Survey: Leica M EV1 – Future or mistake?

[kiwidad]

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On 10/27/2025 at 9:45 AM, Edward Schwartzreich said:

I was a beta tester.  The camera is good at what it is supposed to do, but for me, almost entirely superfluous.   I have a 20-year old Sony A7-R which will do the same thing, less well but adequately.  

The only advantages of this camera, for me, would be hitting focus with a Noctilux, hitting focus’s in close up or with long tele’s.   Also, being able to look through the viewfinder for a picture at dusk and being able to close down the diaphragm and actually see the result.  So if you want a twilight image, you can see exactly what you’ve got.   But M10s and M11s can do this with a Viso attached.

If M lenses accepted autofocus, if the camera had IBIS, then maybe.

But I can see this as a very popular item for people whose eyesight won’t allow them to do rangefinder adequately, or who came from SLRs or other cameras with an EV and who own M lenses. 

For me, the use of rangefinder Ms is instinctive and this is a distraction. 

The m10 and m11 do not need a viso at all for this! The rear screen does the same job fine!

I lean toward putting the viso on when using the Summilux 75  at wider apertures to get better focusing accuracy but in daylight it’s not really needed as I am usually stopped down.

same on both is being able to adjust diopter on viso and m ev1

 

[SrMi]

2 hours ago, kiwidad said:

How? It has a feature removed and there are times when the EVF just doesn’t work! 
I do see having it built in to be a positive but toting an m11 with a 35 Summilux doesn’t typically demand the viso.. 

PLUS exactly how do you look down into the m ev1 EVF to focus when low to the ground? I am too old to lay on my belly in the wet for those pictures so in that regard the viso is far superior.

 

I believe the comparison was for EVF-only use. 

[MinRas]

In my opinion, Leica's biggest mistake was disrupting the legacy of the Leica M line by introducing the EV1—a picture-making computer—under the same iconic branding. By placing it in the same arena of technical specifications as other brands, Leica entered a competition it has little chance of winning. It was a clever move to use the letter "M" to shield the product under the prestige of the M series, but in doing so, they diluted the magic and mystique that made the M line so special.

For many people, buying an M camera is about more than just photography—it's about owning a piece of history. The joy comes from the timelessness of the rangefinder (RF-Messsucher) system, which remained virtually unchanged for nearly a century. And now… that legacy feels compromised.

[SrMi]

3 hours ago, kiwidad said:

The m10 and m11 do not need a viso at all for this! The rear screen does the same job fine!

That would be the case if the rear screen were larger and brighter.

[SrMi]

20 minutes ago, MinRas said:

n my opinion, Leica's biggest mistake was disrupting the legacy of the Leica M line by introducing the EV1—a picture-making computer—under the same iconic branding

There is as much computer in M-EV1 as is in M11, not more.

[SrMi]

30 minutes ago, MinRas said:

For many people, buying an M camera is about more than just photography—it's about owning a piece of history. The joy comes from the timelessness of the rangefinder (RF-Messsucher) system, which remained virtually unchanged for nearly a century. And now… that legacy feels compromised

The future of rangefinder cameras is safe at Leica, nothing changes with the launch of M-EV1.

[davysn]

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It's less about Leica trying out new possibilities than it is about Leica beginning to abandon tradition. 

[JNK100]

10 hours ago, adan said:

To avoid headaches for Andreas, I'll just stand by my previous posts.

I am not sure this is wise.

[SrMi]

52 minutes ago, davysn said:

It's less about Leica trying out new possibilities than it is about Leica beginning to abandon tradition. 

No. The tradition was not abandoned when they switched to digital, nor when they launched the SL line. Rangefinders forever!

Was tradition abandoned when they introduced CF lenses?

Edited 2 hours ago by SrMi

[dpattinson]

I had a play with one at the store a couple of days ago. I was curious if it would allow for better focusing of the Summilux - but I think in most situations it’s worse. With the 35lux, even at f1.4, and the focus peaking at low sensitivity - I was seeing around 1m of ‘slop’ at a range of about 3m… stopped down it was way worse. Even though I can’t focus so well with my RF bodies as I used to, I still do way better than that.

Possibly for longer lenses, and having the finder zoom in for focusing, it would be better - but that’s hardly the sweet spot for a rf camera - better to just pick up a SLR or AF camera.

Personally I’d be more inclined to buy a Q3, use the AF, and just crop down to 50mm when I want it.

[SrMi]

4 minutes ago, dpattinson said:

I had a play with one at the store a couple of days ago. I was curious if it would allow for better focusing of the Summilux - but I think in most situations it’s worse. With the 35lux, even at f1.4, and the focus peaking at low sensitivity - I was seeing around 1m of ‘slop’ at a range of about 3m… stopped down it was way worse. Even though I can’t focus so well with my RF bodies as I used to, I still do way better than that.

Possibly for longer lenses, and having the finder zoom in for focusing, it would be better - but that’s hardly the sweet spot for a rf camera - better to just pick up a SLR or AF camera.

Personally I’d be more inclined to buy a Q3, use the AF, and just crop down to 50mm when I want it.

Magnification seems to work best and fastest.

[Alexander108]

vor einer Stunde schrieb dpattinson:

Personally I’d be more inclined to buy a Q3, use the AF, and just crop down to 50mm when I want it.

I owned a Q3 and I loved it: tilting screen, OIS, great lens, good (not great) EVF. But then I always wanted to have an even wider or longer lens. So I sold all my Canon R5 equipment, the Q3 to get an M10-M and an M11 plus a few lenses (almost everything preowned). Very happy with the choice.

As my main lens is a 24mm Elmarit 2.8 RF composing is kind of difficult. But for my street photography zone focusing and hip-shot works rather well even with a slightly shallower DOF (this one was shot with the M11 / 35mm Summicron w/ zone focusing and from hip level):

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Certainly not a masterpiece but a practice shot in the town where I live. I am nonetheless rather happy with the result from a technical perspective. It gives me the confidence that shots like this with no time to focus are possible. 

I am still torn to replace my M11 with the EV1. But then, with the VF2 the M11 is more versatile. But... bulkier (which I don't like). Let's see.

Edited 1 hour ago by Alexander108

[kiwidad]

3 hours ago, SrMi said:

That would be the case if the rear screen were larger and brighter.

Most of the time it works fine unless you left your glasses at home!

 

[kiwidad]

2 hours ago, davysn said:

It's less about Leica trying out new possibilities than it is about Leica beginning to abandon tradition. 

Exactly!

I recall the wailing when the q and sl were released and going back years when the original leicaflex’s were released!

[kiwidad]

1 hour ago, SrMi said:

Magnification seems to work best and fastest.

But not on moving subjects!

the fore and aft peaking ‘slop” is unfortunately here to stay with stopped down live view systems!