What is commonly called full format today was invented more than 100 years ago in Wetzlar: the first 35mm camera. The first Leica was the ancestor of all compact cameras. Its successor to successor is the Leica M series, the first model of which (Leica M3) was presented in 1954. Digital M cameras have been around since 2006 – it all started with the Leica M8. The latest model in the series is the Leica M11. COMPUTER BILD introduces them.
The best system cameras (full frame)
Canon
Test details
Per
Very high image quality for photos and videos
Very fast pace
Sony
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Per
Extremely high burst speed
Very fast and very precise autofocus
Nikon
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Per
Top image quality even in very little light
Very high video quality
Sony
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Per
Top image quality for photos and video
Top image quality even in very little light
Cons
Sometimes incomprehensible abbreviations in the menus
Nikon
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Per
Very sharp and extremely detailed photos
Very high video quality
Cons
Slight loss of sharpness at a very high ISO setting
Canon
Test details
Per
Very high image quality for photo and video
Very fast and versatile autofocus
Nikon
Test details
Per
Top image quality even in very little light
Very high video quality
Cons
Moderate stamina in series
Canon
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Per
High image quality for photo and video
Fast and versatile autofocus
Cons
Heats up with longer videos
Nikon
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Per
Top image quality even in very little light
Very large, very detailed viewfinder
Cons
4K video only as an excerpt
Low burst speed
Panasonic
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Per
Very high photo quality
Very high video quality
Cons
Low viewfinder resolution
Autofocus not accurate in series.
Complete list: the best system cameras (full frame)
New sensor with three resolutions
In the housing of the Leica M11 there is a full format sensor (sensor size approx. 24×36 millimeters) with full 60 megapixels (Resolution 9258×6328 pixels). A clear jump to the previous M10 series – depending on the model, it contained between 24 (M10) and 41 megapixels (M10-R). If you don’t need that many pixels, you can alternatively take photos with 36 or 18 megapixels. With all three resolutions, the M11 uses the entire sensor. A lower resolution should not only generate less data, but also ensure greater dynamics (displayable brightness range) of up to 15 f-stops through more complex image processing. A faster processor will take care of that (Maestro III), which the M11 takes over from the Leica SL2 and Leica SL2-S system cameras. Despite the higher resolution, the ISO range extends just as far as the M10: up to ISO 50,000. In good lighting conditions, a lower ISO resolution should provide (slightly) better photos. With ISO 64 It is also easier to take photos with the aperture open because photographers do not have to stop down quickly, thanks in part to another innovation of the Leica M11: the electronic shutter allows a shutter speed of 1/16000 second.
There is an important difference between the black and the silver version: The black one has an aluminum lid and is 110 grams lighter.
Black is lighter
At first glance, the Leica M11 looks like its predecessor, but Leica has ended a tradition in order to create more space in the housing. The M11 no longer has a bottom cover, instead an aluminum cap sits directly on the battery, which, like the Leica Q and Leica Q2, is unlocked using a lever. This means that the battery can be larger. The slot for the SD card is also located in the battery compartment. But the M11 doesn’t necessarily need a memory card – it comes with you 64 gigabytes of built-in memory. It can also be used as a backup for the memory card. There is a small opening next to the battery: this is where the M11’s USB-C socket is hidden. Users can use this to charge the camera (almost any USB-C power adapter can be used for this) or transfer photos to a smartphone or tablet. The Leica Photos app (for Android and Apple) is used for this and starts automatically when the cable is connected. New with the black version of the Leica M11: The housing cover is made of aluminum instead of brass (as with the silver version). It should be just as robust, but it saves 110 grams in weight black M11 weighs with battery and memory card 530 grams, in silver, the M11 weighs 640 grams.
Rangefinder instead of autofocus
When focusing, the Leica M11 remains true to the rangefinder principle, which has now become rare. This technology – developed in the 1930s – enables the distance to be set precisely without having to look through the lens. The set distance can be mechanically transmitted to the camera via a ring in the lens. A second lens moves, the image of which is reflected in the viewfinder image. If both images are on top of each other, the focus is on the point. The mechanically and optically very complex technology works pretty quickly with a little practice – but it does not reach the speed of a modern autofocus. And you always need some light to distinguish the two images.
The new electronic viewfinder Visoflex 2 (available from March 2022) also fits into the hot shoe of the Leica M11.
New viewfinder to clip on
There is also a new electronic viewfinder for the Leica M11 that can be attached to the hot shoe. the Visoflex 2 has a higher resolution than previous Leica models: it shows 1280×960 pixels (manufacturer’s specification 3.7 million pixels, since Leica, like all manufacturers, counts the subpixels for red, green and blue). The viewfinder can be folded up. Unlike its predecessor, the Visoflex 2 does not have a GPS receiver. If you want to save the location data in the photos, you should use the Leica Photos app, which fetches the location data from the smartphone via Bluetooth. This function is only sufficient for the manufacturer with one Update in the second half of 2022.
New user interface
The controls of the Leica M11 have hardly changed compared to the M10. There are just three buttons and a rocker switch on the back, the time wheel, the shutter release with on / off switch and the ISO selection wheel on the housing cover. The only new feature is a function key next to the shutter release. The most important sensitivity values from ISO 64 to ISO 6,400 can be set in full steps using the ISO dial. If you want to fine-tune the settings, turn the wheel to M and select the ISO value via the camera menu. If you want it more convenient, set to A for automatic ISO. The Camera menu was against it thoroughly renovated. It is based on the noble compact cameras Leica Q and Leica Q2 and the system cameras of the SL series: very clear and easy to use. Only when it comes to video does the menu remain silent – the Leica M11 dispenses with a video recording and limits himself to photography.
When operating via the camera display, the Leica M11 is based on the noble compact cameras of the Q series.
More power for photography
The Leica M10 was the first digital M-camera that was just as thin as the film models. The price for this: The M10’s battery was smaller and had to get by with less capacity (around 8 watt hours). Thanks to the new housing design, a new, larger battery fits into the M11 (BP-SCL7), which has just as much power as in older M models like the M (type 240): 13 watt hours. According to the test procedure of the CIPA (Association of Japanese Camera Manufacturers), the battery should be enough for 700 photos, whoever takes M-typical photos, rarely works in LiveView and does not shoot very long series even create 1,700 photos.
The Leica M11 has a USB-C socket. This can be used to charge the camera or connect it to a smartphone to transfer the images.
Leica M11: price and availability
the Leica M11 goes on sale immediately. The price for both color variants: 8,350 euros without lens. As is usual with professional models, sets with lenses are not planned for the time being.
