One more bug

[Edax]

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8 hours ago, Kiwimac said:

Buy an M11-D. 
 

Problem solved. 😇

I Didn't know that these come with Ostrich leather... 😅

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[willeica]

On 9/20/2025 at 10:57 AM, jaapv said:

It is just the consequence of dragging all this Rube Goldberg stuff into the M. It is a minimalistic camera and attempting to make it into a camera with as many 2025 bells and whistles as possible crammed in is a recipe for this kind of thing. It is teaching an elephant to walz by dressing it in a tutu and does indeed not bode well for a possible M-EVF. 

Spot on, Jaap. Digital photography has introduced a lot of nonsense into cameras. You can take photos based on average or specific exposures as you would with film and do everything you 'need' afterwards in Lightroom or Photoshop or whatever takes your fancy.  You can leave the histogram fondling until later on when you have the time. Putting all of that stuff into a camera creates the conceit that you can always come home with perfect pictures. If you are a working pro with deadlines to meet your experience will already tell you what exposure to use.  

William 

[Chris W]

16 hours ago, lct said:

You mean on less suitable cameras i guess.

No, I meant use the right gear for the workflow you desire. If you want auto focus and auto zoom, use modern auto focus lenses with an auto everything camera.

If you want to use M lenses combined with many modern camera functions (like rear screen view) adapt them to a modern camera (like Fuji, Sony).

I have modern Sigma lenses for my SL2-S when I want auto-focus, I have an adapter when I want to use vintage glass with my SL2-S (like M and Pentax lenses).

 

[Chris W]

6 hours ago, pgh said:

 I am not loyal to a company, I’m loyal to a way of working. I just don’t have other options. 

^^^ This ^^^

It doesn't matter what the camera brand is. If the main selling point of a camera is the rangefinder focussing system and an old fashioned sense of minimalism, closer in nature to manual photography than most camera sold in 2025, don't complain if you don't like rangefinder focussing and that the camera lacks features other modern cameras have. BUY another camera. There is so much great choice.

[Kiwimac]

10 hours ago, pgh said:

If Nikon or Pentax make a digital rangefinder with small lenses - long as it’s well done - I won’t be able to switch fast enough. I am not loyal to a company, I’m loyal to a way of working. I just don’t have other options. 

Fujifilm X-Pro?

[pgh]

25 minutes ago, Kiwimac said:

Fujifilm X-Pro?

I owned the first version, it was nice enough for what it was. But actually not even really close to using a real rangefinder. Used it diligently for 2 years, but it just wasn’t it. Also used the original x100. Again, a nice camera for what it was - but not it. X100 took a bath in the South Pacific in the end, couldn’t be bothered to replace it after Fuji told me it was borked so I sold it for parts.

This doesn’t even get into the inferior files (I’m working on my archive right now and seeing a lot of x pro files so making the comparison quite a bit. Again, nice enough in their own right, but on comparison just fully lacking). Im sure the latter versions are better in IQ, but focus by wire is a totally different experience. 

Edited September 26 by pgh

[lct]

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4 hours ago, Chris W said:

No, I meant use the right gear for the workflow you desire. If you want auto focus and auto zoom, use modern auto focus lenses with an auto everything camera.

If you want to use M lenses combined with many modern camera functions (like rear screen view) adapt them to a modern camera (like Fuji, Sony).

I have modern Sigma lenses for my SL2-S when I want auto-focus, I have an adapter when I want to use vintage glass with my SL2-S (like M and Pentax lenses).

 

Different opinion here. If you want to use M lenses at the best of their IQ there is no choice but the M11 and perhaps the M11-V tomorrow. Leica-Fuji-Sony-Sigma user speaking.

[charlesphoto99]

12 hours ago, pgh said:

If Nikon or Pentax make a digital rangefinder with small lenses - long as it’s well done - I won’t be able to switch fast enough. I am not loyal to a company, I’m loyal to a way of working. I just don’t have other options. 

