Now in its fourth generation of M Monochrom, Leica’s dedicated black and white system continues to evolve and exceed expectations. There are no naysayers this time around, as the concept continues to prove itself time and again. Each Monochrom introduction has been built on the underlying color digital M, benefiting from platform improvements along the way. The M Monochrom (Typ 246) gained live view, a 33% resolution increase and a massive bump in high ISO capabilities thanks to the change to a CMOS sensor. The M10M utilized the more modern M10-R as a foundation, further improving low light sensitivity and raising resolution up to 40 megapixels, while gaining all the technical advances of that generation. Now, with the Leica M11 Monochrom, this trend continues.  

The M11 Monochrom is exactly what you’d expect, and that’s a good thing. It’s a Leica M11 that only shoots in black and white. Yes, there are some nice surprises too, which we’ll get to, but at its core, the M11 and M11M are essentially the same camera. Sure, the M11M omits the red Leica dot on the front of the camera and features blacked-out accents rather than the contrasting chrome ones of the M11. The top and bottom silver trim in the optical viewfinder is darker as well, and the black leatherette covering is just a slightly different texture. But cosmetics aside, the M11M houses all that stellar tech developed for the M11. To see all the tech specs, check out our M11M announcement article.

Why Monochrom?

Sensors in digital cameras are inherently monochromatic capture devices. Color recording is only possible by employing a Bayer color filter array over the sensor, which is comprised of a pattern of red, green and blue filters. This means that each pixel can only capture luminance data for one color channel. The missing information is then filled in by a complex algorithm, called demosaicing or debayering, which does an excellent job guessing the color from surrounding pixels.

Considering a digital camera is only capturing one third of the color in a photo, the results are actually quite impressive. But this interpolation isn’t perfect since final pixel data is averaged from adjacent pixels. And just as color information is averaged from a larger area, so too is noise. Sharp, defined digital noise isn’t limited to the pixel from where it originated, but is spread, creating smeary detail-robbing clumpy noise patterns.

Another factor to consider is that different colors have varying levels of light loss, so the Bayer filter is not uniform. Comprised of 50% green, 25% red and 25% blue, the filter favors the lighter green photosites which only limit one stop of light. By comparison, red cuts two stops and blue a whopping three stops of light. And since additional gain needs to be applied to the red and blue channels, these tend to show noise more readily than the baseline green channel. Back in the CCD days, blue channel noise was particularly horrific. Thankfully, the move to CMOS has helped minimize this issue.

The sensor in the M11 Monochrom has had the Bayer filter removed. This immediately increases the base sensitivity, as the green pixels no longer define the lower limit. Hence why the base ISO increases from ISO 64 on the M11 to ISO 125 on the M11M. But it also means the high end gets a commensurate bump as well.  That addresses the green pixels, but the removal of the red and blue are even more significant since every pixel now receives uniform treatment and reduces the maximum per-pixel gain from three stops to zero at base ISO. Which is why the average noise performance of the M11M increases two stops over the color M11.

Even when you convert a color sensor to black and white, the filtration and interpolation has already occurred, meaning the darker red and blue pixels will always be a negative factor in low light performance. The upside to color is that highlights can often be better preserved due to the multichannel nature of the files. Even if the red and green channels are blown, for example, there still might be data in the blue channel used for recovery.

Changes from the M10M

From the top, front and back, the M11M and M10M look remarkably similar. The ISO and shutter speed dials up top, the on/off switch at the base of the perfectly weighted shutter release, along with the iconic viewfinder and rangefinder windows. On closer inspection you might notice some minor tweaks here and there, like moving the front focus assist button to the top plate next to the shutter speed dial, a slightly different button layout flanking the rear LCD in a new floating configuration, a slightly shallower top plate, and of course, a LEICA M11 engraving in the hot shoe. And if you examine the leatherette cladding, the M11M has a bit different texture. But a revolutionary change wasn’t needed here. The M11M just like the M11 that it’s based on is an evolution of the already exemplary design language of the M10 generation.

Now, pick up the camera and you will immediately feel the difference in heft. If you haven’t held a black M11 before, you might be surprised. Leica went with a machined aluminum top plate, shaving about 110g, for a roughly 20% reduction in weight. The lighter-than-it-looks feel echoes the sensation of a long-time M shooter holding a Q2 for the first time. Don’t worry. The camera is just as solid as previous generations and ultimately makes for a more pleasant carrying experience.

Once you’ve got the camera in hand, flip it over and you’ll see the most significant and obvious change. Yep, the M11M has no baseplate. Heresy, I know. How could Leica fly in the face of almost 70 years of tradition? Every M going back to the M3 has rocked a baseplate. How dare they! Look, I’ve been an M shooter for the better part of 20 years. But I’ve grown accustomed to the design on the M11 over the last year. So, no, I don’t miss the baseplate. The convenience of the quick battery release and memory card access easily outweighs whatever nostalgia I personally held on to. I got used to the new normal within minutes of first using the M11. I think most everyone else will too.

A subtle yet wonderful change that could easily go overlooked is the now clickable rear thumbwheel. Assignable to a custom function, Leica was able to add this additional control without cluttering up the minimalist design. Just like the rear FN button and top button, a long press brings up a list of selectable functions and a short press activates that option. During my testing, I assigned it to bring up exposure compensation, then used the wheel to quickly adjust. If you’re more inclined to have direct and nuanced control over ISO than the large whole steps on the dedicated ISO dial, you could assign M-ISO to the thumbwheel and have far more precise 1/3 steps. Or, for both functions, use the Customize Wheel menu to set the wheel to Exposure Compensation, then long-press to assign it to M-ISO. In this scenario, simply rotating left or right directly changes EV, but a short press in will activate the M-ISO menu on screen so you can select an ISO. Choices, choices.

New and Improved

When the M11 launched early last year, it notched meaningful upgrades over the M10 and M10-R before it. The improvements of the M11 Monochrom over the M10 Monochrom echo those between the M11 and the M10-R, but are numerous and certainly worthy of a recap. Even though I’ve been using the M11 over the past year and wrote an in-depth review on it just last year, I was still amazed at the myriad advances from the previous generation.

New Sensor

Without a doubt, the headlining feature of the M11 Monochrom is the custom sensor under the hood. Delivering all the magic you’d expect is the 60-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, sans color filter array, meaning that it can only capture black and white. Using a 14-bit architecture, each pixel captures 16,384 shades of gray. Combined with an amazing 15 stops of dynamic range, the most we’ve ever seen on a Monochrom M, the resulting images are simply stunning.

With its diminutive 3.73-micron pixel pitch, conventional wisdom might suggest less light gathering capacity than the 40-megapixel sensor in the M10M. But by utilizing BSI sensor tech, the M11M gains resolution and boasts even better low light performance over its predecessor. Back Side Illuminated sensors move the supporting electronics to the rear of the chip, allowing for significantly more photosensitive surface area and shallower pixel wells. This results in no sacrifice versus a lower-resolution traditionally-designed sensor with larger pixels and its electronics in the top or middle substrate layers. As a result, the Leica M11M delivers both extremely high resolution and exceptional low-light performance without sacrificing either.

A custom microlens structure boosts light gathering and optimizes for the high-incidence angle of non-retrofocus M lenses. By using one of the thinnest dual layer high-absorption UV/IR cover glasses ever made, light transmission is maximized even more, while minimizing corner shading. The sensor features a dual-gain architecture, with two native ISO settings. This allows for a base sensitivity all the way down to a native ISO 125 without foregoing the high end, which goes up to an eye-watering ISO 200,000. This is the widest ISO range we’ve seen in a Monochrom to date.

The lower base ISO comes in particularly handy when compared to previous Monochrom models. The M10M came close at ISO 160 but the original M9-based Monochrom and the Typ 246 bottomed out at ISO 320. With a top shutter speed of 1/4,000th, an ND filter was required to shoot fast aperture lenses wide open in bright light. On the M11M, the lower base ISO and an electronic shutter eliminate the need for ND filters altogether.

We’ve already seen what this beast of a sensor can do when paired with the best M lenses. The M11 puts out some of the best image quality we’ve ever seen on a Leica digital camera. By removing the color filter array, the chip in the M11 Monochrom takes this performance to the next level. No interpolation or per-channel variable gain yields exceedingly clean files, with breathtaking detail and nuance.

Triple Resolution

Another carryover from the M11, the M11M offers variable resolution with hardware-based pixel binning. At the full 60 megapixels L-DNG setting, the camera churns out 14-bit files with 15-stops of dynamic range at base ISO, previously the exclusive territory of the medium format Leica S (Typ 007) and S3. Don’t need the full resolution? M-DNG at 36 megapixels nets a small dynamic range boost along with improved burst depth. If you don’t care about the high resolution but need burst shooting, S-DNG offers up 18-megapixel files and unlimited buffer depth.

During my testing of the M11 last year, I found high ISO performance and file malleability appears to be identical in real-world scenarios for L-DNG and M-DNG. Since then, I simply leave the M11 set to L-DNG all the time. Personally, I prefer the highest resolution available, especially for testing, so I opted for L-DNG for all my M11 Monochrom images as well. If your workflow would benefit from smaller files, choose the 36MP M-DNG setting.

In the coming months I will be conducting a new B&W ISO Showdown once firmware and Lightroom profiles settle out and will test the different DNG resolutions in controlled head-to-head conditions. Stay tuned for that.

New Maestro III Processor

Processing all those pixels, we’ve got the capable Maestro III processor, paired up with a generous 3GB image buffer and full UHS-II SD card compatibility. Snappy and responsive, from menu operation to playback, everything just feels quicker than the M10M. Firing off a burst in high-speed mode at 4.5 frames per second results in no waiting time. Images are immediately available for review and the camera is always ready to shoot more. Maximum DNG burst depth is 15 frames at full resolution, 30 shots at 36 megapixels, and unlimited at 18 megapixels. To put the speed bump into context, the M10M also captures 4.5 frames per second but is limited to a maximum burst of just 10 shots. The M11 achieves the same frame rate with 50% longer bursts despite the 50% increase in pixel count. At a more comparable apples-to-apples resolution of M-DNG, the M11 manages a 300% improvement in burst depth. Impressive.

Even chewing through around 300 megapixels per second, Leica’s latest custom silicon is remarkably power efficient. Combined with the same 1800 mAh BP-SCL7 battery introduced for the M11, the M11 Monochrom can go all day on a single charge. Yes, really. During my testing, I carried three batteries and shot several hundred images a day over the course of 10-12 hours, using the Visoflex 2 EVF the entire time. Typically, the third battery would never leave my camera bag. Only on a particularly active street photography day where I fired off over 900 images did I ever fully drain two batteries and go on to the third. Again, this was all with live view utilizing the EVF. If I was sticking to the optical rangefinder, I doubt that I’d ever need more than one battery to cover even the busiest shooting day.

USB-C Port for Data and Power

The USB-C port on the bottom of the M11M can connect directly to an iOS device for use with the Leica FOTOS app. Either use the included Apple MFi certified USB-C to Lightning cable for an iPhone or a standard USB 3.1 Type-C to Type-C cable for an iPad Pro. Be sure to always use the bundled Leica USB-C to Lightning cable since a standard charging cord will not work for data transfer. Likewise, the Leica cable can’t be used for charging your phone as it isn’t designed for power delivery.

You can also import directly into Lightroom with a standard USB 3.1 Type-C or Thunderbolt 3 cable by setting the camera to PTP mode in the menu. A word of caution here. Be wary of the much slower USB 2.0 Type-C charging cables that are now ubiquitous and make sure you use one that’s specifically certified as USB 3.1, USB 3.2, Thunderbolt 3 or simply indicates a 10Gbs data rate. And since the port supports power delivery, the battery will charge from your computer while you have it connected. In fact, just about any USB-C power source will charge the camera, either while being used or when powered off. I routinely use the port on the M11 to plug in a myCharge portable power pack to keep the camera battery in fighting shape while out and about, and I did the same with the M11M.  

Currently, like the M11, the M11M only has options for Apple MFi and PTP modes. While Mass Storage mode might be added in future firmware, it’s not an option right now. PTP, or Point-to-Point USB mode enables data transfer for software that specifically supports the camera, including Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Bridge Photo Downloader, Apple Image Capture Utility, and Apple Photos. But the camera won’t show up as a drive in MacOS or Windows without Mass Storage mode. The SL2 has options for both PTP and Mass Storage, so hopefully this is added sooner rather than later.

Updated Connectivity to FOTOS app

The M11 Monochrom is an Apple ‘Made for iPhone and iPad’ Certified accessory. To receive this certification, Apple ultimately signed off on the camera and its supplied cable to work seamlessly with iOS devices. Leica released v1.6.0 firmware in late 2022 to make the most of this enhanced connectivity with the Leica FOTOS app, including location data-based geotagging, access via Bluetooth, increased data transfer rates and the ability to update camera firmware via the app. Make sure to stay on top of firmware and FOTOS app updates to take advantage of the latest features and improvements.

Wireless upgrades

The M11M comes loaded with all the wireless goodies to smoothly connect to the Leica FOTOS app without the need for a cable. Inside, the camera is packing both dual-band 2.4/5Ghz 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wave2 Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 BR/EDR/LE modules. Initial setup is still managed by pointing your phone’s camera at the QR code displayed on the rear LCD after selecting to add an M11 in the FOTOS app. The process is simple and only needs to be performed the first time you connect the camera. After that, you can view and download images from the camera, or even remotely control the M11M for wireless shooting. The entire experience is much smoother than with the M10M.

New battery and charger

The BP-SCL7 used in the M11, and now M11 Monochrom, offers almost the same capacity as the BP-SCL4 from the SL2, a solid 1800mAh at the same 8.4v, yielding 13.32Wh. For comparison, the M10M’s BP-SCL5 is rated at 1100mAh at 8.25v for a total of 8.2Wh, an impressive 63% increase in total battery power. Side-by-side, the difference is obvious with the new battery showing its pumped-up proportions, but so is the practical battery life.

Combined with advances in power efficiency, the M11M can get you through a full day of shooting on a single battery. Leica estimates a downright-impressive 1700 images per charge when using the optical rangefinder. Naturally, activating live view will cut into battery life, but a solid 700 captures by CIPA standards for 100% live view shooting is nothing to scoff at. Given my experience, the CIPA number is a bit on the optimistic side. I was averaging 300-400 shots per battery using live view and disabling power savings. We’ve come a long way from needing four or five batteries for a single day’s live view shooting on the M (Typ 246).

While the battery is noticeably larger, the new BC-SCL7 battery charger is quite compact and hopefully a sign of things to come for other systems. By ditching the standard figure-eight mains power AC connector in favor of a USB-C PD port, the charger doesn’t require an internal transformer. While this allows for a much smaller design, it also means you can use a wide array of USB-C power adapters, including one you might already have for your laptop, iPad or myriad digital devices. In fact, while the camera does come with a 10W Leica-branded USB power adapter, I’d just use a more svelte and higher-power aftermarket unit with or without space-saving flip-out prongs. I used the Anker Powerport III 20W Cube, with twice the power output in half the size of the included wall adapter.  

Because the BP-SLC7 charger is so lightweight and small, you could easily bring along an extra to charge two batteries from a dual-port charging brick like the Anker 521 40W Nano Pro. Alternatively, top up one battery in the charger and the second one in the camera, again all with USB-C.

The charger itself is nicely designed, with two LED lights on the front, a single USB-C power-in port on the back, a slot for the battery on top, along with a set of low-profile anti-slip rubber feet on the bottom. When you insert the battery, gently press down on it and catches on either side snap into two small detents on the battery, securing it with a satisfying click. The battery is held in place and won’t fall out of the charger, even when inverted, yet the system doesn’t require a release. Just pull the battery while holding the charger and out it comes with minimal force. Two rectangular LED indicators function just like other modern Leica chargers. The amber charge light will flash with decreasing frequency as the battery nears completion, with the second green LED illuminating when reaching 80% capacity.

256GB Internal Memory

Here, Leica made a seemingly small on paper, but large upgrade in practice from the M11 to M11M. The 64GB of high-speed onboard memory on the M11 is a nice convenience but not large enough for a true 1:1 backup when using 128 and 256GB cards, nor does it have the capacity to serve as your primary storage for a full photo trip. Thankfully, the M11 Monochrom now comes loaded with 256GB of internal storage, making it far more useful in a wider range of scenarios.  

While I still recommend using high-speed UHS-II SD cards for storage as they are both faster for downloading and higher capacity (I personally use the Lexar Professional 1667x UHS-II 128GB cards), the built-in storage could be a lifesaver for those times when you either forget to put an SD card in the camera before heading out or simply run out of space on the one you’re using. Having a large reserve tank offers nice peace of mind.

Beyond the covering-your-butt duty, Leica has added in some extra functionality. Due to space constraints in the slender M body, there simply isn’t room for a second SD card slot like in the SL2 and SL2-S. But you can set the camera to utilize the built-in memory like you would a second card slot. Use the default DNG+JPG first on SD setting to take advantage of the extra capacity once the SD card is full. The status menu display will show you the total combined capacity of your SD card and the internal memory. Or, select the DNG+JPG on IN=SD option to record a backup copy to the internal memory. If you shoot DNG+JPG, you can opt to saveDNG files to the internal memory and JPGs to the SD card with DNG on IN / JPG on SD or vice versa with DNG on SD / JPG on IN. And if you simply don’t want to mess around with the internal memory, select DNG+JPG only on SD. Here, the internal space will be ignored, flagging you when your SD card is full. The nomenclature in this menu can be a little confusing with all the options showing DNG+JPG, even if you have the camera set to shoot DNG only. Rest assured that your file format setting is not dictated by your storage setup.

With a USB 3.1 Type-C or Thunderbolt 3 cable, images stored on internal memory can be downloaded to a computer in PTP mode or to an iOS device using the MFi setting. You can also offload pictures from the built-in storage to an SD card using the Backup memory (IN => SD) function in the Storage Management menu. Transferring 300 images (16.7GB) from the internal memory to a Lexar Pro 1667x 64GB card in camera took 3 minutes and 43 seconds for an average speed of 76MBs. Importing the same batch of photos directly into LR over a USB 3.1 cable was a bit faster at 3 minutes and 10 seconds due to a slightly higher 90MBs average data rate. Definitely serviceable, but for comparison, I imported the same 300 DNG files from the Lexar SD card using the built-in UHS-II card reader on my 16-inch MacBook Pro. Here, it flew at 185MBs for a total import time of just one minute flat. In other words, the built-in memory isn’t slow, but it’s nowhere near as fast as a 250MBs UHS-II SD card and compatible reader.

Rear LCD Screen

Occupying most of the real estate on the backside of the M11 Monochrom, the LCD is sure to please. With double the resolution of the M10M, now 2.3 megapixels, 800 nits of maximum brightness, the 2.95-inch display slightly edges out the already excellent one on the SL2 and SL2-S to be the best currently offered in the Leica lineup.

Sapphire Glass

Missing since the M Monochrom (Typ 246), Leica has reintroduced a sapphire glass covering on the LCD screen. Absent on every single variant of the M10 generation, the scratch-resistant glass is a welcome addition, especially for a pure-bred street photography machine like the M11 Monochrom. And while it lacks the little diamond engraving seen on all previous models sporting a sapphire glass screen, it’s just as durable.

Visoflex 2 EVF

Launched with the M11, the Visoflex 2 provides a fantastic live view experience. The somewhat rectangular and boxy EVF offers up a 3.68-megapixel OLED panel, built-in -4 to +3 adjustable diopter, ample eye relief and three positioning steps at 0°, 45° and 90°. The all-metal housing feels premium and ups durability. And while the Visoflex 2 is backwards compatible with the M10M, the experience isn’t the same you’ll get on the M11M.

Given camera hardware limitations, the 3.7-megapixel Visoflex 2 displays a slightly smaller image at 2.4 megapixels when mounted on an M10M, the same resolution as the original Visoflex (Typ 020). This results in the same pixel density, but a smaller image overall. Many M10 generation owners have opted to stick with their older EVFs for the larger magnification. For those hoping to use your M10M EVF on the M11M…sorry, that won’t work either. The older Visoflex (Typ 020) is not forwards compatible.

Also, the M11M features a little extra trick for EVF users that M10M shooters won’t get. With such high resolution on the new camera, the focus aid’s 100% view could have been a tad jittery, and possibly nauseating, so Leica includes digital image stabilization when in magnified live view. Just to be clear, this isn’t the same kind of sensor-based IBIS of the SL2 or lens-based OIS in the Q2. The feature only smooths out the live view experience for easier critical focusing but does not offer any advantage for shot stability. Immediately apparent during my testing, I’d love to see this implemented across the entire product range.

Electronic Shutter

Starting with firmware v2.0 for the SL (Typ 601) in early 2016, all Leica digital cameras since have featured electronic shutter capability…except the M system. The M system gained this extremely useful functionality in the M11 and is carried over to the M11M. Just like the M10 generation, mechanical speeds still top out at 1/4,000th, but in Hybrid or Electronic modes, electronic shutter speeds up to 1/16,000th are now available. In practical terms that means you can shoot an f/0.95 Noctilux wide open in full sun without an ND filter. Or, switch to Electronic only to eliminate all shutter vibration and shoot in complete silence. Sure, the ultra-quiet shutter carried over from the M10-P, M10-R, M10M and M11 is barely audible in most circumstances, but sometimes the situation calls for no noise at all.

Longer shutter speeds

On the other end of the spectrum Leica has lengthened the maximum exposure time to a full 60 minutes. Considerably longer than the M10M’s 16-minute and double the SL2’s 30-minute limit, the hour-long exposures open up previously unobtainable night photography options. Just like on the SL2 and M11, Long Exposure Noise Reduction can be disabled if you don’t want to wait for another hour before being able to take the next shot. But before turning it off for all your pictures, remember that LENR isn’t just there as an inconvenience. By capturing and analyzing an equivalent-length dark frame exposure, image quality on long exposures improves dramatically by subtracting out any hot pixels or thermal noise.

Multifield and Highlight Weighted metering

Removing the lens with the camera powered on reveals another subtle change. The sensor is exposed, with the shutter curtain opened. Even when not in Live View, the camera analyzes the scene based on information directly from the sensor rather than a traditional meter measuring light reflected off the shutter blades. In fact, the M11M has no internal light meter. Regardless of metering mode, Center-weighted, Highlight-weighted, Multifield or Spot, the sensor is actively being used to measure luminance of the scene. This makes the exceptional battery life even that much more impressive, and of course, the metering system is now as accurate as that in an advanced mirrorless system like the SL2. As I do with any camera that offers it, I prefer highlight-weighted metering. Protecting highlights is even more critical on the M11M with almost no highlight recoverability but 3-4 stops of reach in the shadows.

Handgrip

Despite my appreciation for the near-perfect ergonomics of the SL2 and its chunky grip, I’ve never been a huge fan of the add-on handgrips for M cameras. I had one for my M7 yet didn’t use it much. I toyed with grips on the M240 generation, then later the M10, but still didn’t really use them. Instead, I much preferred a simple Thumbs Up or Leica Thumb Support. But Leica’s latest M11 hand grip has made me a convert. The grip secures onto the base of the camera with a flip-out, captive screw. Finger-tighten and the connection between camera and grip is rock solid, with no play whatsoever. A rubber cover hinges to grant access to the battery and the SD card slot within. No unscrewing necessary. Likewise, the USB-C port is always accessible. And the grip itself is ergonomic, fitting in the hand wonderfully.

But the biggest win here is for those looking to mount the M11M on a tripod. The front and rear edges combine to form a universal Arca-style quick release plate that extends the full length of the grip. Granted, this design is far from revolutionary, with Really Right Stuff offering such add-on full-length plates with optional handgrip since the days of the M9. But kudos to Leica for seeing the need and implementing a first-party solution, like their rollout of the Thumb Support for the M10 after years of users mounting Match Tech’s Thumbs Ups on their Leica M cameras. If you don’t plan on using the handgrip but also want to use the M11M on a tripod, be prepared for a less-than-ideal placement of the 1/4”-20 socket – with a quick release plate, you won’t be able to access the battery release lever.

Tech from other Leica cameras

In order to improve the M11M on all fronts, Leica pulled from advancements they made on other recent cameras in the roster. They’ve done this with almost every launch in recent years. If technology or a great feature is developed for one product, it’s then made available for all subsequent ones. In taking this product engineering approach, each camera retains its individual personality yet feels immediately familiar with very little learning curve.

The baseplate design echoes that of the TL2 or SL2 with a battery release lever and the bottom of the battery sitting flush with the camera’s baseplate. Lighter weight aluminum top plate construction first pioneered with the M (Typ 262) is put to good use here. The three buttons flanking the left side of the rear LCD are lifted directly from the Q2 and SL2, as is the handy touchscreen quick menu. The clickable thumbwheel – another takeoff of the SL2, was first used on the groundbreaking S2. And the three assignable function buttons, again featured from the SL2 and Q2, speed up real-world shooting. Digital crop modes of 1.3x and 1.8x work the same as those on the Q2, with overlayed framing boxes to see what’s happening outside the frame. Also on other cameras in the line-up, the electronic shutter is a welcome addition, as is the off-sensor mirrorless metering methodology pioneered on the SL.

Testing in NYC

Leica was nice enough to loan me a camera for a few days so I could put the M11M through its paces. While waiting for the camera to arrive, I ran through possible shooting destinations. And after considering everywhere from Amsterdam to Seattle, I decided on one of my favorite spots – New York City. For a street photography and low light tool like the M11 Monochrom, I figured few places could offer the sheer variety of subject matter of NYC.

Given the clear ISO advantages afforded by the M11M, I swapped out my usual 90mm Elmarit-M for the slower, but more compact 90mm Macro-Elmar-M. The rest of my kit stayed the same, with the wide end covered by the dynamic duo of the 18mm Super-Elmar-M and 24mm Elmar-M and the normal range deftly handled by the top-tier 35mm APO-Summicron-M and 50mm APO-Summicron-M lenses. I would definitely characterize this selection of optics in the high-performance category, not the vintage or ‘look lens’ camp. I did play with the idea of using some retro glass, like the 35mm Summilux v1 Steel Rim, but ultimately decided not to split my focus. For this test, I wanted to exact the highest level of performance from the camera as possible. And that meant razor-sharp lenses. Also along for the ride were the Visoflex 2 EVF, M11 Handgrip and a couple extra batteries.

Since I have photographed in New York so many times, I made a conscious effort to visit new areas in the city that I hadn’t been to or at least spent much time in. After all, how interesting would it be if I just took the same pictures as my M11 review, which I also shot in NYC? If you haven't seen that review, be sure to check it out here.

This initiative took me to new spots like Chinatown, Little Italy, Meatpacking District, Chelsea, DUMBO, and the East Village, along with old favorites such as Central Park, Midtown, the West Village and Bryant Park. When I told my aunt, who lives in Manhattan, what neighborhoods I had been to, she exclaimed that I had seen more of the City in three days than she had in thirty years. Got my steps in during this trip, that’s for sure.

A note on images in this review

Fair warning – I've included a lot of pictures in this review, maybe too many. This is partly because I always aim to provide a wide variety of real-world samples over a range of subject matter and lightning conditions. The other factor was that I had a really difficult time narrowing down my selections. Perhaps this a bit of a spoiler, but the M11 Monochrom proved so capable in almost any scenario I put it in that I always came away with decent shots. And that resulted in hundreds of shots that made the first cut from just a few days of shooting.

Be sure to click on images to see a larger view and get a better feel for image quality. The downsized thumbnails don't really do the files justice. I've included technical data for each image, with the lens used and if I used a filter. And if you're interested in my approach file processing, I've covered it below.

First Shots

Aftering checking in to my hotel, I grabbed my kit and hit the streets. The sun had just set and I was anxious to see if the new Monochrom was going to match my expectations for high ISO shooting. I wasn't looking for prizewinners at this point. Just wanted a little warm-up to get used to the camera and get some files for so I could satisfy my curiosity. This would also serve as a baseline test for the remainder of my testing.

Every time Leica ratchets up the maximum ISO on a camera, there is an adjustment period. Not for the camera, mind you, but for the photographer. After shooting with your current setup your years, you base your mental parameters from that learned experience. So, yeah, reflexively I got a bit uneasy when seeing ISO 50,000 show in the viewfinder. I took a few deep breaths and remembered that's why I approach this phase of a testing a new camera with the mindset that the pictures don't matter and it's simply a warm-up round. So, I roamed about midtown in no particular direction.

