[SECTION]INTRODUCTION[/SECTION]

 

 

If any camera could claim to be synonymous with reportage and photojournalism the Leica rangefinder would be right there at the top of the list. Probably every major event and every personal story has been recorded by a Leica and that success story, although arguably a niche appeal in this digital age, continues regardless of the fierce competition from DSLR and mirrorless systems. Leica now go one step further, with the first attempt to ensure that what we see in an image is what actually happened. This has always been a problem, from a simple crop changing the whole meaning of an image to more complex digital manipulation and now AI. Let’s greet the idea of Leica Content Credentials and consider if the addition of this new feature can ensure the integrity of an image, even after it has passed through many hands.

 

Leica M11-P (Typ 2416) Features

The M11-P is not a light camera, being constructed of heavy, traditional metal components in such a way that we would hope for excellent durability and a very long operational life. Whether or not that can ever be as long for an electronic camera remains to be seen. The silver version is constructed of Magnesium alloy and brass and weighs in at 568g without battery and 640g with. The black version is Magnesium alloy and Aluminium and weighs in at 455g without battery and 530g with. Dimensions come in at 139mm x 38.5mm x 80mm.

Looking at the front of the camera, there is a small flattened lens release lever and what appears to be a self-timer lever but which actually is a selector for various viewfinder bright lines for different focal lengths. Bright lines are offered in pairs, so 35mm and 135mm show together, as do 28mm and 90mm and 50mm and 75mm. The Summilux-M automatically sets the correct bright lines when it is fitted. The viewfinder is optical but the bright lines are only activated when the camera is switched on. The lines approximately define the picture area and are parallax corrected, so they move inwards and downwards as we focus closer. Viewfinder magnification is 0.73x and it is set at -0.5 dioptre. Screw in dioptre correction lenses are available if needed, in values from -3.0 to +3.0. Additional small windows along the top rim are the rangefinder window and the light sensor. There is no Leica red dot, the intention being to make the camera unobtrusive for discrete reportage.

 

The top plate is simple and uncluttered and has the ISO dial (lift and then rotate) offering values from ISO 64 to ISO 6400, auto setting and an M setting where we set a wider range of values in the camera menu. The shutter speed dial offers A, 8s to 1/4000s and B, so there is aperture priority available as well as manual setting. The shutter release button is light and predictable and is surrounded by the on/off switch, probably the best place ergonomically. Finally, on the top plate is a small function button. Press to access the function, press and hold to choose to allocate a different function. Various items are available, such as exposure compensation, ISO settings, Live View and file format.

The back of the camera is dominated by the 2.95 inch TFT LCD, which has a resolution of 2,332,800 dots. There are buttons for Play, FN and Menu and a fourway controller. There is also a small control wheel top right. Functions can be customised as required. 

The CMOS sensor offers a full resolution of 60MP. Alternative resolutions maintain the full frame, but reduce the pixel counts via downsizing to 36MP or 18MP. This could be useful for situations where full resolution is not needed and storage space is at a premium.

 

The baseplate contains the release lever for the battery and this has a failsafe that prevents the battery from just falling straight out. The switch is operated and then the battery given a light push to release it fully. It is necessary to remove the battery to gain access to the single SD card slot. The battery can be slotted straight into the top of the charger, which is simple and efficient. Up to 700 shots per charge could be expected, according to CIPA standards.

There is an internal memory of 256GB and also connectivity to iPad and iPhone via the Leica FOTOS cable. There is a USB-C socket in the baseplate for cable connection. The FOTOS App is available in the App store and enables control of the camera and updates. There is also WiFi and Bluetooth connection.

The Visoflex 2 electronic viewfinder is an optional extra that fits into the accessory shoe on top of the camera. This could be very useful for those who are not happy with the rangefinder focusing and optical viewfinder.

Finally, of course, we have the Leica Content Credentials which creates a side record attached permanently to the image, recording its full credentials and any subsequent alterations. Thus, we have Content Authentication and each and every version made to the file can be recalled to see exactly what has been done. The unscrupulous can add in and alter what they like, but the trail will be there for all to see, by checking the file at contentcredentials.org/verify or in the Leica FOTOS App. Could one day this be a prerequisite for a news image?

