M11D Kit - 9 months in

[david911]

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At Christmas time last year, I purchased an M11D, Voigtlander 28mm 1.5, 50mm 1.2, and 90mm 2.8 as a retirement gift to myself. I have also purchased an ONA Bowery bag and a Wotancraft Pilot 10L bag. I thought I would post my thoughts on my experiences to date. I have a shot a bit of digital before, but used an m6 kit back in the 90s and had a darkroom, but really have not done much photography prior to this purchase. With that preamble,

• I love the experience of the M11D. I use it for the most part in total manual mode. It is very much like a film camera, and is exactly what I was looking for.
• I have used the photos app a couple of times to control the camera, it has been useful. I also use it to format the SD cards, because that seems handy (Lightroom automatically ejects the card on my Mac, and formatting it there is bit of a pain)
• I am glad that I did not get the M11M, about 20% of my phots have been in color
• The camera requires two hands to operate. Although this is obvious, it took me a bit to realize that I can't use it if I am doing anything else with my hands, e.g. walking the dog, having a snack, etc. This has resulted in me not carrying the camera everywhere (as I had imagined), because I can't actually use it and it gets in the way
• I have done much better taking photos on dedicated photo outings than I have where photos are not the primary purpose of my wanderings
• The Wotancraft bag, with some add on pouches, has been great for travel and biking. One pouch contains my travel chargers/electronics/ pens, another toiletries when on the plane, I detach these for walking around, and add a water bottle pouch when riding my Brompton. The shoulder strap is great.
• The Bowery bag is sufficient for my kit (barely). For just walking around making pictures, it is fine, but doesn't give the option to put something else in it
• I don't love walking around with a bag - several times lately I have just taken the camera and 50mm, and left the bag at home
• When walking around looking to take photos, I like to have the camera in my hand, not around my neck. I think I will get an M11 hand grip or Arte di mano case to make this easier
• The photos I most like to take are "urban landscapes" - I don't take picture of people I don't know. I rarely take portraits. Of course some "happy snaps" of family and friends are part of the equation
• The 50mm represents 85% of my use, the 28 10% and the 90 5%. Changing lenses is a bit of a pain, but it is sure nice to have the option.
• I don't think my lens kit is ideal. Back in the film days, when 400 Tri-x was about as high as one could go (occasionally pushed to 800), wide apertures on lenses were really important - you needed to get more light for exposure. With the M11, where 6400 is basically no problem, I am not finding much use for the 1.2 or 1.4 apertures on my 50, and the lens is big and heavy. Do other people find this to be true? I am thinking of either trading the 1.2 for a 2 APO. Another possibility is making a "daylight walking around kit" of with a 50 3.5 and 28 2.8 that would be much lighter - that seems more complicated though, and 3.5 seems so slow to my gear-brain. Do other people doing street or landscape photography think a 3.5 max aperture is sufficient?
• As expected, my interest is almost exclusively prints, and this translates almost always to 8x10 size. With this emphasis, I am not seeing any issues with camera shake, or focus, or sharpness
• Lightroom is amazingly powerful. It will take me a very long time to be able to use it proficiently.
• I am very happy with the quality of my prints from the Epson P700 and EPL software. I don't think my tastes or skills are sufficiently refined enough to distinguish yet where I could be doing better
• I am having fun, though I am not taking as many photos as I expected

Cheers,

 

David

 

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[Smudgerer]

You started off with the right choice of M...........I've no advice or gear suggestions for you as it's better to stumble along your own path in photography, but enjoy the ride.

[costa43]

Congratulations, A very nice setup to fall back into photography again! the mental battle between fast aperture and smaller glass is real. My problem is that I like fast glass but want it small! You will find your way through trial and error and bank account depletion😁

Edited September 1 by costa43

[robbie3]

Thanks David, interesting summary of your experiences to date.

Re the 50mm f/1.2 lens - "I am not finding much use for the 1.2 or 1.4 apertures on my 50, and the lens is big and heavy. Do other people find this to be true? I am thinking of either trading the 1.2 for a 2 APO."

I have a 50mm Voigtlander Nokton Asph f/1.2 and have been using it for the past few months. Previously I used a 50mm Summicron v5.

The Voigtlander is big and heavy in comparison to my previous Summicron, though not excessively so in my view. 

I'm keeping the Voigtlander for now as I do use it at f/1.2 and f/1.4 for subject isolation.

If I wasn't using the wider apertures I would definitely change it for a smaller lens, possibly another 50mm Summicron v5. 

Robbie.

[didier]

Thanks for sharing David.

I have been considering the M11D for some time now, and you will maybe help me take the plunge, to use it in addition to my M10M.

As far as 50s are concerned : the leica APO 50 is nothing short of amazing : color rendition/precision, clarity, smoothness of OOF area, … in a small and light package… from what I read the Voigtlander APO is bigger, you’ll have to check how much, and its performance excellence.

