My new M11-P Safari - The Green King - Day One

[colonel]

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There is no point writing a pre-amble of why I bought this. I picked one up and it is just really really nice ..... (if you like green that is). 

I have a M11, and I have one rule for GAS, never buy the same model twice. I convinced myself the M11-P is different.

The Last Red Phone Box

Just FYI, it is my first Leica with a serial number over 6 million - yay!

The green leatherette is very smooth and the green paint has kind of a diamond smooth feel. It is brass underneath and reveals the gold if pushed.

Tim Roth, The Ministry of Coffee

The M11(p) is a very accomplished camera. The software is finally excellent and as long as you stick to the recommended SD cards (maybe you don't need to anymore), it is fast, quiet and smooth in use. My main acquiescence with the M11 series remains the tiny delay when you switch it on, for the shutter to open for metering. I guess this will remain until a global shutter, or maybe a stacked shutter of the Z8 type can be used.

The complaint is that £8k doesn't buy you a charger. Maybe this is some kind of EU rule for the box, nevertheless you could be provided with a voucher for one. I also used to like getting printed copies of LFI sent to me for a year .. ho hum!

Love in Soho Square Gardens

However this doesn't detract from a beautiful object d'art which is compact, jewellery like and relatively light, taking gorgeous photos. I think the 60mp pixel sensor, and the hardware and software controlling it, has become really refined. The first 60mp sensors seemed flat somewhat and had excessive noise. The noise is now mostly like current 24mp sensors, and the right lens generates all the 3d micro-contrast you need.

It is always interesting buying a camera in the later quartile of its run. The M13 or M14 (there won't be an M12 due to copyright issues in the US) will probably arrive in 2026 or early 2027. The Safari version is always last quartile, so the next one is at least 4 years away. You have the advantage of the mature and functional firmware, and lessons learnt in the manufacture, and of course all the ownership joy which is .... priceless!

Reflections from a Different Dimension

 

 

Edited September 8 by colonel

[Scrapbook]

Very nice. I like green.

Claus

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[T25UFO]

30 minutes ago, colonel said:

I also used to like getting printed copies of LFI sent to me for a year .. ho hum!

When you register the camera you should get three LFI editions for free - might only be digital, not sure about that.  
Blame EU regulations for the absence of a charger, although I do like your suggestion of a voucher.  Leica didn’t reduce the price when omitting the charger so they could afford to provide one.

[jakontil]

Nice, now i have to convince my wife that m11p is indeed a different camera.. i want that green too.. 

[M8X2]

Very nice, congrats. The last image is confusing. 

[graphlex]

4 hours ago, T25UFO said:

When you register the camera you should get three LFI editions for free - might only be digital, not sure about that.  
Blame EU regulations for the absence of a charger, although I do like your suggestion of a voucher.  Leica didn’t reduce the price when omitting the charger so they could afford to provide one.

The EU didn’t require Leica to charge $215 for the charger, or anything in the U.S.

[microview]

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Received mine from Wex today just 24 hours after ordering (DPD delivered a few minutes before quoted time-slot). Really pleased but must admit silver lenses would look better than my black ones. Noticed one unexpected thing: M8 and onwards and I have needed to fit a screw-in dioptre, but not here – rangefinder is crystal clear.

Am awaiting third-party ebony wood grip from Amazon which may look better (and is £100+ cheaper!) than the Leica. Anyone worried over the durability of the rubber flap on the Leica handgrip?

Edited September 12 by microview

[T25UFO]

On 9/9/2025 at 3:23 AM, graphlex said:

The EU didn’t require Leica to charge $215 for the charger, or anything in the U.S.

I think the M11 charger was always available as a standalone item, but I could be wrong.  UK price is about the equivalent of USD 185 at current exchange rates and that includes 20% VAT so maybe the US price is impacted by new tariffs 🙁

[JNK100]

33 minutes ago, T25UFO said:

I think the M11 charger was always available as a standalone item, but I could be wrong.  UK price is about the equivalent of USD 185 at current exchange rates and that includes 20% VAT so maybe the US price is impacted by new tariffs 🙁

My M11 came with a charger out of interest.

[RMF]

1 hour ago, T25UFO said:

I think the M11 charger was always available as a standalone item, but I could be wrong.  UK price is about the equivalent of USD 185 at current exchange rates and that includes 20% VAT so maybe the US price is impacted by new tariffs 🙁

Yes, the M11 charger package with wall plug/cables/adapters (#24027) has always been available separately here in the US, my M11 std/blk came with one as expected.  On a whim I bought an additional one off the FM forums a couple years for very little $$ just in case I needed to charge a a few batteries at the same time/or need as a backup on the road.  

