Jono: A Leica M EV1 Review

[ELAN]

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Thanks Jono for your excellent review, I was very much looking forward to reading your take on this new camera and as always you delivered exactly the information I am interested in.  Well done!

This camera isn't for me.  I love the rangefinder and I'm staying with it. 

(I was pleasantly surprised to learn about the new WB settings - I will be dusting off my M11 and give it a fresh try, its been stored for two years as I couldn't deal with the magenta cast thing.  Been using my M10-Rs, which I absolutely adore for color, shutter and soul)

Edited 23 hours ago by ELAN

[alanlwilder]

Does anyone know the purpose of the cam roller inside the lens mount? I've seen it pictured in the Leica instruction manual but no explanation or details. As we all know, it use to be used for normal M camera's rangefinder patch coupling to the lens. Since there is no conventinal optical rangefinder, what's it for? My guess is that it any movement of the cam roller automatically activates the EVF/LCD screen magnifier aid whenever the focus ring is turned on any rangefinder cammed lens. This function will not work on an R adapted lens since the is no rf cam.

 

Edited yesterday at 07:22 PM by alanlwilder

[Tseg]

Nice review.   Leica will see the sales stats before long to know if they are onto something.   I spent a career in marketing.   One's own opinion doesn't matter much.  Focus groups and other studies shed a little more light on what reality may be.   Invariably by the time this is hitting the market the world will have changed for which the initial iteration was designed.  

I bought the Q3 43 as a 12 year upgrade from the original RX1... then discovered the wonders of manual focus, which then led to an M11-D.  I realized my experience of shooting was more valued by myself than my glacially improving photographic prowess.  This EV1 camera may be another door opener to a whole different group... or not.

Interesting that the Leica M11 is known for being an old man's camera... and now the EV1 is for those who are too old for their M11.   M11-F (funeral version) next?

[marchyman]

I think you reversed the captions on the white balance correction settings.  In camera is the +, FOTOs has the sliders.

[maidenfan84]

The biggest questions i have about are…does it still need to be sent off for adjustments and alignments? Does the EV correct for the photo shift? (You see one image in the VF but the picture you take is different). And does it have a built in diopter now? I would really hope it doesn’t have lockups and software issues like the M11 

[maxpower]

3 minutes ago, maidenfan84 said:

The biggest questions i have about are…does it still need to be sent off for adjustments and alignments? Does the EV correct for the photo shift? (You see one image in the VF but the picture you take is different). And does it have a built in diopter now? I would really hope it doesn’t have lockups and software issues like the M11 

I don't know what would need to be aligned, with the EV1 you're looking through the lens so what you see is what you get. That makes it easier to use this for lenses that could use adjustment, don't have frame lines, etc. It does include an adjustable diopter like the Q3 yes. The M11 software issues/lockups have I think been solved via firmware updates, at least haven't heard anyone complain about it for a long time now. 

[rustyrus]

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I generally like and appreciate your reviews- 

 

I think this is the first time I found it hard to believe your point of views on the camera. Its seems you didn't really like it but had to find nice things to say about it. 

Cheers

 

[newtoleica]

5 hours ago, BrianSilcox said:

Years back I went with a Sony A7II to achieve a small, travel kit to use my Nikkor rangefinder lenses.  All of what you describe here regarding focus applied to my learning to use the evf.   I still use this kit, and simply understand it takes time, but delivers exceptional image quality for situations that warrant it.

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Likewise I used a Sony A7R with Olympus OM lenses for a good few years. You get used to it pretty quickly. Having had a go with the EV1 today, I think it was similar but in an M body. Nice... I'll likely add one for colour with my 10 Mono.

[newtoleica]

4 hours ago, pgk said:

I would say the same and add that, as a Sony EVF as well as rangefinder shooter, the review could equally well apply to a Sony EVF camera using M lenses via an adapter too. There are details which are different of course, but the main conclusions would be very similar. And there is a substantial cost difference. And the Sonys with their larger lens throat and shorter flange to sensor distance are far more versatile. I can see all the reasons many desire such a camera but I still see it as a compromise, better in some respects than a rangefinder M, but worse in others.

Sony cameras have never performed well with wider M lenses and if you want a decent EVF you need big body like the A7IV - quite different handling.

[jonoslack]

52 minutes ago, maidenfan84 said:

The biggest questions i have about are…does it still need to be sent off for adjustments and alignments? Does the EV correct for the photo shift? (You see one image in the VF but the picture you take is different). And does it have a built in diopter now? I would really hope it doesn’t have lockups and software issues like the M11 

Hi there 

it completely removes all of that stuff. You see what you are going  to get. Focus shift and badly adjusted rangefinders are a thing of the past (as are badly adjusted lenses)

[mmanda]

What a brilliant read Jono.  I really enjoyed this.   And the backstory to Elsie is wonderful, loved that.   I hope the nickname sticks to the EV! 

 

 

Edited 22 hours ago by mmanda

[jonoslack]

25 minutes ago, rustyrus said:

I generally like and appreciate your reviews- 

 

I think this is the first time I found it hard to believe your point of views on the camera. Its seems you didn't really like it but had to find nice things to say about it. 