 

Leica M11-P (Typ 2416) Key Features

• 60MP full frame CMOS sensor
• Options of downsampled 36MP and 18MP resolutions
• Shutter speeds 1/4000s to 60min (mechanical)
• Shutter speeds 1/16000s to 60s (electronic)
• ISO range 64-50000
• Metering spot, centre weighted, multi-field
• SD Memory Cards: UHS-II, UHS-I, SD/SDHC/SDXC up to 2TB
• Built in memory 256GB
• DNG (14 bit) and JPEG (8 bit) formats
• Rangefinder focusing
• Live View
• LCD 2.95”, Active Matrix TFT, 2,332,800 dots, touch control
• WiFi 2.4 and 5GHZ
• Bluetooth
• USB-C connection for Leica FOTOS cable
• FOTOS App for connectivity and camera control by iPhone and iPad
• Updates via FOTOS App
• M Bayonet mount, 6 bit
• Leica Content Credentials

 

Leica M11-P (Typ 2416) Handling

Handling for those who are dedicated to rangefinder focusing and general Leica handling will be delighted to find this digital, stripped back camera that gets straight to the photography without any excess of features getting in the way. The obvious targets are the street/documentary and the travel/landscape photographers.

This reviewer is a DSLR/mirrorless user by nature, so a rangefinder system will throw up numerous niggles, largely stemming from the basic design. However, this will be exactly what rangefinder photographers will like. It does in theory make for much more accurate focusing with wide angle lenses, and it is not till 135mm is reached that the balance shifts in favour of the DSLR viewfinder. There is a useful compromise in the M11-P in that the live view can be used just like any other live view system, so some may prefer to follow that method of focusing. The rangefinder is not the easiest of focusing methods to use quickly if the photographer is not used to it. It is a matter of practice and familiarity up to a point, but there are those who simply prefer the eye level viewfinder, be it an optical pentaprism or an EVF. The latter can be satisfied by adding the optional Visolux 2.

The base plate is an improvement in that it does not all need to be removed to get at the battery, but the battery still needs removing to access the SD card. It is also not possible to remove the battery with the camera on a tripod.

DSLR and mirrorless users will also find that the lenses just do not focus close enough. Modern zoom lenses focus down maybe to 1:3 or 1:4 magnification with ease. The Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4, for example, only manages 1:17.4, having a close focusing point of about 3 feet when using the rangefinder, although it will move down to around 1.4 feet using the live view.

However, and it is a big however, when the picture is shot and it is spot on, the quality can be totally stunning, with outstanding sharpness and superb colour rendering. We end up with beautiful images that could be top class Kodachrome or Velvia transparencies, so the effort to master the camera and its foibles could well be totally worthwhile.

The addition of Leica Content Credentials may in the future be extremely reassuring to picture editors, but this will depend on the general provision and takeup of the system.

 

[SECTION]PERFORMANCE[/SECTION]

Leica M11-P (Typ 2416) Performance

The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.
 

Leica M11-P Sample Photos

Lens Performance – The lens has been previously reviewed, and this is a summary of the conclusions:

Central sharpness is very good at f/1.4, excellent from f/2 to f/4, outstanding at f/5.6 and f/8 and excellent at f/11 and f/16. The edges are very good at f/1.4, excellent from f/2 to f/11 and very good at f/16. It is also worth noting that the sharpness is very even across the frame.

CA (Chromatic Aberration) is well controlled, especially in the centre. Some mild fringing may be seen at the edges of the frame, but for most subjects will not be a problem. If necessary, CA can be tackled using software solutions.

Distortion measures -1.20% barrel, which is unlikely to be a problem, but again, if necessary there are software solutions.

Bokeh varies very much and with detailed backgrounds and wide apertures can look a little “feathered”, but stop down and this effect disappears.

Flare in the most extreme circumstances does induce artefacts but the overall contrast holds well. With the provided Leica UV filter there is more flare than without.

