Hugh, Thank you for yet another exquisite video. I watch them all not only for the content, but mostly for the demonstration that elegant minds still exist.
I’m quite colorblind and although I like shooting in color, I’m nervous to make color-related tweaks in post. This, along with my creative preference for B&W, have led me to shoot mostly B&W for the past 50 years. I shoot B&W JPEGs with my Q Typ 116 almost exclusively, but I occasionally switch to color for images I’m sharing with family and friends. I’m intrigued by monochrome cameras but I can get the results I want with my setup and I’m happy with that.
You had me at “the Summilux’s blades go to 11.” 😂 I love that Leica still makes these cameras. I picked up the original M9 Monochrom (with already replaced sensor) and it truly does change the way I shoot when I know that there is no color. As the camera industry continues to struggle, making a monochrome camera feels like an act of defiance - and I’m 100% here for it.
I knew that these Bayer filters were no good. I am intending to order 3 of these bodies, one for the glovebox, one for my rucksack and the other for my bookshelf. Given that the Bayer filter is missing I am a little surprised that the price has increased. Becoming more obsessed with monochrome, I have also just ditched out relatively new OLED TV, buying an old black & white TV as a replacement. A little boxy, but worth travelling back in time. Anyway, if any of my relatives and friends prefer colour images, they can always use colour creation software.
Hugh, your ability to acknowledge the surface-level flaws of this camera, while distilling its unarguable beauty and desirability, is masterful. So much of what you proffered in your beautiful monochrome monologue applies universally. An afternoon with you in the streets of New York would doubtless leave me spent, hoarse, and happy.
Liked! Very thoughtful presentation, especially regarding shooting Black & White, with a sensor that is without a Bayer filter. As an owner of the M Type 246 Monochrom, I very much understand. I remain uneasy, however, about the many reports of M11 cameras having to return to Leica, for fixes and replacements. Perhaps, this second version of the M11 has internal tweaks, that will enable a higher probability of happier outcomes.
An interesting video and ruminations as always, Hugh. Perhaps even more so with Ricoh / Pentax announcing a Monochrome DSLR this very day based on their K3iii. Niche markets , but growing more appealing?
I guess my Q2M will have to go eventually 😢. Just hearing a few too many horror stories about the M11 shutter mech. The 50 Lux is my absolute fav lens on my M10-R and I’m happy to see they didn’t change the rendering. A silver version on a Monochrome looks soooo sweet… Thanks, Hugh for capturing das Wesenliche of this camera and lens. No AF, no EXIF, no IBIS and no AI. Just pure joy.
Exactly my first thought…😂 Now I must replace my Q2M. But I must say that the Q2M are a fantastic camera!! Many times I prefer the outcome better than my SL2 with APO35sl. It will be very exciting to see the results from the M11M. Wish you great Leica day’s / Stefan Annell ( Stockholm Sweden )
@@stefanannell the Q2(M) is indeed a great camera. I wish Leica would make a version with a 50mm lens as well. In some situations I find the 28mm a bit too wide. That would be my main reason for an M11M (or M10M). So I can use my Lux-M 50 or APO-M 75. A great day to you too!
Wonderfull review, no doubt. But what got me is the female portrait. It is masterful. I dont say this lightly and often, but this is a shot that I’d love to have taken. Epic. It is worth a podcast: The situation, the intent, the situation, the lens rendering, the perfect imperfections. It probably says more about the artist and the lens used than about the camera, but man, this is why gear exists. Heartfelt congratulations!
Wonderful video and very informative. I recently bought the m11 2 weeks back. But I only do black and white (fyi I'm not a pro). I still have the option of returning but then I do away with the option of color (even its 0.1% of the time). Would you recommend returning the m11 and going for the m11 M instead? Or are the differences not noticeable between the m11 and m11 M in post processing?
The differences are noticeable at the margin. I can’t recommend one over the other because I don’t know your use cases, preference and priorities. As for myself? I’m not trading in my M11 for an M11M because I want the color channel information for editing.
I owned a second-hand M9 Monochrom some years ago and it's the only camera I truly wish I'd never traded. Finances will never allow me to own the M11 Monochrome but the results I've seen on you (and others') channels are amazing. Incidentally, just voted on your link for the Webbys. Best of luck.
I love your B&W photography. I love your thought processes. Your youtube life is a gift to me and my 1/2 century love of B&W. I hope you get the $15,000 camera/lens combination and use the heck out of it. :)
I love the very artistic reviews of yours. The only thing I’m missing are some sample raw files to download. I’d really appreciate that for pixel peeping and in this specific case because of true Monochrom. That needs figuring out a whole different edit process, because of the missing colour channels. Would help on purchase decision. 😅
Did you see today that Pentax (Pentax? Really?) is also releasing a monochrome camera soon? They just announced it today. That M11 (to say nothing of the lenses) is well out of my budget (this is mostly a hobby for me, though I do some commercial product work on the side - a Leica M11 just won't pay those bills), but a K3? I could afford that with a few nice Pentax primes and have a ball.