I don’t own the Voigt 50/1.2, but had the opportunity to test the Leica Noct 1.2 a few times.I rather liked the size, as it is very manageable (compared to the noct .95 I own and which is a Beast) once you take the shade off.

The wide aperture is a nice to have in some conditions, and with the Noct 1.2 you have almost 2 lenses in 1 : at 5.6 of smaller, the lens is sharp and very common (in a good sense). At 1.2 you get something special…  If possible, I wouldn’t sell it but try to add another one (see pic : I like this portrait as I think it wouldn’t have been possible with another lens - if course it is not a urban landscape, but you can use the aperture to make some very special pictures).

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I happen to more and more build my kit for a given day, depending if I want to travel light or not : so, your idea to have a daylight walking around kit appeals to me.

You could keep your 1.2 and add a small lens. One I like which is light and affordable is the latest Elmar-M 50 

 

Have fun !

 

[costa43]

31 minutes ago, didier said:

Thanks for sharing David.

I have been considering the M11D for some time now, and you will maybe help me take the plunge, to use it in addition to my M10M.

As far as 50s are concerned : the leica APO 50 is nothing short of amazing : color rendition/precision, clarity, smoothness of OOF area, … in a small and light package… from what I read the Voigtlander APO is bigger, you’ll have to check how much, and its performance excellence.

I don’t own the Voigt 50/1.2, but had the opportunity to test the Leica Noct 1.2 a few times.I rather liked the size, as it is very manageable (compared to the noct .95 I own and which is a Beast) once you take the shade off.

The wide aperture is a nice to have in some conditions, and with the Noct 1.2 you have almost 2 lenses in 1 : at 5.6 of smaller, the lens is sharp and very common (in a good sense). At 1.2 you get something special…  If possible, I wouldn’t sell it but try to add another one (see pic : I like this portrait as I think it wouldn’t have been possible with another lens - if course it is not a urban landscape, but you can use the aperture to make some very special pictures).

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!

 

 

I happen to more and more build my kit for a given day, depending if I want to travel light or not : so, your idea to have a daylight walking around kit appeals to me.

You could keep your 1.2 and add a small lens. One I like which is light and affordable is the latest Elmar-M 50 

 

Have fun !

 

Lovely photo👌

[david911]

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4 hours ago, didier said:

...

As far as 50s are concerned : the leica APO 50 is nothing short of amazing : color rendition/precision, clarity, smoothness of OOF area, … in a small and light package… from what I read the Voigtlander APO is bigger, you’ll have to check how much, and its performance excellence.

...

The wide aperture is a nice to have in some conditions, and with the Noct 1.2 you have almost 2 lenses in 1 : at 5.6 of smaller, the lens is sharp and very common (in a good sense). At 1.2 you get something special…  If possible, I wouldn’t sell it but try to add another one (see pic : I like this portrait as I think it wouldn’t have been possible with another lens - if course it is not a urban landscape, but you can use the aperture to make some very special pictures).

 

 

Thanks didier. The 2 lens in one concept is what I was after. But I'm not sure I'm really using it, and the 1.2 is 100g heavier than the APO, and 200g heavier than the 3.5.

The Leica APO 50 is smaller, but 12g heavier than the Voigtlander. The Voigtlander is $1000 new, the Leica is $5000 used. At my stage of photographic development (pun intended), the Voigtlander should be fine. I can fritter away $4000 on something else

For a lightweight daytime kit, the Voigtlander 50 3.5 is 170g, and the Voigtlander 28 2.8 is 105g.

[jakontil]

Unless you are shooting mainly portraits i doubt you will ever need a wide opening aperture.. love your experience sharing, and i definitely feel how you feel about it

my kits now are intended for portraits, landscapes and urban photography but i would only carry one lens on my day out just like u say, a pain to swap lenses

and it is always meant to shoot at something.. photos are always better when it is meant to be shot at

[Tseg]

Nice review.  I also sprung for the M11-D as a retirement gift to myself.  No regrets.  My 50mm Summilux is my only sub-2.0 aperture lens, but it is still pretty small with the integrated hood.   I’m with you that the M system is more meant for intentional photography days.   I did get the Q3 43 as a grab and go camera, and is also great to photograph items from my other hobbies with its Macro mode and 1 handed shooting ability.

Edited September 2 by Tseg

[Derbyshire Man]

I’d recommend considering the Summicron C or Rokkor 40mm f2. Tiny and with a touch of soul. Or ditch the 28 and 50 and get a 35mm instead, as you’re carrying only one lens then you can spare weight on a Summilux. 

[JNK100]

Interesting thoughts  -thank you.

If it were me, I wouldn't get an additional 50mm lens. I don't have experience of the CV F1.2 as I managed to find a mint used 50mm 'lux fle2 I use this 100% of the time and wanted it for the subject-isolation when needed. It is not too big nor heavy and doesn't block the VF too much. 

This may work for you as the great majority of your shots are at 50mm.

Fit and forget!

 

[jaapv]

14 hours ago, robbie3 said:

Thanks David, interesting summary of your experiences to date.