There is some vignetting, especially at open aperture, but nothing that is likely to cause a problem. Software correction can always be made if desired.

 

Leica M11-P ISO test images

 

ISO Performance – Up to ISO 400 images are almost totally clean, with perhaps just a tinge of noise creeping in at ISO 400, but nothing that detracts. ISO 800 and 1600 show definite noise but these settings are still fully usable. ISO 3200 and 6400 are noisy, with sharpness starting to suffer as well. ISO 12500 continues this trend and is probably best reserved for situations where there is no choice. ISO 25000 and 50000 are very noisy, with soft images, but creditably the integrity of the test target boxes is still maintained.

 

Leica M11-P White-balance test images

 

White Balance – Presets are available for a limited range of options – Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Flash, Fluorescent Warm, Fluorescent Cool and the ability to set a specific colour temperature. These presets work well and are very useful in fine tuning the colour of JPEG images in camera. For example, shooting fungi in the depths of woodland can benefit from the Shady setting, removing any tendency towards a purple colour cast. The Cloudy setting warms the image in a similar way to using an 81A filter with film, sometimes called a Cloudy filter. Daylight setting will retain the ambient colour, for example a sunrise or sunset.

 

Leica M11-P Digital filters

 

Digital Filters – The M11-P is really not about digital filters and offers very little. We have Standard, Natural and Vivid and then Monochrome and Monochrome Bold. It is possible that the monochrome settings in particular could be useful as setting the camera only to shoot in black and white does help to influence the mindset during shooting. Perhaps there is a certain logic in keeping images largely free of effects, considering the provision of Content Credentials.

Video – There is no video option on the M11-P.

[SECTION]VERDICT[/SECTION]

 

Value For Money

The [AMUK]Leica M11-P|Leica+M11-P[/AMUK] is priced at £8000.

There is currently no competition with Content Credentials, but there are plenty of other high end quality cameras to consider:

• [AMUK]Canon EOS-1D X Mk III|Canon+EOS-1D+X+Mk+III[/AMUK], £6999
• [AMUK]Canon EOS R3|Canon+EOS+R3[/AMUK], £5499
• [AMUK]Nikon D6|Nikon+D6[/AMUK], £6799
• [AMUK]Sony A1|Sony+A1[/AMUK], £5879
• [AMUK]Nikon Z9|Nikon+Z9[/AMUK], £5299
• [AMUK]Sony A9 III|Sony+A9+III[/AMUK], £6099
• [AMUK]Leica M11 Monochrom|Leica+M11+Monochrom[/AMUK], £8300
• [AMUK]Leica M11|Leica+M11[/AMUK], £7800

The normal equations of features vs cost are difficult to assess for such specifically designed cameras as the M11-P, especially as the competition is so versatile, but at these price levels a few hundred pounds one way or another is probably small fry compared to the income the kit may generate.

 

Leica M11-P (Typ 2416) Verdict

The Leica M11-P is, like its Leica stablemates, a beautiful thing in its own right. Engineering this good can be enjoyed on its own, but of course a camera is for making images and here, too there is a unique flavour to the way the Leica operates. Those firmly embedded in the ability of mirrorless and DSLR zoom lenses that can almost focus down to macro distances may find the lack of close up ability to be restricting and it soon becomes clear that the Leica design is not intended to cover every possible eventuality. It is the unobtrusive, almost invisible, tool of the Photo Journalist/Documentary photographer, and as such excels. The Leica belongs out there on the street, recording real life. As such, the addition of Content Credentials and the ability to see that what we have is exactly what was shot, and every modification that might have been made, can give a new reassurance in this new world of AI.

It may well be expensive, but it is good, it is unique and for those who need it Highly Recommended.

 

[REVIEW_FOOTER]R_features=4|R_handling=4|R_performance=5|R_value=4|R_overall=4.5|A_level=4.5|A_text=Highly Recommended – Handling that some will love and some will not, but the superb results will justify the effort|E_id=8016[/REVIEW_FOOTER]

View the Leica M11-P (Typ 2416) camera specs in the equipment database.