After a quick review on the laptop back in my hotel, I had mixed feelings. ISO 50,000 wasn't quite the panacea I was hoping for. I dived into Lightroom and started playing with the files. If I added too much clarity, a bit of extra shadow recovery, a tad too much sharpening, the shadows got too messy for standard noise reduction. I'm not saying the results weren't good. I was just hoping for more. Granted I was just getting the hang of the files and ultimately, dialing back the processing did make for some extremely usable images.

Below ISO 50,000 impressed though. I could immediately see improvement from the already capable M10 Monochrom, especially in malleability. Underexposing in camera and pushing exposure in Lightroom to protect highlights worked shockingly well. This shot of the Empire State Building looks pretty good for ISO 10,000, but when you realize that I boosted exposure four stops in LR, it looks fantastic. That's an equivalent ISO of 160,000! Now, I'm not totally sure why post-exposure gain like this would yield cleaner results than native high ISO. This is something I plan to explore when I can test in a controlled setting.

Based on this initial “warm-up” test and my early post processing efforts, I decided to limit my maximum ISO to 50,000 for my “real” photographs, saving 100,000 and 200,000 for controlled studio tests (stay tuned for those). I also took the underexposure findings to heart, routinely running between -1 and -3 EV for most of the later shots. Here's another shot, pushed three stops.

A stroll through Central Park with Nathan

The next day was gloomy and overcast. A perfect opportunity to test in flat light. I was meeting up with Nathan Kellum, Product Communication Specialist at Leica USA. He was in town meeting with press and product reviewers in preparation for the M11M launch. Nathan is an accomplished photographer himself, generating many of the official proof of performance images you may have seen on recent camera introductions. Amazingly though, we never had a chance to go shooting together. Luckily, our schedules aligned and we connected outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where I immediately got distracted by the excellent street photography opportunities and sidewalk pigeons.

Channeling my inner Matt Stuart, I did my best to get something worthwhile. Nathan spotted me and joined in. That's the great thing about walking around with other photographers – they don't consider it strange or rude when you suddenly stop mid-conversation and start taking pictures of seemingly random things.

From the Met, we began our leisurely stroll through Central Park. While the seasons are sometimes obscured in the urban jungle of skyscrapers and brownstones, the Park is the great revealer. Winter, with its brisk air and leafless branches reaching to the sky, was starting to give way to Spring's budding blossoms and warmer days ahead. The flat lighting persisted as we continued to explore. Of course, this leads to much more subdued tones, light gray skies and softer shadows. Certainly not my favorite conditions, but I do think the M11M handled the cloudy day well.

In the case of macro and flower photography, flat light is actually preferable, and allowed me to break out the 90mm Macro for the first time. Focusing and lining up the composition, even wide open at minimum distance, proved hassle-free with the electronically-stabilized live view image in the Visoflex 2. This is where the generational improvements of the M11 really come to the fore.

Another interesting takeaway for overcast shooting is that exposure metering can be somewhat counterintuitive. You might assume that harsher, more direct light would pose a greater risk of highlight clipping. But with such bright overcast conditions, the entire sky is often on the edge of overexposure. On a sunny, cloudless day, the blue tones in the sky lead to much richer, darker tonal values, while the subject generally has more illumination. An orange or red filter will, of course, amplify the effect even further. So, while it might seem backwards, you might find that some additional negative EV compensation will be necessary without direct sunshine.

Light was finally just starting to break through the cloud cover when we approached the carousel. But it wasn't a summer day, bustling with children just yet. One lone little girl had the entire ride to herself, and she didn't seem to mind one bit. And with the sun, came the contrast and reflections I so missed. A welcome change for sure.

After our stroll through the Park, we headed downtown for a gallery show, then out for a bite. After a lovely chat running the gamut from classic movies to Japanese kitchen knives over some brick oven pizzas, we parted ways. Nathan had an early morning ahead, and I had some night photography to get to. I stayed downtown, snaking my way through the East Village.

Night shooting in the East Village

Armed with a little more insight into the M11M nighttime performance, I adjusted my approach slightly. I kept my ISO settings down a bit but didn't shy away from drastic underexposures to protect highlights. And the results were great. From this shot at ISO 16,000 to next at ISO 200, but pushed four stops, the M11M blew me away with how deftly it handles high contrast night shooting. Sure, I was out looking for decent pictures, but this particular mini-session was an exercise in mastering highlight control.

A sunny day in Bryant Park

The next day started again at Bryant Park, where the sunshine and unseasonably warm weather drew some crowds. I took full advantage of the clear blue skies and broke out the red filter, for those inky black skies and eye-popping contrast. Some early-morning showers even provided for some nice reflections. Between the great light and some red filter magic, I love how this set just pops off the screen, while still holding tons of detail.

Chinatown

Looking for a change of scenery, I hopped on the D Express train. Just a few quick stops later and I felt transported. New York City's sprawling Chinatown is a world unto itself. With fantastic afternoon light and plentiful subject matter, I began exploring a part of the City that I hadn't previously photographed. From street scenes to Peking ducks hanging in greasy windows, there was no shortage of photo opportunities.

Seeking a little different perspective after wandering the streets for a while, I ventured out on the pedestrian path of the Manhattan Bridge. Poking the small M lens through the chain-link fencing along the walkway, I was rewarded with the unusual ability to shoot down the center of streets from an elevated position. The only drawback was the near-constant subway train traffic on the track just feet behind me. The vibration was so strong each time a train roared by that the camera's orientation sensor was shaken to the point of determining those pictures were taken upside down or sideways. Thankfully, my high shutter speed negated any ill effects, and a quick click in Lightroom turned the pictures right-side up.

With the sun getting low and light fading quickly, I continued winding through Chinatown's busy streets. Here, I took full advantage of the excellent Auto ISO capability, knowing that I'd be able to handle the highly variable and rapidly changing lighting conditions. I especially liked all the windows into various kitchens.

After a little more wandering, I took a break to indulge into some authentic Dim Sum just off Mott Street. And when I popped my head out of the restaurant, not only had day turned to night, but the previously clear, warm weather was now a chilly torrential downpour. And I couldn't have been happier. The wet streets and lights of Chinatown were just what I wanted – a B&W shooter's paradise.

No, the M11M isn't weather sealed. Yes, I walked around for quite some time shooting in the rain. Obviously, the camera survived. I did end up with a bit of condensation inside the Visoflex 2 viewfinder, but after drying out in the hotel room overnight, it was fine for the rest of the trip. Other than wearing a baseball cap to keep my head and face as dry as possible since I didn't have a proper rain jacket with a hood, I didn't take any special precautions. Do I advise shooting in the rain with a non-weather-sealed camera like the M11 Monochrom? Creatively, yes. Technically, no.

The rain let up and having spent the better part of the day in one neighborhood, I was ready for a different locale. Bordering Chinatown, Little Italy seemed the logical choice. As I crossed Canal Street, there was no mistaking the change. Noodle shops and dim sum parlors gave way to old world Italian ristorantes and sidewalk cafes.

A quick stop in FiDi

After my walkthrough of Little Italy, and a stop for some artisinal gelato, I pressed on, looking to capitalize on the still-wet streets. Another hop back on the subway and two stops later, I was at the foot of the historic Trinity Church at the end of Wall Street. While at first glance, the Financial District might seem an odd choice for nighttime activity, a small cobblestoned street is often abuzz with bars and live music clubs. I did pop into one such venue, but couldn't get anywhere near the stage. And I definitely wasn't feeling the 20-something party scene, so I pushed on.

Late night music scene in the West Village

From there, I decided to finish up the night with some live jazz in the West Village. A photographer friend tipped me off to a historic 1950s club that reopened a couple years ago. Down a flight of stairs into the basement of a larger bar, Cafe Bohemia is your classic West Village intimate jazz venue, having hosted the likes of Charles Mingus and Miles Davis. That night Saxophonist Mike DiRubbo was fronting a simple trio of sax, piano and drums, finishing up their late night set. I grabbed a seat at the front, enjoying the music and snapping some shots.

The show wrapped at 1am and I thought I was done. But wait, there's more. Walking to the train station, I heard some gritty blues spilling out onto the sidewalk from another legendary West Village spot. The bouncer, sensing my interest, smoothly opened the door, waved me inside and said, “why not go in and see if you like it?” Providing libations and live music since the late 1930s, Arthur's Tavern was hosting a somewhat different act than its usual fare.

The New York Gremmies, a trio of guitar, bass and drums, was kicking up some serious blues riffs and fast paced surf rock. I took a seat at the bar and marveled at the musicianship on display. On lead guitar and harmonica, Italian-born Noé Socha was dancing over his fretboard with masterful fluidity and style. Even the drummer, Josh Davis, had to stop and watch in awe during a particularly gnarly solo.

With the band signing off at 2am, I figured it was time to for me to call it a night as well. Of course, I wasn't the only one. The subway was filled with other denizens of the City, taking their last ride on the train to close out the day. Whoever said the City never sleeps hasn't ridden the subway at 2:30am.

Meatpacking District

The next day called for another destination, and a much shorter shooting day. I spent most of the morning sleeping in and working on image editing, then met up with a friend for coffee. Given the sheer amount of ground covered the day before, I think I earned a little time off. But I still wanted to shoot something new. During my M11 testing last year, I had spotted Little Island while walking the High Line, and the unique urban park seemed like a perfect spot for some casual photography.

I made my way through the vibrant Meatpacking District, past the ever-hopping Standard Hotel and to Little Island. After Hurricane Sandy decimated historic Pier 54, the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation and the Hudson Park Trust set out to reimagine what an urban public space could be. Opened in 2021, this two acre floating park held up by concrete pylons in the Hudson River attracted one million visitors in its inaugural year.

One of the advantages of not using a color camera is that you can simply skip sunsets. What I'm sure would have been a stunning sunset in color, just looks like daytime in B&W. What I needed wasn't the golden hues of sunset, but the stark contrast of artificial light at night. Which meant that I head plenty of time to go next door to Pier 57 and grab a bite to eat at one of the numerous food stalls inside. Then, I headed up to the Rooftop Park to take advantage of the change in perspective, before calling it a night.

DUMBO

For my last full shooting day in New York, I decided I'd finish things out in Brooklyn. And while I often just like to wander around and see what catches my eye as I go, I had a mission. Or rather two. First, I wanted to check out Gleason's Gym, the oldest active boxing gym in the United States. Second, I had never shot the NYC skyline from across the East River.

One neighborhood would provide both opportunities. DUMBO, or Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, has seen massive changes since the former Brooklyn industrial area started its transformation to public green spaces, condos and artist lofts in the 1990s. Thankfully, the original charm of the imposing Manhattan Bridge towering overhead cobblestoned streets hasn't been sacrificed in the revitalization effort.

Gleason's Gym

Just around the corner from the iconic views of the Manhattan Bridge, Gleason's Gym is a pugilistic New York institution. Founded by Bantamweight boxer Bobby Gleason in 1937, the gym has changed homes several times over the decades, moving from its original location in The Bronx to Manhattan, then ultimately to Brooklyn. The latest location on Water Street opened in late 2016. But in spite of its recent move, the gym has all the grit and character you'd expect of the near-century-old legendary establishment that is housed within these walls.

Home to over 130 champions, everyone from Ali to Foreman to Tyson has trained there. Banners hanging from the ceiling display its current crop of champion fighters, with the memorabilia plastering the walls a reminder of the ones in decades past.

Even as someone who is reasonably fit, I felt lazy. These guys and gals were training with a fevered intensity that was exhausting just to watch. The bell would ring and for three minutes, every boxer in the gym was giving everything that they had, sparring, hitting heavy bags, working speed bags or running drills. The bell would ring again, and everyone had one minute rest, pacing, panting, or just sweating before the onslaught began anew.

I continued to wander around, and probably could have stayed there an entire day and never run out of photographic opportunities. The setting, the subjects, the action. Just a phenomenal spot for documentary/reportage work. But I still had one more photo objective remaining before I could call it night.

NYC Skyline

After the gym, I walked back out into the cool night air. City skyline shoots were next on the agenda. I started in the park just a couple blocks away, photographing the Manhattan Bridge, with the Brooklyn Bridge and downtown behind it. Wanting to blur the choppy East River a bit, I realized that while I had packed a tabletop tripod in my bag, I didn't bring any ND filters. But I did have a red filter, and that would act similarly to a 3-stop ND. Popping the filter on, I was able to get 15-30 second exposures at f/8, which worked quite nicely.

Unfortunately, my next shot was thwarted. I had done my research and saw that Pebble Beach in Brooklyn Bridge Park was an ideal vantage point for a classic skyline composition. With the historic Jane's Carousel in the foreground and the Brooklyn Bridge spanning across the frame with the city behind, it would have been a perfect shot. But I can't show it…because I couldn't take it. There was an ugly construction barge parked right in the middle of the foreground, blocking the carousel. Instead of a wide angle, I changed to the 50mm and cut out the offending barge for a little tighter composition.

Onward to the last location. Another classic spot, Old Pier One is way on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge. The old pilings make for great foreground, with the southernmost tip of Manhattan across the water. After grabbing a few different angles, I called an Uber and headed back. And with that, another successful photo outing to NYC. Always good to end on a high note.

Do you really need 60 megapixels?

Before the M11, I had been perfectly content with 24 megapixels for a long time. It’s a sweet spot of file manageability and detail. Easy to handhold and works well with lenses new and old. Sure, the three generations of 37.5 MP Leica S cameras were my landscape workhorses for years, as is the 47 MP SL2 now. And more pixels are usually welcome for that kind of work. But for family, travel and street photography, I found 24 to be just right. Whether grabbing my CL for a family rock climbing and hiking trip, using an M10-P for documentary work or shooting night scenes with the SL2-S, I rarely yearned for more resolution.

Along the way, the 40-megapixel M10-R and M10 Monochrom became the new standard for M photography just as the 47-megapixel SL2, Q2 and Q2 Monochrom took hold on the AF side of the lineup. And, yeah, sometimes that added detail is welcome. But is 60 really necessary? In an M camera no less. With no image stabilization or autofocus, would it even matter?

After testing the M11 last year, I came to conclusion that while I don’t need 60 megapixels, I’d be lying if I said that I don’t want 60 megapixels. With the right lenses, the detail is simply astounding. And now that I’m used to that level of detail on the color side, having 60 megapixels on the M11 Monochrom just feels right. Besides absolute image quality and resolving more detail than you even knew you needed, there are three practical reasons for the added resolution.

Digital Cropping

The first should be obvious to anyone who’s either used the Q2’s digital zoom or APS-C mode on the SL2. With more pixels, you can crop later in post while still maintaining adequate detail for whatever your final use might be. I’m a big believer in precise framing and getting it right in camera. But sometimes, especially with fixed-focal length M lenses topping out at 135mm, and most users including myself only packing up to a 90mm in the bag, you sometimes can’t get close enough for the shot you want. Or, you’re shooting wide angle street photos from the hip. You can focus on the moment, while benefiting from the larger depth of field and more forgiving field of view knowing that you can simply crop later.

The M11M has two digital crop modes, with settings for 1.3x and 1.8x. Like the M11, when activated, a white bounding box shows the virtual crop in live view. And same as in the M11, the crop is merely embedded as metadata. So, while the image appears in Lightroom with the crop applied, it can be adjusted, or even undone to reveal the full frame capture as long as you shoot in L-DNG. When shooting in JPG or even in DNG+JPG, the JPG images will be permanently cropped.

More information for perspective control

I’m a big fan of geometry in pictures, and am often drawn to windows, doors and patterns. But I’m not usually that fond of keystoning, the natural propensity of lines to converge towards a vanishing point when shooting off-perpendicular at a flat subject. An unexpected benefit to the M11M’s massive resolution is when editing these types of images. Even after heavy perspective correction and cropping in Lightroom, I’m left with files in excess of 35 megapixels that look fantastic.

If I were starting with far lower resolution, there wouldn’t be much left over for the final product. Maybe more than digital zooming / cropping, this is the strongest justification for more pixels. To take full advantage of geometry correction in real time, you can enable Leica Perspective Control in the menu. This will provide a real-time overlay showing you the resulting cropped area.

Better noise reduction

The M11M files respond extremely well to noise reduction at higher ISOs in L-DNG. The combination of uniform noise, lack of per-channel gain and excellent signal to noise ratio with the high pixel density all contribute to the ability to clean up files when necessary. Where I generally shy away from dialing in more than 10-20 NR in Lightroom due to the destruction of fine detail, L-DNGs from the M11M can easily take up to 40-50 with almost no visible loss of sharpness. And the noise is so effectively eliminated in shadow areas that it seems like magic. Granted, at low ISO up to medium ISO settings, the files are already so clean that you’ll be rewarded with even more acuity in fine details like hair and textures by taking the NR slider back to zero.

Why bother with variable resolution?

When I first tested out the M11, I kept wondering when, or even if, I should drop the resolution from the full-on 60 megapixels L-DNG to 36 megapixels M-DNG or 18 megapixels S-DNG. The triple resolution feature was new and unknown at the time, but a year’s worth of shooting and real-world image evaluation has borne out my recommendation to just stick with the full-size L-DNG and call it a day. The quality at M-DNG on the M11 is nothing to sneeze at. Quite the contrary. But more is more. My advice remains the same for the M11 Monochrom as it does on the M11, leave the camera set to L-DNG and capture the maximum available quality. You’re paying for all those pixels – use them!

File size

Admittedly, the high-res files take up more space, both on your SD card and computer’s SSD, but not as much as you might think. Leica’s lossless DNG compression is remarkably efficient. Across the wide variety of images taken during testing, my L-DNG files ranged widely in file size from a mere 48MB to a whopping 95MB, averaging around 70MB. If you opt for 36 megapixels in M-DNG, expect sizes from 30MB up to 55MB, with the average coming in about 45MB.

Interestingly, and perhaps unsurprisingly, pictures taken at higher ISO settings have increasingly larger file sizes due to the less compressible fine noise in otherwise contiguous shadow areas. The relationship is near linear, with low ISO images clocking in at the lower end of the range and high ISO images at the top.

Low light performance

While in theory, pixel binning to lower resolutions should lead to superior light gathering, increased dynamic range and improved high ISO performance, I haven’t seen any tangible difference in my real-world shooting with the M11 over the past year. As both cameras are based on the same underlying technology, I wouldn’t expect it on the M11M either. Of course, new processing algorithms and possible firmware updates could change this calculus in the future. I’ve already been blown away by how much better my old M9 and S2 files look with the latest version of Lightroom than when I first processed them.

Computing power

I’d acknowledge that file handling of such large images could be problematic, but in 2023 this shouldn’t even be a consideration. My one-generation-old 16-inch MacBook Pro with its M1 Max processor made light work of the files, as did my even older Dell XPS 17 with an Intel 11th Gen i9 chip. If you’re spending this much on a high-end photographic tool like the M11 Monochrom, and you’re struggling with the files, just get a new computer. Apple silicon M2 Pro or M2 Max systems are incredible for photo editing, but so are PCs with the latest Intel and AMD CPUs. Just make sure not skimp on the RAM – I’d advise at least 32GB. Bottom line – don’t let limited computing power be a reason to hold yourself back photographically, or to make sacrifices with image quality. And think of all the extra time you’ll have to go shoot when you’re not staring at an hourglass or spinning beach ball.

File handling

I don’t evaluate images in a vacuum, nor do I care what pictures look like SOOC (straight out of camera). I’ve covered this topic ad nauseum in previous articles and reviews. I’m simply concerned with what I can achieve as a finished result. So, yes, all the images in this review have been processed and optimized in the latest version of Adobe Lightroom Classic. Why wouldn’t they be? I would never deliver unfinished photographs to a client, hang them on my wall, or present in a published article like this one.

Admittedly, at first, I struggled with the M11M files. Black and white toning is such a subjective art form. Some prefer darker, more moody images, others soft and low contrast. Me, I like punchy images with deep shadows and contrasty highlights, but with plenty of shadow and highlight detail. After playing around with the images, I settled on a look that worked for me. With no processing, the Monochrom files are a blank canvas. In other words, flat. Especially images taken in low contrast light. Bright daylight or nighttime shots with strong artificial lighting have more pop but have the potential for blown highlights.

I found the M11M files needed a decent amount of clarity, contrast and sharpening to pull out the details and create more dynamic images. I employed general tonal sliders, as well as tone curve adjustments to increase contrast while preserving shadow and highlight information. When processing very high ISO images, I did have to give up some shadow information in order to preserve blacks and suppress noise.

And in contrasty scenes which required underexposing 2 or 3 stops in camera to hold highlights, I had no issue in pulling up the exposure the commensurate amount. The files do require a bit more finesse than those from the M11 or SL2, but once dialed in, the results are more than worth the extra effort.

Why no S-DNG or M-DNG?

During my testing, I never once committed to trying out S-DNG. Sure, I’ve been happy with 24 megapixels for the last decade, but have moved on from sub-20 megapixel cameras long before that. For me, limiting the camera to 18 megapixels simply isn’t worth it. Along the same lines, I can’t speak to the quality of the in-camera JPGs, because I never take any. I’m shooting with a Leica because I want the absolute best image quality. That means DNG only and in the case of the M11M, L-DNG.

Image Quality

Let’s get right to it, the image quality out of the M11 Monochrom is simply stunning on every level. Details, tonal gradations, dynamic range. It’s all there. Here’s how it all breaks down. And keep in mind that all the images here and my evaluations of them are based on pre-release beta firmware.

ISO Performance and Dynamic Range

The base sensitivity of ISO 125 is a real ISO 125 and not a PULL as on other cameras. At this setting, the sensor will deliver its full 15-stops of dynamic range to handle even the most demandingly contrasty scenes. Of course, you will need to use exposure compensation along with the highlight warning capture assistant to make sure that you err on the side of underexposing, then pull up the shadows in post.

The M11M impresses when it comes to dynamic range and file malleability. Like most Leica cameras, there is massive amounts of shadow detail, especially at lower ISO settings. At base ISO, the detail and tonal information seems endless. But unlike those other cameras, on the M11M that adjustability continues up the ISO range. I have shots at ISO 16,000 that I bumped the exposure 2 stops and they are still quite usable.

If you want even more latitude for demanding scenes when shooting on a tripod, a little auto-bracketing can go a long way. Set the camera to three shots at 2-stop increments and the combined HDR DNG in Lightroom will have a jaw-dropping 19-stops of DR.

Quality holds tight even as the ISOs climb with ultra-clean results up to ISO 8,000. At this setting, I was still able to pull up my exposure +3 stops and still get an amazing image with just a bit of noise reduction. ISO 12,500 continues to look awesome but has a tad less malleability.

And going even further, ISO 16,000 still impresses with a uniform and tight grain that is all but invisible at any normal output size. ISO 20,000 is solid but with just a tiny bit more noise. I’d say ISO 25,000 is the highest ISO I’d recommend without sacrificing detail due to noise, or excessive noise reduction.

Sure, ISO 40,000 and ISO 50,000 are completely usable but will have some visible noise in the final output. Even though the M11M offers settings up to ISO 200,000, I’d avoid going past ISO 50,000 unless absolutely necessary. Here's an example of pushing the camera to its limits, taken at ISO 50,000 then pushed two stops in Lightroom – equivalent to ISO 200,000.

Without a side-by-side, my feeling is that ISO 50,000 on the M11M is ever so slightly better than ISO 32,000 on the M10M. That might not seem significant, but just as I was with the M11, I’m blown away that the M11M at 60 megapixels can edge out the high ISO performance of the M10M at 40 megapixels, while also offering a lower base ISO of 125 versus 160 on the M10M. And I would venture to say that at all settings below that, there is definitely more shadow recovery available in the M11M.

Resolution and Detail

The resolving power of the M11M is off the charts. Resolution of the color M11 is already class leading, so it’s not surprising that the M11 Monochrom’s sensor with no color filter array can notch even higher performance.

Paired with some of the highest-performing modern Leica M lenses like the 35mm or 50mm APO-Summicrons, the camera captures details and textural nuance invisible to the naked eye. Sharpness across the frame and into the corners is exceptional. And while I didn’t shoot with any vintage glass or Leica Classic Line lenses like the 35mm Summilux v1 Steel Rim, I’d be interested to see how lower-resolving pre-modern lenses behave on such a high-megapixel sensor. Perhaps that would be an ideal use case for M-DNG, where resolution of the sensor and lenses can be more closely matched.

Besides the choice of what glass to mount on the M11M, technique is essential to take full advantage of the image quality on tap here. After all, the M11M is a manual focus camera. If you don’t nail focus, it doesn’t matter how many pixels you’re packing. Lenses need to be properly calibrated for rangefinder alignment. Personally, I’m a big fan of live view, which negates any mechanical calibration inaccuracies. Magnified to 100% with focus aid turned on, the live view stabilization and higher res Visoflex 2 makes nailing critical focus a breeze.

Accurate focus isn’t the whole story. With such high resolution and small pixels, you also need to pay attention to camera shake. The solution is easy given the M11M’s ridiculous high ISO performance. I employed Auto ISO with a maximum ISO of 50,000, then set my shutter speed manually, utilizing a range from 1/250th to 1/3000th depending on conditions. Looking at Lightroom metadata, a lot of my shots are at 1/1000th of a second. With these parameters, the camera will always give you adequate shutter speed at the lowest possible ISO for best image quality, ratcheting up sensitivity when you need it and dropping it down when you don’t. On the few occasions I wanted to take control of ISO for myself, a simple lift to unlock and a turn of the ISO dial did the trick. Once I got what I needed, I turned back to Auto and snapped it back down to lock in place.

Should you upgrade from an M10M to an M11?

The short answer is yes. While the ISO performance difference isn’t massive, the M11M has so many improvements over the M10M that they are impossible to ignore. The camera is better in every way, from battery life, to live view, to image quality. Heck, half this article is dedicated to just covering the differences between the two. But keep in mind, the M10M is a great camera. The existence of the M11M doesn’t make the M10M any less of an incredible tool that it was a month ago. If you’re happy with the usability, feature set and performance of your M10M, then keep it. But if you read through the list of improvements and one or more of those addresses a particular pain point, or if you just want to push the image quality envelope as far as possible, upgrade.

Is it worth adding an M11M to an existing M11 kit?

This is tough. The M11 is exceptional. Rarely have I ever felt it lacking in any way, including low light ability. Yes, the M11M offers two stops better ISO performance, and that difference is tangible. But is it necessary? For some, perhaps. For others, no.

My best advice is that if your work is primarily black and white, then by all means, go for the M11 Monochrom. You can’t find a better image-making tool. Full stop. If just a small percentage of your photography is black and white and you’re primarily a color photographer, the M11 remains the best choice. Then, if your budget allows for it, go for both. All the accessories and batteries can be shared between the two.

If getting both is out of the question, consider adding an M10 Monochrom. The ISO performance isn’t too far behind the M11M and I’m sure used prices are sure to be a relative bargain in the near term. Or, continue to convert your M11 color files to B&W. While the results won’t be quite what you can get with the M11M, they won’t be anything to scoff at either.

Final Thoughts

Just like its color sibling the Leica M11, the M11 Monochrom builds on the successes of its predecessor in every way that matters. Retaining the wonderful M body design with small refinements like button placement as well as more significant ones like the omission of the bottom plate, the M11M still evokes the iconic M aesthetic while improving where it makes the most sense.

The new 60-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor is a marvel and provides for unmatched imaging prowess in any lighting situation with incredible dynamic range. The upgraded Maestro III processor feels responsive and snappy. The new high-capacity battery and impressive power efficiency deliver all-day battery life, while the USB-C port allows for on-the-go charging, or downloading directly to a computer. A generous 256GB of internal memory has you covered for forgotten or full SD cards, or for backing up critical assignments. And the 3.68MP OLED Visoflex 2 with electronic stabilization elevates the live view shooting experience. Electronic shutter, sensor-based metering, excellent high ISO, variable resolution, strong burst performance, upgraded Wi-Fi, Apple MFi certification. The list goes on.

And yet with all the upgrades, the M11M is still an M Monochrom through and through. Iconic design and straightforward to use, either as a traditional rangefinder or as a high-performance live view mirrorless camera. Shoot with the M11M on the street or indoors in the lowest of light and it will exceed your expectations. Let it loose in full daylight for landscape, architecture or street photography and the camera will blow you away. If black and white photography is your passion, there simply isn’t a better tool available than the Leica M11 Monochrom.

