Leica M EV1: The first M with EVF instead of Rangefinder

[250swb]

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This M-EV1 makes me realise just how versatile the SL-3 is which can do everything and more, but then that goes for many other cameras on the market that can use M lenses. The downfall of manual lenses on any EVF equipped camera is the focusing, where the lens needs to be at it's maximum aperture for critical focusing, and then stopped down for shooting, so this camera isn't even going to be fast to use. Leica have a tradition of almost shooting themselves in the foot, well now they've done it. 

[SrMi]

6 minutes ago, 250swb said:

This M-EV1 makes me realise just how versatile the SL-3 is which can do everything and more, but then that goes for many other cameras on the market that can use M lenses. The downfall of manual lenses on any EVF equipped camera is the focusing, where the lens needs to be at it's maximum aperture for critical focusing, and then stopped down for shooting, so this camera isn't even going to be fast to use. Leica have a tradition of almost shooting themselves in the foot, well now they've done it. 

Lenses with AASD (automatic aperture stop down) have electronics and therefore limited shelf-life. M lenses age well.

Edited October 24 by SrMi

[rob_w]

4 hours ago, Smogg said:

This camera can capture a frozen scene, albeit slowly. If something is moving in the scene, you'll have to get used to it for a long time and practice anticipating movement almost half a second in advance. The EVF implementation here is very different from all other cameras.

Anticipating movement.  The first comment I have seen in this discussion which mentions a critical difference between RF and EVF use.  The EVF image must be captured, de-mosaiced to JPEG and presented to the viewfinder.  Ony then can the user decide when to actuate the shutter.

In my experience this does add a critical delay with lively subjects.  The M camera seemed instantaneous.  When I went from the Leica M to Sony, I was astonished to find so many of my pictures now captured people's expressions a fraction after the shot I intended.  Not a nice look and very disappointing.  It is almost impossible to correct with anticipation.  (Sony and others are now introducing pre-capture into their top end products which may help, although I have not tried it.)

Back when the Leica M RF design was competing with SLRs, Leica marketing material used to make exactly this point: the M is near instantaneous whereas the SLR has to fold the mirror and is therefore slower to react.

This might just be the aspect I miss most from the RF experience, more so than the speed of focusing.  Has anyone else noticed or been troubled by this?

Edited October 24 by rob_w

[la1402]

My preferred travel setup is a M11 with 21mm, 35mm and 90mm. I find RF with 21mm (wrt compopsition) and 90mm (wrt focus) annoying, and for those lenses having an EVF is helpful. I do have the Visoflex, but it stays at home or the bag mostly due to its extra size and because it occupies the hotshoe. So in principle, I welcome an M with EVF. But this implementation with the lack of any good focus aid, and the very clunky way of moving the focus spot with the d-pad, in conjunction with the need to magnify to properly focus makes the focussing experience on this one much worse than i expected. This should be possible to implement by SW, and I am disappointed they did not do that.

Edited October 24 by la1402

[250swb]

41 minutes ago, SrMi said:

Lenses with AASD (automatic aperture stop down) have electronics and therefore limited shelf-life. M lenses age well.

So my 60 year old Nikon F mount lens doesn't work anymore? I wish somebody had told me sooner, I was using it only yesterday. Maybe it just needs a new battery.

[JNK100]

1 hour ago, jjroroek said:

the m evf is a trial of Leica. if this m evf will adapted the m12 will be with evf and ibis.. i geuss the biggests  problem will be focussing with closed aparture 

I don't know why you believe this. The Leica CEO has stated as long as he is in charge the M with RF will continue.

IBIS with an M mount and lens is not possible to due the image-circle I understand.

 

[jjroroek]

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when i saw the Leica news yesterday i was quite excited because a year ago i switched from de m to the q because of my eye problems.  I've g read all the specs my conclusion is that the new leica will not be the reason for me to switch back to the m. main reasons are :

- as long as the m lensens have no AASD, focussing with the new leica evf will be complicated in case of no open aparture. That was the reason why i did not use the evf with mij m10r anaymore

- as long as there is no IBIS the advantage of only this build in EVF is not anough

so i stay with my q3 28 and consider again to complete my equipment with a q3 43

[la1402]

7 minutes ago, JNK100 said:

IBIS with an M mount and lens is not possible to due the image-circle I understand.

 

Thats wrong. IBIS works well on SL with M Lenses on on L-M adapter.

[jjroroek]

10 minutes ago, JNK100 said:

I don't know why you believe this. The Leica CEO has stated as long as he is in charge the M with RF will continue.

