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

[rossawilson1]

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I don’t get the complaint about no AF on a camera that takes M mount lenses (from some). Why make a camera that is the same as 90% of the other cameras out there? Why flatten everything for specs?

Given Leica users are all about feel I’m surprised more of them would not appreciate this unique design and how it might connect to some photogs.

I’ve had several digital Ms and the problem is they feel too similar to my M6, so I just end up using the M6. What I like about this one is it doesn’t compete with my M6. The EVF puts it in a different category so when I want optical and the tactility of film I have it. Digital is now the full benefits of digital, Yet the way I shoot and the lenses can stay the same.

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[Kiwimac]

TL:DR but how does the EVF affect battery usage?

I noticed that so far out of 6 YT videos I’ve seen, nobody mentions that. 🤔

[SrMi]

6 minutes ago, Kiwimac said:

TL:DR but how does the EVF affect battery usage?

I noticed that so far out of 6 YT videos I’ve seen, nobody mentions that. 🤔

Check out the technical specs (CIPA) numbers. It is worse than M11 with OVF and probably similar to M10R.

[Oxfordian]

15 minutes ago, Kiwimac said:

TL:DR but how does the EVF affect battery usage?

I noticed that so far out of 6 YT videos I’ve seen, nobody mentions that. 🤔

As long as it is better than my SL2 which is a power hungry monster I'll be happy, having said that I always carry a fully charged spare battery with me when I leave home irrespective of camera being used.

[FrankGosebruch]

It was a great pleasure for me to test the new Leica M EV1 on Saturday.
In my opinion, despite all the advantages mentioned, the camera has four truly significant flaws (and disadvantages!) that urgently need to be addressed in the EV2 model update:

1. The camera can no longer be used effectively at ground level or for macro (or microscopy).
Unlike, for example, the M11 (together with the Visoflex 2), the M EV1's built-in EV viewfinder can no longer be flipped up.
It is completely rigidly mounted.
There is no longer a thread in the eyepiece for the angle finder 12531, and the monitor can't be flipped up as a replacement either.
The hot shoe also no longer has any contacts for the Visoflex 2, which could at least be used as a "backup angle finder" if necessary.

2. The familiar (enlarged) rangefinder field of view in the Leica M viewfinder has been abandoned.
In the rangefinder of EVERY previous Leica M camera, at least a small area outside (around the bright-line frame) was visible.
This made it possible to detect potentially disruptive influences outside the image early on and avoid them in the actual shot.
By using a slightly larger sensor (and shutter), it would be easily possible to retain this extremely advantageous feature of the previous optical rangefinder for the Leica's internal EVF.

3. The power consumption is far too high.
Compared to my Leica M11 P, I can't even take half the number of shots with the new Leica M EV1 as before. This is a no-go and no longer acceptable.

4. The internal Wi-Fi router of the M EV1 is just as bad and slow as the one in the M11 P.
It's simply outdated that I need almost a minute for every 60MP DNG I want to transfer from the camera to my iPhone, and then have to manually request this for each individual image.
The FOTOS app urgently needs to be revised, as it doesn't allow simultaneous use of my two Leicas at all, and the menu structure is too confusing and completely outdated.

Please don't argue that this would entail higher costs. It doesn't matter how much the future "Leica M EV2" would cost, because it would be significantly more successful on the market than this M EV1 ever will be.
Besides, this camera would at least rightfully bear the "M" in its name – which is definitely not the case with the M EV1!

[chemist]

Am 23.10.2025 um 15:42 schrieb kiwidad:

I am shocked that Leica brought a product all the way to store shelves BEFORE getting FCC approval. Concerns me somewhat that this ball appears to have been dropped and makes me wonder what else did someone neglect to do!

Well, that simply means that the world does not rotate around the US. And that is for good reason.

[SrMi]

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Thank you for sharing your observations.

1 hour ago, FrankGosebruch said:

1. The camera can no longer be used effectively at ground level or for macro (or microscopy).
Unlike, for example, the M11 (together with the Visoflex 2), the M EV1's built-in EV viewfinder can no longer be flipped up.
It is completely rigidly mounted.
There is no longer a thread in the eyepiece for the angle finder 12531, and the monitor can't be flipped up as a replacement either.
The hot shoe also no longer has any contacts for the Visoflex 2, which could at least be used as a "backup angle finder" if necessary.

You would still need to lie down or crouch really low to shoot at ground level. I like the tilting Visoflex so I can look down (less conspicuous, more like a Rolleiflex) or use it on a tripod (lower position and more stable).