The post Leica M11 Monochrom Review: Pure B&W Performance appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

The M10-R is already the same exact dimensions as an analog M7. The 0.73x optical rangefinder the finest ever put into an M body in 70 years. Plenty of resolution. Excellent low light ability and outstanding dynamic range. Optimized color filter array. Built like a tank. Quick and responsive. What could the engineers in Wetzlar really do to create meaningful upgrades for the next generation digital rangefinder, ones worthy of the M11 moniker?

And yet, the M11 is living proof that they were indeed able to craft a worthy successor to take the M mantle. Instantly recognizable, totally iconic, yet better in every meaningful way than the already exceptional M10-R. The M11 is everything M fans could have hoped for.

At the heart of the camera is a brand-new 60-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor with dual-gain architecture and Triple Resolution Technology. Paired with the latest Maestro III custom ASIC from Fujitsu, the same processor that drives the SL2, the camera feels quick and nimble, ready to handle just about any photographic challenge.

From the top, front and back, the M11 bears more than a casual resemblance to the M10. All the major elements are there: the ISO and shutter speed dials up top, the on/off switch at the base of the perfectly weighted shutter release, along with the familiar viewfinder and rangefinder windows. On closer inspection you’ll notice some minor tweaks here and there, like moving the front focus assist button to the top plate next to the shutter speed dial, a slightly different button layout flanking the rear LCD in a new floating configuration, a shallower top plate, and of course, that all-important LEICA M11 engraving in the hot shoe. And if you examine the finish on the black model, you might note that the surface has a more finely textured matte look, versus the smooth anodization of the M10. But a revolutionary change wasn’t needed here. Leica knocked it out of the park with the M10 design. No reason to meddle with what has worked so well.

Now, pick up the camera and you will immediately feel the difference in heft, at least on the black version. Here, Leica opted for a machined aluminum top plate, shaving about 110g, for a roughly 20% reduction in weight. The lighter-than-it-looks feel echoes the sensation of a long-time M shooter holding a Q2 for the first time. Don’t care for something lighter? No problem. If you want the full-fat solid brass experience, Leica has you covered. Opt for the silver chrome model and you’ll get that familiar tanky mass, clocking in the same as an M10-R at 640g including battery.

Once you’ve got the camera in hand, flip it over and you’ll see the most significant and obvious change. Yep, the M11 has no baseplate. Heresy, I know. How could Leica fly in the face of almost 70 years of tradition? Every M going back to the M3 has rocked a baseplate. How dare they! Look, I’ve been an M shooter for the better part of 20 years. But I’ve also shot the majority of my recent work with the SL2 and Q2 Monochrom. And you know what? I don’t miss the baseplate. The convenience of the quick battery release and memory card access easily outweighs whatever nostalgia I personally hold on to. I got used to the new normal within minutes of using the M11. I think most everyone else will too.

A subtle yet wonderful change that could easily go overlooked is the now clickable rear thumbwheel. Assignable to a custom function, Leica was able to add this additional control without cluttering up the minimalist design. Just like the rear FN button and top button, a long press brings up a list of selectable functions and a short press activates that option. During my testing, I assigned it to bring up exposure compensation, then used the wheel to quickly adjust. If you’re more inclined to have direct and nuanced control over ISO than the large whole steps on the dedicated ISO dial, you could assign M-ISO to the thumbwheel and have far more precise 1/3 steps. Or, for both functions, use the Customize Wheel menu to set the wheel to Exposure Compensation, then long-press to assign it to M-ISO. In this scenario, simply rotating left or right directly changes EV, but a short press in will activate the M-ISO menu on screen so you can select an ISO. Choices, choices.

New and Improved

With most of the exterior physical changes covered, let’s dive into the plentiful upgrades under the hood.

New Sensor

Without a doubt, the star of the M11 show is the new custom sensor. Leapfrogging their own 47-megapixel chip used in the top-of-line professional mirrorless SL2 and the little powerhouse Q2, the M11 boasts a 60-megapixel monster. Fully loaded with all the latest technical innovations, this chip delivers next-level image quality. Given the shrink down to a diminutive 3.73 micron pixel pitch, conventional wisdom would suggest less light gathering capacity. So, to eke out the very best performance, the engineers opted to use BSI technology for the first time in an M body. Back Side Illuminated sensors move the supporting electronics to the rear of the chip, allowing for significantly more photosensitive surface area and shallower pixel wells, resulting in no sacrifice versus a lower-resolution traditional design sensor with electronics in the top or middle substrate layers.

And because of this, the Leica M11 fills the role of multiple cameras in one. In the SL-System, you must choose if you want high resolution with the 47-megapixel SL2 or super-clean low light results with the 24-megapixel SL2-S, which also sports a BSI sensor. On the M11, you get both high resolution and low-light performance without sacrificing either.

Spoiler alert, the results from full resolution up to ISO 10,000 are outstanding. Not just acceptable, truly outstanding. It’s mind-boggling that the M11 can trade blows with the M10-R at high ISO while packing 50% more pixels. And if this is the baseline, before Adobe optimizes the debayering algorithms for Lightroom and Camera Raw, we’re only going to see performance improve over time.

Of course, the design team also employed a custom microlens structure to maximize light gathering even further and optimize for the high-incidence angle of non-retrofocus M lenses. And, with one of the thinnest dual layer high-absorption UV/IR cover glasses ever made, they manage to get even more performance and light transmission. The sensor features a dual-gain architecture, with two native ISO settings. This allows for a base sensitivity all the way down to a native ISO 64 without foregoing the high end, which goes up to ISO 50,000. And if that still wasn’t impressive enough, the M11 gets a further optimized color filter array and new image processing algorithms for the best color reproduction and nuance of any M camera to date.

Triple Resolution

For the first time ever on a Leica digital camera, the M11 offers variable resolution with hardware-based pixel binning and smart remapping of the Bayer filter array. At the full 60 megapixels L-DNG setting, the camera churns out 14-bit files with 15-stops of dynamic range at base ISO, previously the exclusive territory of the medium format Leica S (Typ 007) and S3.  Drop to 36 megapixels in M-DNG to get a small dynamic range boost and slightly cleaner files before noise reduction is applied, along with improved burst depth. Go down again to S-DNG at 18 megapixels if you don’t need high resolution but do want unlimited burst shooting.

While the camera hardware and firmware offer the triple resolution functionality, Adobe looks like they still have some more work to do on the software side at time of publication. In my testing, all resolutions performed essentially the same, with the slight edge going to the full L-DNG setting due to the higher pixel density and better optimization in Lightroom. It will be interesting to see if Leica further optimizes pixel binning in firmware or if Adobe can extract even more performance from the current M-DNG and S-DNG files.

New Maestro III Processor

Processing all those pixels, we’ve got the capable Maestro III processor, paired up with a larger 3GB image buffer and full UHS-II SD card compatibility. Snappy and responsive, from menu operation to playback, everything just feels faster. Firing off a burst in high-speed mode at 4.5 frames per second results in no waiting time. Images are immediately available for review and the camera is always ready to shoot more. Maximum DNG burst depth is 13-15 frames at full resolution, 30 shots at 36 megapixels, and unlimited at 18 megapixels. To put the speed bump into context, the current top-of-the-range M10-R captures 4.5 frames per second but is limited to a maximum burst of just 10 shots. The M11 achieves the same frame rate with 50% longer bursts despite the 50% increase in pixel count. At a more comparable apples-to-apples resolution of M-DNG, the M11 manages a 300% improvement in burst depth. Impressive.

Even chewing through around 300 megapixels per second, Leica’s latest custom silicon is extremely power efficient. Combined with the new 63% larger 1800 mAh BP-SCL7 battery, the M11 can go all day on a single charge. Yes, really. For my testing, I had one battery and shot hundreds of images a day over the course of 10-12 hours. Granted, I did top up along the way by using another one of the M11’s welcome additions – the USB-C port on the bottom of the camera.

USB-C Port for Data and Power

The USB-C port on the bottom of the M11 can connect directly to an iOS device for use with the Leica FOTOS app. Either use the included Apple MFi certified USB-C to Lightning cable for an iPhone or a standard USB 3.1 Type-C to Type-C cable for an iPad Pro. Be sure to always use the bundled Leica USB-C to Lightning cable since a standard charging cord will not work for data transfer. Likewise, the Leica cable can’t be used for charging your phone as it isn’t designed for power delivery.

You can also import directly into Lightroom with a standard USB 3.1 Type-C or Thunderbolt 3 cable by setting the camera to PTP mode in the menu. A word of caution here. Be wary of the much slower USB 2.0 Type-C charging cables that are now ubiquitous and make sure you use one that’s specifically certified as USB 3.1, USB 3.2, Thunderbolt 3 or simply indicates a 10Gbs data rate. And since the port supports power delivery, the battery will charge from your computer while you have it connected. In fact, just about any USB-C power source will charge the camera, either while being used or when powered off. During my testing, I routinely used the port to plug in a myCharge portable power pack to keep the camera battery in fighting shape while out and about.  

Currently, the M11 only has options for Apple MFi and PTP modes. While Mass Storage mode might be coming in the future, it’s not an option right now. PTP, or Point-to-Point USB mode enables data transfer for software that specifically supports the camera. At launch that includes Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Bridge Photo Downloader, Apple Image Capture Utility, and Apple Photos. But the camera won’t show up as a drive in MacOS or Windows without Mass Storage mode. The SL2 has options for both PTP and Mass Storage, so hopefully this is added sooner rather than later.

Updated Connectivity to FOTOS app

Marking another first for Leica, the M11 is an Apple ‘Made for iPhone and iPad’ Certified accessory. To receive this certification, Apple ultimately signed off on the camera and its supplied cable to work seamlessly with iOS devices. Leica will be releasing a firmware update in the second half of 2022 to make the most of this enhanced connectivity with the Leica FOTOS app, including location data-based geotagging, access via Bluetooth, increased data transfer rates and the ability to update camera firmware via the app.

Wireless upgrades

The M11 comes loaded with all the wireless goodies to smoothly connect to the Leica FOTOS app without the need for a cable. Inside, the camera is packing both dual-band 2.4/5Ghz 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wave2 Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 BR/EDR/LE modules. Initial setup is still managed by pointing your phone’s camera at the QR code displayed on the rear LCD after selecting to add an M11 in the FOTOS app. The process is simple and only needs to be performed the first time you connect the camera. After that, you can view and download images from the camera, or even remotely control the M11 for wireless shooting.

New battery and charger

I’m sure I wasn’t alone hoping that the M11 would take the BP-SCL4 from the SL601, SL2, SL2-S, Q2 and Q2 Monochrom. I regularly carry a Q2 Monochrom alongside my primary SL2 setup when on landscape outings, and the ability to share batteries and chargers is a huge advantage. For those wanting to pair the M11 with an SL or Q setup, that convenience is unfortunately not going to be possible. Given the confines of the M body and that the battery is required to also function as a cover for the SD card slot that sits in the same compartment, the trusty BP-SCL4 just wasn’t a viable option.

Thankfully, the new BP-SCL7 offers almost the same capacity as the BP-SCL4, a solid 1800mAh at the same 8.4v, yielding 13.32Wh. For comparison, the M10’s BP-SCL5 is rated at 1100mAh at 8.25v for a total of 8.2Wh. I’ll save you the math – that’s an impressive 63% increase in total battery power. Side-by-side, the difference is obvious with the new battery showing its pumped-up proportions, but so is the practical battery life.

Combined with advances in power efficiency, the M11 can get you through a full day of shooting on a single battery. Leica estimates a downright-impressive 1700 images per charge when using the optical rangefinder. Naturally, activating live view will cut into battery life, but a solid 700 captures by CIPA standards for 100% live view shooting is nothing to scoff at. We’ve come a long way from needing four or five batteries for a single day’s live view shooting on the M (Typ 240).

The BP-SCL7 comes in two flavors – with a black or silver bottom to match the different finish options. And those matching inserts are now metal, a nice touch, both in terms of durability and aesthetics. I’d imagine if we ever see any special edition M11 cameras with a different body finish, a battery would be made to match.

While the battery is noticeably larger, the new BC-SCL7 battery charger is actually quite compact and hopefully a sign of things to come for other systems. By ditching the standard figure-eight mains power AC connector in favor of a USB-C PD port, the charger doesn’t require an internal transformer. While this allows for a much smaller design, it also means you can use a wide array of USB-C power adapters, including one you might already have for your laptop, iPad or myriad digital devices. In fact, while the camera does come with a 10W Leica-branded USB power adapter, I’d just use a more svelte and higher-power aftermarket unit with or without space-saving flip-out prongs. I used the Anker Powerport III 20W Cube, with twice the power output in half the size of the included wall adapter.  

Because the BP-SLC7 charger is so lightweight and small, you could easily bring along an extra to charge two batteries from a dual-port charging brick like the Anker 521 40W Nano Pro. Alternatively, top up one battery in the charger and the second one in the camera, again all with USB-C.

The charger itself is nicely designed, with two LED lights on the front, a single USB-C power-in port on the back, a slot for the battery on top, along with a set of low-profile anti-slip rubber feet on the bottom. When you insert the battery, gently press down on it and catches on either side snap into two small detents on the battery, securing it with a satisfying click. The battery is held in place and won’t fall out of the charger, even when inverted, yet the system doesn’t require a release. Just pull the battery while holding the charger and out it comes with minimal force. Two rectangular LED indicators function just like other modern Leica chargers. The amber charge light will flash with decreasing frequency as the battery nears completion, with the second green LED illuminating when reaching 80% capacity.

64GB Internal Memory

In yet another first for an M camera, the M11 comes with 64GB of high-speed memory onboard. While I still recommend using high-speed UHS-II SD cards for storage as they are both faster for downloading and higher capacity – I personally use the Lexar Professional 1667x UHS-II 128GB cards, the internal memory can be useful in certain scenarios. The most obvious use cases are for those times when you either forget to put an SD card in the camera before heading out or simply run out of space on the one you’re using. Having a reserve tank offers nice peace of mind.

Beyond the covering-your-butt duty, Leica has added in some extra functionality. Due to space constraints in the slender M body, there simply isn’t room for a second SD card slot like in the SL2 and SL2-S. But you can set the camera to utilize the built-in memory like you would a second card slot. Use the default SD first setting to take advantage of the extra capacity once the SD card is full. Select the Backup (IN=SD) option to record a backup copy to the internal memory. If you shoot DNG+JPG, Split will save the DNG files to the internal memory and JPGs to the SD card. Unfortunately, I’d have preferred to see the exact opposite behavior here, with the larger DNG files going to the SD card and smaller JPGs going to the internal memory. Of course, you can opt out of using the internal memory completely by selecting SD Only. This would be my preference for most situations.

With a USB 3.1 Type-C or Thunderbolt 3 cable, images stored on internal memory can be downloaded to a computer in PTP mode or to an iOS device using the MFi setting. You can also offload pictures from the built-in storage to an SD card using the Backup memory (IN => SD) function in the Storage Management menu. Transferring 300 images (16.7GB) from the internal memory to a Lexar Pro 1667x 64GB card in camera took 3 minutes and 43 seconds for an average speed of 76MBs. Importing the same batch of photos directly into LR over a USB 3.1 cable was a bit faster at 3 minutes and 10 seconds due to a slightly higher 90MBs average data rate. Definitely serviceable, but for comparison, I imported the same 300 DNG files from the Lexar SD card using the built-in UHS-II card reader on my 16-inch MacBookPro. Here, it flew at 185MBs for a total import time of just one minute flat. In other words, the built-in memory isn’t slow, but it’s nowhere near as fast as a 250MBs UHS-II SD card and compatible reader.

Currently, the USB-C connection can be used in either Apple MFi or PTP (Point-to-point). I’d love to see two additions. The first would be a Mass Storage option, which would allow a computer to see the camera’s internal memory as a mounted external drive. Rather than relying on software like Lightroom or Capture One to transfer images, you could simply drag and drop from Finder on a Mac or Explorer on Windows. Another nice update would be the ability to plug in an external SSD or flash drive in order to back up in the field. Beyond firmware, the M11’s USB-C port would need to deliver adequate power, so while on my wish list, it may not be possible.

New Rear LCD Screen

Occupying most of the real estate on the backside of the M11, the new LCD is sure to please. With double the resolution, now 2.3 megapixels, 800 nits of maximum brightness and covering 100% of the sRGB color space, the 2.95-inch display slightly edges out the already excellent one on the SL2 and SL2-S to be the best currently offered in the Leica lineup. During my testing I used the rear screen for all my live view focusing and shooting (since the EVF wasn’t available yet), and it performed admirably. I was especially impressed with the additional clarity and dead-on color accuracy.  

New Visoflex 2

Speaking of the EVF, the M11 gets a massive upgrade with the new Visoflex 2 being launched in tandem with the camera. The somewhat rectangular and boxy EVF offers up a 3.68-megapixel OLED panel, built-in -4 to +3 adjustable diopter, ample eye relief and three positioning steps at 0°, 45° and 90°. The all-metal housing feels premium and ups durability. As an added bonus, the new Visoflex 2 will be backwards compatible with the entire M10 generation of cameras with upcoming firmware expected in March 2022. Those mainly interested in the M11 because of the new EVF might be satisfied with just a viewfinder upgrade instead. While a welcome move on Leica’s part, adding value and utility for M10 owners, there are some important caveats.

First, given camera hardware limitations, the 3.7-megapixel Visoflex 2 will display a slightly smaller image at 2.4 megapixels when mounted on an M10, the same as the current Visoflex (Typ 020). Without having seen this implementation firsthand, it’s tough to say whether there will be any tangible image quality difference from one EVF to the other. Also, if you make use of the included GPS of the current Viso, you may not want to switch since this feature hasn’t been carried over. For those hoping to use your M10 EVF on the M11…sorry, that won’t work either. The current Visoflex (Typ 020) is not forwards compatible.

Lastly, the M11 features a little extra trick for EVF users that M10 shooters won’t get. With such high resolution on the new camera, the focus aid’s 100% view could have proven to be a tad jittery, and possibly nauseating, so Leica included digital image stabilization when in magnified live view. Just to be clear, this isn’t the same kind of sensor-based IBIS of the SL2 or lens-based OIS in the Q2. The feature only smooths out the live view experience for easier critical focusing but does not offer any advantage for shooting. Immediately apparent during my testing, I’d love to see this implemented across the entire product range.

Electronic Shutter

Starting with firmware v2.0 for the SL (Typ 601) in early 2016, all Leica digital cameras since have featured electronic shutter capability…except the M system. But now the M gains this extremely useful functionality in the M11. Just like the M10 generation, mechanical speeds still top out at 1/4000th, but in Hybrid or Electronic modes, electronic shutter speeds up to 1/16,000th are now on offer. In practical terms that means that you can shoot an f/0.95 Noctilux wide open in full sun without an ND filter. Or, switch to Electronic only to eliminate all shutter vibration and shoot in complete silence. Sure, the ultra-quiet shutter carried over from the M10-P, M10-R and M10 Monochrom is barely audible in most circumstances, but sometimes you need no noise at all.

Longer shutter speeds

On the other end of the spectrum Leica has lengthened the maximum exposure time to a full 60 minutes. Considerably longer than the M10-R’s 16-minute and double the SL2’s 30-minute limit, the hour-long exposures offer up previously unobtainable night photography options. Just like on the SL2, Long Exposure Noise Reduction can be disabled if you don’t want to wait for another hour before being able to take the next shot. But before turning it off for all your pictures, remember that LENR isn’t just there as an inconvenience. By capturing and analyzing an equivalent-length dark frame exposure, image quality on long exposures improves dramatically by subtracting out any hot pixels or thermal noise.

Multifield metering

Removing the lens with the camera powered on reveals another subtle change. The sensor is exposed, with the shutter curtain opened. Even when not in Live View, the camera analyzes the scene based on information directly from the sensor rather than a traditional meter measuring light reflected off the shutter blades. In fact, the M11 has no internal light meter. Regardless of metering mode, Center-weighted, Multifield or Spot, the sensor is actively being used to measure luminance of the scene. This makes the exceptional battery life even that much more impressive, and of course, the metering system as accurate as that in a mirrorless system like the SL2.

Handgrip

Despite my appreciation for the near-perfect ergonomics of the SL2 and its chunky grip, I’ve never been a huge fan of the add-on handgrips for M cameras. I had one for my M7 yet didn’t use it much. I toyed with grips on the M240 generation, then later the M10, but still didn’t really bond with them. Instead, I much preferred a simple Thumbs Up or Leica Thumb Support. Now, Leica’s latest M11 hand grip might make me reconsider. The grip secures onto the base of the camera with a flip-out, captive screw. Finger-tighten and the connection between camera and grip is rock solid, with no play whatsoever. A rubber bottom insert hinges to grant access to the battery and the SD card slot within. No unscrewing necessary. Likewise, the USB-C port is always accessible.

But the biggest win here is for those looking to mount the M11 on a tripod. The front and rear edges combine to form a universal Arca-style quick release plate that extends the full length of the grip. Granted, this design is far from revolutionary, with Really Right Stuff offering such add-on full-length plates with optional handgrip since the days of the M9. But kudos to Leica for seeing the need and implementing a first-party solution, similar to their rollout of the Thumb Support for the M10 after years of users mounting Thumbs Ups on their Leica M cameras. If you don’t plan on using the handgrip but also want to use the M11 on a tripod, be prepared for a less-than-ideal placement of the 1/4”-20 socket – with a quick release plate, you won’t be able to access the battery release lever.

Tech from other Leica cameras

In order to improve the M11 on all fronts, Leica pulled from advancements they made on other recent cameras in the roster. They’ve done this with almost every launch in recent years. If technology or a great feature is developed for one product, it’s then made available for all subsequent ones. In taking this product engineering approach, each camera retains its individual personality yet feels immediately familiar with very little learning curve. It’s why I was able to hit the ground running with the M11 – it worked just like every other Leica camera I regularly use.  

The baseplate design echoes that of the TL2 or SL2 with a battery release lever and the bottom of the battery sitting flush with the camera’s baseplate. Lighter weight aluminum top plate construction of the black model first pioneered with the M (Typ 262) is put to good use here. The three buttons flanking the left side of the rear LCD are lifted directly from the Q2 and SL2, as is the handy touchscreen quick menu. The clickable thumbwheel – another takeoff of the SL2, was first used on the groundbreaking S2. And the three assignable function buttons, again featured from the SL2 and Q2, speed up real-world shooting. Digital crop modes of 1.3x and 1.8x work the same as those on the Q2, with overlaid framing boxes to see what’s happening outside the frame. Also on other cameras in the line-up, the electronic shutter is a welcome addition, as is the off-sensor mirrorless metering methodology pioneered on the SL.

Testing in NYC

When Leica invited me to New York to ‘see something new and exciting,’ I didn’t hesitate. Two things I love – New York City around the holidays and new toys from Leica. With the NDAs and travel arrangements out of the way, I eagerly awaited my meeting with the team from Leica USA. In a nondescript conference room in the Financial District, marketing specialist Nathan Kellum was on hand to give me a one-on-one unveiling and full rundown of the new camera. His enthusiasm for the M11 was genuine, and mine was building as he walked me through all the upgrades and features of the new M. And then he showed me some of his own images from the camera. I was blown away, and even more excited to get out and use the new beauty for a few days in the city.

And I had come prepared. I was packing my usual kit of M lenses with one notable exception. In place of my most-used and well-loved Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH FLE, I decided to up the ante with the elusive and extraordinary APO-Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH. Apart from Leica not being able to make them in any meaningful quantity to meet the overwhelming demand, the lens is about as perfect as it gets. Diminutive in size and grandiose in performance, the 35 APO is the ideal complement to the M11. Along with the 35, I brought my Super-Elmar-M 18mm f/3.8 ASPH and Elmar-M 24mm f/3.8 ASPH for wide angle work, the 50 APO-Summicron-M for portrait and general use, as well as my now 20-year old Elmarit-M 90mm f/2.8 for a bit of telephoto reach.

A stroll through Central Park

The next morning, I left my hotel and made my way through Columbus Circle then into Central Park. The goal of the day was simple – explore the Park and hope there was still some fall color hiding somewhere. This would be my nature and landscape day.

Mere steps from the hustle and bustle of Midtown Manhattan, Central Park is one of my favorite places in New York, a serene and expansive oasis in a fast-moving and congested urban jungle. Despite being early December, the Park still felt like a brisk Fall Day. Maybe it was the color still clinging to a few trees, fallen leaves fresh on ground, or perhaps the mild, mid-50’s temps.

But an almost ghost-town emptiness and stillness hung over the park. No picnickers splayed out on the various lawns basking in the sun, no kids clamoring on the playgrounds, not a single boat in the pond. I had hoped for a fresh snowfall blanketing the park in white peacefulness, but ultimately, I quite liked being witness to the quiet transition between the seasons.

Photographically, I was drawn to the details as well as the grander vistas. Most of my lenses got a good workout as I played around with different focal lengths and subject matter. The 24 Elmar worked as wonderfully for capturing the city skyline rising out of the trees as it did for bare branches arching over a wide walkway usually shady and lush in the warmer months.

My 90 Elmarit was on squirrel duty, and when combined with the 1.3x digital crop mode, made for some very engaging portraits of the local wildlife.

The 50 APO and 35 APO handled the primary walk-around shooting with their always exceptional rendering and nuance. The 35 APO also pulled double duty with its close-focus range. Combined with the stabilized live view and responsive 100% focus assist, I was able to home in on the most subtle details.

After a few hours of wandering aimlessly, I exited the tranquility of the park back to the frenetic city streets. I grabbed a late lunch, warmed up with a hot coffee and thought about where to go next. Following my park exploration, the camera battery was down to 35%. Considering the amount of live view used, I was impressed. But I wanted to do some night shooting and worried that it might not have enough juice for another few hours of heavy shooting. So, while refueling myself with food and beverage, I left the camera to charge from the myCharge battery pack. By the time I was on my way to Rockefeller Center an hour later, the battery was at 85% and ready for action.

Midtown at Christmas

Inarguably, the epicenter of nighttime holiday festivities in NYC is in Midtown. Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, Times Square. Lights galore with the crowds to match. So that’s exactly where I went to put the M11 through its paces.

Mainly relying on the 35 APO for street photography and the 18 Super-Elmar for architectural shots, I pressed my way through the throngs of locals and tourists (mostly tourists). I relied on my usual Auto ISO, letting it run up to ISO 10,000 when needed. The sensor-based multifield metering worked extremely well for the contrasty and tricky lighting conditions.

Blindingly bright lights adjacent to near-black skies, with areas awash in blue and purple – easy for most cameras, this is not. And yet, the M11 shrugged off all these challenges, delivering consistently amazing results. I’d love to take credit for the incredible exposures, but it’d be misplaced. On the post processing side, the files had so much room for highlight and shadow recovery that even near misses were no issue at all.

Rockefeller Center always makes for an excellent backdrop and in December even more so. The massive tree, lit up and topped with a star, stands proudly over the iconic ice-skating rink. Yet both are dwarfed by the main tower stretching into the night sky. The 18 just barely manages to capture the full scene. Perhaps a Wide Angle Tri-Elmar would have been better, offering a more expansive field of view at 16mm, but I’m still partial to the now-discontinued super wide angle fixed lens. Sharp, fun and easy.

While most are familiar with the rink at the Rock from movies, TV and pop culture, the one a few blocks away at the Winter Village at Bryant Park is much larger and easier to photograph. For starters, you don’t have to fight through a hoard of people just to get in position. The modern skyscrapers rising all around create an interesting juxtaposition that I like.

To top off the evening, I walked one block west to Times Square. An audacious display of lights regardless of time of year, this temple to in-your-face advertising is also home to street performers and tourist fodder.

One such troupe was putting on their nightly routine for an impressively large audience. After waiting to photograph the grand finale where one of the acrobatic performers would jump and flip over six people, which I captured employing some high-speed burst shooting, it was time to head back to the hotel and rest up for the next day.

Even after four or five more hours of shooting, the battery still had some fight in it. I hadn’t been back to my hotel since leaving 12 hours earlier that morning. Sure, I cheated a bit using the power pack, but I probably could have covered all that shooting without it. Not bad for a first day with the new camera.

First look at the M11 files

Of course, I couldn’t shoot 500 pictures with a new camera and not peek at the results. I had let the import into Lightroom run the previous night, so bleary-eyed, I sipped at my morning coffee and dove into some of the finest image quality to ever come across my screen. The SL2 is my regular go-to and sets a ridiculously high standard for file quality. Yet, even with just preliminary and rudimentary processing, the M11 images were just mind-boggling. I was taken aback by the boldness of the night shots and their striking color rendering as well as with the subtlety of detail in pictures from Central Park with overcast light.

