IN EUROPE WITH THE LEICA M11 - CAMERA REVIEW

Leica sent me the M11 to test out on my trip to Prague and Liverpool this winter. I promised to share my thoughts about this beautiful camera. Here it is. Visually, the M11 is pretty much the same as the M10 (which is also similar to the analog M6 and every other M camera ever released). That's the point though, it feels perfectly familiar. Almost too familiar, that getting it out of the box wasn't exciting anymore because I know these cameras so well and they all look alike. My first M was the M2 five years ago, the M11 is 60 years younger but looks just like it. Why change something that's not broken (but also beautiful), I guess.

Here's the few things they've changed since the last generation: Bigger battery that goes directly to the bottom of the camera without needing to take the bottom plate off. Much bigger sensor, 60 megapixels. A water resistant USB-C that connects to your phone, laptop but also charges the camera. Internal storage so you can have a backup of each photo. I think that's it, let's break these down.

Leica M11 + M Summilux 50mm F1.4

The sensor is enormous but I can see why Leica has been pushing for these high resolution cameras for some time now. The ability to crop to literally anything without sacrificing quality spoils you, in the best way possible. It also turns any 50mm lens to a 100mm if you need it. It's great. The files are huge but the brilliance of this feature is the ability to shoot small, medium or full size RAW. So if you don't want the full resolution and want to save some storage, the option is there. I love it.

I noticed the colors and contrast feel much more modern compared to the previous generations of Leica cameras. It's a bit more flat. I was disappointed to see that at first because I'm a big fan of cameras having their own unique character, but after using the M11 for a few weeks, I can't say a single bad word about the colors. It's as good as always, lots of data to work with. I've said it multiple times in the past but Leica files are the easiest files to play with. Even a fully dark photo can be saved without any extreme side effects. And there's just this specific color depth that no other camera brand currently offers in my opinion.

There was this moment when we were sitting in a bar in Liverpool (photo on the top), the jazz band was playing and i kept looking at the street lights shining through the fogged up windows, it was such a unique atmosphere that only film could possibly capture. Our iphones certainly didn't, but the photo that came out of the M11 had that right feeling. To me, that's a priceless camera feature.

Leica M11 + M Summicron 35mm F2

Leica M11 + M Summilux 50mm F1.4

Leica M11 + M Summicron 35mm F2

I really enjoyed using the USB-C in the bottom of the camera. The traditional metal plate definitely feels nostalgic because all M cameras have it, but this is just really practical. Especially to transfer the photos to your phone or laptop. Charging too, even though I only had to charge the camera twice during my trip, it won't die and I'm pretty sure I could do a full wedding with just one battery if I needed to. That's obviously only if you use the viewfinder and not the screen. But if you get the M11, please don't use the screen for crying out loud.

Low light performance is ok, not the best I've seen but also totally usable in any situation you'll be in. There's no image stabilization but again, it's an M camera, it's supposed to feel like shooting film, which it does. If you need IBIS, Leica has that in the SL2 which I reviewed HERE. The only time this was a little bit challenging was during the football match I went to in Liverpool. I used the 50mm Summilux and some of the shots were quite shaky from the whole stadium jumping up and down but also photographing action from far away. Anyway, that's obviously a unique situation and I absolutely love the photos I got from the game and can't wait to print those.

The internal storage is only 64 GB but I'll take that any day. You can set up RAW files to your SD card and JPEG backups to the internal storage and this way you have copies of everything in case something goes wrong. Every camera should have some sort of backup feature in my opinion.

Leica M11 + M Summicron 35mm F2

Here's my final thoughts: Leica M11 is excellent, best M camera yet. The sensor size and option to use only medium raw if needed, that itself is worth choosing over M10. The battery life, excellent. There's also a few very small design changes around the screen and how the leather wraps around the buttons in the back. It just feels slightly more polished than ever before. I've noticed that the black Leicas are getting more and more matte (almost grey?) with each generation. It's definitely a practical decision to prevent scratches and stuff but I do prefer the shiny black finish of older models, especially those that brass, like the analog MP. I recently purchased a special edition M10-R black paint for that reason. It feels like a baby M11 but with the design I adore. If that one wouldn't exist, I'd get the M11 in silver.

Leica M11 (right) next to my M10-R and M6

One last thought: There's just nothing like taking photos on a manual Leica camera, whether it's film or digital. It just feels right. Might not be the best option for all of your work needs but if you master the rangefinder focusing, there's a special kind of satisfaction you get with each photo taken. It feels like you're in control. I always say that if I ever stop being a photographer and sell all of my gear, I'd keep one of the M cameras for the rest of my life, it's THAT kind of camera. Here's me being a fanboy again but I'm just glad that there's still a company who cares so much about the experience of photography as much as they do about getting stuff done. They recently even re-released the M6, so they're currently producing three (M6, MP, M-A) film cameras in 2023. Who does that.

LK

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