microphone (M240/246), and now (M10/M11) a dial that replicates what you can do with the touchscreen or favorites menu. Leica's auto ISO feature has so many parameters (max, min, cutover shutter speeds) that setting a manual ISO seems positively stone-age.

Why Leica, why?

The decision to put the USB plug on the bottom is right out of Apple's Magic Mouse playbook and no fun. This was an unforced error that prevents the camera from sitting upright while charging. That would not prove so unpleasant except that Leica now omits the external charger.

The apparent dropping of a simple digital horizon is disappointing; that's a big reason to use an EVF (I used my M246 with actual PC lenses, so the leveling was important; perspective correction by the camera would not be). The perspective control function has some of the same functionality, but it does not have the positive "go green" of the old-style digital level. And there are also times when the key dimension to level is yaw, not pitch.

In sum

At the end of the day, this is a definitely a major step up over Leica's previous M bodies.

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[Jeff S]

The M10-R and M10 Monochrom are already a step above the M10, with a totally new sensor derived from S3 sensor architecture. How would one know if the M11 is a big step up from them without any experience? I find these to also be great cameras, with no need or desire  to switch to the M11 platform. Choices for all.

Btw, lenses don’t need to “support” higher MP; they work synergistically.  This topic has been discussed ad nauseam here.

Edited April 12 by Jeff S

[setuporg]

Great you are enjoying the new M11M!  That’s all that really matters.

[bcaslis]

I agree with the statement about the M11, but confused about the leveling. There is a level you can turn on for the LCD or EVF. Are you wanting something else?

[jakontil]

I prefer the usb c at the bottom.. keep it streamlined rather than having else where

[dante]

2 hours ago, bcaslis said:

I agree with the statement about the M11, but confused about the leveling. There is a level you can turn on for the LCD or EVF. Are you wanting something else?

I went through every single menu and submenu and found it under Capture Assistants-->Info Profiles-->Level Gauge (which on prior versions of Leicas would have saved your settings - not presented a bunch of binary on/off options). The name "level gauge" also changed from "virtual horizon" on the 240 series, which is probably why I kept looking and did not see it.

Guess I have found the one UI/UX designer that can compete with Sony in terms of hiding options!

Thanks for spurring me to finally find that.

[costa43]

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My initial impression as I have also recently purchased an M11-P and I’m a long time owner of an M10-R.

The key takeaway is once the camera is in my hands, the shooting experience is pretty much the same and I quickly forget all the fluff and talking points, I can happily use either and produce similar images. The M11-P, being the newer model naturally has some quality of life benefits.  The differences I’ve noticed in actual real life scenarios are below should anyone be interested:

I enjoy the lighter weight of the black model I have. With it being anodised and never likely to show brassing, I do not see a benefit in brass if it is not a black paint model. Some may still prefer it for nostalgia, or the fact it is a more expensive material.

The electronic shutter is nice for shooting still/very slow moving subjects wide open in bright light, this allows me to get shots I wouldn’t usually be able to without consciously screwing on/off a filter, something I don’t enjoy doing for walk around stuff, which is all I do really. I hope they do not go with just an electronic shutter though moving forward as that would be a step back in my opinion. The hybrid is good, if they can implement this on a sensor with a faster readout moving forward, it would make it even more useful for our fast lenses.

The battery life is much better;  to the point it’s not a consideration for the whole day but I always carry a spare with the M10-R and rarely use it. The real world advantage for me is that I can leave the standby on for a much longer period which gives me a more instant shooting experience from rest. It’s a bit of a gripe I have with modern Leica bodies and their slow wake times. My M8 is significantly faster than both of these cameras from sleep. 

I tend to shoot in manual but I have tested the metering in mixed lighting and indoors (highlight weighted and multi) and it is more accurate in high contrast scenarios than the classic centre weighted we have had on all previous bodies, not a major point for me but could be for someone.