Easily matching the resolution of the SL2, the M11 was able to succeed where that camera falls a bit short – high ISO. ISO 10,000 on the M11 was on par with the M10-R. With only a couple more days of playing, I pried myself away from the laptop, wiped the drool from my screen and got ready for another go-round with this awesome machine.

The charm of the West Village

New York is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own character…and characters. Just stay in Midtown and you’ll be missing so much. One of my favorite photographic spots is Greenwich Village and even more so, the West Village.

Walk around the narrow tree-line streets and you could easily mistake it for, well, a village. No skyscrapers here, just low-rise brick apartment buildings, eclectic shopfronts and cute cafes. Hard to believe such a different New York is just fifteen minutes by train.

After ducking into a few shops along Carmine Street and grabbing a quick bite, I meandered around the crooked, short blocks of the Village on the lookout for photo ops. On Bedford, I strolled past a cool-looking, old-school barber shop, the Neighborhood Cut and Shave. I paused, considered popping my head and snapping off a few frames, but hesitated and kept on moving.

Funny thing about this type of photography. You never regret the pictures you take, only the ones you didn’t. So, after a few blocks, I doubled back, approached one of the barbers on a break outside and asked him about taking some pictures in the shop. “Yeah, for sure. Go on in.” The guys were super nice and welcoming. So glad I went back.

The overcast skies that had hung over the city for most of the day started to clear, the sun breaking through thinning clouds and bathing the buildings in a warm afternoon glow. The conditions were perfect for some more shooting, but I had somewhere else to be. Sneaking in another shot or two, I hurried off to catch an uptown train back to Rockefeller Center.

First time at Top of the Rock

With all my trips to NYC both with family growing up and traveling there for work in more recent years, I had never been to Top of the Rock, the observation deck at Rockefeller Center. I generally shun typical touristy activities in favor of more purely photographic ones.

But with the weather forecast that evening calling for what could be a nice sunset, it looked like I was about to do both. The idea of standing in line for two hours wasn’t too appealing and was about to give up on the whole idea, until I discovered the elusive Express Pass. Turns out if you pay twice as much as a standard ticket, you can skip the line, head right to an elevator and be setting up for sunset in about ten minutes. Sold.

Once at the top, you have easy access to multiple observation decks that span two levels. Despite the long lines to get in, the viewing areas weren’t crowded at all. With large vertical breaks between the glass walls, finding an ideal shooting location was a piece of cake. I was concerned that I might have arrived too late, but the timing worked out perfectly. Almost immediately, I was rewarded with a breathtaking sunset over the New York skyline. Wasting no time, I fired away, as the intense golden glow of sunset turned to the more subtle orange and purples of dusk.

But that wasn’t the end. Especially in urban landscapes, the real party starts well after the sun has dropped below the horizon. There’s a magical window about 20 minutes after sunset when city lights turn on and contrast wonderfully against the still intense colors of the sky at the height of the blue hour. Far too many people leave early. Stick around longer than everyone else and you will get the pictures they didn’t.

But even my fancy Express Pass wouldn’t grant me use of a tripod – they have strict rules forbidding that essential piece of photo gear. As that magical time approached, my ISO values continued to climb all the way to 10,000. The results were nice, but a scene like that deserved to be treated properly, with the best possible image quality. So, I tested out a hunch. What if I used the electronic shutter to eliminate all internal vibration? Could I get sharp pictures at a slower shutter speed and lower ISO? When combined with a 2-second self-timer, the answer turned out to be a resounding yes. I managed to achieve critical sharpness at 1/10th of a second with the 35 and an even more impressive 1/6th at 24mm, allowing me to shoot at ISO 1600 instead of 10,000.

Smalls Jazz Club

Riding high after such a lovely sunset from an amazing vantage point, I considered my next move. Turn in early for the night or get some more low light photos in Lower Manhattan? The responsible thing to do would have been to call it day. But that’s not how you make photographic opportunities. If you want pictures, you need to show up. A short train ride later, I was back in the Village, this time meeting up with an old friend.

He took me to Smalls Jazz Club, a venerable Village institution. Established in 1994, the intimate 60-seat basement music club features some of the most talented jazz musicians in the city, and jam sessions that can go all night.

In a scene straight out of Goodfellas, we made a beeline to the front of the line, exchanged some pleasantries with his friend manning the door, who also happened to be the club owner, then were promptly welcomed inside and directed to make ourselves comfortable right next to the stage.

My Express Pass at Top of the Rock was one thing, but having carte blanche to shoot a live performance from anywhere and as close as I wanted was quite another. During the set break, a few of the audience members even asked if I shot often for the club, or if I was with the band.

I took full advantage of the opportunity, cycling through my M lenses and experimenting with different angles. The 35 and 50 were great for getting tighter shots, but oh that 18 Super-Elmar. Man, that lens was just the trick in that intimate venue. And being able to get within inches of the performers afforded me some incredible creative possibilities, for sure. The glorious starbursts from the spotlights just elevated the images to another level.

The show was fantastic. Christopher McBride acted as front man, emcee and played a mean alto sax. Stacey Dillard killed it on tenor sax, with Willerm Delisfort on the keys, Barry Stephenson on upright bass and Darrian Douglas moving the beat along on drums.

Midway through the first set, vocalist John Dokes came on stage to belt out You don’t know what love is. His booming but silky baritone was dripping with emotion and heartache. I switched up to the 50 APO to attempt to capture the nuance of his visceral performance.

Taking advantage of the unrestricted access and great subject matter, I experimented with both M-DNG and L-DNG, seeing how they handled the challenging lighting situation and high contrast of the club. I also pushed the camera past my usual comfort level of ISO 10,000 up to more eye-watering 25,000.

And while definitely not as clean as ISO 10,000, ISO 25,000 was surprisingly usable here. Once processed similarly, with noise reduction applied, the results from both M-DNG and L-DNG were roughly on par at every ISO I tested. Knowing what I do now, I’d probably leave the camera set to L-DNG most of the time for this kind of shooting.

Following two sets with the main band, the club opened the stage to young local musicians. A meandering jam session ensued with players lining up along the bar waiting their turn, with bass players, pianists, drummers and trumpeters all jumping right in to keep the music going. At around 2am, I called it a night. The camera still had plenty of battery charge, but I was done.

A walk on the East Side

After sleeping in a bit, I met up with my aunt and uncle for lunch and a visit. The weather was generally gloomy and gray, so if ever there was a day to take a break from shooting and spend some quality time with family, this was it. After all, the previous two days were jam packed with photography from morning to night and I was super happy with all the images coming out of the M11. So, a down day it would be.

Denizens of the Upper East Side and Yorkville, my father’s siblings walk everywhere. And during the pandemic, they only go places they can walk. So, I hopped a train uptown to meet them at a sidewalk café on East 86th street, right in their neighborhood.

After a leisurely meal, we moseyed over to Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence on the East River. I don’t have any pictures of said mansion, because one, there is a large fence surrounding it and two, the house isn’t that impressive. But Carl Schurz Park where it resides was quite nice. Dogs frolicking, people shooting hoops and runners huffing up and down the paths.

The walkway extends all the way down the bank of the East River, running alongside the FDR. So, we walked and talked while I managed to squeeze off a few shots. Not expecting any prizewinning shots, I switched over to M-DNG so I could see how the camera behaved at the lower resolution in daylight and overcast conditions.

We cut over towards Lexington Ave at 71st street, then looped back uptown towards where we started. Day quickly gave way to night, albeit with little fanfare or color. Nothing you can do about a gloomy day. But just at nightfall, I was treated to some decent blue hour conditions. The M-DNG setting worked well for this situation, but not any better than L-DNG might have, reinforcing my lessons from the previous night at Smalls.

Making the most of a sunny day

My fortunes changed the last day with a break in the otherwise dreary weather. I promptly changed my flight to a later departure, checked out of my hotel and left my bags at the bell desk. I finally had a real opportunity to put the camera to work, capturing the bold, vibrant color palette only a sunny winter day could provide. That low angle, soft-yet-hard light can be pure magic.

My plan: grab a bagel, hop a train to the trendy DUMBO neighborhood in Brooklyn, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, through Chinatown and into FiDi. None of those things happened.

See, it was Sunday in NYC. Unofficial Bagel Day. The Pick-a-Bagel oh-so-conveniently located around the corner from my hotel was jammed packed with the ordering line spilling out the door and around the block. Time for plan B. Looking at the transit map on my phone, I tried to find a decent bagel place somewhere along a Brooklyn-bound subway line. I came up with Murray’s Bagels in Greenwich Village. Sure, I had just been to the Village. Twice in as many days, but this was just a stop along the way, right?

West Village in great light

Getting off the 2 train at W 14th St, I stepped into a glorious sunny day with crisp blue skies, and everything seemed possible. Bagels were but a block away on 6th Ave, but a small corner park with an interesting white metal structure caught my eye. Just a quick stop, I told myself.

And once I got to the structure, of course an opportunity presented itself. A skateboarder was running some tricks for a small camera crew. Figuring this would be a perfect chance to try out some high-speed action photography, I switched over to my 24 Elmar, flipped the camera into Live View and positioned myself to capture the jump, making sure to get the sun in frame. If you’re going to go for it, you may as well go all the way. The camera guy gave me a friendly warning that I might get plowed into. I thanked him and prepared to get out of the way quickly if needed.

Crouching down, I manually dialed my ISO to 400, set hyperfocal distance on the 24mm at f/5.6 and switched the drive mode to high speed. Without needing to worry about focus due to depth of field or motion blur with a shutter speed of 1/2000th, I just needed to time the shot. As soon as he neared the jump, I leaned on the shutter, firing off a full burst at 4.5 fps. After a couple runs and corresponding burst attempts, I was happy with my results and ready for breakfast.  

After a much shorter line at Murray’s, I rewarded myself with an amazing bagel sandwich. With my plan back on track, I just had to go back to the train station and head to Brooklyn. But the light! Maybe I could spend just a little more time walking around the quaint side streets of the West Village before that. I’m sure DUMBO would have been fantastic after the 20-minute train ride, but I’m a firm believer in working a scene that’s working.

And the Village was getting my photo juices going. Freshly fallen yellow leaves, lovely shadows being cast by exposed fire escapes onto timeless brick facades, Sunday brunchers basking in sun – I didn’t want to leave.

Minutes turned to hours and any hope of exploring BK vanished. So, I started formulating Plan C. After a fair amount of wandering around, the south end of the High Line was just a stone’s throw away.

Never having been on the High Line but hearing how much other photographers had enjoyed it, this seemed like a no-brainer plan. The sun was already getting low and time was getting short. I picked up my pace heading west into the Meatpacking District, simultaneously trying to cover ground and keep a lookout for pictures.

The High Line

Ascending the stairs outside the Whitney Museum of American Art onto the High Line, I was finally able to see what all the fuss was about. And… maybe I was just there the wrong time of day. It was just okay. I took advantage of the change in perspective to grab a few shots looking east into Chelsea and managed at least one street scene, but I just wasn’t feeling it and decided to move on. Dashing down the next set of stairs, I hurried to the nearest subway station. There was still time to hit another spot I hadn’t been to.

The Oculus

Anxiously checking my watch, both for the rapidly approaching sunset and for my cutoff time to get all the way back to my hotel in Midtown and still make it to the airport for my flight that evening, I took what felt like the slowest local train in the entire subway system. Torturing me further, the train came to a complete stop more than once, and not at a station. With time ticking away, I followed the signs for the Oculus. And while an impressive structure for sure, I should have done my research beforehand so I wouldn’t have been surprised.

The Oculus is the atrium for an underground shopping mall, complete with holiday mall decorations. Not exactly what I was expecting, but the 18 Super-Elmar again did a fine job of extracting some nice architectural details. A quick lap around the outside and I was back on the train, saying goodbye to NYC and my time with the M11.

Do you really need 60 megapixels?

This question was on my mind quite a lot during testing. I’ve been perfectly content with 24 megapixels for a long time. It’s a sweet spot of file manageability and detail. Easy to handhold and works well with lenses new and old. Sure, the three generations of 37.5 MP Leica S cameras were my landscape workhorses for years, as is the 47 MP SL2 now. And more pixels are usually welcome for that kind of work. But for family, travel and street photography, I’ve found 24 to be just right. Whether grabbing my CL for a family rock climbing and hiking trip, using an M10-P for documentary work or shooting night scenes with the SL2-S, I rarely yearned for more resolution.

Along the way, the 40-megapixel M10-R and M10 Monochrom became the new standard for M photography just as the 47-megapixel SL2, Q2 and Q2 Monochrom took hold on the AF side of the lineup. And, yeah, sometimes that added detail is welcome. But is 60 really necessary? In an M camera no less. With no image stabilization or autofocus, would it even matter?

After testing the M11, I can easily say that no, I don’t need 60 megapixels. But I’d be lying if I said that I don’t want 60 megapixels. With the right lenses, the detail is simply astounding. But I actually discovered three practical reasons for the added pixels besides absolute image quality.

Digital Cropping

The first should be obvious to anyone who’s either used the Q2’s digital zoom or APS-C mode on the SL2. With more pixels, you can crop later in post while still maintaining adequate detail for whatever your final use might be. I’m a big believer of precise framing and getting it right in camera. But sometimes, especially with fixed-focal length M lenses topping out at 135mm, and most users including myself only packing up to a 90mm in the bag, you sometimes can’t get close enough for the shot you want.

The M11 actually has two digital crop modes, with settings for 1.3x and 1.8x. Like the Q2, when activated, a white bounding box shows the virtual crop in live view. And same as in the Q2, the crop is merely embedded as metadata. So, while the image appears in Lightroom with the crop applied, it can be adjusted, or even undone to reveal the full frame capture as long as you shoot in L-DNG. When shooting in JPG or even in DNG+JPG, the images will be permanently cropped.

More information for perspective control

I’m a big fan of geometry in pictures, and am often drawn to windows, doors and patterns. But I’m not usually that fond of keystoning, the natural propensity of lines to converge towards a vanishing point when shooting off-perpendicular at a flat subject. An unexpected benefit to the M11’s massive resolution is when editing these types of images. Even after heavy perspective correction and cropping in Lightroom, I’m left with files in excess of 35 megapixels that look absolutely perfect.

If I were starting with far lower resolution, there wouldn’t be much left over for the final product. Maybe more than digital zooming / cropping, this is the biggest highlight for me and how I shoot. Curiously absent on the M11 is the recently-introduced Leica Perspective Control. Since the camera has the necessary in-built level gauge and no shortage of image processing horsepower, my guess is that we will see this feature rolled out in a future firmware update.  

Noise reduction

Perhaps initially counterintuitive, I found that the M11 files respond better to noise reduction than ones from any other Leica camera to date. Where I shy away from dialing in more than 10-20 NR in Lightroom due to the destruction of fine detail, L-DNGs from the M11 can easily take up to 30-40 with almost no visible loss of acuity. And the noise is so effectively eliminated in shadow areas that it seems like magic. While I don’t know the exact technical reasons for this behavior, I’m speculating that because of the extremely high resolution and correspondingly tiny pixel size, noise can much more easily be isolated from detail in the debayering process.

Why bother with variable resolution?

As I was out shooting with the M11, I kept wondering when, or even if, I should drop the resolution from the full-on 60 megapixels L-DNG to 36 megapixels M-DNG or 18 megapixels S-DNG. Certainly, the new 60-megapixel BSI sensor is clearly the headlining feature of the M11 so why not take full advantage of all that glorious resolution? And yet, objectively, 36MP is sufficient for most applications. Heck, I’ve been more than satisfied with a solid 24 megapixels, long considered the sweet spot for digital capture.

But more is more. And after considering the possible reasons for shooting at lower resolution settings and evaluating a fair number of real-world images, I’d be inclined to leave the camera set to L-DNG and capture the maximum available quality.

File size

Admittedly, the high-res files take up more space, both on your SD card and computer’s drive, but not as much as you might think. Leica’s lossless DNG compression is remarkably efficient. Across the wide variety of images taken during testing, my L-DNG files ranged widely in file size from a mere 48MB to a whopping 90MB, averaging around 60MB. At 36 megapixels in M-DNG, my files varied from 26MB up to 52MB, with the average coming in about 40MB. Interestingly, and perhaps unsurprisingly, pictures taken at higher ISO settings had larger file sizes due to the less compressible fine noise in otherwise contiguous shadow areas. The takeaway though is that a 60MB file size for a 14-bit 60-megapixel image with 15 stops of dynamic range is quite a feat. Kudos to Leica for taming what could have been truly monstrous files.

Low light performance

While in theory, pixel binning to lower resolutions should lead to superior light gathering, increased dynamic range and improved high ISO performance, I didn’t notice any tangible difference in my real-world testing. I don’t evaluate images in a vacuum, nor do I give any thought to what results look like SOOC (straight out of camera). I’ve covered this topic ad nauseum in previous articles and reviews. Suffice it to say, I’m simply concerned with what I can achieve as a finished result. So, yes, all the images in this review have been processed and optimized. Why wouldn’t they be? I would never deliver unfinished photographs to a client or hang them on my wall. All that being said, once post-processed in Lightroom, I found no disadvantage to sticking with maximum resolution under every scenario I encountered in my time with the camera. Every time I switched to M-DNG, I could have easily been using L-DNG or vice versa. Bottom line – pick your resolution based on your intended use case for the final images, not the lighting situation. Of course, if Leica and/or Adobe do further optimization to the pixel-binned M-DNG and S-DNG, this recommendation might change.

Computing power

I’d acknowledge that file handling of such large images could be problematic, but in 2022 this is a lame excuse. My recently-acquired 16-inch MacBook Pro with the fantastic M1 Max processor made light work of the files, as did my previous Dell XPS with an Intel 11th Gen i9 chip. If you’re spending this kind of coin on a high-end photographic tool like the M11, just get yourself a new computer. Apple silicon M1 Pro or M1 Max systems are awesome for photo editing, but so are PCs with the latest Intel and AMD CPUs. Chip manufacturers are now showing 30-40% generational speed gains, so, don’t let limited computing power be a reason to hold yourself back photographically.

Why no S-DNG?

During my testing, I never once committed to trying out S-DNG. Sure, I’ve been happy with 24 megapixels for the last decade, but have moved on from sub-20 megapixel cameras long before that. For me, limiting myself to 18 megapixels simply isn’t worth it. Along the same lines, I can’t speak to the quality of the in-camera JPGs, because I never shot any. I’m shooting with a Leica because I want the absolute best image quality. That means DNG only and in the case of the M11, L-DNG. I’m glad I tested out M-DNG and without looking at pixel size in the metadata or zooming in to 100% I couldn’t readily tell one from another. And that’s good news for those wanting the flexibility of variable resolution.

Image Quality

Let’s get right to it, the image quality out of the M11 is simply stunning on every level. Detail, color, nuance. It’s all there. Here’s how it all breaks down. And keep in mind that all the images here and my evaluations of them are based on pre-release beta firmware.

ISO Performance

The base sensitivity of ISO 64 is a real ISO 64 and not a PULL as on other cameras. At this setting, the sensor will deliver its full 15-stops of dynamic range to handle even the most demandingly contrasty scenes. Still not enough to cope with shooting into a bright sunrise, a little auto-bracketing goes a long way here. Set the camera to three shots at 2-stop increments and the combined HDR DNG in Lightroom will have a jaw-dropping 19-stops of DR.

Quality holds tight even as the ISOs climb with ultra-clean results up to ISO 6400. At this setting, I was still able to pull up my exposure +2 stops and still get an amazing image with just a bit of noise reduction. ISO 8000 continues to look awesome but has a tad less malleability. And going even further, ISO 10,000 still impresses with a uniform and tight grain that is all but invisible at any normal output size. ISO 12,500 is solid but with just a tiny bit more noise. Just like the M10-R, I’d say ISO 12,500 is the highest ISO I’d recommend without sacrificing detail due to noise, or excessive noise reduction. Sure, ISO 16,000, ISO 20,000 and even ISO 25,000 are all completely usable but will have some visible noise in the final output. Even though the M11 offers settings up to ISO 50,000, I’d avoid going past ISO 25,000.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m blown away that the M11 at 60 megapixels can match the high ISO performance of the M10-R at 40 megapixels, while also offering a lower base ISO of 64 versus 100 on the M10-R.

Color

With a further refined color filter array mated to the BSI sensor, the M11 captures color beautifully. Even the most saturated reds, blues and yellows are deftly handled with plenty of adjustability in post processing. Nighttime scenes with tricky artificial lighting are as well represented as gorgeous daylight imagery. While editing my test images, I initially struggled a bit with the embedded M11 profile in Lightroom, but once I switched over to the Adobe Color profile, the colors and tones were easy to dial in. Just like other new camera introductions, once Adobe tweaks their camera profiles, I expect we’ll see even further improvements to the already wonderful color reproduction of the M11.

Dynamic Range

Again, the M11 impresses when it comes to dynamic range and file malleability. Like most Leica cameras there is massive amounts of shadow detail, especially at lower ISO settings. But unlike those other cameras, the M11 can extract details from some extremely bright highlights.

I took some quick snaps of a woman and her dog brunching outside in the West Village. As I walked away and reviewed the images on the LCD, her face was completely blown out by the direct sun. Flashing highlight warnings and all. I wrote these shots off, accepted the wasted opportunity and moved on. Only later in the computer when I pulled the exposure down two stops and saw how much information was in those blown highlights, did I truly appreciate the insane recovery ability of this camera. From LED signage at night in Times Square to near-specular highlights in contrasty daytime conditions, the M11 delivered.

Resolution and Detail

No surprise that the level of detail is off the charts. Paired with some of the highest-performing modern Leica M lenses like the 35 APO-Summicron, 75 Noctilux or 28 Summilux ASPH, to name but a few, the camera reveals minute details and textural nuance invisible to the naked eye. Sharpness across the frame and into the corners is exceptional. Take a look at this picture I snapped off the High Line with the 35 APO. I've also included a 100% crop sized to 3000x2000px below it. And, if you're still hungry for more pixel peeping, here's a full size 60MP export you can download. Go head and view it in Photoshop or print it out for closer evaluation.

I didn’t try any vintage or classic lenses this go-round as I was more focused on extracting every last bit of detail from the new sensor. It will be interesting to see how lower-resolving pre-modern lenses behave on such a high-megapixel sensor. Perhaps that would be an ideal use case for M-DNG, where resolution of the sensor and lenses can be more closely matched.

Besides the choice of what glass to mount on the M11, technique will be essential to take full advantage of the image quality on tap here. After all, the M11 is a manual focus camera. If you don’t nail focus, it doesn’t matter how many pixels you’re packing. Lenses need to be properly calibrated for rangefinder alignment. Thankfully, mine were, except for my historically trusty 90mm Elmarit-M. Wide-open, I couldn’t achieve sharp focus with the rangefinder. So, instead I relied on live view, which negated any mechanical calibration inaccuracies. Magnified to 100% with focus aid turned on, the new live view stabilization and higher res LCD made nailing critical focus a breeze. And while I didn’t have the pleasure of using the Visoflex 2 EVF for my testing, I’m sure that would have been an even better experience, and one that would have made me feel like less of a snapshotting tourist staring at the back of my camera. But it worked in the moment.

Accurate focus isn’t the whole story. With such high resolution and small pixels, you also need to pay attention to camera shake. The solution is easy given the M11’s excellent high ISO performance. I employed Auto ISO and set my shutter speed limit to 1/250th with a maximum ISO of 10,000. Nary a blurry picture in all my test shooting across a wide variety of lighting and subjects proves this approach works well. With these parameters, the camera will always give you adequate shutter speed at the lowest possible ISO for best image quality, ratcheting up sensitivity when you need it and dropping it down when you don’t. On the few occasions I wanted to take control of ISO for myself, a simple lift to unlock and a turn of the ISO dial did the trick. Once I got what I needed, I turned back to the red A and snapped it back down to lock in place.

Conclusion

The M11 builds on the successes of the M10 generation in every way that matters. Retaining the wonderful M body design with small refinements like button placement as well as more significant ones like the omission of the bottom plate, the M11 still evokes the iconic M aesthetic while improving where it makes the most sense.

The new 60-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor is a marvel and provides for unrivaled imaging prowess in any lighting situation with medium-format-like dynamic range. An upgraded Maestro III processor makes for a wonderfully responsive and snappy experience all around. The new high-capacity battery and astounding power efficiency deliver all-day battery life, while the USB-C port allows for on-the-go charging, or downloading directly to a computer. 64GB of internal memory has you covered for forgotten or full SD cards, or for backing up critical assignments. And the new 3.68MP OLED Visoflex 2 with electronic stabilization elevates the live view shooting experience. Electronic shutter, excellent high ISO, variable resolution, strong burst performance, upgraded Wi-Fi, Apple MFi certification. The list goes on.

And yet with all the upgrades, the M11 is still an M through and through. Pick the camera up and you immediately understand it. The elegant simplicity and the timeless nature are all there. It begs to have a lens mounted on it and be used, just like a Leica M should. Without a doubt, the M11 is worthy to bear its iconic and legendary name. If the M10 was the quintessential digital M, the Leica M11 is the ultimate digital M.

The post Leica M11 Review: The Ultimate Digital M appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

So when I first picked up the Leica SL (Typ 601) with its native Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.9-4.0 ASPH standard zoom mounted on the front, I could see that Leica had chosen to go a different direction from its iconic, and compact, M system. While the professional mirrorless SL offered ultimate flexibility with its autofocus L mount, a class-leading feature set care of cutting-edge electronics and image quality to spare, I honestly didn’t see how it was going to be an option for my bare-bones adventures and minimalist approach.

But clearly Leica made the right move with the system. Released in 2015, the groundbreaking full-frame professional mirrorless SL quickly rose to the top of the MILC (Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera) market, out-performing its competitors and creating a benchmark for future generations. Optically, the range of Vario-SL lenses offered up razor-sharp, prime-lens quality in versatile zooms.

While these Vario lenses became the bread-and-butter solution for many photographers over the last five years, they were always just a tad too big for my compact travel bag. The SL body, on the other hand, has accompanied me on several around-the-world adventures, but almost always with M lenses using the M-Adapter-L. Weighing only 6.6 oz more than the Leica M10, the Leica SL has proven to be a great alternative for Leica M glass. In fact, in some cases I’ve found the SL more capable over shooting with a native M body, especially with larger, exotic optics. With its better-balanced and steadier grip, along with the expansive, built-in high-resolution EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) with focus assistance, challenging and often hard-to-focus lenses such as the Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH are now that much more manageable and useful.

But despite the endless combinations of SL, M and even R glass available to SL users, the system still pined for a weather-sealed, compact prime of its own to complement its impressive zooms and have a lightweight option for the less-is-more traveler like myself. 

Then along came the Leica Summicron-SL lenses, and everything changed.

Part I – The Leica APO-Summicron-SL Lenses

At Photokina in September 2016, Leica unveiled a new lens roadmap. Prominently featured, the new line-up of APO-Summicron-SL f/2 ASPH lenses were significantly more compact than their Vario siblings. At the time, Leica outlined plans for focal lengths of 75, 90 and 35mm, with the possibility of more to come. Mounted on the Leica SL, the mock-up 75mm on the tradeshow floor glimpsed a future where the SL with its native prime lenses could make for a viable, compact kit. All Summicron-SL lenses would share many internal components like the Dual Synchro Drive AF system, have identical outer lens barrel dimensions both in length and the 67mm front filter thread, along with similar weights of 700-750g across the range. Even more exciting, Leica’s lead optical designer, Peter Karbe, touted that this forthcoming generation of lenses would set a new standard in optical quality. “These primes redefine everything,” he gushed during an interview with my colleague David. He went on to explain that the new Summicrons would have a sharper point-of-focus area, while simultaneously yielding more separation between focus planes with a faster transition from in focus to out of focus. Simply put, Leica optical engineers found a way to bend physics and make an f/2 lens feel more like an f/1.4, resulting in an overall more three-dimensional look. Smaller, lighter, better quality and gorgeous bokeh. Sign me up! 

In early 2018, the first of the Summicrons, the 75mm and 90mm, hit the market. And they did not disappoint. Our own testing of the 75mm confirmed that the optical performance Peter Karbe had promised wasn’t just talk or marketing jargon. (See for yourself here.) However, as the 75mm and 90mm made their way into the camera bags of many an SL shooter, they didn’t offer a solution for a compact one-camera-one-lens kit. Few shooters use anything longer than a 50mm as a primary lens, meaning SL-System shooters still had to lug around one of the heavier Vario lenses or the 50mm Summilux to round out their kit. 