IBIS with an M mount and lens is not possible to due the image-circle I understand.

 

perhaps they change the CEO too then :-). I heard they are testing   an IBIS  for the M12

[JNK100]

1 minute ago, jjroroek said:

perhaps they change the CEO too then :-). I heard they are testing   an IBIS  for the M12

Interesting - what is the source please ?

[JNK100]

5 minutes ago, la1402 said:

Thats wrong. IBIS works well on SL with M Lenses on on L-M adapter.

I am not necessarily wrong, but I may be of course. SL's with an M lens via an adaptor use IBIS of course; I used one this way for a few years. It doesn't mean a native M camera with an M lens could of course.

[jjroroek]

7 minutes ago, JNK100 said:

Interesting - what is the source please ?

https://leicarumors.com/2025/09/18/leica-tested-ibis-for-the-m12-model.aspx/

[JNK100]

4 minutes ago, jjroroek said:

https://leicarumors.com/2025/09/18/leica-tested-ibis-for-the-m12-model.aspx/

Interesting - thank you

 Perhaps things have changed since '22.

[SNJ Ops]

20 hours ago, lincoln_m said:

Wait a sec! As it has a quality EVF why does it need a monitor on the back? Or will that be the MD-EV1? The EVF is higher res than the monitor so you can change menu settings and review images through the EVF. Maybe remove the LCD monitor and fit IBIS so it's the 60Mpixel X100 the rich youngsters were asking for. Now I really don't know who this camera is for, apart from glasses wearers perhaps?

This could open up the possibility of M EV1 - P, D and M variants if this new camera sells well enough.

[SrMi]

36 minutes ago, 250swb said:

So my 60 year old Nikon F mount lens doesn't work anymore? I wish somebody had told me sooner, I was using it only yesterday. Maybe it just needs a new battery.

I believe the first Nikon that supported lenses with electronics was the F5 (1996). I assume no Nikon lenses older than 1996 had electronics.

[SrMi]

26 minutes ago, jjroroek said:

perhaps they change the CEO too then :-). I heard they are testing   an IBIS  for the M12

Those are two different things discussed. In the same interview he said that they will never abandon rangefinders and that they are investigating how to add IBIS.

[fotografr]

I'm sure the Leica engineers and management are reading this thread and scratching their heads wondering what the hell do we have to do to satisfy this crowd. For several years I've read comment after comment on this forum from people clamoring for a M-EVF. Now Leica have actually done it and the 15 pages of reactions have been overwhelmingly negative. Leica should have done this, should have done that. I'm trying to imagine what a camera would look like after incorporating all of the suggested additions and subtractions that have been brought up here. 

I have no idea if this M-EV1 will be successful in terms of sales. I suspect the production will be a low number so Leica can test the market appetite. I do know I won't be one of the buyers. I've loved rangefinder shooting from the first time I picked up an M3 in 1980. I like the full manual control, the haptics, the way it makes me slow down and think about what I'm pointing my camera, the way the images come together in the viewfinder. Traditional M for me, to the death. 

[jjroroek]

20 hours ago, lincoln_m said:

Wait a sec! As it has a quality EVF why does it need a monitor on the back? Or will that be the MD-EV1? The EVF is higher res than the monitor so you can change menu settings and review images through the EVF. Maybe remove the LCD monitor and fit IBIS so it's the 60Mpixel X100 the rich youngsters were asking for. Now I really don't know who this camera is for, apart from glasses wearers perhaps?

yes and by removing the monitor it gets plenty space for a IBIS. that would be something but even then the m lenses have no automatic aparture stop down wich is a real problem for the EVF. Leica has a big challange

- the q line has the best features

- the m line has the best build quality en looks

- the m line lenses have the best imagequality

To integrate these three unic selling points ( assuming that the s line wil grow the a medium format camera) the only way is to integrate automatic aparture stopdown in the m lenses otherwise  every new product wil miss something

[M11 for me]

vor 11 Stunden schrieb hexx:

I don’t understand your comment

A Q has 28 or 40mm. 

The M has much more.

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Hallo,

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[la1402]

58 minutes ago, JNK100 said:

I am not necessarily wrong, but I may be of course. SL's with an M lens via an adaptor use IBIS of course; I used one this way for a few years. It doesn't mean a native M camera with an M lens could of course.

If any restriction were related to the image circle, the issue would be the same with the SL. It doesn't mean there are no restrictions on the M, but it cannot be related to image circle.