1 hour ago, FrankGosebruch said:

2. The familiar (enlarged) rangefinder field of view in the Leica M viewfinder has been abandoned.
In the rangefinder of EVERY previous Leica M camera, at least a small area outside (around the bright-line frame) was visible.
This made it possible to detect potentially disruptive influences outside the image early on and avoid them in the actual shot.
By using a slightly larger sensor (and shutter), it would be easily possible to retain this extremely advantageous feature of the previous optical rangefinder for the Leica's internal EVF.

That does not work for 28mm or 35mm shooting anyway.

1 hour ago, FrankGosebruch said:

3. The power consumption is far too high.
Compared to my Leica M11 P, I can't even take half the number of shots with the new Leica M EV1 as before. This is a no-go and no longer acceptable.

How much worse is it than M10-R battery consumption? Their owners are not bothered by it when compared to M11.

1 hour ago, FrankGosebruch said:

4. The internal Wi-Fi router of the M EV1 is just as bad and slow as the one in the M11 P.
It's simply outdated that I need almost a minute for every 60MP DNG I want to transfer from the camera to my iPhone, and then have to manually request this for each individual image.
The FOTOS app urgently needs to be revised, as it doesn't allow simultaneous use of my two Leicas at all, and the menu structure is too confusing and completely outdated.

You cannot expect this camera to have better internals than the M11 (IBIS, WiFi). All cameras in the same generation are kept in sync.

[algrove]

2 hours ago, Kiwimac said:

TL:DR but how does the EVF affect battery usage?

I noticed that so far out of 6 YT videos I’ve seen, nobody mentions that. 🤔

It has been mentioned as having about 300 per charge at best, but that is HIGHLY dependent on how one sets the LCD and EVF off.

[maxpower]

1 hour ago, FrankGosebruch said:

By using a slightly larger sensor (and shutter), it would be easily possible to retain this extremely advantageous feature of the previous optical rangefinder for the Leica's internal EVF.

Easily? A slightly larger sensor will require more power, processing, cost more (I think the only next size available sensor is the digital medium format one), more physical space within already incredibly tight dimensions (plus I'm not sure if the image circle is big enough to even have this work), all to then just end up cropping the image so you only capture what's "inside the framelines". 

But I'm also not convinced that seeing the "outside" works as well if what you are looking at is through the lens, if you are using 90 or 135mm for example what really is the added benefit of seeing a tiny bit more "outside" the frame? I'm not sure it will show enough extra to make meaningful decisions based on it, whereas on the regular rangefinder you always have the same field of view when looking through it regardless of focal length. 

[elmars]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb Kiwimac:

TL:DR but how does the EVF affect battery usage?

I noticed that so far out of 6 YT videos I’ve seen, nobody mentions that. 🤔

Video is not the whole world. I have a chapter about battery life in my review:

 

[BernardC]

1 hour ago, chemist said:

Well, that simply means that the world does not rotate around the US. And that is for good reason.

Besides, testing is done by private labs. That's been done, as was the RF testing for the EU, etc. The only thing missing is for someone at the FCC to issue a certificate, which is a formality in normal times.

[chemist]

I know. But it was too tempting….

[FrankGosebruch]

vor 46 Minuten schrieb SrMi:

You would still need to lie down or crouch really low to shoot at ground level.

I like the tilting Visoflex so I can look down (less conspicuous, more like a Rolleiflex) or use it on a tripod (lower position and more stable).

That does not work for 28mm or 35mm shooting anyway.

How much worse is it than M10-R battery consumption? Their owners are not bothered by it when compared to M11.

You cannot expect this camera to have better internals than the M11 (IBIS, WiFi). All cameras in the same generation are kept in sync.

Well, I'm still able to bend down to at least a 4-foot level to focus on a plant or a child from a low position with the raised Visoflex 2 on the Leica M11 P. But that no longer works with the M EV1. There's no longer any way to view focus from above on this camera. I would have expected at least some practical solution for using the camera with a microscope.

I hope we're talking about the same camera and that you've at least held it in your hands. Of course, my rangefinder on the M11 P also shows me the 35mm bright lines in the viewfinder. And also the area around them.

I AM bothered about the battery consumption of the M EV1!

No, the Leica M11, with its giant 60MP DNG files, has been on the market for three and a half years now, and from the very beginning, users of the FOTOS app (including me!) have complained that the download is far too slow. After three and a half years, I, at least, would have expected Leica to have finally solved this problem with the M EV1, now.

[FrankGosebruch]

vor einer Stunde schrieb maxpower:

Easily? A slightly larger sensor will require more power, processing, cost more (I think the only next size available sensor is the digital medium format one), more physical space within already incredibly tight dimensions (plus I'm not sure if the image circle is big enough to even have this work), all to then just end up cropping the image so you only capture what's "inside the framelines". 