Re the 50mm f/1.2 lens - "I am not finding much use for the 1.2 or 1.4 apertures on my 50, and the lens is big and heavy. Do other people find this to be true? I am thinking of either trading the 1.2 for a 2 APO."

I have a 50mm Voigtlander Nokton Asph f/1.2 and have been using it for the past few months. Previously I used a 50mm Summicron v5.

The Voigtlander is big and heavy in comparison to my previous Summicron, though not excessively so in my view. 

I'm keeping the Voigtlander for now as I do use it at f/1.2 and f/1.4 for subject isolation.

If I wasn't using the wider apertures I would definitely change it for a smaller lens, possibly another 50mm Summicron v5. 

Robbie.

Reason that I use the Nokton 50/1.5 ii Very happy with this lens

[Steve Ash]

Lovely post. I only disagree on the comment that you need to use it with two hands. How about prefocusing to 5m and stopping down to f8? Then one hand operation is fast and easy.

[pgh]

If you never print larger than 8x10 I would absolutely go down to smaller/slower lenses and embrace higher ISO's when needed. 

3.5 will be plenty for daytime, and honestly isn't that limiting in the digital days in my opinion, especially, again, at your print size.

To put in perspective, I often print up to 40" from my m10 monochroms and never feel restricted by my summicron lenses (which are quite small) for this. It's not the same, but a point of reference for you. This doesn't mean I don't see noise/grain - just depends on what you tolerate. Anyways.

Only you can decide what's best but were I in your shoes I'd go to summicrons - they are sort of what the M is best with to me. Once you get bigger, well, comparative advantage of M system starts to dissipate. My 35 and 50 both are thrown over my shoulder on whatever body they're on all the time. I would bet you might take more pictures if you had smaller lenses.

And yes, you can do one handed shooting (to some extent) in good enough light.

Edited September 2 by pgh

[marchyman]

22 hours ago, david911 said:

not finding much use for the 1.2 or 1.4 apertures

Me, too.  I rarely shoot in low light and find f/4 or f/5.6 are my most commonly used apertures.  My most used lens is the small Zeiss C-Biogon f/2.8.

If I want something faster I can always grab my original Q.   Looking at Q image metadata in Lightroom I see that only 15% of the shots I took were at apertures faster than f/2.8.

Edited September 2 by marchyman

[david911]

10 hours ago, Steve Ash said:

Lovely post. I only disagree on the comment that you need to use it with two hands. How about prefocusing to 5m and stopping down to f8? Then one hand operation is fast and easy.

I agree with this in concept, but in reality with a retriever on leash in one hand, this is beyond my level of dexterity!

[Kiwimac]

I’ve had Summilux f1.4 and Noctilux f1 in 50mm. 
 

Currently my 50 is the Apo Summicron f2. 
 

Personally (and these things are personal) I’m of the opinion that the whole bokeh obsession has led to a great many look-alike images. Too many images I see rely on using fast glass and blurring everything but the cat - sorry, I meant subject. 
 

Sometimes that’s a great look. More often in my view, it deprives the viewer of context. 
 

As you observe, there’s little practical need for the fastest lenses - f2 is perfectly fast enough and in the case of the Apo Summicron the focus transition is very quick so isolation is still perfectly possible. 
 

Perhaps my greatest regret in my Leica history was letting myself sell the 35 Apo, a truly outstanding travel companion. 

[Tseg]

On 9/2/2025 at 6:48 PM, david911 said:

I agree with this in concept, but in reality with a retriever on leash in one hand, this is beyond my level of dexterity!

Also, I have difficulty focusing the M with my nose, if shooting with just one hand.

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[maxpower]

Honestly, with the right grip I can manipulate the focus tab with the same hand that's holding the camera using the pinky, it's definitely not comfortable and a lot slower to do, but have done it a few times when I could only use one hand. But I would generally not consider this a one handed camera no.

[costa43]

On 9/4/2025 at 3:48 PM, Kiwimac said:

I’ve had Summilux f1.4 and Noctilux f1 in 50mm. 
 

Currently my 50 is the Apo Summicron f2. 
 

Personally (and these things are personal) I’m of the opinion that the whole bokeh obsession has led to a great many look-alike images. Too many images I see rely on using fast glass and blurring everything but the cat - sorry, I meant subject. 
 

Sometimes that’s a great look. More often in my view, it deprives the viewer of context. 
 

As you observe, there’s little practical need for the fastest lenses - f2 is perfectly fast enough and in the case of the Apo Summicron the focus transition is very quick so isolation is still perfectly possible. 
 

Perhaps my greatest regret in my Leica history was letting myself sell the 35 Apo, a truly outstanding travel companion. 

For the most part I agree with your bokeh comment. There is for me though a creative benefit with faster glass and that is usually at mid distances where you still get a little extra fall off/separation but retain context. It can be a nice look and f1.2 is useful here. For the most part though, f2 with a 50mm is plenty and a good balance of size/performance. As the OP shoots with a 50mm 85% of the time, having more than one lens in this focal length is somewhat justified.