- Leica’s next M-Series Camera could be the first to have an EVF
- It can be the least, lightest and most versatile Leica M-Series Camera yet
- Leica Photos app refers to ‘M11-V’
Leica seems to be on the verge of launching a new model in the legendary M series, but the news is likely to be met with dismay from some Diehard fans. Why? It looks like the M11-V will be the first M-Series camera ever to ditch the iconic optical rangefinder, and replace it with an electronic viewfinder (EVF).
The news comes with the permission of Leica Rumors, pointing out that the latest beta version of Leica’s photos app includes references to an M11-V model. It suggests that an official message is imminent – maybe as soon as a while in the next few weeks. Previously, Leica Rumors has posted leaked images that appear to show an M-Series camera with a large rear touch screen, pure top plate, no ISO watch disk and an EVF. It seems to be somewhat smaller than previous M-Series models.
Of course, Leica has produced many cameras with EVFs in the past, such as its Q3 and Q3 43 Premium Compacts and its SL Series of L-Mount Mirrorless cameras-what the last, Leica SL3-S, Techradar only reviewed recently. But so far, the M-series has remained a brisk distance meter.
Home on the range?
Rangefinder offers a unique photographic experience that encourages the user to engage more completely with the subject through Split-Image Manual Focus, and this experience is a huge part of what makes Leica’s M system cameras so loved.
The act of composing and taking a photograph on an M-Series camera is like nothing else I have experienced in photography, and it is the one thread that goes back all the way to the very first analog M-series cameras that emerged in the 1950s.
Replacing Rangefinder with an EVF will undoubtedly streamline the whole process of recording on an M camera (although I suspect the M11-V remains manual focus), but I also think it risks removing one of the main reasons for choosing an over any other mirror-free body from cannon, Sony, Fujifilm or Panasonic.
I’m hardly a red dot fanatic-I just think the M series is except for ‘normal’ digital cameras, and it’s all due to the range.
There are other reasons why people love the M series, such as the excellent selection of top-class M-Mount manual focus lenses, the timeless design and impeccable build quality. The M11-V is probably not to disturb any of these aspects, but an M series that feels more like a ‘standard’ mirror-free camera will undoubtedly prove a controversial animal.
Despite my own reservations, I still can’t help but think about the options that might come from pairing these lenses with a small, light M-series body.
Would you be interested in owning a Leica M-Series camera without a rangefinder on board, or is it something that should never be touched? Tell us that in the comments below.