So, when the APO-Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH did make its debut in the spring of 2019, it marked a new era for the Leica SL. For the first time ever, the SL with one of its own system lenses made for an easy-to-carry single-lens setup. On paper, the 35mm assured the same optical performance and “ooooh”-inducing bokeh as the 75 and 90mm. In fact, according to the numbers, the 35mm APO-Summicron-SL looked to be one of the highest performing lenses to ever come out of Wetzlar.  

Of course, tech specs only ever tell half the story. Each lens has its own personality. Its performance has as much to do with sharpness as it does the way it renders colors, how it transitions from out-of-focus areas to in-focus, what it looks like wide open, and, in the case of the SL, the behavior of the autofocus. To truly understand a lens, the only way is to actually shoot with it in a real-world scenario.

I was lucky enough to do just that. 

Part II – The Boundary Waters

Even though copies of the freshly-minted APO-Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH were, and still are scarce, I was lucky enough to secure a loaner for a four-day canoe trip through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) in Northern Minnesota. Canoeing, for anyone who’s unaware, involves being around a lot of water, and my best options for such a trip would be one of two rugged, weather-resistant Leicas currently on the market: the Q2 or the SL (Typ 601) (This was pre-SL2). Normally, I wouldn’t have hesitated to grab the Q2, but curious to try the new, travel-friendly 35mm Summicron-SL, I opted for the latter. When better to step out of my boundaries than in the Boundary Waters? Cheesy, I know. 

The Boundary Waters is to Minnesotans *raises hand* a revered place, feared and respected. “People get lost. They die up there, ya know,” my mom assures me any time it’s mentioned. The 2,700 square miles of glacially-carved wilderness is traversable only by combination of foot and canoe. To say it’s remote is an understatement. With 1,100 lakes and hundreds of miles of waterways and hiking trails, it’s easy to see how someone could get lost (and die) as my mother has warned. It’s also easy to see why those seeking adventure and solitude *raises hand again* are drawn to explore it. 

My adventure-seeking self couldn’t turn down an invitation to tag along on a Boundary Waters trip last June with my longtime friend Angie and her family, the Nelson’s. Her parents, Paul and Lydia, were seasoned BWCA-ers. They knew the lay of the land (or should I say lakes?), how to navigate, where to camp, what to pack – the list goes on. It would be a perfect chance to get a taste for the Boundary Waters, all the while catching up with close friends, and using the SL and 35mm Summicron to document the excursion.

PREPARATIONS

Spending four days in the wilderness comes with its own set of challenges, but as a photographer, there are certain added hurdles. How would I charge my camera batteries? How much SD card storage should bring? I’m generally a risk-taker and almost always a minimalist, but when it comes to having extra batteries and SD cards, I make an exception. Between borrowing and begging, I was able to rally up a total of four batteries, one for each day. I also brought along a Nitecore USB SL battery charger and a couple of external USB power packs, each good for a at least one full charge, with one featuring a solar panel to keep topped up when left out in the sun during the day.

In case of choppy waters or harsh landings, I also mocked up my own waterproof “camera bag” – a Domke wrap tossed into an 8L Sea to Summit dry bag. The SL is water resistant, but not submersible. Better safe than sorry.

With the camera gear sorted out, I had only to worry about the actual trip – ya know, the whole canoeing, hiking, and camping part. As outdoorsy and athletic as I might be considered – a frequent rock climber and hiker – I had actually never canoed extensively, and the only camping I had done was at a drive-up site with shower facilities. This was going to be real deal. 

My biggest fear, aside from running out coffee, was portaging. Those one-thousand-odd lakes don’t all connect. At some point you have no choice but to lift the canoe over your head and carry it between waterways. Some portages are short, only a couple hundred feet; others can be well over a mile. Keep in mind, there’s still your canoe pack to carry. 

These fears were quickly put to rest. The Made-in-Minnesota canoes we were provided with from Clearwater Outfitters in Grand Marais were engineering marvels. With Kevlar hulls and sleek lines, they were featherlight, roughly 40 lbs, and perfectly balanced – a far cry from the bulky aluminum canoes we had at summer camp 20 years ago. 

I also lucked out. The boys ended up carrying the canoes at every portage. We were six in all: three boys and three girls, one of each to a canoe. My paddle partner was Dan, Angie’s little brother. The last time I had seen him he was a blonde, shaggy-haired Luke Skywalker lookalike darting across our high school soccer field. Now, he was a Seattleite, worked for an electric bike startup, and, like any good Scandinavian, had a full red beard. 

In the BWCA, paddlers choose their own adventure. A route can be as casual or as aggressive as desired. Our approach was a simple one: make camp in a single site then take day trips to explore the surrounding lakes and trails. This strategy allowed us to canoe, hike and portage unencumbered by our camping gear. We weren’t out to cover great distances or break any records; we simply wanted to take in the pristine beauty of the Boundary Waters and get a little closer to nature. 

Into the Wild

After months of planning and anticipation, it was finally time to set paddle. We were entering the Boundary Waters via Bearskin Lake.All the lakes have great names like that. “Elbow” and “Disappointment” are a couple of my favorites. After making the four-hour drive up from Minneapolis, picking up the canoes, and sorting out our fishing licenses, we simply wanted to make it to camp with enough time to settle in and catch dinner.

“Do you have somewhere you can put your camera so it doesn’t get wet?” Dan asked as he steadied our canoe and I climbed into the bow. 

The Leica SL was slung across my chest. I forget that most people panic anytime they see a camera near water. 

“It’s okay. It’s weather-sealed. It could be pouring rain and it’d still be fine.”

 “Well, that’s cool.”

Sure is.

The initial trek to our campsite wasn’t far – only two paddles and one portage away. As we pushed off with our canoes fully loaded, I pictured us from the shoreline, fading into the that distant space where the lake meets the sky.

The canoe cut through the water like a knife, silent and quick. I tried to match my strokes to its rhythm, angling my paddle to break through the glassy surface just right, becoming part of the water’s movement rather than interrupting it. I was reminded of an essay by Boundary Waters conservationist Sigurd Olson where he describes: “The way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten.” Looking out, knowing that the direction in which we were headed held nothing but a vast, intimate wilderness, I could feel that freedom almost forgotten.

Our campsite was situated on a forested point that jut out into the lake. As we pulled in our canoes and ambled up the bank, we were greeted by a chorus of birdsongs. With spring creeping into summer, our feathered friends were in peak breeding season and were showing off their sweetest ballads and most striking plumage. Their orchestra accompanied us as we set about our chores: raising the tents, kindling a fire, and filtering drinking water from the lake. Periodically, the sharp poor-sam-peabody-peabody-peadbody call of a White-throated Sparrow would pierce through the chorus and keep us all on pace.

Of course, I wasn’t going to be caught in a boreal forest during breeding season without a pair of binoculars. I had brought along my mom’s Leica 8×32 Trinovid HD’s, a compact, no-nonsense optic perfect for birding. It just so happened that Lydia, Angie’s mom, had also become quite an avid birder over the years and brought her binoculars too. I had a fellow bird nerd and a partner in crime. Throughout the trip, Lydia would share with me her expertise of the area’s breeding birds and their distinct calls. 

After settling in, a few of us took to the water to try our hand at fishing. Duncan Lake was quaint, only a mile long at best. Its water was cold and clear, and allowed us see straight through to scan the bottom for fallen trees and rocky hideaways where fish like to congregate. We reeled in three beautiful Lake Trout. (None of which I caught – too busy taking photos I guess.)

A lot can be learned from fishing: patience, self-sufficiency, wildlife conservation and identification. What I didn’t expect it to teach me, though, was how incredibly close the new 35mm APO-Summicron-SL could focus. While the boys cleaned our freshly-caught dinner, I snapped away and awed at the lens’ ability to get up close and personal. Wide open at its minimum distance of 0.27m (10.6in), the 35mm’s incredible bokeh and soft transitions made even our dead trout look strikingly beautiful. I thought back to Peter Karbe’s comment about how the new Summicrons at f/2 would have the three-dimensionality of an f/1.4. I needed no further convincing. 

For dessert, Lydia made a gingerbread cake. I was baffled. Baking is a precise science. Ingredients need to be exact and your heat source even. This was not a venture for ill-equipped campers in the woods. Yet, I watched as she eyeballed measurements of water and vegetable oil, poured the finished batter into a greased camping pot, and nestled it into the glowing embers of the camp fire. How could this possibly turn out? 

It did turn out. Sure, there were some overdone edges, but overall it was a perfectly-baked, moist cake. Whatever I thought I knew about baking, I now know I know nothing.

In the evenings after dinner, we’d share a drink and line up along the shoreline, our eyes either traveling across the pages of a good book or taking in the ever-changing colors of the eternal summer dusk. I forgot how long the days were up north this time of year, and was a little disappointed upon realizing that any astrophotography would have to be done at the wee hours of the morning.  

One evening, I set my alarm for 2 AM. It seemed a shame to come all this way only to miss the stars in a pure night sky, unpolluted by city lights. Although the moon was too bright for any astrophotography, experiencing the lake at night was thrilling. Beavers chattered and splashed on a nearby shore, loons echoed their infamous, eerie calls across the water, and an anthology of frogs drummed a deep rhythm in the background.

We spent two full days exploring the surrounding lakes and trails. Even though I was a Minnesota-native, this part of the state was new to me, and I was eager to take it all in. The Nelson family has a deep appreciation for nature, and I was awed at their knowledge of everything around us. “What’s this?” I’d ask at almost every turn. And without fail, an answer would bounce back. “Marsh Miracle, or at least that’s what my grandmother used to call it.” From false morels to alpine lakes, I discovered pieces of new pieces of the landscape that I called home. 

On the third day, we got an early start and paddled to the opposite side of Duncan Lake to hike the aptly named Border Route Trail, which snakes along the border between Minnesota and Canada. Towards the beginning of the trail, we opted to take a quick detour down to the Canadian water’s edge and discovered a lovely little fall along the way. Ordinarily, I’m not big into photographing waterfalls. This cascade, however, poured into a small moss-covered ravine that had something Tolkien-esque about it. 

“You guys keep going. I’m going to stay here awhile.” I’d catch them on their way back up. 

I lowered myself into the tiny Eden and promptly set to capturing its wonder with the Leica SL. At first, I tried to frame the whole scene, but it didn’t take long to realize that its true magic was hidden in the smaller details: light undulating over the ravine walls, dew drops glistening on green moss, portraits of the oasis’ tiniest residents. 

The group doubled back around after what felt like only a few moments but was probably a half hour in non-photographer time. 

“Did you get anything good?” I showed them the picture of the frog and a “wow” echoed throughout the group. 

“It’s the lens, not the photographer.” I joked. 

By the time we finished our hike and got back to the canoes, the wind had picked. Up until then, the water had been calm and the paddling easy, but now the current was against us and we had to fight our way back across Duncan. Dan and I found a necessary rhythm. Our paddles and determination were in perfect sync. If we let up for even a moment, the canoe would drift backwards. When we finally returned to camp, we rewarded ourselves to a well-deserved beer and a refreshing (~60° F) cool-down in the lake. 

On the fourth and final morning, we took our time packing up. We made a hearty breakfast, paddled the long way back and took the scenic drive home. We even made a stop in Grand Marais to have lunch on Lake Superior. Without speaking, we knew that each of us wished we had just one more day. For me, I was already planning when I’d be back. 

PART III: IMAGE PROCESSING & FINAL THOUGHTS

Processing the images was both incredibly easy and mind-numbingly difficult. Easy, in that the images didn’t really need much processing at all. Difficult, in that I couldn’t just leave an image alone, unprocessed. No photograph can really be perfect out-of-camera, can it? Peter Karbe probably wouldn’t disagree in my saying that Leica has nigh reached out-of-camera perfection with this sensor-lens combination. Other than some minor white balance adjustments and highlight recovery, all the photographs in this article have little to no processing.

As for the experience of shooting the Leica SL and 35mm APO-Summicron-SL f/2 ASPH as a one-camera-one-body lens setup, I was far from disappointed. The SL is solid; it’s built to be taken off the beaten path and endure harsh weather. Though a bit bulkier than what I normally carry, the extra durability and ruggedness offered a welcome measure of reassurance. In fact, once home, it felt strange going back to shooting with my Leica CL and Q again. Compared to the SL, the smaller cameras both felt a bit toy-like, despite knowing the exceptional image quality they offer.

With the new Summicron-SL lenses offering the possibility of a more travel-friendly kit, the SL is set to become a go-to for adventure-seeking photographers. Pair a 35 or 50mm APO-Summicron-SL with the 75 or 90mm, along with a Q2 with its 28mm f/1.7 for a fast wide-angle, and you’ve got yourself a complete rugged, weather-sealed kit that barely fills half of a backpack. Heck, I might have to start looking at used SL’s – especially now that the SL2 has hit the market and used SL (Typ 601)’s have settled in at an affordable price.

The bottom line is that the APO-Summicron-SL 35mm is simply an incredible lens which pairs beautifully with the Leica SL. It lives up to the hype and has convinced me take a fresh look at the SL System for my adventure-focused photography.

Additional Images

The post Leica APO-Summicron-SL 35mm f/2 ASPH Review: Single-Lens Setup in the Boundary Waters appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

Although dubbed the fifth, the newest V-lux is actually the sixth generation of the superzoom compact. A look at the V-Lux family tree below shows just how far this little powerhouse has come. 

V-Lux 1 (Original)

Introduced Photokina 2006

10MP 1/1.8″ CCD Sensor

35-420mm (equiv.) f/2.8-3.7 Lens

V-Lux 2

Introduced Photokina 2010

14MP CMOS Sensor

25-600mm (equiv.) f/2.8-5.2 Lens

V-Lux 3

Introduced December 2011

12MP 1/2.3″ CMOS Sensor

25-600mm (equiv.) f/2.8-5.2 Lens

Improved ISO & Video Quality

V-Lux 4

Introduced Photokina 2012

Redeveloped 12MP 1/2.3″ CMOS Sensor with Higher ISO

25-600mm (equiv.) Lens with Constant f/2.8 Aperture

New Processor

(Read the review here)

V-Lux (Typ 114)

Introduced Photokina 2014

1-inch CMOS Sensor

25-400mm (equiv.) f/2.8-4.0 Lens

Wi-Fi

4k Video

(Read the review here)

V-Lux 5

Introduced July 2019

1-inch CMOS Sensor

25-400mm (equiv.) f/2.8-4.0 Lens

Bluetooth

Touchscreen

Some generations of the V-Lux boasted major transformations, while others offered more subtle upgrades, with each iteration building upon the last and providing a stepping stone towards the capable camera that the V-Lux is today.

At first glance, the V-Lux 5 doesn’t appear to be a major overhaul. While there are notable upgrades in technology, the heart of the camera remains the same as the Typ 114, namely a 20MP 1-inch CMOS sensor and DC Vario-Elmarit 25-400mm f/2.8-4 ASPH lens. For more manual shooters, these new tech-forward features aren’t a selling point. So, what else does the new V-Lux 5 offer, if not a new sensor or lens? 

This week I was able to try out the V-Lux 5 and see for myself.  To my surprise, I found the new V-Lux incorporates over 30 different features and menu changes, some of which are attractive to even the most traditional photographers. 

First Glance

The Leica V-Lux 5 maintains the same overall build as the Typ 114, but adopts more angular edges, a deeper front hand grip, and a finetuned button-dial layout. These simple, yet well thought out changes, result in a more ergonomic and comfortable shooting experience.  

Dual Control Wheels

The most notable change in the button/dial layout is the addition of a second control wheel on the top of the camera. These new dual wheels are reminiscent of those on the Leica CL, with the ability to assign dual functionality. Like the CL’s embedded thumbwheel buttons, the V-Lux 5’s FN5 button, situated between the two dials, can be programmed to toggle the dials between their main function and an alternate function. For example, you can set the two dials’ main functions to be Aperture and Shutter Speed, but set their alternate function to be Exposure Compensation & ISO. With a quick press of the FN5 button, you can jump back and forth between the two. For manual shooters, this means quick access and no menu-diving to change essential exposure settings.

Lens Control Ring

Taking a look at the 25-400mm lens, you’ll notice that the two switches on the barrel have been replaced with three function buttons (FN1-3). While the Typ 114’s switches had a tactile charm to them, the function buttons give you more control. Each function button can be customized, and the control ring itself, instead of being bound to the functions of Zoom or Focus, can now be assigned one of 15 different functions, including turning it off entirely.

USB Charging

The V-Lux 5 uses the same BP-DC 12 battery as the Typ 114. This is a welcomed perk for Leica Q (Typ 116) and Leica CL users like myself; all three cameras use the same battery. The V-Lux 5, like the C-Lux and D-Lux 7, come with a USB charger instead of the dedicated wall charger that came with the V-Lux (Typ 114). Personally, I prefer a standalone charger, so I can keep one battery on charge while I’m out shooting. 

Looking In

The Leica V-Lux 5 rounds out the current generation of Leica compact cameras, adopting Bluetooth, touchscreen and 4k photo technology from the Leica D-Lux and C-Lux cameras. 

Bluetooth 

The V-Lux (Typ 114) introduced WiFi and the ability to connect to the Leica FOTOS App to transfer images directly to a smart phone and remotely control the camera. The Leica V-Lux 5 takes it a step further by adding Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth allows user to pair their camera to their iOS or Android smartphone taking advantage of the device’s GPS and enabling features such as Location Logging and Auto Clock Set. 

Touchscreen (Optional)

Touchscreen functionality is woven into the V-Lux 5. When shooting, simply touch the screen to focus; in reviewing images, double tap to zoom; when navigating through the menu, swipe to scroll through settings. 

For some, the touchscreen is a welcomed and familiar addition, intuitive for most who use a smart phone or tablet. However, other more traditional shooters could do without. Leica understands this and gives users the option to customize the touch screen settings or turn it off entirely.    

4k Video Mode, Post Focus & 4k Photo 

In addition to Touchscreen and Bluetooth technology, the V-Lux 5 also incorporates 4k Photo and Post Focus modes like its D-Lux and C-Lux cousins. Although, unlike its compact cousins, which by default assign the modes to an easy-to-accidentally-press FN button, the V-Lux 5 incorporates these modes into the Drive Mode wheel on the top left of the camera.

Both the Post Focus and 4k Photo modes offer advanced in-camera processing. 4k Photo records video at 30 FPS and allows users to select desired frames after the fact and in-camera; think of 4k Photo as a really high burst mode. Post Focus records a burst of photos focused at different points and allows users to either select their focus point later or merge a series of images to create a focus-stacked image. 

These modes, while convenient, have their drawbacks. The burst of images is saved as an MP4 file, a video format. Meaning: unless you’re versed in video editing, you need to review and select your frame(s) in-camera. Personally, I have a hard time reviewing and processing images on a 3-inch LCD. In addition to the post-processing required, the resulting image for both modes is saved as an 8 megapixel JPEG, a far cry from the 20MP RAW quality of which the V-Lux 5 is capable.

Digging Deeper

For many of us who live by Leica’s das Wesentliche (“the Essentials”) philosophy, myself included, the V-Lux 5’s tech-y upgrades have little curb appeal. However, underneath the blanket of advertised technological advancements, lie layers of subtle changes that make the V-Lux 5 attractive to even the most manual of shooters. Let’s take a closer look at some of these changes. 

AUTO ISO: Minimum Shutter Speed

A most-appreciated upgrade is the ability to set a minimum shutter speed when using Auto ISO. In the Typ 114, users were able to set a maximum ISO, but weren’t able to specify a minimum shutter speed. You could tell the camera “Hey, don’t go above ISO 1600.”, but you couldn’t tell it to stay above a certain shutter speed. This meant switching between Manual, Aperture and Shutter Priority modes more often than one would like. 

As someone who photographs birds quite often, being able to set a minimum shutter speed is important. With the V-Lux 5’s zippy electronic shutter, I am able to set a minimum shutter speed up to 1/16000^thsec. Yes, that’s a bit overkill, but the option is still nice.

Extended Aperture Range (f/8 vs f/11)

One of the biggest weaknesses of the Typ 114 was the inability to stop the lens down past f/8. In a world where everybody focuses on the widest aperture of a lens, little attention is paid to the opposite end. Being able to stop down further gives you more control when photographing in bright daylight or when trying to slow your shutter speed down to capture the movement of falling water. The V-Lux 5 extends the lens’ aperture range from the historical f/2.8-8 to f/2.8-11 – a stop in the right direction if you ask me. 

Aperture & Focus Bracketing Options Added

In addition to being able to bracket exposure, the V-Lux 5 offers RAW focus and aperture bracketing, as well as White Balance bracketing in JPEG. Not to be confused with the Post Focus and 4k Photo modes, the V-Lux 5’s bracketing mode is able to record in RAW. With a single press of the shutter, you’re able to multiple images at various exposures, focus points or apertures. This is a welcomed feature for landscape and tripod shooters. And, for those who aren’t versed in post-processing, the V-Lux 5 does offer in-camera RAW processing and image merging. 

Eye Sensor Auto Focus & Improved Focusing

The V-Lux 5, aside from having slightly faster and more responsive Auto Focus, introduces several additions and improvements in focusing. One such addition is Eye Sensor Auto Focus, an interesting feature for EVF users, which utilizes the viewfinder’s motion detector to automatically focus within the designated AF area as soon as your eye reaches the finder. This feature could be advantageous when photographing wildlife, sports, kids, or any other fast-moving subject where timing is critical. 

Other focusing updates include the option to set separate vertical and horizontal focus points, as well as the ability to move the focus point in loop from one edge of the frame to the opposite. Manual and PinPoint Auto Focus users can now control the size and duration of the PIP (Picture-In-Picture) focus assist. 

Zoom Compose Assist

If you take a closer look at the function buttons on the lens barrel, you’ll notice the FN3 has a new icon below it. This icon, represented by a box with four arrows point out from each corner, represents Zoom Compost Assist, the default function assigned to the button. Zoom Compose Assist a handy a little feature that allows you to quickly preview a wider angle when shooting at long focal lengths. This is useful when you’re heavily zoomed and you’ve lost sight of your subject. Zoom Compose Assist allows you to zoom out, find your subject and zoom quickly back in without missing a beat. 

Lens Retraction & Economy Settings

The V-Lux Typ 114 allowed you turn to Sleep Mode off, but the camera would still retract the lens and power the display off after five minutes. The V-Lux 5 allows you to turn automatic lens retraction off, as well as keep the screen on indefinitely. This is minor, but makes a big difference, especially when shooting wildlife when there’s a lot of waiting followed by quick action. 

Overall

The V-Lux 5 is a well thought out camera. Its designers took a look at a camera, which was already successful and left little to be desired, and asked, “How can we make it even better?”. More than just an upgraded Typ 114, the V-Lux 5 reveals a myriad of subtle changes that come together to create a different camera altogether. 

Next up: testing image quality. How does the lens perform with its extended aperture range? Has the sensor been updated to perform better at higher ISO’s? Stay tuned.

Complete List of New Features

• Bluetooth – Allows use of GPS and Auto Time/Date functions and helps with WiFI connectivity.
• Touchscreen – For touch focusing, as well as menu & playback navigation.
• Added Function Buttons – Three customizable FN buttons have been added for a total of 8.
• Extended Aperture Range of Lens – Aperture range has been extended from f/8 to f/11.
• Minimum Shutter Speed – Can set a minimum shutter speed when shutter is set to automatic.
• Control Ring (Manual Lens Ring) – Three FN buttons instead of two switches. Can be assigned more functions.
• Dual Customizable Dials – For more control and access to essential camera settings when shooting.
• 4k Photo Mode – High burst shooting that allows you to choose your frame later.
• Post Focus Mode – “Focus Stacking” mode that allows you to choose your focus later.
• SNAP Movie – Take mini videos between 2-8 seconds.
• Zoom Compose Assist – One-press temporary “zoom out” function to help you compose when shooting at telephoto lengths.
• Focus Switching for Vert/Horz – Set separate vertical and horizontal focus points.
• Loop Movement Focus Frame – Assign a “loop movement” to a single focus point so you can jump from one edge of the frame to the opposite in a continuous loop.
• Focus/Release Priority – Adjust how and when the shutter button focuses and releases the shutter.
• Pinpoint AF Setting – Choose between PIP (Picture-In-Picture) or full frame focus magnification.
• MF Assist Display (Updated) – Like Pinpoint, choose between PIP (Picture-In-Picture) or full frame focus magnification.
• MF Guide – Choose whether or not to see the manual focus distance guide.
• m/ft – Can change the on-screen focusing guide between metric and feet.
• ISO & Exposure Compensation Display Settings – Assign an alternate function to the control wheels when adjusting ISO and Exposure Compensation.
• Photo Style Profiles Added – Monochrome HC & HC+, Cinelike D, Cinelike V
• COL(OR) Filter Settings / Simultaneous Record Without Filter – If shooting in JPEG only, you can capture two JPEGS: one with the effect and one without.
• AF Sensitivity (Photo) – Can adjust sensitivity when using AFF (Auto Focus Flexible).
• Diffraction Compensation – Helps reduce diffraction when the lens is stopped down.
• Beep – New touchtones added.
• Economy Settings – Can turn off all “Auto Power Off” settings.
• EVF Settings – Can change speed of both LCD and EVF (30 or 60 fps)
• Lens Retraction Off – Prevents the lens from retracting after inactivity.
• Level Gauge Adjust – Calibrate the built-in level gauge.
• Folder File Setting – Custom file naming.
• Playback Rating system – Give 1-5 star ratings to images.
• Playback / Clear Retouch – In-camera retouching.
• Playback/ 4k Photo Bulk Saving – Bulk process Post Focus and 4k MP4 files.
• Playback / In-Camera Photo Merging – For processing Post Focus and 4k MP4 files.

The post The Leica V-Lux 5: A Closer Look appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

Recently, I found myself in the market for a new camera bag and was leaning towards a backpack. But I didn’t want something that screamed ‘camera backpack.’ Nor was I excited by the prospect of a big, bulky pack loading me down. Whatever I went with had to be lightweight and flexible enough to handle a variety of camera setups, could function as a good travel case without a camera, and had to look good. After considering a few options, I pulled the trigger on the Everyday Backpack from Peak Design.

The Everyday Backpack comes in two sizes – a 20-liter ($259) and larger 30-liter ($289). I went with the 30-liter as it seemed the best fit for my kit.

Initial Impressions

Right off the bat, this is a sharp looking
bag. With its clean and fashionable design, the backpack is equally suited for
walking around the city or hiking on the side of a mountain. Sleek and
urban-chic, but tough and utilitarian.

Clearly, the Peak Design Everyday Backpack
is first and foremost a camera bag, but I’ve also found it incredibly capable
for traveling. Loaded with features rarely found in other bags (and I’ve had my
fair share through the years), this stylish and functional pack is in a league
of its own.

And, because the bag doesn’t look like a
camera bag at first glance, I don’t have to worry as much about being an
obvious target for theft. The added piece of mind is a great bonus, especially
when traveling with a full Leica SL kit.

Materials and Build

The bag is constructed from an ultralight
waxed 400D nylon synthetic canvas with a DWR coating and features a poly-spun
mixed twill interior with compression-molded high-density EVA foam dividers. All
the hardware is either die-cast or stamped anodized aluminum with a sandblasted
finish and a protective clear coat. Combined with the self-sealing zippers, the
attractive and weatherproof outer material keeps the wet out and makes this bag
ready for just about any outdoor adventure. The hardware feels great to the
touch, zippers are smooth, and everything is extremely well put together.

At 3lbs (1.4kg) for the 20L or 3.5 lbs
(1.6 kg) for the 30L, the Everyday Backpack is lightweight yet not flimsy. Its
compact dimensions mean that it not only fits in any international overhead
bin, but also slides under the seat. Yes, even the larger 30L size.

Design

One of the elements exclusive to the Everyday Backpack is the unique flap closure mechanism of the main compartment. It looks just like a traditional “flap over” backpack, but with zero zippers or drawstrings to keep it closed. Peak Design has developed their own patented latch system, which they call the MagLatch.

The flap has a magnetic, metal clip that latches onto one of four anchor bars on the pack. To open, just pull down on the latch handle. Locking is even simpler – it usually clicks itself into place. The system allows you to easily adjust how tight the top flap is, depending on how much you put in your backpack. Setting the latch at different positions will also change the interior volume. On the larger bag, the pack will be 22L when using the bottom latch, and 30L attached to the very top bar.

Keeping the back in mind

I have been dealing with back problems for
years, something I should have probably addressed with physical therapy but
opted not to. Nagging back issues have always made it difficult to find a
camera bag that was comfortable enough to take hiking.