Yes, indeed!
For a camera manufacturer that operates worldwide as an allegedly state-of-the-art brand, I actually expect genuine innovation and at least consistency when it comes to the Leica M system – at any price! Whether and how that bright line problem can be technically implemented is not my problem.
Either a camera is an "M" or it isn't.
In the latter case, there shouldn't be an "M" in the model name if it doesn't meet the basic criteria for a rangefinder.
The Leica M EV1 certainly doesn't meet these criteria for a Leica M rangefinder.
BTW: The required image cycle of most Leica lenses would meet these requirements (except maybe for the wide opened Super-Elmar-M f/3,8 18mm).

[lct]

19 minutes ago, FrankGosebruch said:

[...] I actually expect genuine innovation and at least consistency when it comes to the Leica M system – at any price! [...]

With respect, Leica did not promise innovation for this camera. Since the very beginning (was it 2022?) we've been discussing this matter on the LUF. The simple idea was to make a similar camera as the M11 with an EVF in place of the RF. I seem to recall that the built-in EVF thas was planned then was a mere Visoflex. Now we have (i suppose) the EVF of the Q3. I have no experience with it but if it has a better resolution than the Visoflex, as it seems, what's not to like honestly?

Edited 7 hours ago by lct

[charlesphoto99]

1 hour ago, SrMi said:

That does not work for 28mm or 35mm shooting anyway.

I can see just fine outside the 28 and 35 frame lines on my M10-R and I'm 61 and wear eyeglasses. The 28 I need to move my eye around a bit, but 28 I mostly shoot by feel as it is (and often use a 24 within external finder). That said, I have no clue technically how Leica could achieve this with a wysiwyg EVF. If I was to put on a 35, there's no way for the camera to see beyond that. There's no 'EVF window.' So unless they go with a hybrid projection over a glass window, then what you see is what you get, which is what so many were clamoring for. @FrankGosebruch

Edited 7 hours ago by charlesphoto99

[SrMi]

37 minutes ago, FrankGosebruch said:

Well, I'm still able to bend down to at least a 4-foot level to focus on a plant or a child from a low position with the raised Visoflex 2 on the Leica M11 P.

4-foot works for me, but ground level I would have to shoot blind, prefocused like Erwitt and Schaller.

42 minutes ago, FrankGosebruch said:

hope we're talking about the same camera and that you've at least held it in your hands. Of course, my rangefinder on the M11 P also shows me the 35mm bright lines in the viewfinder. And also the area around them.

With glasses, I cannot see the 28mm frame and barely 35mm.

46 minutes ago, FrankGosebruch said:

After three and a half years, I, at least, would have expected Leica to have finally solved this problem with the M EV1, now.

That problem needs to be solved for all cameras, not for M-EV1 (same firmware and hardware as M11). So your beef is with your M11-P not with M-EV1.

[charlesphoto99]

1 hour ago, maxpower said:

Easily? A slightly larger sensor will require more power, processing, cost more (I think the only next size available sensor is the digital medium format one), more physical space within already incredibly tight dimensions (plus I'm not sure if the image circle is big enough to even have this work), all to then just end up cropping the image so you only capture what's "inside the framelines". 

But I'm also not convinced that seeing the "outside" works as well if what you are looking at is through the lens, if you are using 90 or 135mm for example what really is the added benefit of seeing a tiny bit more "outside" the frame? I'm not sure it will show enough extra to make meaningful decisions based on it, whereas on the regular rangefinder you always have the same field of view when looking through it regardless of focal length. 

No idea how this seeing outside the lens you have on would work. Would there be a micro lens somewhere on the body that changes to a focal length one below the lens connected? Pipe dream stuff imo. 

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[SrMi]

4 minutes ago, charlesphoto99 said:

I can see just fine outside the 28 and 35 frame lines on my M10-R. The 28 I need to move my eye around a bit, but 28 I mostly shoot by feel as it is (and often use a 24 within external finder). That said, I have no clue technically how Leica could achieve this with a wysiwyg EVF. If I was to put on a 35, there's no way for the camera to see beyond that. There's no 'EVF window.' So unless they go with a hybrid projection over a glass window, then what you see is what you get, which is what so many were clamoring for. @FrankGosebruch

In my book, if you have to move your head to see the frame you cannot use the outside information to anticipate outside action.

[charlesphoto99]

3 minutes ago, SrMi said:

In my book, if you have to move your head to see the frame you cannot use the outside information to anticipate outside action.

It's not easy, though was better with my .58x M6 (why oh why did I ever sell that?) but I also think people doth complain too much. I see 28 mostly as my 'action' lens and don't worry too much about exact framing, and believe it or not it usually works out just fine without cropping. I think if one needs super precise framing, at any focal length, then one probably  shouldn't be shooting an M rangefinder to begin with (and/or one needs to memorize what is inside/outside the frame lines at any given focal length or distance).