Cheers

 

Well

that’s interesting. I’ll try and answer seriously I think the thing is that I’m trying to be objective, and to think about how other users will feel about it. 
When we went to Crete I consciously took the WATE 35 APO and 75 APO as a ‘perfect’ kit with the M EV1 and it worked really well. 
I could see the point but personally I would have been just as good with my M11, using the LCD with the WATE and anyway I’m good with the rangefinder and the 75 APO. 

But I really didn’t have to find nice things to say about it, it does a grand job- my personal preferences hinge around having used a rangefinder for 20 years or so. I’m good at it!

But I do believe that there are people for whom th EV1 will be the perfect camera!

does that make it worse? 🤣

[jonoslack]

13 minutes ago, mmanda said:

What a brilliant read Jono.  I really enjoyed this.   And the backstory to Elsie is wonderful, loved that.   I hope the nickname sticks to the EV! 

 

 

Hi there

thank you! I hope the name sticks too. It took some effort to be allowed to use it (prototype beamed have been secret for a few years)

[jonoslack]

2 hours ago, ELAN said:

Thanks Jono for your excellent review, I was very much looking forward to reading your take on this new camera and as always you delivered exactly the information I am interested in.  Well done!

This camera isn't for me.  I love the rangefinder and I'm staying with it. 

(I was pleasantly surprised to learn about the new WB settings - I will be dusting off my M11 and give it a fresh try, its been stored for two years as I couldn't deal with the magenta cast thing.  Been using my M10-Rs, which I absolutely adore for color, shutter and soul)

Hi there!

lovely to hear from you!

Dust off your M11

they really did good with this, and it’s an excellent solution and very well implemented 

all the best

[M11 for me]

vor 5 Stunden schrieb Chriseto:

What a great review!! You wrote everything and I agree 100%. As a M addict I can say that this M Ev1 is excellent and it found its room beside my M’s easily. I mostly used it with a WATE but also longer lenses as 4/135 , 1,4/75, 2/50 APO and even Barnack lenses with their M-adapter ring.

 

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Great images, Olivier. 

[rustyrus]

12 minutes ago, jonoslack said:

Well

that’s interesting. I’ll try and answer seriously I think the thing is that I’m trying to be objective, and to think about how other users will feel about it. 
When we went to Crete I consciously took the WATE 35 APO and 75 APO as a ‘perfect’ kit with the M EV1 and it worked really well. 
I could see the point but personally I would have been just as good with my M11, using the LCD with the WATE and anyway I’m good with the rangefinder and the 75 APO. 

But I really didn’t have to find nice things to say about it, it does a grand job- my personal preferences hinge around having used a rangefinder for 20 years or so. I’m good at it!

But I do believe that there are people for whom th EV1 will be the perfect camera!

does that make it worse? 🤣

Thanks for the direct response Jono- 

I hear what you are saying- As a long time Leica user and lover of the RF patch, I was really hoping Leica took the same level of care of thoughtfulness it did when the rangfinder came out initially and changed photography for ever. 

I thoughtthey would take the same approach here and try and come up with a fresh perspective on how to achieve focus in a digital world and set them up for the next 8 decades. Sadly its just a re-tread of a M11 with a visoflex. This Should have just been the M11-e and not made a big deal out of it. Pretty disappointing  - I have 9k in my pocket and was really looking forward to this camera. Not anymore. Cheers and as always, thanks for all of your reviews and reading between the lines, your honest perspective. 

[CDodkin]

Great write-up, thank you for sharing.

Looking at the test images, I see the prevalence of magenta biased WB is the same as the M11 (as expected), so still requires manual remediation to correct that bias - either in-camera WB, the new in-camera tint adjustment, or by guessing in post. 

Also - any input as to whether the Visoflex II can be used with the EV1 for work requiring the tilt-EVF?

Thanks again

Edited 21 hours ago by CDodkin

[jonoslack]

25 minutes ago, CDodkin said:

Great write-up, thank you for sharing.

Looking at the test images, I see the prevalence of magenta biased WB is the same as the M11 (as expected), so still requires manual remediation to correct that bias - either in-camera WB, the new in-camera tint adjustment, or by guessing in post. 

Also - any input as to whether the Visoflex II can be used with the EV1 for work requiring the tilt-EVF?

Thanks again

Hi There

First of all I would like to say that I really think the M11 colour is good, and I'm responsible for the colour in these images (all adjusted in Lightroom)  - but I understand that others don't - none of these pictures were taken using the new firmware WB adjustment tool - so the magenta can now be put any way you want it  - you don't need manual remediation beyond a once off setting change - do it, save it to your profiles and it's done! There are lots of further possibilities with this (saving different settings to different profiles etc.). 

But you can't use the Visoflex II on the EV1 - the connections aren't there.

 

[tappan]

@jonoslack The 35mm 'Lux FLE that you used in your review of the M-EVF, is that the newest (close focus) one?
Thx

Mark

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[RQ44]

I read an interesting comment on a youtube channel, " the leica M ev is like a lamborghini converted to EV, it no longer has it's mighty roar, what it was known for" The M series was known for its unique rangefinder. Is this model now just a normal digital camera? Every video and review I ever watched and read on the M series discussed the rangefinder and how the photographer was compelled to own one because of this feature. This new M EV in my opinion is no different now to a Fuji camera. Cmon Leica, why take the roar from the Lion and turn him into a domestic cat.