[Kiwimac]

12 hours ago, microview said:

Received mine from Wex today just 24 hours after ordering (DPD delivered a few minutes before quoted time-slot). Really pleased but must admit silver lenses would look better than my black ones. Noticed one unexpected thing: M8 and onwards and I have needed to fit a screw-in dioptre, but not here – rangefinder is crystal clear.

Am awaiting third-party ebony wood grip from Amazon which may look better (and is £100+ cheaper!) than the Leica. Anyone worried over the durability of the rubber flap on the Leica handgrip?

I am jealous you get time slots. 
 

Courier delivery here in NZ is more like week slots. Maybe even month slots. 

I ordered something from Kentucky once. It took 3 days to go from Kentucky to Auckland and 2 weeks to get from Auckland to my house, a journey you could have done in a car in 12 hours. 

Edited September 13 by Kiwimac

[Alberti]

21 hours ago, microview said:

[..] Noticed one unexpected thing: M8 and onwards and I have needed to fit a screw-in dioptre, but not here – rangefinder is crystal clear.  [..]

now that is interesting.

For me that is a nudge to have a look at one. (My M8-P and  M240-P also were 'extra-clear', a joy to handle.)

hope this is not just the green one but also goes for the 'traditional' M11-P

[T25UFO]

32 minutes ago, Alberti said:

hope this is not just the green one but also goes for the 'traditional' M11-P

I don't have the 'green one' but the viewfinder on my M11 Mono still benefits from a +1.5 diopter.  Of course, that they be down to my eyesight.

[microview]

30 minutes ago, Alberti said:

now that is interesting.

For me that is a nudge to have a look at one. (My M8-P and  M240-P also were 'extra-clear', a joy to handle.)

hope this is not just the green one but also goes for the 'traditional' M11-P

In a lengthy review by Keith Wee, he says "In fact, I am now pretty confident I can skip the 1.25x magnifier with how much better the M11-P’s optical viewfinder is". He shows a silver M11 and the review predates the Safari camera.

[microview]

9 hours ago, Kiwimac said:

I am jealous you get time slots. 
 

Yes it's great to wake up, switch on Macbook and see one-hour time slot ahead with DPD company. Have had less success with UPS when (twice) I waited in but got email saying no-one at home to receive item. Basement indicator label is perfectly clear at main upper door bell array. So for them I stick A4 notice on the door!

Edited September 13 by microview
typo

[microview]

18 hours ago, JNK100 said:

My M11 came with a charger out of interest.

So did mine (M11P) but this week I bought the Safari edition and no charger in the box. Same with Q3 43 I bought last September. I do like the mains charger so will keep when I sell my black M11P. They are available separately in the UK with different adaptors for use abroad.

[jakontil]

22 hours ago, microview said:

Received mine from Wex today just 24 hours after ordering (DPD delivered a few minutes before quoted time-slot). Really pleased but must admit silver lenses would look better than my black ones. Noticed one unexpected thing: M8 and onwards and I have needed to fit a screw-in dioptre, but not here – rangefinder is crystal clear.

Am awaiting third-party ebony wood grip from Amazon which may look better (and is £100+ cheaper!) than the Leica. Anyone worried over the durability of the rubber flap on the Leica handgrip?

Rubber flap seems durable enough to withstand everyday action for the past years

[marchyman]

4 hours ago, Alberti said:

hope this is not just the green one but also goes for the 'traditional' M11-P

I used a 1.25 when I had a 75mm lens mounted to my M 262.  Since getting the M11 the 1.25 sits on a shelf.  Mostly that is because it is not needed, but also because it wont fit the M11 unless I get an adaptor.  I'd get rid of it but it's worth next to nothing on the used market in spite of Leica charging $480 if you wanted to buy new, today.

[jakontil]

5 hours ago, marchyman said:

I used a 1.25 when I had a 75mm lens mounted to my M 262.  Since getting the M11 the 1.25 sits on a shelf.  Mostly that is because it is not needed, but also because it wont fit the M11 unless I get an adaptor.  I'd get rid of it but it's worth next to nothing on the used market in spite of Leica charging $480 if you wanted to buy new, today.

Why is that so? Bcoz the ovf in m11 came with 0.73 compared to 0.68 on the m 262? Or simply clearer on the m11? 
mine too… sitting in the shelf but somehow i managed to get the -1,5 diopter to make it clearer

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[Eoin]

The camera view finder and diopter/magnifier “port hole” for want of a better word, is larger since the M10 and perhaps this is what is referred to as eye relief.

All I know is there is a world of difference between using the newer larger diameter diopters and magnifiers and the older type that need an adapter to fit.
To echo someone else’s experience, shooting the M8 I needed the magnifier. I’ve always had a love hate experience with diopters, they are great to improve field of view within the viewfinder, but the constant flipping up/down of glasses or having to unscrew it to let a companion use the camera, means I go through phases of using them or not.

Congratulations to the OP on the new addition. The true satisfaction is in the hand and in the moment, it helps make the other issues irrelevant.