This bag comes equipped with a waist belt
and sternum strap, features you’ll find in most adventure packs. But one detail
that separates the Everyday backpack from the others is the articulating
shoulder straps. These smartly designed straps are adjustable to conform to various
shoulder widths. While primarily designed to fit different builds, I’ve found
another application. If I feel one part of my shoulder starting to get sore,
simply moving the straps into a different position alleviates that pressure
point. For me, and with my back issues, the articulating straps are a game
changer.

Stowed in two small pockets for storage, the
waist belt could easily be missed. But I love that the straps packs away so discreetly.
Most hiking bags have large, bulky waist straps that hang on the side when not
in use with no way to tuck them away. Peak Design dared to think differently.
In doing so, they kept the sleek aesthetic look that makes this bag so
appealing. This belt, combined with the sternum strap that reaches across your
chest, helps prevent back pain when you’re carrying a loaded bag all day.

Obviously, the Everyday Backpack is
primarily made to be carried on your back, but you’ve got several other ways to
handle it, no pun intended. The pack has three carrying straps, one on the top
of the bag and one on each side, making for easy grab-and-go regardless of
orientation. This makes traveling with it much more convenient, from carting it
briefcase style while working up the aisle to your seat at the back of the plane
on a full flight to extracting it from a crowded overhead bin when deplaning.

There’s also a luggage sleeve running
vertically on the back, allowing the pack to rest securely on top of a rolling suitcase.
For those times when you realize you’re going to be late for your connecting flight
and need to run a forty-yard dash across the terminal, simply slide the backpack
onto your rollaboard. Instead of your bag swinging wildly side-to-side as you
sprint past the food court, it’s securely attached to your luggage, which may
or may not have just run over some other hapless traveler’s toes. But hey, you
made your flight.

More storage than a U-Haul

I recently went on a fly-fishing camping
trip to Colorado and was planning to take some pictures and video of the trip.
At first glance, I had serious doubts about squeezing my entire SL kit in this
bag. But after giving it the old college try, I was pleasantly surprised. Due
to the intuitive FlexFold shelving unit system, I was able to completely
customize the interior of the bag to fit all my gear, including a Leica SL
body, 24-90mm and 16-35mm SL zooms, a Leica CL with an 18mm lens, a pair of
Leica 8×32 Ultravid binoculars, and my DJI Mavic Air drone. Then I managed to
fit all my accessories such as extra batteries, SD cards, a portable phone charger,
a small Siuri 025X tripod, and my Yeti water bottle. And that’s just what I had
in the main compartment of the bag!

The Everyday Backpack has a dedicated area
for your laptop and electronics. On the back side of the bag, a top zipper opens
to a full-length compartment. At the top, there’s a small pouch which is
perfect for storing cables and chargers. Past that pocket you’ll notice two
sleeves, one sized for a 13” laptop and the other for an iPad. A full-on 15”
laptop will squeeze in the larger sleeve, but you’ll be sacrificing the
possibility to throw in an iPad as well.

The backpack has three points of entry to
get at the main compartment. At the top of the bag, a MagLatch-secured flap
provides access to the top pocket, and possibly the whole bag depending on how
you set it up. A hidden magnetically sealed pocket sits just beneath the top
flap, and is the perfect spot to conceal high value goodies like your wallet,
phone, passport or cash.

Running down the left and right side of the bag, two side flaps allow easy access to equipment. This design lets you get at your gear without having to fully remove the pack. Just slip off one of the shoulder straps, swing the bag around in front of you and use the side zipper to expose the contents.

An array of organizational pockets lines the inside of the side flaps, with all the contents secured by a full-length zippered lining. These are perfect for memory cards, extra batteries, cables, lens wipes, small tools, business cards, etc.

You can reach through the whole bag from
either side, making it easy to find what you’re looking for. You can also re-arrange
the three interior FlexFold shelving/divider units. Besides being able to
customize the way the shelves fit within the bag, either vertically or horizontally,
each shelf has dividers that you can either prop up or keep flat. This lets you
section the space into larger and smaller areas for different sized items.

On the outside of the bag, two large side
pockets lay flat against the bag, but can expand with elastic to fit large
water bottles or a compact tripod. Keep in mind that if do you use the outside
pockets, access to the main compartment through the side flaps will be hampered.

And if you need even more capacity, you
can use the included system of four configurable tension straps. These let you
carry larger, bulky items on the outside of the pack, like a puffer jacket,
rain shell, tripod, hiking poles, yoga mat, or whatever you might be hauling for
the day. Like other elements, the tension straps hide out of sight when not in
use. Two live in the side pockets, while the other two stow in a small
magnetically sealed compartment. For full flexibility, the straps can be
unknotted and moved to any of the ten attachment points around the outside of
the bag, letting you cinch down just about any item.

With its unique divider design, the bag is
extremely customizable and deceptively spacious. I really like being able to
access everything so easily, no matter if I’m wearing the pack or it’s laying on
the ground.

Nothing is Perfect

Even with everything the Everyday Backpack
does well, there is always room for improvement. Two areas that I think could
be addressed are the top pouch and the waist belt.  

Filling the top pouch area to the brim
makes keeping the MagLatch clipped down a challenge. If the latch comes loose,
items could either fall out of the top of the bag or just make it easier for someone
to reach in and take something. Besides the security concern, having the top of
the bag open to the elements compromises the weather resistance. And let’s face
it, an overstuffed pocket with a flap hanging open definitely takes away
something in the looks department. An easy solution is to simply not stuff this
pouch to the point of failure, but I’d like to see some additional gusseting or
perhaps a slightly modified method of closure.

My other issue is the waist belt comfort. When
I’m carrying around a lot of equipment, I find that the small strap could be a
bit more robust. On hiking packs and larger camera backpacks, waist belts can
do wonders, helping to more evenly redistribute the load away from your
shoulders and onto your hips. I appreciate Peak Design’s goal to hide straps
away when not in use, and I understand that this means having to use smaller
straps. But perhaps they can figure out a way to have larger stowaway pockets
for slightly beefier straps. A little extra width on the belt could offer significantly
more comfort.

In Conclusion

The Everyday Backpack by Peak Design packs a lot of punch for your buck. This is one of the most functional backpacks I’ve ever used. It looks great in any setting yet is extremely durable and robust. With weather sealing, a completely customizable gear compartment, plenty of carry options, laptop and tablet sleeves, and a ton of space for all your equipment, this bag is capable of handling anything you throw at it. If you are looking for a highly functional, versatile, and comfortable backpack that will last you a long time, look no further.

The post The Everyday Backpack by Peak Design Review appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

When the Leica CL was introduced a little over a year ago, the APS-C mirrorless camera joined an already full Leica roster, sharing many similarities with its siblings. Functionally equivalent to the then very recently launched TL2, but with familiar design elements of the more traditional M, the CL is an amalgam of classic and modern. While the TL2, with its sleek unibody construction and touchscreen UI, embodies minimal and futuristic, both in form and function, the CL reminds us of Leica’s past, albeit with a contemporary twist. Even though the CL evokes nostalgia of the Leica screw mount cameras from the 1930s, it also bears unmistakable resemblances to its modern-day kin, the Q and M10.

Sporting the same excellent 24-megapixel APS-C sensor,
Maestro II processor and L mount found in the TL2, the CL goes the more
traditional body design route with three rear buttons and direction pad like
its big brother, the M10. Its machined aluminum top and bottom plates, rounded sides
and smooth leatherette covering, all contribute to the Leica iconic aesthetic. And,
instead of needing an add-on EVF like the TL2, the CL has one built-in, with
the same resolution as the external 2.4 MP Visoflex 020 that’s used on the M10,
as well as the TL2.

All in all, the CL seems like a natural evolution for Leica.
And, perhaps for the first time, Leica finally has an entry level, at least for
Leica, interchangeable lens system camera. At $2,795, the CL is less than half
the price of an M or SL. This is an area where Leica has historically struggled,
namely, to have a more mainstream, more affordable offering to bring new users
into the Leica fold, while at the same time appealing to existing owners.

To me, as a long-time Leica user and frequent globetrotter, the CL looked like it might be the perfect travel camera. Of course, to be sure, I’d have to put it through its paces. And that ended up taking much longer than I could have imagined when I first set out to do so.

When the camera first arrived, I was extremely excited to dig in and get hands on. So, to share that experience as quickly as possible, I posted an unboxing and first look video on our Red Dot Forum YouTube channel. But without ample time or opportunity to shoot with the CL, my full review would have to wait.

A longer term review

I’ve reviewed almost every Leica digital camera going back
to the M8. Usually my review process follows a general timeline. I shoot intensively
with the camera for anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks, often traveling
specifically to test cameras so that my photography remains fresh and simulates
real world shooting. In my opinion, uninspired shots in an office, or down the
street, don’t really show off the range of capabilities, or the limitations of
a camera. And, generally, a couple hours aren’t long enough to develop a
well-formed opinion.

The ensuing weeks are dedicated to processing and evaluating
image quality, color, dynamic range, file malleability and overall results.
Once I’ve considered the shooting experience, assessed the subsequent post
processing, and worked on forming my analysis, I then sit down to write and
edit the actual article. The entire undertaking usually requires around a
month. Sometimes more, sometimes less. This review was different.

I traveled an enormous amount this past year. Between
leading photography workshops around the world, the usual family vacations, and
multiple trips to Germany covering Photokina and the Leitz Park III opening, I
haven’t been home for more than a couple weeks at a time before taking off
again. And, when time is so short, daily priorities often take precedence over more
involved projects like this review.

So, on the one hand, I regret not being timelier to align closer to the launch of the CL, but, on the other, the additional time has given me an opportunity to settle in with the camera and use it on more occasions. And, a bit of a spoiler alert here, I’ve been using the CL as my daily driver for the past year.

Leica APS-C System – A brief history

To fully understand Leica’s approach to APS-C in general,
and the CL specifically, we need to look back ten years and see how the concept
came to be. Leica started the large sensor in a small camera movement in late 2009
when they shoehorned a DSLR-sized APS-C sensor inside the body of a compact
camera and coupled it with a high quality 35mm (equiv.) prime lens. The Leica X1,
while not a runaway success for the company that created it, set the stage for
larger sensor, compact cameras. Prior to Leica’s foray, most mainstream camera manufacturers
were using much smaller sensors, ranging in size from 2/3 inch to Micro Four
Thirds. At the time, only full-featured DSLR cameras used the larger APS
sensors.

X1 – 2009

The original X1 featured an APS-C 12 MP CMOS sensor paired with
a 35mm f/2.8 (equiv.) lens. With a body size and design reminiscent of the
original screw mount Leica cameras of the 1920, 30 and 40s, the X1 was an
incredible first effort. And while image quality was quite good for the time,
the X1 fell a bit short with AF performance and overall speed.

X2 – 2012

Three years later, the X2 launched and was a vast improvement over its predecessor. A newer, higher resolution 16.1 MP sensor took the place of the original 12 MP and offered superior performance in just about every category. When I reviewed the camera, I found the X2 to be incredibly versatile, with just a few shortcomings. You can read my review here: Leica X2 Review: A Weekend in Berlin

X Vario – 2013

Despite the X2’s improvements, users overwhelmingly requested that Leica incorporate a zoom offering into the X line. So, just a year after the X2 introduction, in mid-2013, they did. The X Vario featured one of the best zoom lens designs to ever come out of the optics department at Leica.

But the otherwise exceptional 28-70mm lens was hampered by its modest f/3.5-6.3 maximum variable aperture. Would-be users were put off by the slow zoom, and decades of mass-market conditioning that slow apertures meant low quality kept many away. I too was guilty of initially holding a less-than-wonderful opinion of the camera when it was first announced.

The X Vario, though, brought significant improvements including a larger and higher resolution LCD screen with a UI that was more in line with the then-current M240, along with lovely manual zoom and focus rings on the lens. After some real-world usage, I changed my tune on the X Vario, and ended up carrying one in my everyday bag as a go-to for a couple years. You can read my review here: Leica X Vario (Typ 107) Review: Looking Beyond the Specs

X113 – 2014

Even after the X Vario developed somewhat of a cult
following, the pendulum had already swung back the other way. Users decided
that they didn’t really want a zoom after all, if doing so meant settling for a
slow variable aperture. So, in 2014, the X saw another significant update. The
X (Typ 113) adopted the X Vario’s body, UI design, and the same well-regarded
16.1 MP Sony chip. But, adorning the front of the camera was a faster, 35mm
f/1.7 (equiv.) Summilux. While I didn’t get around to a full review of the
X113, my wife used one as her main camera until last year, when she traded up
to a Leica Q. Truth be told, she still misses her X sometimes.  

Anyone that claims Leica doesn’t listen, or respond, to user input, would be completely off-base. In fact, if anything, Leica could be faulted for being too responsive. Even with the continued and rapid development of the X line, the X113 still struggled with the limitations of an average off-the-shelf processing chip, plaguing generation after generation with somewhat sluggish performance. And despite the super-fast 35mm prime lens, pleas for interchangeable lenses started to become increasingly persistent in the Leica user community.

T 701 – 2014

All the while, the APS team at Leica was hard at work behind the scenes. Around the same time as the X113 came to market, the T (Typ 701) made its debut. A dramatic departure from the iconic and classic designs of the past, the T was a work of industrial art.

With its sleek machined aluminum unibody shell and giant touchscreen occupying the entire back of the camera, the T looked like the lovechild of a MacBook Pro, a smartphone and a Leica camera.

Under the hood, many of the same internals from the X113 found a new home, including the 16.1 MP CMOS chip. With a near-identical imaging chain, the T offered up image quality equal to the X113 but opened the door for interchangeable lenses with a brand-new mount. You can read my review here: Leica T (Typ 701) Review

At the time, the move was a bit surprising, especially for a
small company like Leica. Between the M, S and new T mount, Leica would be developing
and producing optics in three separate mounts. Little did we know at the time,
that a fourth line of full frame lenses for the SL system were around the
corner, or that the T/L mount was developed with full frame cameras in mind
from its inception. Nor did we know that the development would eventually lead
to the recently announced L-Mount alliance with Panasonic and Sigma.

Once again, the T represented an amazing first effort for an interchangeable mirrorless camera. Innovative touchscreen UI, ultra-clean and original design, excellent lenses, and solid image quality all seemed to indicate a big potential hit for Leica.

And yet, the T never really hit its stride. The camera’s complete departure from the traditional Leica design language was both immediately intuitive and somewhat unrelatable. Besides the ergonomic considerations of a buttonless camera, there were grumblings of Leica continuing to use the same 16MP sensor from the X2, which was no longer cutting edge.

Q – 2015

The following year, in 2015, Leica launched the Q (Typ 116) and everything seemed to fall into place. Full frame 24 megapixel sensor, Maestro II processing, built-in high-res EVF, touchscreen, manual controls and fast 28mm f/1.7 lens hit all the right notes. The camera has become one of Leica’s most popular releases ever. You can read my review here: Leica Q (Typ 116) Review: A Full-Frame Mini M

Meanwhile, the APS system, which laid so much of the groundwork
necessary for the creation of the Q, languished. Leica APS system product
manager Maike Harberts and her team wasn’t sitting still, or throwing in the
towel. They continued to evaluate user needs and build upon prior efforts. And
as a result of that hard work, 2017 was going to be the year of the Leica APS
system’s triumphant return.

TL2 – 2017

First came the TL2, a massive upgrade from the first-generation
T and the 2016 TL refresh/rebrand. A brand new 24MP CMOS sensor coupled with
Leica’s speedy Maestro II processor brought the needed image quality and
responsiveness to make the TL2 what many wanted in the first go-around. During
my testing of the TL2, I was extremely impressed with camera. But the minimalist
design hadn’t caught on in a big way. Users still weren’t completely satisfied.
They wanted a return to a traditional interface. And a built-in EVF, not the
add-on option of the TL2.

CL – 2017

As 2017 came to an end, a completely new design launched. The CL, a product of continued innovation and relentless chasing of evolving customer tastes, seemed to finally achieve a magical mix of features, interface, image quality, ease of use and iconic design.

Now that we’re all caught up, let’s dive a bit deeper into the details. First, a look at the specifications in detail, then at the control concept and how the camera is designed to be operated.

Physical overview

The CL shares identical body dimensions with the X113 and the X Vario, which in turn are the same size as the original Leica screw mount cameras like the Leica I, II and III. The body is thick enough to be held comfortably, with pleasant rounded ends, but certainly not chunky. Some mirrorless cameras on the market err on the side of being too thin, or too tiny in general, making them uncomfortable to hold and leading to front-heaviness with larger lenses.

Leica has avoided these pitfalls. Rather, the TL/CL lenses balance nicely, as do M lenses when used with the M Adapter-L. Smaller SL lenses like the new range of Summicron-SLs work nicely too. The SL zooms, which offer full functionality on the CL, dwarf the camera. Unless you have a very specific reason for using the SL zooms on the CL, which I’ll cover a bit later, I wouldn't recommend using them.

The top and bottom plates are made of machined aluminum,
finished in either silver chrome or black anodized depending on the model. Both
look and feel wonderful. The magnesium chassis is wrapped in luxurious, yet
durable black leatherette, providing a solid grip even in wet conditions.

Spec Overview

• 24MP APS-C Sensor
• Maestro II processor
• Leica L mount
• 10 frames per second max burst
• ISO 100 – 50,000
• 1/8,000 sec mechanical shutter
• 1/25,000 sec electronic shutter
• 2.36 MP internal EVF
• 3-inch touchscreen
• Wi-Fi

Resolution

A quick look over the specs shows a capable and modern
camera. Twenty-four megapixels is more than enough for most photographic
applications and still allows for a bit of cropping. In my year-long usage, I’ve
never felt held back by the resolution like I had in the past with some of the
earlier X cameras.

Frame Rate

At 10 frames per second, the CL is quick shot-to-shot, with minimal
viewfinder blackout and no hesitation when snapping the shutter release. That high
FPS also allows fast refresh in the EVF and quick autofocus. Both are highly
dependent on how quickly the sensor data can be read out and processed.

Shutter

The 1/8,000 sec mechanical shutter is welcome here, especially for a compact APS-C camera, but the 1/25,000 sec electronic shutter is downright awesome. Even back in my film days, I tended to tune out the race to higher and higher max shutter speeds, as I just didn’t see much utility there. Ah, how times have changed. After having taken advantage of higher speeds, I’ve realized this is a must-have feature. It’s enabled me to use the 35mm f/1.4 TL lens wide open much of the time, even in extremely bright light, without fiddling with a front-mounted ND filter.

The shutter is user selectable. For just about all my shooting, I leave it set to Extended mode, which uses the mechanical shutter up to its max speed then seamlessly switches to electronic when higher speeds are required.

Do be aware that you’ll want to avoid shooting
quickly-moving subjects with the electronic shutter. Otherwise, even with the
rapid refresh rate of the sensor, you might end up the victim of the rolling
shutter effect, with verticals magically transforming into diagonals. I’ve yet
to see this in my year of shooting, but my photography is largely static.

ISO Range

The ISO range of 100 to 50,000 is adequate. Given my frequent
use of the 35mm f/1.4, I’ve rarely found myself wishing for a broader ISO
range. And, as a quality junkie, I’ve shied away from using the very top of the
range. Most everything has been under 6400. I’ll get into low light performance
and noise later in more detail.

EVF

A mirrorless camera’s user experience relies heavily on the
EVF and the CL doesn’t disappoint. The 2.36 megapixel EVF is large, bright and
clear. The generously sized eyecup offers plenty of eye relief and even with my
glasses, I never had any issues with losing visibility into the corners.
Objectively, I like this EVF better than the higher resolution EVF found in the
Q. Likewise, I’d rate it better than the Visoflex 020 used on the TL2 and M10.
Currently, out of the entire Leica lineup, I’d only consider the SL’s 4.4 MP
EVF superior. It’s a very good EVF.

For those with mild prescriptions wanting to shoot without
glasses, there’s an adjustable diopter control, to the right of the viewfinder.
The small wheel pulls out to dial in your setting, then clicks back to lock in
place. For anyone who has inadvertently knocked the diopter correction out on
their EVF2 or Visoflex 020 (meekly raises hand, while seeing everyone else
doing the same), the lock is a welcome addition.  

The eye sensor switches quickly and effortlessly between LCD
and EVF.

Rear LCD

The 3-inch rear LCD is about the same as the ones on the Q
and SL. It’s got about a million pixels. It’s a touchscreen. Not really much
else to say here, except that I recommend one of the Leica display protector
sets for $25. For most of my own shooting, the EVF just offers such a wonderful
experience that I rarely use the screen at arms’ reach. But for review and menu
navigation, it works quite well.

Battery

The CL utilizes the Leica BP-DC12 rechargeable lithium ion battery, which is also used in the Q and the V-Lux 114. Battery life is decent. Expect to get a few hundred shots on average. I usually carry one or two extra in my camera bag.

And with a Nitecore ULQ USB charger, I’m even able to charge my spare battery while walking around, by using a USB power bank. My favorite is the MyCharge HubPlus 6700mAh. I can charge up the CL battery and my iPhone at the same time, then just flip out the AC power prongs and plug into a wall outlet to recharge. At $60 for the charger and $70 for battery bank, this combo will run you just a bit more than the cost of an extra BP-DC12 battery. And, you can charge your phone at the same time.

Wi-Fi and Compatibility with Leica FOTOS App

Like all modern Leica digital
cameras, the CL comes standard with built-in Wi-Fi capability. The camera
creates its own network and SSID, so you don't have to worry about being near a
hot spot. Pairing the two is simple with Quick Connect. Just scan the QR code displayed
on the LCD screen in the WLAN menu and the Leica FOTOS app takes care of
everything.  

In addition to offering remote camera control, the Leica FOTOS app allows you to browse photos on your SD card and download DNGs or JPGs directly to your phone. Combine with Adobe Lightroom CC Mobile, and you’re able to process images on the go, without needing a computer or card reader. The mobile version fully supports DNG files from the CL.

I wouldn’t recommend this workflow for an entire trip or outing, as transferring over Wi-Fi is much slower than working off the physical media. But, let’s say you’re waiting for your lunch in a café. Launch the FOTOS app, pick out a few keepers, do a quick edit in LR Mobile, and share them on social media before your meal arrives.   

Simplicity – Das Wesentlichte

As with all Leica cameras in recent history, the designers
strive to deliver Das Wesentlichte, or the essentials. To that end, you won’t
find extraneous buttons and switches on the CL. Minimalism and intuitive
operation abound in a clean and functional design.

And in practice, I find the CL extremely easy and fun to use. Sure, there are a few interface elements that you need to understand when starting out, but once the concept clicks, the rest is smooth sailing.

Control concept

The CL is a certainly a blend of operational concepts. Part M10, part TL2, part Q, all working together flawlessly and intuitively. Leica has taken what could have very likely been a hodgepodge and made something easy and fun to use.

Button layout

Akin to what the M team was able to accomplish with the M10,
the CL isn’t overloaded with buttons. Rather, flanking the rear LCD you’ll find
only three buttons to the left and a D-pad to the right. Running from top to
bottom, we’ve got labeled buttons for PLAY, FN, and MENU. The first is
self-explanatory. Press the PLAY button to review your images.

FN button

The FN button works just like on the Q. A long press (press and hold) brings up a list of assignable choices, while a short press activates the selected function. The list itself can be curated in the Customize Control -> FN button menu. Toggle the options you’d like to access to On and the ones you never use to Off.

MENU button

The MENU button does what it says. Press once and you’re taken to the Favorites menu. Press again or select the Main Menu option at the bottom of this screen and you’ll get to the full menu, broken into five pages for easier navigation. And while the Favorites menu is standard across the Leica range these days, if you want to bypass it completely, just set all the options under Customize Control -> Edit Favorites to Off. Personally, I’ve grown to appreciate the convenience of having just the handful of controls that I actually interact with easily at hand and on one screen.

Top deck

The top deck sports two dials, each with a button at its
center. In between the dial sits a small monochrome status LCD, which shows
shooting mode in the upper right, along with pertinent camera data depending on
the selected mode. For M (manual), both shutter speed and aperture are
displayed. In A (aperture priority), exposure compensation takes the place of
shutter speed. The reverse is true in S (shutter priority) with shutter speed
and EV.

When you press the top left wheel’s center button, a virtual sideways scrolling mode list comes up on the LCD. Select the mode by rotating the dial. A long press here toggles Key Lock, which deactivates every single dial and button on the camera, except for the shutter release. So, if you think your camera is broken because nothing works, odds are good that you’ve accidentally activated Key Lock when you meant to change your shooting mode. Thankfully, this setting isn’t persistent, so a quick power cycle (aka turning the camera off and on again) and you’re back to normal.

The right button serves as a second customizable function
button. To assign, a long press brings up choices on the rear LCD. Just like
the FN button on the back of the camera, to control what is displayed in the
list, make your own selections in the Customize Control -> Right Wheel
Button menu.

I love the flexibility and ability to personalize the camera.
If you take just a couple minutes to go through the Customize Control menu,
you’ll have three entirely customizable control pathways and will rarely, if
ever, need to go into the full menu. Nor will you be bogged down scrolling past
options you’ll rarely use, like in my case, White Balance or Scene Mode
selection.

Controlling aperture and shutter speed

In lieu of traditional shutter speed and aperture controls like those found on the M10 and the Q, the dual wheel concept adapts based on shooting mode. By default, the right wheel controls exposure compensation in P and S, and aperture in A and M. The left wheel is responsible for shutter speed in S and M, program shift in P and exposure compensation in A. And yet again, all these default behaviors can be switched in the Customize Control -> Wheel Assignment menu. Personally, I almost always work in A mode and have quickly adapted to the standard EV comp / aperture combo.

Shutter release / on-off switch

The only remaining controls to cover are the shutter release button with on/off switch at its base and the rear LCD touchscreen. The shutter release feels great. Very nice weighting and clickiness with short, but discernable travel. The half press point is easily detectable and can be held comfortably for focus-and-recompose, or while awaiting the decisive moment.

Touchscreen

The touchscreen complements the physical controls nicely. My most often used interaction is simply double-tapping to view images at 100% percent in playback and quickly dragging the image around. Like other cameras with touch, don’t bother with pinch-to-zoom. It works, just not well. Some of the overlay menus are touch compatible, but dials are usually faster. Touch AF works well, though, and is often quicker than using the D-pad to move the focus point.

No AF-On button

My one gripe, and it’s nitpicking here, is the lack of a rear AF-On button. I’ve adapted my shooting style on AF cameras like the SL and S to decouple focus from the shutter release, and do miss this functionality on the CL. Of course, I see the value in maintaining a clean, uncluttered interface. One more joystick or button on the back of an already small camera could ruin this aesthetic. A potential workaround might be for Leica to add AF-On functionality as a selectable option for the rear FN button in a future firmware update. Since most users will hold the camera with two hands (proper shooting technique here, people.), your thumb is perfectly positioned to press the button without any finger gymnastics. There’s precedent, too. The Q’s rear button, which was originally used only to toggle digital zoom, can now be assigned to AF-On, care of recent firmware update. So, it’s certainly possible.

TL/CL lenses

The TL lens ecosystem has grown considerably since its introduction
just four years ago. A full zoom range across three lenses, covering 16mm
(equiv.) up to 200mm (equiv.) provides tons of flexibility. Four exceptional
primes round out the line. Standouts for me are the 35mm f/1.4, which is
equivalent to a 50mm, and the 60mm f/2.8 APO-Macro, which fills the role of a
90mm. These lenses are flat-out stunning and have covered most of my shooting
with the CL. And really, all the native TL lenses are excellent performers
across the board.

Lens Adaptability – Leica M, Leica SL, Leica R, Nikon F, Canon EF, PL (cine)

The CL shares the same Leica L mount as its big brother, the SL. And this means that adapting lenses is a snap. TL and SL lenses fit natively. While native TL lenses offer excellent performance in small packages, SL lenses make for an interesting hybrid approach. Considerably larger and heavier than TL glass, the full frame SL optics are reference class across the board. Throw a 75 APO-Summicron-SL on the CL and you’ve got a killer 100mm (equiv.) f/2 APO portrait or landscape lens.

The 50 Summilux-SL offers up a 75mm (equiv.) f/1.4 super bokeh monster. And for those seeking maximum reach, the 90-280 SL converts to a fast focusing, fully image stabilized 135-420mm (equiv.) f/2.8-4.

