Carrying a Leica M

[pgk]

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If the OP was actually trying to determine whether there are positions in which damage could occur due to stressing of an M body and lens, the short answer is no. M bodies are tough little beasts in my experience and it takes a good deal of force to damage one. My eveyday M9 has a big dent (not me) but was fully serviced and warranted by Leica when I bought it many years ago (€700 would replace the top plate but I'm not bothered) and hasn't missed a beat since (although Leica installed a new sensor for free). I don't abuse cameras but I do use them and I expect them to withstand general daily use. Mine is starting to show its age with paint loss, the covering wearing through in places and the labelling text on switches has worn off. I've had pliers to the base several times to straighten out dings so that it fits better. Its uncollectible but very functional. Which is what any camera I own needs to be. Reading the forum can be worrying if you take all the horror stories as being the norm but they are not. I'd guess that the vast majority of M bodies simply keep on working despite being used and often not mollycoddled.

[maidenfan84]

The mounts are strong heavily made metal. The body nor the lens itself is heavy enough to hurt either of them regardless how you choose to put it in the bag. The most important factor is the design of the bag. I’ve had some bags that were designed to have the body sit on its bottom plate, I’ve had some that required Len’s down, etc. It just depends on how your shooting style is and if you like ‘quick draw’ bags, traditional body lunch bags, etc. 

[F-train]

The horse of my Q is quit larg, I always put it in a shoppinge bag.

 

[AlistairH]

Only put it in a bag if it has a hole that you can poke the lens through to take pictures. In which case, it is probably neither up nor down but sideways. I stuff a couple of lenses in my backpack and dangle the M-body+lens from a wrist strap. A camera in a bag cannot take interesting photos unless the bag has a hole that the lens can poke through.

A

PS: "Lense" is not a word. It is just a common spelling mistake that web crawlers have picked up and regurgitated into AI slop, which web crawlers have picked up and regurgitated into more AI slop, which web crawlers have picked up and regurgitated into even more AI slop, which web crawlers...      well, as a human, I *hope* you get the idea.  The web crawlers and AI slop-makers don't!  They just regurgitate it to create more AI slop, which, unfortunately, sometimes misleads peope.

Edited August 27 by AlistairH
Original was wrong

[altphoto]

A Leica doesn't belong in a bag; you carry it with you to be able to take pictures at any time, and with the extra lenses, filters, flashes in a small bag;

[Anthony MD]

14 hours ago, altphoto said:

A Leica doesn't belong in a bag; you carry it with you to be able to take pictures at any time, and with the extra lenses, filters, flashes in a small bag;

I travel to Italy and the Netherlands with the M-D 262…📷

Edited September 21 by Anthony MD

[espelt]

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Where you're traveling is completely irrelevant. Just make sure your camera is always within reach. So don't stuff it in your suitcase or other luggage. Which gets checked in at the airport. Mine always goes in my hand luggage. In a small shoulder bag along with other stuff. It's not a "real" camera bag. And certainly not a designer piece. Attracting too much attention isn't good for the photos. And it might arouse the interest of people you'd rather not meet. On photo trips, the camera isn't anywhere. It's either hanging around my neck or I have the strap wrapped around my wrist and the M in my hand. The camera is preset. For example, focus at 3 m; aperture 8 or 11. Decide beforehand which lens to use. And then only take that one on the camera. You have to be able to shoot when it matters. It just worked wonderfully again for three weeks in Greece. The camera just got a little dusty. I could have it on the shelf, though.

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Something like this has to be shot as you pass by. You first have to fumble the camera out of whatever bag you have, and maybe even turn it on... By then, the girl on the scooter is already home. Or the kitten has moved on.

[jaapv]

On 9/21/2025 at 10:39 AM, Anthony MD said:

I travel to Italy and the Netherlands with the M-D 262…📷

I strongly recommend to carry your M in your RIGHT hand, carrying it in your left hand will make it problematic to press the shutter button. In the UK, however, you would have to carry it in your LEFT hand nevertheless for legal reasons. 

[espelt]

If you carry and use it with the base plate facing up, you can easily carry it with your left hand. And you can conveniently trigger the shutter with your thumb. Focusing is also quite easy with your right hand.

[jaapv]

Yes but you will have to rotate all your images in postprocessing or put your monitor upside down. Or emigrate to Australia. 

[Anthony MD]

1 hour ago, jaapv said:

I strongly recommend to carry your M in your RIGHT hand, carrying it in your left hand will make it problematic to press the shutter button. In the UK, however, you would have to carry it in your LEFT hand nevertheless for legal reasons. 

I use a Leica strap around my neck to always have it ready…📷

Edited September 23 by Anthony MD

[Anthony MD]

53 minutes ago, jaapv said:

Yes but you will have to rotate all your images in postprocessing or put your monitor upside down. Or emigrate to Australia. 

I’m visiting my daughter and son in law in the Netherlands next year…🇳🇱

[espelt]

vor einer Stunde schrieb jaapv:

Yes but you will have to rotate all your images in postprocessing or put your monitor upside down. Or emigrate to Australia. 

It's easy to do without any hassle or headstand: Photoshop, automation, batch processing.