I prefer the bottom plate design from a nostalgic point of view, especially if you go for a black paint model which will brass over time, it seems like a more complete design and a brassing modern style bottom doesn’t appeal to me. If a larger battery cannot be implemented into this design then I would take the larger battery modern design as it simplifies the shooting experience. I don’t use the USB for charging, I still pop the battery out and pop it in the charger. 

No freezing with the M11-P, some irregular freezes with the M10-R but I’ve had it for much longer so time will tell here. 

The files on both give me similar latitude, I think the newer body has the edge at base ISO when it comes to highlight recovery but it’s pretty much a wash otherwise. I find the M10-R is ever so slightly better at the higher ISOs that matter to me. 1600 to 6400. Above that the M11-P may have a slight edge but I rarely get any keepers in shots where there is minimal light so I prefer the older body here. 

The colours are a contentious point but I may not be best placed for this comparison as I edit colour quite heavily as a preference so both work for me. There is an adjustment period that I’ve not had yet with the new sensor but out of the box (that box being Adobe) I prefer the skin tones from the M11-P and the general colours from the M10-R if I was not editing anything. 

I do not use the Visoflex and rarely use Liveview but the screen on the M11-P is clearer, sharper and brighter.

For now I am grateful that I have these two but I would hope the M12 brings us a more simplified and faster rangefinder. 

 

Edited April 12 by costa43

[SrMi]

One key improvement of M11 is the smooth transition between live view on and off, e.g., for LPC, exposure setting with histogram/clipping, or precise framing.

[Edax]

The touchscreen can be disabled in the Customize Control menu...

[dante]

2 hours ago, Jeff S said:

The M10-R and M10 Monochrom are already a step above the M10, with a totally new sensor derived from S3 sensor architecture. How would one know if the M11 is a big step up from them without any experience? I find these to also be great cameras, with no need or desire  to switch to the M11 platform. Choices for all.

Btw, lenses don’t need to “support” higher MP; they work synergistically.  This topic has been discussed ad nauseam here.

Hey Jeff -

You're right - I am not experienced with the M10 "mid-cycle" generation (M10-R and M10M) - I'm generally on a generation-skipping upgrade program (M8 --> M240+246 -->etc.). I briefly considered the M10M as being a generation up from the "skipped" M10, but the internet gripes about its responsiveness were off-putting. That's probably been fixed by now, but the M10M was out of print by the time I was shopping last month.

And yes, I am aware of system MTF with lenses - my point was that the older lenses, which I expected to be the weak link, were not the weak link I thought they might be. Provided, of course, that you can focus them.

D

 

[dante]

9 hours ago, Edax said:

The touchscreen can be disabled in the Customize Control menu...

Which I did! My point was that it isn't much of a benefit if your biology prevents you from using it.

[Gavin G]

After one round top to Hasselblad X2D, I still find myself returning to the Leica M. The main reason is willing to carry it out, it's more compact and light compared to X2D, 2nd is MF feels excessive for how I shoot. The M11's 60MP does the job perfectly

 

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Edited April 14 by Gavin G
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[david strachan]

I'm still very happy with my M-P 240

 

Great colours, good menus and happy with vast number of other lenses.

Just not one for always buying on others "bigger and better".

[Jon Warwick]

On 4/12/2025 at 2:25 AM, jakontil said:

I prefer the usb c at the bottom.. keep it streamlined rather than having else where

And in that location, which I agree is streamlined, the usb c is also protected nicely by the rubber insert of the M11 series handgrip.

[Jon Warwick]

15 hours ago, Gavin G said:

After one round top to Hasselblad X2D, I still find myself returning to the Leica M. The main reason is willing to carry it out, it's more compact and light compared to X2D, 2nd is MF feels excessive for how I shoot. The M11's 60MP does the job perfectly

 

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!

fwiw, I sold my 100mp medium format (GFX100) after doing a lot of side-by-side testing with my M11.

My personal conclusion was there was remarkably little difference between the 2 systems in terms of print quality at 45”.

I subsequently sold the GFX, and recently added the M11 Monochrom to pair with the M11. I’ve always thought the Monochrom sensors are epic, and I’m appreciating having cross-compatibility of lenses, handgrips, Visoflexes, same menus, etc. Not to mention the M11 series being a lot lighter and smaller. 

