Leica. If you know anything about photography (or frankly, don’t know much at all), you know it’s the best. Much like an Apple product, a Brioni suit, or Porsche 911, it’s an object that has, in many ways, redefined its entire category. The first Leica, developed in 1924, is largely credited with popularizing film photography.
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Within the German camera maker’s oeuvre, the most vaulted system is arguably the M series. First introduced in 1954 with the Leica M3, the M was groundbreaking from the get-go, revolutionizing the 35mm with its bayonet lens mount and viewfinder. It’s the camera of James Bond. (Ian Fleming famously gave 007 a Leica M3 in Goldfinger.) Steve Jobs, never the most apt to praise other brands, presented the iPhone 4 by comparing it to a vintage Leica in quality. Zendaya took her last Instagram photo on a Leica M10. Then there’s Jason Momoa, whose obsession with the M series has led to a growing (and very valuable) collection, including a 1958 M2, an M3, and a Leica M10-D. Along with his assortment of Harley Davidsons and knives, Leica Ms are his can’t-live-withouts.
The cameras are known as much for their beautiful minimal exterior as their internal engineering. What makes the M series so exceptional? Ask any devotee and you’ll get a different, yet equally impassioned, answer. There’s the industrial simplicity of its design; the precision and the color quality; the tactile, sensory experience of shooting on one. The Leica M system is the most compact full-frame interchangeable-lens camera system. The Leica MP was used by Martin Hartley in his -30-degree Celsius exploration of the Arctic Ocean. As one user, a photographer with a 1959 M2 he’s sported for decades, told me on the street, “[Leica Ms] are timeless.”
Leica M11 Silver Chrome Finish
Now 77% Off
Last month, Leica dropped the M11. A new Leica, especially an M, is an event in the world of photography. The brand only releases a camera when they feel they will transform the market. At $8,995, it is an investment to say the least.
Given all the lore and the sky high price, you have to wonder if the M11 is worth the hype—I certainly did. What’s it like actually shooting on? Can a camera, extra resolution and iconic design withstanding, ever be worth the price of a new car (albeit a basic one) or say, four new MacBook Pros? I managed to get my hands on one (not an easy feat; the M11’s first drop sold out within hours; for those considering a purchase, rest easy, it became widely available again this month).
Some basics and first thoughts: Leica’s cameras are unique in that the rangefinder presents two images of the subject. To focus, you line them up. It takes a minute to get used to, but once you do, there’s something very tactile, and beautifully intuitive, about the M. I’m not a professional, but I found the image quality to be almost instantly cinematic; the process of using the camera becomes more and more natural with each image taken. The functions and adjustments are integrated very simply on the main body; the camera feels solid (the black M11 is actually the lightest M ever), and shooting on it is a haptic experience.
Leica M11 Silver Chrome Finish
Now 77% Off
As for more specifics, the M11 has over 50 changes from the last release, the M10. These are both external and internal. For one, the new M has a much bigger battery–64% larger than the previous version. It has the first physical port with a USB C, allowing you to transfer data and charge the camera on the go. There is a brand new sensor with much higher resolution (60 megapixels) than anything else on the market, allowing you to create incredibly large prints or crop your images; it's also the only camera with the ability to change the output resolution of your files. The color is special: the ultra thin IR + UV filter allows for a better transmission of light, giving more accuracy in color images. The M11 is also the most customizable M ever; allowing you to shape the configuration according to your own photographic style and vision. I found myself slowly adapting and shifting the controls bit by bit as I shot friends in and around East London.
Leica M11 Black Finish
At the same time, as in the case of all Leicas, the M11 is incredibly minimal. There are only three buttons on the back: play, function, and menu. The iconic design remains more or less the same; this is a mechanical, highly responsive, and light device, as beautiful in its classic industrial design as its interior. The M lens mount remains the same as with the very first Leica M, meaning any M lens can be used. As for the price, there is no getting around the fact that this is a serious investment. It might be worth saying that Leicas are built to last decades (the originals are still in use, and resale values are high). The value is there. There is an intuitive quality and beauty to the M series that places it in a league of its own. But it's a commitment.
As for this new output, even with some changes linking the latest Leica to the social media age, the M11 is ultimately grounded in Leica’s original values. This is a device that is artful, developed with equal faith to the tradition it defines as the cutting edge. Frankly, after a few days of use, there is no going back.
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