So let’s address the elephant in the Leica room… the whole manual for the no officially confirmed Leica M11-D has just been dropped online via LeicaRumors
While I think it might be a blow for Leica’s launch plans – a new major updated and specialist camera being dropped into the world wide web before launch – it’s a joy to me and many other users of the Leica brand to hear this novel camera seems destined to be on the way to market with an official manual!
Leica M-D typ262 (Image credit: Leica)
Suppose you’re aiming to replicate the “shooting film” experience with digital cameras. In that case, you’ve probably tried various methods: limiting your shots to 24 or 36, using a low-capacity SD card, or shooting exclusively in black-and-white to evoke that timeless nostalgia. The Leica M11-D combines all of this into the digital age, with an analog vision, and yes I want one.
Now, I know many of you might think I’m crazy for wanting one, and Leica is crazy for making them but, honestly, when Leica releases the M11-D, it could be the ideal digital companion to my Leica M2 and my CCD sensor-based Leica M-E.
Maybe I’m drawn to it because of its quirkiness and its defiance of convention, but either way, I believe owning and using one day in and day out would be a total joy. At this point, I don’t just want one, I NEED one!
(Image credit: Leica)
So what does this manual ‘confirm’ (assuming it’s not an elaborate hoax)?
1. The rear dial on the back is the ISO dial as we saw on the original Leica M-D, which I and many others will be thrilled about!
2. It will have the popular frame lines of 35mm/135 mm, 50mm/75 mm, and 28mm/90mm lenses.
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3. The externals and dimensions of the M11-D will be identical to that of the Leica M11 – except that the rear screen is gone, of course!
I think this camera will be a very exciting development for Leica. However, I do wish they implemented a few extra things to make it a ‘true’ analog experience.
One thing I really wish Leica implemented was a tactile shutter-cocking film advance like we have seen on the Epson R-1D – that would be a true masterpiece!
Another thing I saw floating around the internet, which I think would have been a neat idea would be either to restrict the device to 36 images before you have to dump them onto your phone or laptop to continue, or just have jpeg-only.
I know this is a VERY far-out option that would normally never make any sense in any universe, but we are talking about a digital camera without an LCD screen and no in-body means to review your images – very old school (though admittedly a phone changes that).