Edited April 14 by Jon Warwick

[algrove]

Agree, that much of the negative comment was a bit much, but Leica kept shooting themselves in their own virtual foot with bad after bad freeze solves that did not work. I assume bad software engineers and worse software solving. But all now seems solves fare what 3 years!

[LeicaGuyUK]

I am liking my M11 the more I use it but unlike previous models that I’ve owned it does seem to take longer to get used to how the images react in post. It’s certainly a deeper learning curve and im finding it improving as I go along. What I don’t like is the immediate colour science but what I am getting now overall is an improvement compared to both my m10 and m240p. Having the better shadow recovery has been useful as is the stupidly long battery life etc. I guess this one just requires more thought whilst shooting and post processing but I’m glad I got one and intend to stick with it for quite a while. One thing I have had to do compared to previous models is that with cheaper lenses I get odd colours in the corners (one being a faulty lens) but the others I setup a inverted radial in the frame and then change the tint to match the rest of the image, seems to do the job and having an idea where it’ll appear I have a nice little preset that I apply on any images that it shows. All in all theirs always a way to work things out and that’s what I love about the M11. Oh and not a single freeze so maybe I got lucky, this was with both earlier firmware and the latest.

Edited April 14 by LeicaGuyUK

[DadDadDaddyo]

7 hours ago, Jon Warwick said:

fwiw, I sold my 100mp medium format (GFX100) after doing a lot of side-by-side testing with my M11.

My personal conclusion was there was remarkably little difference between the 2 systems in terms of print quality at 45”.

I subsequently sold the GFX, and recently added the M11 Monochrom to pair with the M11. I’ve always thought the Monochrom sensors are epic, and I’m appreciating having cross-compatibility of lenses, handgrips, Visoflexes, same menus, etc. Not to mention the M11 series being a lot lighter and smaller. 

Same here, and with the same conclusion. 

Nice to hear that other folks have had the same experience...

My M11 is a stable workhorse.

My M11M is the most amazing camera I've ever laid hands on, full stop. I could easily and happily use it for the rest of my life. 

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[kiwidad]

On 4/12/2025 at 2:14 PM, dante said:

Hey Jeff -

You're right - I am not experienced with the M10 "mid-cycle" generation (M10-R and M10M) - I'm generally on a generation-skipping upgrade program (M8 --> M240+246 -->etc.). I briefly considered the M10M as being a generation up from the "skipped" M10, but the internet gripes about its responsiveness were off-putting. That's probably been fixed by now, but the M10M was out of print by the time I was shopping last month.

And yes, I am aware of system MTF with lenses - my point was that the older lenses, which I expected to be the weak link, were not the weak link I thought they might be. Provided, of course, that you can focus them.

D

 

I have recently acquired a very nice m10m.

the m11 menu is much nicer! 

The m10m goes places the m11 couldn’t dream of in the dark, high contrast jpegs at 25k iso are amazing! 

 

[jakontil]

7 hours ago, Jon Warwick said:

And in that location, which I agree is streamlined, the usb c is also protected nicely by the rubber insert of the M11 series handgrip.

I dont always use handgrips in the past except that comes with arca swiss.. but my anxiety of not having baseplate pushed me to use the handgrips all the time lol and yeah i never notice it’s protected… but doesnt matter to me.. my phone port is exposed all the time, just good to know

7 hours ago, Jon Warwick said:

fwiw, I sold my 100mp medium format (GFX100) after doing a lot of side-by-side testing with my M11.

My personal conclusion was there was remarkably little difference between the 2 systems in terms of print quality at 45”.

I subsequently sold the GFX, and recently added the M11 Monochrom to pair with the M11. I’ve always thought the Monochrom sensors are epic, and I’m appreciating having cross-compatibility of lenses, handgrips, Visoflexes, same menus, etc. Not to mention the M11 series being a lot lighter and smaller. 

I still relying on my 907x cfv100c.. especially on landscapes.. i still see that difference or am i bluffing myself?