Leica has just shown the new M11. More precisely, the “new M11”, because it is not a camera, but downright a real camera. He only takes pictures. And he requires two things from the owners at once: an impressive thickness of the wallet and skill in management.

Let’s start with the price: more than 700 thousand rubles only for the “carcass”. Yes, it’s a full-frame camera, but why is it better than other full-frame cameras you can find for about seven times less? This question about “emka” is asked very often. The answer sounds something like this: it’s Leica. There are no low prices. And if you think that this is unforgivable, then you are very much mistaken.

I will continue with philosophy. It’s very cool to talk about a product that has this same philosophy. Leica M is one such product. This is an expensive, fully manual camera that predisposes to power shooting. You turn on the camera, it loads. Loading time is significant, but the word “slow” this process should not be called. The whole process from turning on to pressing the shutter button is significant.

By turning on this camera, you will focus on the subject either through the microprism viewfinder or through the LiveView screen (albeit not too canon). Moreover, you will not have an assistant in the face of autofocus. You yourself will twist the focus ring. So you can only blame yourself for the fact that the focus was not where it was needed.

Too difficult? Too long? Too expensive? It’s simple: this camera is not for you. But who is it for? Let’s talk about everything in order.

Design

This is surprising to me, but many people believe that Leica does not produce anything other than Leica M cameras. This is of course not true. For example, I fell in love with the Leica SL2-S kit with the APO-Summicron-SL 90 mm f/2 ASPH lens, otherwise I shoot with the Leica Q2 all the time. Or the company recently launched the stylish Leica D-Lux 7 Vans × Ray Barbee .

I say this in order to build a hierarchy: both for Leica Camera AG itself and for consumers, Leica M is almost the main product in the company’s product range. Therefore, the Leica M11 does not differ much from the predecessor M10 series. The front cameras are identical. Above are the differences:

Behind:

And from below:

Actually, the lower part may anger many Leica M fans: where is the very cap that protected the battery and the USB flash drive connector? She was on all the cameras in the series, and now she’s gone:

Why did the company decide to drop the lid? I see the reason for the emergence of USB Type-C. Yes, and let’s be honest: it’s convenient without a lid, but I have never come across accidentally slipping batteries.

But I suppose that not everyone will agree with my impression, because for Leica M fans this cover is a special fetish. Actually, the Leica M itself is a fetish: how else can you explain the passion for deliberate complication?

Appendix

In the kit, in addition to the camera, battery and charger, you will find two cables. One is the usual USB Type-C – Type-A. The second one will be needed to connect the Leica M11 to an iPhone. This is awesome: as soon as you insert the cable into your smartphone, it immediately launches the Leica FOTOS application, shows all the photos from the flash drive and offers remote control of the camera:

This connection is much faster than the usual Wi-Fi. You can also process all flash drives. At least my 256 GB SD works lightning fast when the cameras simply refuse to connect to it over Wi-Fi.

Using the application, you can download photos to your iPhone or iPad, both in JPG and RAW, and then process them in any available application. For example, I really liked Pixelmator Photo . And I’m also waiting for the mobile Capture One .

For Leika users, the top future innovation will be installing over-the-air updates. This feature has also just been announced and will be available in future versions of Leica FOTOS. I’ve been waiting for this for a very long time. Well, it’s not very convenient to specifically go to the site and monitor whether updates have been released.

All in all, the third version of Leica FOTOS was a great update to the best camera app on the market. Starting today, the update should be available in the app stores.

Taking pictures

In fact, I can’t tell anything about how this camera shoots. The fact is that I did not go with the final firmware of the camera. It shot differently than other Lakes I’ve used before: M10-R, Q2, SL2-S.

On the last day, I managed to shoot a little with the final firmware, which is the release version for cameras on sale. But due to the short time, I cannot judge the main function of the M11 – taking pictures.

The camera received a new full-frame matrix with a resolution of 60.3 megapixels. The photographer can choose three resolutions: 60, 36 and 18 megapixels. In all cases, pictures will be taken from the entire area of the matrix. Ravkas in DNG format will also be recorded in this resolution.

Leica says that three modes are needed for different cases: 60 MP for detail, 36 MP make the M11 the fastest camera in the Leica M series, allowing you to record images in DNG to a flash drive without delay, and 18 MP can be shot with a minimum amount of noise .

I assume this camera received a Sony matrix. The Japanese are just in full swing in large resolutions. Plus or minus – you decide. Of course, Leica has tweaked the colors, as you can see from the release firmware, so you shouldn’t think that the M11 is a camera from another company.

One of the main advantages of the camera was the internal memory of 64 GB. Finally, you don’t have to worry about forgotten flash drives! At any convenient time, you can simply overwrite the pictures on the memory card. Or just create duplicates on one of the media, so as not to lose the shooting.

There is also a buffer of 3 GB. It allows you to ignore the speed of the flash drive, making it frame by frame.

Why is the camera called Leica M11?

Externally, the M11 is very similar to the M10-R. It seems that there are not so many changes in it compared to other versions of the M10. Therefore, many photographers will ask quite an adequate question: why this new generation?

Yes, outwardly the camera is very similar to the previous “emki”. But Leica M is like a Gelik in the world of cameras: if you change the design, then very carefully.

All changes inside. This is a new matrix, a new Leica Maestro III processor, a new more capacious battery and very close work with an iPhone.

Does this camera really deserve the title of a new generation? I believe so. Although not obvious to many, it is a noticeable step up from previous versions of the M10. The only question is in which direction this step. And the new convenient menu, apparently, is possible only on the new hardware installed just in the M11.

Leica is gradually unifying its lineup, so I believe that the release of a new generation of Emkas is the right step.

Outcome

You need to be ready for all “emkas”. For the first time starting to take pictures on them, you understand how much you are used to all the gifts of our time like autofocus, stabilization and other joys of life.

In two weeks with the Leica M11, I realized that this camera is definitely not for me. He is cool, it is very interesting to shoot on him. But I’m more interested in the result than the process. Therefore, I really want to return to autofocus cameras and finally get the Q2 version with interchangeable lenses. Well, or just with a 35mm lens.

In part, “emki” return the feeling of the film without their main drawback – the finite number of frames. On the one hand, this is good. On the other hand, some people may not like it.

The Leica M has two sets of buyers (besides Pauline Washington ). The first is rich people aged 40+. They look at the cameras and reminisce about their childhood. Then their parents or grandparents rummaged through cameras, set up and verified each frame for a long time.

Most likely, then these children were never allowed to adjust focus, shutter speed or aperture – the film is not final, but pressing the shutter is yes. Any of the Leica M cameras will allow you to remember those feelings when adults, as children, saw a picture that was obtained after pressing the shutter button. This is nostalgia. This is a return to childhood. This is an opportunity to touch your parents.

The second group of buyers are photo geeks who buy emki at Avito or similar sites with used equipment. They most likely don’t have seven hundred thousand for a “carcass”, but there is a desire to take pictures with the most analog camera in the modern digital world. They get high from taking pictures. They care about the process.

The Leica M is the only camera of its kind that can give buyers that experience. The M11 certainly deserves the status of a successor to previous Lakes. But will he become legendary?