M lenses are another easy option with the M-Adapter L. In fact, my colleague Luis wrote a great piece on doing just that. You can check it out here: Using M Lenses on the Leica CL: New City, New Camera, Familiar Glass

Shooting with the CL in the real world

The camera launched in November 2017, but my first go around with the CL didn’t come until February 2018, where I took a basic kit along for our family ski trip to Park City, Utah. Obviously, most of our time was spent skiing, cooking meals, going to the movies, or relaxing in the hot tub. So, I really didn’t have too many opportunities to get out and really shoot.

I did manage a few portraits of my daughter playing in the snow and grabbed some shots when we hit up Main Street one night for dinner. The CL seemed to handle various lighting conditions quite well.

I also carried the camera with me one day skiing. Truthfully, despite being one who believes in photographing everything, all the time, I’m not a huge fan of carting a camera around on the slopes. I ski aggressively on more challenging terrain and am concerned about taking a nasty fall with a camera on my person, both for my own sake as well as the camera’s. Tumbling on packed powder isn’t as soft as it looks and a bulky object around your midsection could potentially lead to some gnarly bruising or even broken ribs. Not to mention, the camera would be toast.

My approach was to stash the CL with a 35 in my small Osprey ski backpack, which I mainly use to hold a hydration reservoir, some snacks and an extra layer. Every time I wanted to use the camera, I had to remove a shoulder strap, swing the backpack around, remove my bulky ski gloves, get to the camera, take my shot, then repeat the process in reverse. I managed to do this a few times riding the lift and on flat spots on easier runs, but the technique wasn’t ideal by any measure.

Suffice it to say, this had very little to do with the CL and more to do with me and my focus on skiing over photography. I quickly realized I needed a different testing scenario.

Heading West Again

The LHSA Spring Shoot was slated to take place in Santa Fe just
a few months later. Seeing as I had never been anywhere in New Mexico before, several
days in the high desert looked to be a perfect place to test out the CL in a
proper photocentric environment, on a photocentric trip, no less.

Now that I was committed to working with the CL with the
goal of a review, I moved on to how I’d piece together a kit.

What I packed

Staying true to my philosophy of “bring everything” I
literally brought all the things. I loaded my trusty Think Tank Retrospective 7
shoulder bag with every single TL/CL lens that Leica makes: 11-23, 18-56,
55-135, 18, 23, 35, 60. Remarkably, all these lenses fit with little fuss and
the entire bag, with the camera and all seven lenses, weighed less than 9 lbs.

Obviously, I didn’t need to bring every single lens as there
was a fair amount of overlap in focal lengths. But, because I was actively
reviewing the CL and wanted an opportunity to test every option, nothing got
left behind. The total bag weight was under my personal cutoff of 10lbs-or-less,
so I didn’t have to make any compromises there either.

I decided against taking along M lenses or SL lenses. These
would have created another layer of complexity, not to mention weight and bulk.
Moreover, I really wanted to evaluate the CL system by itself, using native
optics.

My testing goals

When testing any camera, I try to leverage the strengths of
the system and choose applications that I feel suit the intended use scenario. My
hypothesis was that the CL could be the perfect travel camera. Small and light
like the Q, but more flexible due to interchangeable lenses. So, that’s what I
aimed for.

Travel photography to me is quite simple. I strive to
capture the ambiance and flavor of a place. Many different styles of shooting
fall under this somewhat wide umbrella, but basically, I’m on the hunt for details,
vignettes, architecture, personalities and colors. It’s not street photography,
nor is it documentary.

The M has usually served as my primary travel photography
camera, but the SL, Q and X have all filled that role as well. Each has its own
advantages as well as compromises. My goal was to capture nice images, of
course, but also see how the CL compared to my experiences with other cameras.

How I used the camera

I never viewed the CL as a camera not to be taken seriously.
That might sound like a strange way to describe a Leica. But in my regular
photography during workshops, I’m using larger, higher-end systems. And when
you become accustomed to a certain echelon of equipment, often picking up a
much smaller and lighter camera, your first inclination is to treat it as a
toy, or simply dismiss it out of hand.

So, I always thought about the CL as more than a point and
shoot or snapshot camera. Rather, I made every effort to shoot it as I would an
M or SL.

Taking the CL for a spin in New Mexico

This was my first time to Santa Fe, or anywhere in New Mexico for that matter. New destinations are often some of my favorite shooting locations. The camera and I experience everything together for the first time and can carry that sense of heightened observation into the results.

Familiarity with a locale can certainly be an advantage, especially for landscape photography, but I find the novelty of a new place works extremely well for me when approaching travel photography. Always on the hunt for patterns, shapes, and color, I’m taking everything in with fresh eyes and a sense of wonder.

Situated at over 7,000 feet elevation, the light in Santa Fe is simply incredible, especially in early Spring. Rich, azure blue skies. Directional, yet low angle light emphasizes textures, creates rich, deep shadows and makes colors pop. The ubiquitous muted reddish-brown adobe sets off nicely against the largely cloudless skies. I also really appreciated the use of turquoise and blue as accents in the local architecture.

And even though situated in a desert, Santa Fe abounds with a surprising amount of greenery and plant life. Much more than I’m used to seeing in Arizona, for example.

Originally founded in 1610 by Spanish Colonists, Santa Fe is the oldest state capital in the country. With its population of around 69,000 full-time residents, the city feels more like a small town, especially in the historic old town. There, the central plaza buzzes with activity, especially as each day gets closer to the weekend. Street performers, vendors, and tourists fill the plaza and surrounding streets.

No shortage of subject matter here, with boldly colored woven blankets, dried red chilis, bleached white cow skulls, hand carved figurines, traditional pottery and more, around every corner. Not to mention the people. Sure, it’s painfully obvious that tourism plays a large role in the economy and ecosystem here, but I still think there is authenticity to be captured.   

Road tripping with the CL

Most LHSA meetings go through Sunday morning, with a banquet
or get-together on Saturday evening. So, I scheduled my flight home for early
Monday morning. This would allow me to make my way back to Albuquerque on
Sunday afternoon, stay at an airport hotel and catch my crack of dawn flight
back east. But this time, the program ended Saturday afternoon with nothing
scheduled for Sunday morning at all. Seems like I had an unplanned free day.

Tom Smith, who runs Leica Akademie North America and whom
I’ve known for years, was at the event to hand out loaner gear. I asked him
about his travel plans and turns out that he did the same. Neither of us had
anywhere to be all day on Sunday. So, we decided to take a road trip north to
Taos and see what we could find, and photograph, along the way.

That Sunday, Santa Fe was in full swing. I shot around town
while we waited for a table at Pasqual’s, one of the local hotspots for New
Mexican cuisine. Our brunch was good, but I was ready to get back out and take
some pictures.

Tom might have had to drag me to the car, as I could have easily just continued to photograph the plentiful subject matter in Santa Fe. After all, in the few days I was there, I had barely scratched the surface. There was just so much left to explore.

Frankly, I didn’t want to stop. But I did. Reluctantly. Sometimes you should work a good location to death and sometimes you need to have faith in what the road ahead holds.

With Santa Fe in the rearview, I stopped lamenting the missed shooting opportunities back in town and was up for adventure. The open road was calling, and we were answering. With a general idea of a few choice spots, we definitely had a destination. But that didn't mean that we weren't also on the lookout for any good shooting opportunities.

Española, NM

Our first stop was about halfway to Taos, at the crossroads
town of Española.
We saw a cool drive-in diner, hung a quick U-turn and decided to park and
explore. As always, you just see so many more details on foot. Once out of the
car, there was no shortage of cool locations and vignettes within a one block
radius.

The drive-in diner that initially caught our attention wasn’t open for business. So, while I had visions of a buzzing scene of motorists grabbing burritos curbside under a neon glow, what I got was a seemingly deserted roadside stop with a red and white motif that contrasted nicely with the cloudless blue sky. No neon. No customers. But still interesting. Turns out, the barber shop next door was a far better subject anyway, with their not-so-subtle signage.

Down the block, I stumbled upon an abandoned apartment complex, complete with crumbling white facades and peeling turquoise doors. I even managed to shoot an interior, sticking my head through a hole in one of the exterior walls.

Around the development, everything was in various states of decay, from a makeshift basketball court to mailboxes. The ghost town vibe was intriguing, but just a little bit eerie. And we were both anxious to get to our next stop, which should have only been another 30 minutes north.

Another quick stop

But before we reached that destination, we both eyed a gorgeous fully restored 1955 Chevy Bel Air parked on the side of the road, its metallic blue paint shimmering in the midday sun.

Tom looked at me from the passenger seat, smiled knowingly and said, prophetically, “So, if we stop to shoot that car, we need to be prepared for a somewhat long conversation with the owner.” Indeed, the owner was working in his yard, just a stone's throw from the Chevy. We pulled over.

We didn't make it a minute before the gentleman came over to talk to us. I could swear he put the car there as bait, to lure in unsuspecting passersbys. But not for any reason other than to show off and chat up those who could appreciate his baby. Tom's prediction was right on the money. We got the full tour and history of the car. On the plus side, we also got access to the all-original matching blue interior.

Classical Gas Museum

Motoring on, we arrived at the Classical Gas Museum in the
tiny community of Embudo, NM. A passion and obsession of Johnnie Meier, a
retired engineer from Los Alamos laboratories, the museum showcases one of the
largest collections of gas station relics and memorabilia.

As we parked, Johnnie approached our car and greeted us. He explained that the ‘new’ stuff could be found inside and the ‘old’ stuff was outside, with some items scattered in the front and the remainder on a half-acre out back.

We decided that inside would be a good place to start. He led the way, unlocked the door and flipped on the lights. And I do mean all the lights. The interior of the small museum building came to life, as scores of old gas station signs lit up in a fantastic glow of color.

The ‘new’ pumps inside were vintage gas station pumps fully restored to their former glory by Johnnie himself. To start things off, I threw on the 11-23 to take in the entire scene, before working my way through the details.

The CL impressed me by capturing the colors of the illuminated signs wonderfully. Bright neon in dimly lit spaces can be challenging, but the CL managed the task with aplomb.

While we walked around, Johnnie regaled us with stories of notable visitors and would-be-purchasers. He remarked that despite the number of zeros on some of the checks he’s been offered over the years, he has always declined. The collection simply wasn’t, and still isn’t, for sale.

We also got the scoop on just how one acquires such a large catalog of vintage items. At first, Johnnie would hop in his truck and venture out around New Mexico and neighboring states in search of treasures. But, eventually, people just started calling him, asking if he wanted an old pump, or sign, or box of old oil cans. Now, he has amassed a seemingly endless supply of paraphernalia.

Back outside, I felt like a kid in a candy store. Or, in my case, a detail photographer in a junkyard. Tom spoke with Johnnie while I giddily wandered amongst the assorted loot.

Both the 35 and the 60 were magical here, letting me easily capture the textures and subtle colors on display. And, by shooting wide open and getting close, I was able to isolate the various subjects and create a sense of space despite the crowded environment.

The wide angle lenses also got some time to get in on the action. Both the 18mm and 11-23mm were perfect for creating some more dramatic perspectives. Again, I couldn't get over just how light and effortless the CL was with the 18mm pancake mounted. Or the flexibility of the 11-23mm.

I’m fairly sure I went through at least half a battery in the junkyard. I just love this kind of photography. And the CL absolutely shined in this environment. Again, I could have easily continued shooting until the sun went down.

But all that shooting works up an appetite, so we called it a wrap. Two lots over, Sugars was serving up BBQ and road food. We thanked Johnnie for his hospitality, tossed some cash in his donation jar (he gives all of it away to charity at the end of the year), and packed it in.

Tom was finishing up his ribs while I explored. The outdoor picnic-style dining area wasn't that interesting photographically, especially compared to the Gas Museum. But, I did learn that Sugar was the dog, at least according to the framed picture I spotted next to the order window.

Taos or Bust

Driving alongside the Rio Grande on Route 86, I spotted a faded green pickup truck at a pull-off. Tom nearly had a heart attack as I came to a sudden stop, swung through the oncoming lane and somehow made it into the small dirt parking area.

Now, I just thought the truck was the shot. But as I glanced down towards the river bank, I noticed two locals fishing. The sun was getting low and bathed half of the valley in a fantastic golden hue. I scrambled down the small dusty hill, casually snapping a few shots, each time getting a little closer.

The fishermen didn’t seem bothered by my presence. When I got close enough, I asked them how the fishing was, where they were from and remarked on what a beautiful day it was.

As we talked, I grabbed a shot here and there. One of the guys caught a small trout while we were standing there. He held it up so I could take a picture. Man, that was some good light.

Of course, all I had on me was the 35 Lux. My camera bag was at the top of the hill. But I had no complaints. The shooting was great and the 35 was more than up to the task. For just about the entire series, I shot wide open, letting the camera’s shutter run up as high as it needed to.

Tom looked on knowingly and when I made my way back to the car, he shook his head. “What a great scene. I thought about joining you down there, but I didn’t want to break the mood. Shouldn’t have hesitated.” And he was spot on. So many times, to put yourself in a position to get great images, specifically of people, you need to overcome your own reluctance and fight the instinct to hesitate.

Subjects can sense a photographer’s unease and often won’t feel comfortable themselves. You just need to be relaxed, friendly and engage in a non-pushy manner. And sometimes, the pieces come together with great light, an interesting scene and compelling subjects.

Before arriving in Taos, we came upon a gorgeous stretch of highway and had to stop. Again. Hey, life and photography are about the journey, not the destination, right? On the other side of the road, a lone majestic, leafless tree spread its branches across a cloud-filled sky, begging to be photographed. I obliged.

And with the car close at hand, this time I took my camera bag and worked the scene with a variety of lenses. The 11-23 perfectly captured the scale and the gorgeous sky that was forming in the desert. It also worked well to create a dramatic juxtaposition with the faded mailbox.

Throwing the 35 Lux on, I created an entirely different composition from the other side of the road. That's why I'm always trying different vantage points and focal lengths. Taken just a minute or two later, the more compressed, flatter variation gives another perspective of the same subject.

And the 55-135 saw some of its first use on the trip, bringing the distant mountains and gorge into view with dark rain clouds looming ominously above them. With the light starting to fade, I needed to crank my ISO up a bit in order to sharp handheld speeds.

Running out of daylight and constantly getting sidetracked, we decided that it was ‘Taos or bust’ time. No more “quick stops.” We had a mission and were just going to have to pass up some good stuff along the way if we were going to make it Taos for sunset.

But arriving in town offered little in terms of inspiration. There had to be a sunset location somewhere, right? Ah, the curse of the sunset foreground. I’ve lost count of how many ridiculously stunning sunsets I’ve blown because I couldn’t find a decent foreground in time. And it was happening again. With such an awesome day of photography, we had to finish on a high note. So, we raced around town, trying to find something.

And when that search came up short, we hightailed it back the way we came until finding a pull-off into the desert, where I shot an uninspiring silhouette of a large, leafless shrub. That was it. At least I got a chance to use the tripod I had brought along. This is the one and only picture that I didn't shoot handheld.

We drove ten minutes back to Taos, ate what was to be our final New Mexico burrito with green chili sauce, and pored over pictures on my laptop.

My disappointment with the frantic and anticlimactic sunset chase melted away as I marveled at just how many incredible shooting opportunities has presented themselves in a single day. Adding those to my already successful Santa Fe endeavors, I had way more keepers than I could have hoped for.

The food was great and with a fire our bellies from those local hatch chilis, we started the hour and a half hour trek back to Santa Fe in the dark, where I dropped Tom off. We said our goodbyes, and I continued on to Albuquerque to check into my hotel to grab two measly hours of shuteye before my flight home. Worth it. Totally worth it.

Thoughts after New Mexico

I’ve certainly had plenty of time to evaluate the CL and use
it well after my initial testing in New Mexico. As with all cameras, there is
no such thing as a perfect camera, for every style of photography, and for all
photographers. But for me, and my photography, the CL gets close to hitting the
mark as a near-perfect travel companion.

Fun and easy

The CL is simply a blast to use. Everything is easy and
intuitive. Focus is accurate. The viewfinder is awesome. Unlike a larger camera
system, I never once felt fatigued. No sore shoulders or aching lower back from
the ever-growing weight of a bulky camera bag. And not because I pared down.
Rather, I had every single TL lens in my bag on my first major outing. Yet, I still
felt a sense of freedom.

I don’t think I can stress this point enough. I didn’t have
to sacrifice image quality, or the flexibility the variety of focal lengths
affords. Being unencumbered, I could wander more comfortably. The light weight didn’t
require my attention and I could concentrate entirely on my surroundings and
making pictures.  

And this is true for most travel in general. A camera
shouldn’t be a burden. Rather, a good travel camera should serve as an
unassuming companion. There when you need it, unnoticed when you don’t. In this
role, the CL works brilliantly.

What I used

I tried to use everything. But, ultimately, I gravitated to the primes. They are just so good. Looking back, I probably could have gotten by with just the 18, 35 and 60. In full-frame equivalents, these would equate to 28, 50 and 90.

Now, if you’re familiar with any of my previous reviews, or my photography in general, you might find this surprising. See, I’m not a 28/50 shooter. Not even a little bit. My happy place is 24/35/90. So, why didn’t I stick to the 23 f/2, which would equate to a 35 Cron? Honestly, I can’t say. The 23 is a great little lens, but after initially forcing myself to press the new 18mm f/2.8 pancake into service, I kind of fell in love with it.

Sharp, with excellent color and contrast, I haven’t found anything I don’t like about it. And the size. It’s so tiny! With the 18 mounted, the CL can slip into a jacket pocket. Perhaps if the 18 had been available to me when I went skiing with the camera that first time, I might have tried to make it work.

Moving on to my favorite, the 35 Lux. This lens is magical.
It would be the one lens that I’d say everyone who is considering the CL needs.
I can’t live without it. Really. Some have asked me why I would use the 35 TL
when I already have the 35 Lux FLE for the M. Valid question. The 35 Summilux-M
ASPH is indeed my go-to lens for the M10 or M Monochrom, and can be easily
adapted to the CL, but I really enjoy the TL variant. Image quality is
exceptional, especially wide opfocen. Obviously, the M lens is no slouch either,
so that’s not the deciding factor. For me, the real clincher is the minimum
focus distance of 0.3m for the TL versus 0.7m for the M.

Even though the 35 is a normal lens, and not a macro, the ability to move in close and grab detail shots is fantastic. And while conventional wisdom says you can’t achieve the same bokeh with an APS camera, I can get even more than a full frame M when shooting close-up and wide-open.

The other aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked is the native AF and auto aperture integration offered on the TL. Despite my self-professed purist tendencies, the speed and spontaneity of point-and-shoot operation is tough to beat on a small camera. The only negative I’ve found on the 35 TL is its susceptibility to lateral chromatic aberration under the right circumstances. For shots where CA has reared its ugly head, Lightrooms easy CA controls have completely eliminated any purple fringing from my final images.

Rounding out the trinity is the 60 APO-Macro-TL. Another serious piece of glass right here. The 60 holds the distinction of being the very first 1:1, or life-size, macro that Leica has ever made. Yes, really. All the legendary R macro lenses? 1:2 The reference-class 120 APO-Macro-S? 1:2.

When combined with the 24MP sensor in the CL, the 60 renders a ridiculous amount of detail. And the bokeh? Luscious and smooth. And while CA can creep in a bit with the 35, the 60 earns its APO moniker, keeping any and all chromatic aberration at bay, even under torture-test conditions.

Of course, while I could get by with just these three primes,
I would be remiss if I didn’t say how much fun the 11-23 can be. Equivalent to
a 16-35mm in full frame, the wide zoom really rounded out my kit. Sharp, low distortion,
and easy to handle. For users who tend to shoot wide, the 11-23 could make for
an attractive walkaround option. Even disregarding the extreme wide end, you’d
get a 35, 28, 24, and 21 in one compact package. The sacrifice for this flexibility
is the slower variable maximum aperture of f/3.5-4.5. But, the addition of a
fast prime, either native TL, or adapted from a different system solves this.

Lenses that didn’t get much love

The 23, 18-56, and 55-135 were virtually tied as my least used lenses. Out of my initial edit of around 300 shots in New Mexico, each lens accounted for less than 10 shots apiece. Compare that to 140 taken with the 35 Lux and you get the idea of how much I love the 35.

So, why didn’t I use these lenses? Are they bad? Certainly not. In fact, all three are excellent. When I first reviewed the original T (Typ 701), the 23 and 18-56 were the only lenses available. And I enjoyed shooting with them immensely.

For the 18-56, I found that my three-lens prime kit could
cover this exact range more handily and with much wider apertures. The zoom was
redundant. If I hadn’t gone the 18/35/60 route, then the standard zoom would
have found much more use.

By all accounts, the 23 should be my standard lens, as I
gravitate to 35mm equivalent in every system I shoot. The lens is compact, only
slightly larger than the 18 pancake. It’s extremely sharp and offers a fast f/2
maximum aperture. But I barely touched it. Look, the 35 Lux is magic. And
flexible. Add the 11-23 to mix and the 23 becomes somewhat unnecessary,
although I will give the performance edge to the 23 prime.  

Unfortunately, I think that the 55-135 got a bit of a bad
break on my NM trip. Most of my shooting was around towns and relatively close up.
Only a few locations in the desert lent themselves to telephoto. If I had
skewed more towards landscape shooting and less travel photography, the long
zoom would have definitely seen more action. The majority of my photography
happens between 24 and 90, but I do love tele for landscapes. In fact, when I tested
the TL2 along the Maine coast, the 55-135 saw considerable use, proving a
worthy companion and excellent creative tool. For the range offered, the lens
is light and compact, a clear advantage of the smaller APS-C format.

Image quality

When I started playing with my CL files in Lightroom, I was
surprised by just how good they were. I mean, I’m used to full frame Leica
cameras like the M10, SL and Q, not to mention my main landscape workhorse, the
medium format S007. And while the CL is positioned as a somewhat entry level
system camera in the lineup, the files are anything but.

Colors are exquisite. Vibrant and punchy, but not artificial.
The rich blue skies of the high desert were rendered beautifully, especially
when contrasted against the ruddy adobe buildings. Greenery looks natural. Reds
pop without drifting towards magenta or orange.

To my eye, the DNGs from the CL respond very similarly to those
from the SL in Lightroom. There is a decent amount of shadow and highlight
recoverability before tending towards an overly HDRish look when pushed to the
max.

Dynamic Range

Not scientific by any measure, but I’d estimate that the CL offers
dynamic range just shy of the SL. Here’s a shot that blew my mind. One of the
more famous sights in Santa Fe is the Miracle Staircase in the Loretto Chapel.
Just a short walk from my hotel, I figured I’d check it out. Without my tripod.
The 20-foot-high helical staircase has no central support or metal structure
whatsoever. In fact, it doesn’t even have a single nail. The whole all-wood spiral
is self-supporting. A miracle of carpentry and craftsmanship, the stairs make
two full turns and have stood there since completion in the late 1800s.

So, I threw on the 11-23 and tried to capture the staircase.
Directly adjacent, a large stained-glass window posed a considerable challenge
to my exposure. I could meter for the dimly lit stairs, and blow out the
window, or I could expose for the window and let the shadows go black. I
decided to give the latter a shot. Here, you can see the original capture with
seemingly no information in the shadows whatsoever.

And, here’s the final image, with simple exposure adjustment
and shadow recovery in Lightroom, and not an HDR blend from multiple captures.
I honestly was not expecting this result. After seeing how much I could work
these files in post, I realized just how capable the little CL can be.

Low light performance

I didn’t do a ton of low light shooting in New Mexico, but from experience, ISO 6400 is entirely usable. Noise is well controlled, and what shows is monochromatic and tightly packed. A quick +20 on the noise reduction slider in Lightroom will reign in just about any image with little fuss and no loss of file detail.

Color reproduction and saturation is also largely unaffected at higher ISOs. I’d rate the low light ability of the CL relative to the Q, M10 or SL similar to dynamic range – about one stop less. Bear in mind that these are all full-frame cameras, where the CL uses APS-C.

Where does the CL fit into the Leica range?

When the CL first came out, I tried my best to figure out where it fits into the growing range of Leica cameras. And, indeed, many Leica shooters and would-be purchasers have asked me the same thing. So, here goes.

Compared to SL

The SL is Leica’s professional-grade full frame mirrorless camera. Serving as a technology platform, the SL features the highest resolution EVF, the fastest AF, the most effective image stabilization and the most powerful processor, all in a rugged and weather-sealed package.

The SL lenses are reference class through-and-through, with more impressive glass on the horizon. I like to think of the CL as a baby SL. Both are mirrorless L-mount cameras. The SL is more capable, but the CL is more portable and half the cost.

Compared to TL2

Not surprisingly, the CL and TL2 are the most similar as
they share the most crucial internal components. Both feature the same 24MP
APS-C CMOS sensor, Maestro II image processor, and L mount. So, with the same
lens, same sensor, and same processor you can expect almost identical photographic
performance.

What makes these two cameras different is their differing
design aesthetics and user interface approaches. The TL2 is minimal and modern,
with a large touchscreen serving as the primary control surface. The CL has
some of the same elements, like the touchscreen and assignable dual top dials,
but offers a more classic design with physical buttons on the back.

Another notable difference between the two is the implementation of the EVF. On the CL, the electronic viewfinder is built-in. The TL2 sacrifices an internal EVF for a larger rear LCD and streamlined design. So, the EVF is an add-on, with an optional Visoflex 020 sliding into the hotshoe of the camera.

And while this might seem like a huge downside to the TL2, the external EVF offers two distinct advantages. First, the Visoflex functions as a GPS receiver, embedding geotag data into the files. And secondly, the external finder pivots 90 degrees allowing ‘waist level’ shooting, which can be much more discreet in certain situations as well as affording some creative freedom for low-angle positioning. But, in most circumstances, and for most users, the convenience of a built-in EVF outweigh these two benefits.

Compared to Q

Over the past year, I’ve lost count of how many people have
asked me whether they should get a Q or a CL. Indeed, when paired with a lens,
the total cost of a basic CL kit is roughly on par with a Q.

With the Q, you get a full frame sensor paired with the
stellar 28mm f/1.7 Summilux with macro capability. The CL trades the full frame
sensor for an APS-C one but offers greater flexibility with interchangeable
lenses based on Leica’s L mount.

Compared to M10

The M10 is a manual focus rangefinder. And while the CL might evoke elements of the M, and can take M lenses, the fundamental operational concept is quite different.

The M is unique in the camera world and will remain so. That being said, the CL nicely compliments the M10 as a backup or second body as M lenses do work quite well with the adapter.

How I see the CL

My perspective might be skewed by the other Leica cameras
that I shoot with, but here’s my take. I think that the CL can work well in a
few capacities.

As a small system camera

Mainly, the CL can certainly stand on its own and makes for a
seriously capable system camera. For those wanting to get into a real Leica in
a more affordable way, the CL is a great choice. A new CL is even less than a
used M body these days. And a used CL is a downright bargain. As are the
lenses. I have no reservations recommending the CL as someone’s main kit, or as
an entry into the Leica world. If a photographer is looking to eventually build
up to a full M kit, the CL works as a body for a burgeoning M lens collection.
If an SL is the ultimate goal, the cross-compatibility of the L mount makes for
an easy transition as well.

CL as a backup body

Some photographers never embark on an important excursion
without packing a backup camera body. I can’t argue with the logic here, as
there are some scenarios where a camera failure, fall, or theft would put you completely
out of commission, photographically speaking. And I think the CL can work here
on a few fronts, pairing admirably with its larger siblings.

As a backup to the
M10

With the simplicity of mounting M lenses and easily focusing
them using focus magnification and focus peaking, the CL makes for a natural
backup to the M10, or a color companion to an M Monochrom. Just throw the M Adapter-L,
or the M Adapter-T as it was originally called, on the camera, mount your
favorite M lens and you’re good to go. The 1.5x sensor crop does change the
character of the lens, so plan accordingly.

I like the idea of packing a CL with the 18mm alongside your
M kit. Taking up less space than an M body on its own. The little camera and
lens combo gives you a backup body, plus the ability to have a pocketable, high
quality AF point and shoot to take out to dinner, to a wedding, with friends,
etc. when the M would be a little too much.

As a backup to the SL

With the exact same L lens mount, the CL also makes for an
ideal backup to the SL. Again, the 1.5x crop factor comes into play, but can
usually be worked around with the addition of a couple of native TL lenses. To
cover the wide end, an 11-23 TL does nicely, for example. And while massive
relative to the diminutive proportions of the CL, both the 24-90 and 90-280 SL
lenses work remarkably well. The 90-280, in particular, is of special note.

