While David had the opportunity to play with the Leica M at Photokina, I was given my first hands-on experience with the M last week in New York. A few observations:
- It feels almost identical to the M9. I had read some concerns about a size/weight increase but I could not tell much difference.
- The thumb “bump” will not be a replacement for a Thumbs Up. It’s really only there to prevent you from turning the wheel accidentally.
- The feel of the shutter button has been vastly improved. It’s quicker, quieter, and has a slightly shorter throw than the M9.
- Live view focusing is easy. Easier with the EVF as it allows me to hold the camera in a more natural position, however it was simple to make minor adjustments using the LCD screen. Keeping in mind that (as long as you are using an M lens) you can always use the rangefinder (because there is no mirror blackout during live view) even if you have the EVF activated, I can see myself switching quickly between the two to confirm my focus.
- When using live view on either the EVF or LCD, you can zoom in to the center but you cannot move around the image.
- With the hand grip and EVF attached, using the M in conjunction with the R-adapter-M and 35-70mm f/2.8 R lens felt almost like using a DSLR. The ability to switch between the classic rangefinder form factor for compactness, and SLR-style shooting for zoom/telephoto/macro lenses will be extremely useful.
In short this will be (in my opinion) the most exciting new camera for 2013. Of course I asked when it will be available and Leica’s answer (from the Leica AG M Product Manager) was exactly as I expected: early 2013. That’s all I got, so I will be waiting patiently for more updates.
If anyone else was at Photo Plus Expo or the Leica Studio and had the chance to play with the new M, please share your thoughts here! I am happy to answer any questions I can about it from my brief hands-on time with the camera. It was a very early prototype so I was not able to evaluate image quality.
Thanks, Josh. Nice to know about the ease or use between the viewfinder options. And thanks for trying to find out a more specific arrival date than “early 2013.”
It feels almost identical to the M9. I had read some concerns about a size/weight increase but I could not tell much difference.
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