Pixii. Looks great on paper/web, but I'd certainly want to handle one before plopping down $4.5k, the price of a good used M10.

Unfortunately the age of the SLR (DSLR as it may be) has passed. I do wish Nikon or somebody had made a true F3HP digital retro camera, just like Leica could have made a true digital M6/M7 with the M line (wouldn't that have been great for their 100th, versus teddy bears and pens). 

I truly want to be able to use an EVF camera, but tried with a used SL2 the other day at the dealers. Within seconds I almost threw up on the counter from the movement and for the next several hours had a bad migraine behind the eye. The Nikon zF was a bit better, but still no go for me. The Nikon D850 is the end of the line I suppose for a high end DSLR. And if Nikon/Canon etc can't be bothered to upgrade their DSLR line, a rangefinder form them will come when pigs learn to fly. 

[adan]

2 hours ago, Kiwimac said:

Fujifilm X-Pro?

Common newbie mistake - the Fuji X-Pro is NOT a rangefinder camera. 

Having a viewing window does not make a camera a rangefinder camera, any more than having windows in one's house turns it into a "rangefinder house." 🤪

Here are two more cameras with window viewing (but no rangefinders), just like the Fuji. From the opposite ends of the price spectrum. But they are not "rangefinder" cameras either.

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[pgh]

59 minutes ago, charlesphoto99 said:

Pixii. Looks great on paper/web, but I'd certainly want to handle one before plopping down $4.5k, the price of a good used M10.

Unfortunately the age of the SLR (DSLR as it may be) has passed. I do wish Nikon or somebody had made a true F3HP digital retro camera, just like Leica could have made a true digital M6/M7 with the M line (wouldn't that have been great for their 100th, versus teddy bears and pens). 

I truly want to be able to use an EVF camera, but tried with a used SL2 the other day at the dealers. Within seconds I almost threw up on the counter from the movement and for the next several hours had a bad migraine behind the eye. The Nikon zF was a bit better, but still no go for me. The Nikon D850 is the end of the line I suppose for a high end DSLR. And if Nikon/Canon etc can't be bothered to upgrade their DSLR line, a rangefinder form them will come when pigs learn to fly. 

I hadn't checked up on Pixii in years. The new one is actually making me curious. A 24mp full frame sensor is mostly my happy place, but it looks like that despite their marketing the sensor actually isn't quite up to the range of the M10, which...I can't pay money to downgrade on that.

However, if the company stays solvent and gets better over time I will certainly keep up with what they are doing. A big issue of mine with Leica is their service time (well, and how often it is needed). I'd have a hard time imagining a small company like Pixii could improve on the former, though reliability and QC are a low bar in comparison. For better or worse I've had all of my M10's long enough (and have enough of them now) that I feel stabilized here, so switching would really take some effort and clearly presented advantages in product support/reliability (which I've already experienced with Nikon and Pentax!)

Edit - it seems there are some discrepancies about the sensor. PhotonstoPhotos makes me think the Pixii Max is less than the M10 sensor, all other reports make it look a bit better. Not quite M11 levels, but between the two. That is actually seriously tempting to me. I like the no screen, don't mind the no card (I like my M10d). The monochrom in built mode is interesting too. I can say this - I'm definitely going to try to get my hands on some files and more first person reports of using it. 

Edited September 26 by pgh

[Chris W]

19 hours ago, lct said:

Different opinion here. If you want to use M lenses at the best of their IQ there is no choice but the M11 

I've had an M10, I now have an M11. I use my M lenses on an SL2-S also (Sigma FP in the past). The images don't look obviously different, other than the extra detail in the larger mpx M11 files. In the end, the subject matter, which also is a result of being comfortable with your workflow, is what everyone is looking for, not the tiny pixel peeped difference between a 35mm Summilux on an M11 or SL3.

[Chris W]

16 hours ago, pgh said:

I hadn't checked up on Pixii in years. The new one is actually making me curious.

The lack mechanical shutter is a big no for me. I have my M11 switched to mechanical only.