As a 1.5x teleconverter

When I asked some of the optical designers at Leica about
the possibility of releasing a teleconverter for the SL to extend the 90-280,
they said that Leica already offers one. “It’s called the Leica CL.” Yes, even
Leica thinks of the CL as a teleconverter. And this makes sense. An optical
teleconverter would probably cost about the same as a CL body, result in a
marginal decrease in image quality and a 1-2 stop reduction in maximum
aperture. Using the CL to turn the 90-280 into a 135-420 equivalent lens, the
f/2.8-4 speed is unaffected, with no hit to optical performance. Clearly, the
tele zoom is more than up to the task of resolving details on the higher pixel
density sensor, even wide open. Full AF and optical image stabilization
function are both maintained.

So, if you think you might be needing greater reach than you can get with the 90-280 on your SL, the CL makes a whole lot of sense as both a backup body and a teleconverter. On a space and weight-limited outing like a Safari, the CL would be the perfect addition to an SL kit.

Is the CL a Mini M?

In my review of the Leica Q in 2015, I called the camera a
Mini M. This moniker was originally used to underwhelming effect for the X
Vario a couple years earlier, which was not initially well received and
arguably not at all a Mini M. The Q, though, got closer to this hallowed name
with its shutter speed dial on top and aperture and focus rings on the lens,
echoing the M.

So, is the CL the new Mini M? After all, the CL works great
with M lenses via the M-Adapter L.

Well, I still think the Q is more Mini-M than the CL. The CL
to me, feels like a Mini SL. Both are interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras,
even sharing the same lens mount. The interface is different, with the rear controls
resembling the M10 more than the SL. The top of the camera borrows from the
dual dial layout of the TL2.

The CL could have ended up looking like a mishmash with all
its inter-camera cross breeding, but rather, the result is clean, functional
and easily configurable.

Common Concerns

I’ve fielded a small handful questions and concerns on the
CL, legitimate and non-issues both. I’ll run through some of the most common
here, with my thoughts.

Lack of OIS and IBIS

Some have worried about that the lack of image stabilization in the CL with a few even dismissing the camera completely for this omission. IBIS, or In-Body Image Stabilization, is a very popular buzzword these days. And while I’m not discounting the value of a good IS system, never once have I felt that I could have gotten a shot, or wouldn’t have missed a shot, had I had IS on the CL. Just hasn’t happened in the thousands of images I’ve shot with the camera over the past year or so.

So, either I’m superhuman (I’m not, BTW), or the camera has the magical combination of solid high ISO performance, fast lenses and minimal shutter vibration. And like all current Leica cameras, finding the ideal Auto ISO settings is key to consistently sharp images. For me, a minimum shutter speed of 1/125th does the trick for most walk-around shooting. In low light, I can easily get away with 1/30th, especially with wider lenses like the 18mm.  

Not full frame

The CL is not full frame. It’s got an APS-C sensor. And this
might be an issue for many photographers. I’m not one of them.

Between the capabilities of the TL lenses and the solid 24MP
sensor, I’ve been getting results that rival the Q, M10 and SL. The superb resolving
power plus the luscious bokeh on lenses like the 35 Lux and 60 APO-Macro allow
the CL images to easily pass for ones coming out of its full frame siblings.

Over the years, I’ve shot with plenty of APS-C DSLRs and the CL is performing at a different level. Would full frame with the same lens mount be nice? Sure. It’s called the SL. Snarkiness aside, one look at the size difference between the SL and the CL and you can easily see why fitting a full frame chip into a more diminutive body just wouldn’t be possible.

The smaller sensor allows both the camera body and TL lenses to be much more compact, one of the biggest complaints from would-be SL shooters who love the camera, but don’t want to carry the weight or deal with the bulk.

Soft controls vs. dedicated controls on Q

So, this one is isn’t totally in the pro or con column and
really comes down to how you like to use a camera. The Q, as well as the M, has
fixed controls – shutter speed dial on the top of the camera, with aperture and
focus rings on the lens. For many users, especially those who started out with film
cameras, this concept is very straightforward. The CL goes more the modern
route, along the lines of the SL and TL2. The two top dials are configurable.
As are the center function buttons inside them. For users who really like to
tweak all their settings, this is a fantastic interface. But, for those coming
strictly from the analog side, soft controls could be slightly confusing with
too many various ways of interacting and controlling the camera.

Final Thoughts

The CL is a real Leica, through and through. Striking back to the company’s roots, Leica has delivered a small camera with big image quality. Easy to use, yet fully featured. The imaging performance of the APS-C 24-megapixel sensor combined with the stunning TL lenses result in images from the CL that look extremely close to those coming off the full-frame Leica SL. The ergonomics are great, the UI is clean and straightforward and the EVF is large and clear. It's an amazing camera despite its size. And a pleasure to carry because of it.

For me, the CL has become an easy grab and go, and has
continued to join me on new adventures. In many ways, the CL is the camera I’ve
been waiting for since the early days of digital. Small, without sacrifice.
Fun, but more than a toy. Serious enough for real work, yet simple enough to be
a point and shoot. And try as I might, I find little not to love about it. If
you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a huge fan of the Leica CL.

If you're considering picking up a Leica CL, or anything Leica for that matter, please consider doing so at Leica Store Miami. Getting your gear through Leica Store Miami is a great way to support this site.

Even more images

Apparently, the CL makes getting good pictures a little too easy, because I ended up with way too many shots. Here are some more images that didn't find their way into the main review, but that I really liked. Be sure to click on the thumbnails for a larger view, then just use the arrow icons to advance through the gallery.

Tech Specs

Lens Mount		Leica L bayonet with contact strip for communication between lens and camera
Compatible lenses		Lenses with Leica L-Mount, Leica M/R lenses using the Leica M-Adapter L/R-Adapter L
Sensor		APS-C sized CMOS sensor (23.6 x 15.7 mm) with 24.96/24.24 million pixels (total/effective), aspect ratio 3:2
Photo Resolution		DNG: 6016 x 4014 Pixels (24 Megapixels), JPEG: optional 6000 x 4000 Pixels (24 Megapixels), or 4272 x 2856 Pixels (12 Megapixels), or 3024 x 2016 Pixels (6 Megapixels)
Photo file formats/compression rates		DNG, JPG or DNG + JPG
Video Recording Format		MP4
Video resolution / frame rate		4K 30 fps, full HD 60 or 30 fps, HD 30 fps
Video recording time		Depending on ambient or housing temperature video recordings are possible up to a maximum length of 29 minutes, maximum file size is 4 GB, if a recording exceeds this limit, the respective part is automatically stored in another file
Storage media		SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards, multimedia cards, UHS II-standard is supported (32GB internal memory)
ISO range		Automatic, ISO 100 to ISO 50000
White balance		Automatic, presets for daylight, cloudy, halogen lighting, shadow, electronic flash, two memory slots for manually metered settings, manual color temperature setting
Autofocus system		Contrast based, 49 points
Autofocus metering methods		Single point, multiple point, spot, face detection, touch AF
Exposure modes		Program AE, aperture priority AE, shutter priority AE, manual exposure setting, scene mode, video
Exposure metering		Multi-zone, center-weighted, spot
Exposure compensation		±3 EV in 1/3 EV increments
Automatic bracketing		Three pictures in graduations up to ±3 EV, adjustable in 1/3 EV increments
Shutter speed range		30 s to 1⁄25000 s (up to 1⁄8000 s with mechanical shutter, higher speeds with electronic shutter)
Burst shooting		Max. approx. 10 fps with mechanical shutter, 10fps with electronic shutter function, max. approx. 33 pictures (DNG + JPG) and max. approx. 140 pictures (JPG only) at full speed, then depending on memory card properties
Flash modes		Adjustable with attached, system compatible flash (no built-in flash)
Flash exposure compensation		±3 EV in 1/3 EV increments
Flash synchronization		1/180 s
Recommended Flash Unit		Leica SF 40 flash
Monitor		3” TFT LCD, 1.04MP, touch and gesture control possible
Top Display		Resolution: 128 × 58 pixels
Self timer		Selectable delay time 2 or 12 s
Wi-Fi		IEEE 802.11b/g/n, WLAN-compatible WPA/WPA2
Power supply		Leica BP-DC12 lithium ion battery, rated voltage 7.2 V, capacity 1200 mAh (min.) (based on CIPA standard): approx. 220 pictures, charging time (after total discharge): approx. 140 min. Manufacturers: Panasonic Energy (Wuxi) Co., Ltd, made in China
Viewfinder		Resolution: 2.36 MP, magnification: 0.74×, ± 4 diopter settings, with eye-sensor for automatic switching between viewfinder and monitor
Body		Top plate and baseplate in machined and anodized aluminum, magnesium front and rear shell
Tripod thread		A 1/4 DIN 4503 (1/4”)
Dimensions		131× 78 × 45 mm
Weight		403 g/353 g (with/without battery)
Software		Leica CL App (remote control and image transfer, free download from Apple App-Store/Google Play Store)
Warranty		2 years

The post Leica CL Review: The Perfect Travel Camera appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

While simple enough to read through the launch material and check out the official product photos (which we posted about here: Leica Q-P in Stealth Matte Black Released), I wanted to dive a bit deeper into the Q-P to really see what makes this camera special. If you're not familiar with the Q (which the Q-P shares all other functions and features with) you can check out our in-depth review here: Leica Q (Typ 116) Review: A Full-Frame Mini M.

It's hard to show just how different the finish is on the Q-P from other Leica cameras. In this close-up you can just make out the slight texture in the paint.

Fortunately, I was able to get my hands on a Leica Q-P, no small feat given their relative rarity, and now I can see what it's all about. Let's get the obvious out of the way first. The Q-P is more expensive than the Q. $500 more to be precise ($4,995 versus $4,495 as of this writing). What exactly are you getting for your $500? Leica throws in a spare battery with the Q-P, which retails alone for $95. You also get a lovely brown leather Leica neck strap, which is actually unique to the Q-P but similar straps have sold for about $125 from Leica in the past. Now the price gap between the Leica Q-P and the Q has narrowed to $280.

The brown leather strap included with the camera is quite nice, and is exclusive to the Leica Q-P (you can't buy it on its own). It's adjustable from 41-44 inches.

The Paint

The major new “feature” for the Q-P is the matte black finish. It's actually quite challenging to show the finish properly in photographs. Especially because it has a very subtle, but noticeable, texture to it that really needs to be experienced firsthand. When the Q-P was launched, we immediately drew a comparison to another special edition Leica, the M Monochrom “Stealth Edition” which also sported this matte black paint. But now that I have both cameras side by side (thanks to a very generous Leica enthusiast willing to share), it's actually interesting to see that the finish on the Q-P is even more matte than the Stealth Edition. I'm not sure if this is because the finish itself is different, or because the Q-P's body is made from different material, but the finish on the Q-P is the most matte finish I've ever seen on any Leica model. It barely reflects any light, especially compared to other finishes.

This photo may be ugly, but using a direct, on-camera flash you can clearly see just how matte the finish on the Q-P (bottom-right) is. On top is the Monochrom Stealth Edition, and bottom-left is the regular Q.

And for a real Leica geek like myself, an exciting part of this new finish is that, of course, the Q-P's lens hood and lens cap are in the same matte paint as the camera body. These parts are available to purchase separately if you want to add a bit of matte finish to your regular Q. Sadly, the hot shoe cover has not been changed from the Q.

Other Key Improvements

New finish aside, the major functional change for the Q-P is a redesigned power switch and shutter button assembly. It's no secret that on the regular Q and its variations, the low-profile nature of the power switch made it a bit tricky to change between OFF, S and C (especially when you're not looking at the camera). The Leica Q-P's switch is 50% taller (3mm on the Q versus 4.5mm on the Q-P) and 10% wider (17.3mm versus 15.7mm). I knew there was a reason I kept a micrometer in my desk drawer!

The power switch on the Q-P has been dramatically improved with a 50% height increase.

The redesigned Q-P shutter button will be familiar to M10 and CL shooters. In this photo the 10% width increase of the switch is also clearly visible.

What you can't easily tell from the official photos is that the end of the power switch on the Q-P actually sticks out just a bit over the edge of the camera body, whereas the switch on the Q sits flush. This small adjustment, combined with the taller and wider switch, makes it far easier to move the switch precisely between its three positions. It feels more like the power switch on the M10 or CL. There is not much I would change from the Q given the chance, but the power switch would be at the top of that short list. Thankfully, Leica brought this enhancement to the Q-P.

On the left you can see how the power switch of the Q-P sticks out just a bit further than the Q's switch, which makes it far easier to engage the desired position between OFF, S & C.

Classic “P” Styling Cues

Cosmetic changes beyond the matte paint are in line with what we would expect from a P model. Namely, the red Leica dot logo has been removed from the front of the camera, The LEICA Q designation on the top plate has been replaced with the classic Leica script logo, along with LEICA CAMERA WETZLAR GERMANY (which has been relocated here from the back of the regular Q), and the previously blank hot shoe carries the LEICA Q-P logo. The crisp white lettering on the top plate contrasts beautifully with the flat matte paint on the camera. A final classy touch is the yellow numbering on the lens has been changed to red.

The Q-P has the classic Leica script logo on the top plate, along with branding on the hot shoe.

Previously located above the rear LCD, the LEICA CAMERA WETZLAR GERMANY text has been moved to the top of the Q-P, giving the back of the camera more discreet appearance.

The feet distance scale and focal length indicator on the Q-P's lens is now in red font, versus yellow on the Q.

The Value Question

The real question of course…is the Q-P worth the extra $500 over the regular Q? I think the obvious answer is yes, as long as you are a fan of the matte black finish. I realize that the classic “black paint” look has a lot of fans, but personally I like the discreet, slick look of the Q-P. This follows Leica's trend of “black chrome” cameras (like the M10 and both versions of the Monochrom) which are also a matte black finish, but takes it a few steps further. The $500 premium over the standard Q is easy to justify, considering you are getting over $200 in additional accessories, plus the Q-P will certainly retain its value better than the Q, as it will inevitably be produced in considerably smaller numbers.

The best news? The Leica Q-P is now available at Leica Store Miami. You can order by clicking the link below, emailing info@leicastoremiami.com, or calling 305-921-4433.

Order the Leica Q-P

The post The Leica Q-P: A Closer Look appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

For those needing longer reach, the 90-280 puts even the sharpest Leica R prime tele lenses to shame. Yes, even the legendary ones. And with autofocus, auto aperture, image stabilization and full weather sealing to boot. You can read my full review here. Rounding out the zooms, the just-introduced 16-35 could prove to be the finest wide angle zoom ever made – truly a landscape photographer’s dream. With these three zooms, the SL will cover 16-280mm, enough for the vast majority of photographers.

But, many Leica shooters have been looking for more than just a range of zoom lenses, even if they offer unparalleled performance. And while I personally don’t find the sizes of these lenses objectionable for the capability they offer, many are yearning for something lighter and more portable. Many SL users want primes, and small ones at that.

The 50 f/1.4 Summilux-SL came out last year and set a new standard for a normal lens (Full review here).Tack sharp with gorgeous bokeh. But, no help in the size department. The 50 Lux shares the same 82mm front diameter and voluminous lens barrel as the zooms. Clearly, Leica can’t just keep rolling out gargantuan lenses, no matter how exceptional.

Summicron-SL Range

At the last Photokina, Leica answered the call. They showed off mock-ups for a range of new f/2 Summicron-SL primes. Starting with 35, 75 and 90, the Crons all share the same barrel dimensions, sporting a much more reasonable 67mm front filter size. But even with the reduction in size, no sacrifice would be made on image quality. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Sitting down with Peter Karbe, the head of optical design, I learned that this new range of lenses would raise the bar with regards to optical performance. Again. The Summicron-SL lenses would represent the best prime lenses Leica has ever made. In his words, “These primes redefine everything. They are simply amazing in terms of total optical performance, as well as mechanical. Fast autofocus. Next level image quality.” No small statement.

Peter Karbe, Head of Optics for Leica Camera AG

Peter has made similar claims since we started discussing lenses over a decade ago, and I’ve come to accept remarks like this not merely as hyperbole or marketing speak. The Super-Elmar Ms, the 50 APO M, the entire line of S lenses, the SL zooms – all exemplary. No matter how impossible it seems, the optics department just keeps cranking out ridiculously good glass, one right after the other. Maybe it’s something in the water…or beer…in Wetzlar. Regardless, I’m not complaining.

So, when I was able to get my hands on one of the first 75mm f/2 APO-Summicron-SL lenses, I was ready and raring to see if the resulting images matched up to the promises. The short answer: yup. The long? Read on.

The APO-Summicron-SL 75mm f/2 ASPH

Squeezed into the confines of the relatively small 67mm diameter barrel is a revolutionary new optical design consisting of 11 elements in 9 groups with one aspherical. The aspherical element corrects monochromatic aberrations. And to earn its APO moniker, all elements are made of special glass types, the majority of which feature anamolous partial dispersion, correcting all chromatic aberrations.

Focus on Focus

Good glass is only as capable as the ability to achieve accurate focus. Here, attention was paid to both autofocus and manual focus systems. Like all Summicron-SL lenses, the 75 gets Leica’s new Dual Syncro Drive mechanism. Two extremely lightweight focusing elements, weighing a mere 10g apiece, get their own high-precision stepper motor. Linked together in a complex control system, the motors move the focusing elements in perfect sync, cover the entire focus range in milliseconds and maintain exacting accuracy even with rapid acceleration and braking. The internal focusing system is particularly advantageous in the close focus range, where this portrait lens really shines.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/125th @ f/2.2, ISO 3200

On the manual focus side, the 75 offers fantastic drag and feel. Like all SL lenses, the focus ring is fly-by-wire, meaning there is no mechanical linkage between the ring itself and the focusing mechanism. But fear not. Leica uses a magnet with alternating north-south magnetization embedded in the focus ring and detects even the slightest changes in polarity for an extremely fluid and responsive focus feel.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/500th @ f/2, ISO 100

Size, Weight and Balance

Despite its relatively compact dimensions, the 75 is dense at 720g (1.6 lbs), especially towards the mount end. And not in a bad way. Anyone familiar with Leica will immediately recognize that sensation of confidence that comes with knowing that no corners were cut in the making of this lens. All metal construction, packed with exotic glass, heavy-duty motors and fully weather sealed, the 75 exudes pure quality, inside and out.

Once mounted on the camera, the combination balances beautifully, aided by the somewhat rear-heavy balance in the lens. This shifts the center of gravity almost perfectly to the lens mount. The fusion of the tank-like SL and solid 75 yields a very comfortable shooting experience.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/1,250th @ f/2, ISO 100

Taking the 75 out for a spin

I didn’t have a lot of time to test. Between a family ski trip and co-leading a 10-day winter Iceland workshop, I’d only have a weekend with the new lens. And, writing this review would have to wait until I was back home for a while.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/640th @ f/2, ISO 100

I took my 11-year-old daughter Sophia with me for an impromptu photo shoot. We strolled around downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk in the afternoon, snapping images along the way. I was curious to see how the lens handled strong backlighting, deep contrast, busy backgrounds, and artificial lighting at night. And a sometimes quick-moving kid.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/1,000th @ f/2, ISO 400

For most people, 75mm is an ideal portrait focal length, and the 75mm APO-Summicron-SL is a stunner for portraits. The minimum focus distance of 0.5m works for even the tightest head shots, showcasing the Cron’s astonishing resolving power and luscious bokeh.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/400th @ f/2, ISO 400

The 1:5 reproduction can pull double duty for near-macro applications as well. I was able to quickly grab close up shots as we were looking for portrait shooting locations.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/400th @ f/2, ISO 400

The lens works equally well for longer distance shots where you want to get some subject-background separation, or clean up a slightly busy scene.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/4,000th @ f/2.2, ISO 100

I also managed to sneak in some of my usual detail shots, which the 75 SL excelled at. The edge-to-edge sharpness captured even the finest details and textures with stunning precision.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/250th @ f/4.5, ISO 200

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/1,000th @ f/8, ISO 100

Image Quality

No surprises here. The resulting images more than live up to the hype. The 75 APO SL manages to produce images with technical perfection and, simultaneously, a gentle realism. The closest analog for the rendering of the lens is that of a high-end cine lens, like the Leica Summilux-C line, which cost in excess of $40,000. Each.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/10,000th @ f/2, ISO 100

Out of focus areas are bokeliscous. Buttery smooth falloff. The look varies based largely on what's behind your subject. Darker backgrounds will be rendered more lusciously. Lighter ones more airy.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/400th @ f/2, ISO 100

At close focus and with defined illumination sources in the background, you’ll be rewarded with big, round balls of light and color. Approaching minimum focus, the effect becomes more pronounced.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/125th @ f/2, ISO 2000

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/160th @ f/2, ISO 1600

Back off a little from your subject and the result will be a little more natural, with the bokeh taking on a more subtle note.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/125th @ f/2, ISO 2000

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/160th @ f/2, ISO 1000

The focus plane is stunningly sharp and crisp. Contrast is perfect. Subjects pop off the background with a defined three-dimensional presence, the manifestation of the compressed sharpness curve that Peter Karbe and I spoke about at the last Photokina.

New sharpness gradient is an interesting way to see how the 75 SL achieves such three-dimensionality

I couldn’t see any chromatic aberrations whatsoever, under any circumstance. Distortion is either non-existent or unnoticeable in any of my samples. Edge-to-edge sharpness, like so much Leica glass these days, is there for the taking.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/320th @ f/8, ISO 100

Compared to the APO-Summicron-M 75mm f/2 ASPH

Just like in my 50 Summilux-SL review, I shot a series of head-to-head comparison tests in studio to see how the 75 SL performed versus the well-loved and inarguably awesome 75 APO-Summicron-M. Both f/2 lenses. Both 75mm. I shot the lenses on a tripod-mounted SL in studio, with daylight balanced 98 CRI LED Fresnel lights shot through diffusion, providing accurate and even illumination. I autofocused the SL lens using single point AF-S and used the 100% focus aid to dial in manual focus on the M lens. To account for any focus shift, I reacquired focus at every aperture. All images had exactly the same settings applied in Lightroom and both had lens profiles applied in camera, the M lens through the 6-bit detection on the M adapter and the SL lens via native support. Be sure to click on each picture to view the full size.

For the first round, I tried shooting from around 1.5m (5 feet). This is a common shooting distance, especially for portraits. You might notice that the 75 M image has slightly more magnification than the 75 SL. The 75 M specs show an actual focal length of 74.8mm, so my guess is that the 75 SL is slightly shorter than 75mm. This isn’t uncommon for lenses, and certainly no cause for concern. But in a head-to-head match-up the differences become apparent.

Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH @ f/2 (Distance: 1.5m)

Leica APO-Summicron-M 75mm ASPH @ f/2 (Distance: 1.5m)

Taking a look here at 100%, the fine filaments of the yarn have more crispness and smoothness when viewed through the 75 SL. There is more apparent contrast in the details, but the scene doesn’t look contrasty. I think this is an important distinction to make, as the technical nature of the new SL glass doesn’t get in the way of an overall pleasing look. Another take-away is that even though the 75 SL is at a slight disadvantage due to a few less pixels on the subject from the same distance, it still outresolves the M lens. Again, be sure to click the images to view them full size – the crops measure 1800 x 1200 pixels. 

Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH @ f/2 (Distance: 1.5m) – 100% Crop

Leica APO-Summicron-M 75mm ASPH @ f/2 (Distance: 1.5m) – 100% Crop

For the second round, I moved in closer, to 0.7m, the minimum focus distance on the 75 APO M. Here, we’re looking to examine close focus performance. As expected, both lenses do quite well. Both the floating element design of the M lens and the dual focus elements of the SL lens optimize close range quality.

Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH @ f/2 (Distance: 0.7m)

Leica APO-Summicron-M 75mm ASPH @ f/2 (Distance: 0.7m)

Again, looking at 100%, the SL is pulling ahead in pure sharpness without giving up any subtlety in the falloff to out of focus.

Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH @ f/2 (Distance: 0.7m) – 100% Crop

Leica APO-Summicron-M 75mm ASPH @ f/2 (Distance: 0.7m) – 100% Crop

The third round was a solo one, as I wanted to get the highest reproduction ratio possible by moving in to 0.5m, mimimum focus distance for the SL lens. The 75 SL turns out amazing detail resolution and the falloff gets even silkier, but the 75 M lens can’t focus this close.

Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH @ f/2 (Distance: 0.5m)

Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH @ f/2 (Distance: 0.5m) – 100% Crop

We can see this performance difference by comparing the MTF charts for both lenses side-by-side. The SL lens is pulling an incredible 80% contrast wide open at 40 lp/mm, while the M lens is at a very respectable 60%. Stopped down two stops, the 75 SL is still putting up slightly better numbers, clocking in at more than 80% contrast.

Bottom line: the 75 SL is noticeably sharper that the legendary 75 APO M, and can focus 20cm, or roughly 8 inches, closer. The 75 M by no means puts in a poor performance here. Rather, the SL lens just pushes the bar that much higher from what could be described as a reference-level optic in the venerable M lens. This follows a similar theme from the results I analyzed from testing the 50 Summilux-SL and the 90-280 SL versus their legendary manual focus counterparts, the 50 APO-Summicron-M and the 180 APO-Elmarit-R.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/640th @ f/2, ISO 100

Final Thoughts

If the 75 SL is any indication of what’s to come, the SL lens line might very well set the standard for the very best in optics from Leica. Fine details are resolved with precision. Out of focus rendering is silky smooth with cinematic bokeh. Contrast and color are spot on. Challenging lighting is readily handled. Distortion, color aberrations vignetting are nowhere to be found.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/160th @ f/2, ISO 800

And, while I didn’t have a chance to test the 90 APO SL yet, just judging from the MTF charts, the 75’s slightly longer sibling appears to be slightly superior in the sharpness department, but at this point, we’re splitting hairs. Both lenses are truly reference class, and class-leading at that. Besides their stellar imaging capability, the new line of Summicron SL lenses finally come in a size that SL users have been clamoring for.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/1250th @ f/2, ISO 100

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/640th @ f/2, ISO 100

Now that both the 75 and 90 are available, which would I recommend? Well, they’re the same exact size with just a small difference in weight. Both lenses are sharper than just about anything out there, including their M and R counterparts. My advice is simple. Get whichever focal length you are most comfortable with. As much as I’m a 90 shooter myself, I had a great time rocking out the 75.

So, yeah. You can’t go wrong with either. Now, Leica, how about that 35 Cron?

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/8,000th @ f/2, ISO 100

Availability of the 75 SL

The 75mm APO-Summicron-SL ASPH started shipping earlier this year for $4,750 and is available from Leica Store Miami. Getting your gear through Leica Store Miami is a great way to support this site.

Leica SL (Typ 601) with APO-Summicron-SL 75mm ASPH
1/125th @ f/2, ISO 500

More About the SL-System

If you want to learn more about the Leica SL, be sure to check out my full review of the camera (Leica SL (Typ 601)Review: A Professional Mirrorless Camera) along with reviews of the 50 Summilux -SL (Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH Review: A New Standard) and the 90-280 Vario-Elmarit-SL (Leica APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90-280mm f/2.8-4 Lens Review: Telephoto Titan for the SL (Typ 601)).

Additional Sample Image Gallery

Tech Specs

The post Leica APO-Summicron-SL 75mm f/2 ASPH Review appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

When one of the first 75 Noctilux lenses came across my desk yesterday, I took it into the studio for a quick unboxing and overview video. In the video, I talk about the brand new optical design, mount the lens on both the M10 and the SL bodies, and share my thoughts on this behemoth. Enjoy!

The lens is priced at $12,795. Leica Store Miami is currently accepting pre-orders, either by calling 305-921-4433, emailing or clicking the link below:

Order the Noctilux-M 75mm f/1.25 Now

The post A Look at the New Noctilux-M 75mm f/1.25 ASPH appeared first on Red Dot Forum.

This time around, they have brought back  the legendary Thambar-M 90mm f/2.2 soft focus lens. It features a unique central filter for even more pronounced effects. We got one here and couldn't wait to check it out. And since we like to share, we figured we'd do a quick unboxing and overview of the lens. Enjoy!

The lens is priced at $6,495. Leica Store Miami is currently accepting pre-orders, either by calling 305-921-4433, emailing or clicking the link below:

Order the Thambar-M 90mm f/2.2 Now

The post A Look at the New Leica Thambar-M 90mm f/2.2 appeared first on Red Dot Forum.