[Chris W]

16 hours ago, adan said:

Common newbie mistake - the Fuji X-Pro is NOT a rangefinder camera. 

 

 

The annoying thing is that Fujifilm describe all their cameras as 'rangefinder style'. I have had people in Youtube comments tell me point blank the X100VI is the 'most affordable rangefinder camera' you can buy.

[pgh]

2 hours ago, Chris W said:

The lack mechanical shutter is a big no for me. I have my M11 switched to mechanical only.

I don’t love it, but I don’t know that I would mind it. I’ve never been one that found shutter sounds too consequential, other than I really didn’t like the M9’s shutter mechanism/sound. It was a big reason I didn’t buy that camera to be honest - though there were others, price being a bigger one. Quiet is good, though some feedback is too (apparently the rangefinder lines black out for a second when you make a picture, so there is feedback).

Anyways, I am quite happy with my various M10 series bodies, most recently serviced and humming along nicely. But I like what the looks of what Pixii is doing and will keep following them and could imagine easily incorporating one in due time. 

But I agree that when I use my M lenses on my SL2 I don’t see an obvious difference really, other than higher resolution. Then again, these days I use it almost only for camera scanning or on the (very) rare occasion I need focus help with my 135mm Telyt. 

Edited September 27 by pgh

[Chris W]

47 minutes ago, pgh said:

I don’t love it, but I don’t know that I would mind it.

I've just had issues with banding using an electronic shutter.

[lct]

3 hours ago, Chris W said:

I've had an M10, I now have an M11. I use my M lenses on an SL2-S also (Sigma FP in the past). The images don't look obviously different, other than the extra detail in the larger mpx M11 files. In the end, the subject matter, which also is a result of being comfortable with your workflow, is what everyone is looking for, not the tiny pixel peeped difference between a 35mm Summilux on an M11 or SL3.

Good for you. I like much my Sigma FPL and Kolari mod Sony a7r2 too but the best IQ comes from the M11 to me. Matter of tastes i guess. To each his/her own 😎

[jaapv]

43 minutes ago, Chris W said:

I've just had issues with banding using an electronic shutter.

LED lights?

[pgh]

1 hour ago, Chris W said:

I've just had issues with banding using an electronic shutter.

I haven’t experienced that, but I’ve got limited experience using e-shutter - so thanks for noting. I wonder if that’s an issue w Pixii owners…

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[Smudgerer]

2 hours ago, pgh said:

I don’t love it, but I don’t know that I would mind it. I’ve never been one that found shutter sounds too consequential, other than I really didn’t like the M9’s shutter mechanism/sound. It was a big reason I didn’t buy that camera to be honest - though there were others, price being a bigger one. Quiet is good, though some feedback is too (apparently the rangefinder lines black out for a second when you make a picture, so there is feedback).

Anyways, I am quite happy with my various M10 series bodies, most recently serviced and humming along nicely. But I like what the looks of what Pixii is doing and will keep following them and could imagine easily incorporating one in due time. 

 

Agree about the M9 shutter. and re-cocking sounds, awful, never could get used to it and switched to the M10's as soon as I could......But saying that I think I preferred the M9's files. Gain something, lose something...

About the Pixxi. I tried a friend's Pixii Max the other weekend, something I was pretty keen to try. It's a really nice camera, good viewfinder, M Mount, full frame and the 24mp files are a plus feature for me. The modular design that enables factory upgrades is a big plus too something I have wished Leica would have considered.

However what killed the Pixii for me is the battery life, it's horrible. Over three hours with the camera I went through two and a half fully charged / new batteries and that with very conservative shooting. That's a killer right there.

[Chris W]

1 hour ago, pgh said:

I haven’t experienced that, but I’ve got limited experience using e-shutter - so thanks for noting. I wonder if that’s an issue w Pixii owners…

It's not an issue in natural light. With artificial light you can often mitigate it by using shutter speeds that match the flickering rate of the lighting. But I found it wasn't always perfect and I shot some keeper images that had unfixable banding in them. So I just avoid electronic shutters now.