Wonderful video and photos as always. Thank you! But let’s focus on the real thing. How does this compare in practice and in the real detail to the M10M (or M246 if we care). If one buys into shooting Monochrome, which one to buy? How does the light metering and risk of blowing the highlights compare to M10M? I got really fed up with having to adjust for this on the M10M (and in colour on an M10R). And at normal ISO is the difference in output so great vs the M11 with appropriate post work? (I do get the “thinking B&W” philosophy).
The M10M is a TERRIFIC monochromatic camera. But the M11M is better both in terms of sensor performance and operational ease of use. If one owns and enjoys an M10M, no need to upgrade. If one’s budget cannot stretch quite as far as an M11M, the M10M is terrific. But if one photographs at the margin; has the financial wherewithal; and appreciates the incremental but very real operational improvements, the M11M is a significantly more appealing package.
I never heard of this guy, the black/white photo's with the sound is really epic. The guy talks very nice about this camera. I like to sell everything i own and buy one.😊 I stick around for a while on this channel.
Damn!! What a beauty. I just wish (having the Q2M) that Leica will bring out a Q3M with same sensor and with THIS lens integrated!. 28mm is nice on the Q2, but sometimes...
Enjoyed the video mate. As always. I think a full monochrome camera would be amazing for photography here in Ireland for the moody skies and stormy scenes. Would love to get this eventually. You’ll see from my latest video I’m shooting the m10R and even that is superb for what I do here. Cheers
I was shooting monochrome today, with my almost 40 year old Nikon FA and Fujifilm Acros II 100 and Rollei 640… limitations are fun! If I had the cash, I would buy an M11 first. If I had oodles more of cash, hello M11 Monochrom.
Just out of personal interest, I saw that you are shooting with glasses on. How much does it affect your shooting? Nobody talks about those everyday things. Great pictures by the way.
Thanks. The answer is: not really. I compose for what I can see, and because I wear progressives, I see pretty much everything (with maybe a bit of moving around the camera to see into the very corners.
I edit the individual colour channels in my B&W images too much to consider this camera. I shoot a lot in B&W and it's really useful to pull out skin tones in Lightroom, or to add contrast in those blue skies. I love the concept of this camera but it's the price of 10 Fuji X100Vs !!!!
@@3BMEP Were you able too avoid ND with the 50 Lux wide open in daylight? That would be great. I'd add an orange or red filter so that would account for another 1/2-1 stop.
Well Hugh, you posted a video a few weeks back on how the M11 color converted to black and white is your "M11 Monochrom". So now that the real M11 Monochrom is out, is this your new monochrom? And what about your M11? Do you like post processing organic b&w images, or converting color to b&w and have the flexibility of color sliders to control contrast? Thanks for a great video.
I haven’t changed my mind: I prefer the flexibility of color and color channel information for black and white. But this is my opinion for what I do only although Claudia feels the same way); and I’d say my latest color photographs shot with the Q3 confirms I walk my own talk. 😊🖖🏻
@@3BMEP Hugh thanks for the reply.... I can't agree enough I sold my M10M and got an M11 and I can't seem justify the M11M.... OK it is better at extreme high ISO's but otherwise its not way ahead for me. Also color converting for B&W is more versatile with color channels to manipulate. And best of all you have the color info if you want to make the shot color. Keep up the great work...I like your honest, no BS and classy way of telling it like it is... Great job Hugh
What a beautiful camera, and the images, sheer perfection . That is one he'll of an option, but I am not surprised. That portrait just rocks, thanks Hugh.
Excellent Hugh! Your videos are such a refreshing break from all the specs based videos out there. And you clearly get what Leica is up to and break it down to the same simplicity the M system offers. New Lux ordered, although I'll keep my current Lux. It was my first M lens and has been on too many trips to let it go. Now trying to decide about keeping the M10M or getting the M11M.... tough one.
On that note Hugh, if one is looking for the ultimate BW image maker, are these monochrom cameras a good choice? Assuming one is not trying to impose limitations on oneself to "see the world differently" as you say. The advantages in high ISO and resolution in other words, do they in your opinion sufficiently stretch the capabilities of the sensor to warrant a BW only camera regardless of price?
Only if you shoot B&W exclusively (or have at least one other non-Monochrom camera); enjoy futzing with filters; don’t mind the absence of color channel information when editing; and and operate at the absolute margin of highest ISO, highest sharpness and widest dynamic range. 😎🖖🏻
There is no way I can justify to myself spending over £8k on a monochrome camera, as my primary interest is in colour. I do like B&W photography though, and I have nibbled at the idea of getting a Q2M, but the fixed lens puts me off. I know that great monochrome images can be taken with a Bayer sensor camera (as you yourself have shown constantly), but being forcibly limited to B&W changes the way one sees the world. Photography is now all about shapes and the interplay of shadow and light, without the distraction of colour. I may save my pennies and get an M11 later this year or next, but I have just put down a pre-order for the Pentax K-3 III Monochrome. Now, £2.2K I can justify!
That final photograph of the young woman is sensational, but it could have been captured on any number of camera systems. Yes, nuances of lenses and sensors make a difference in terms of rendering, but it is the photographer and subject that create what is worthwhile. Kind of getting fed up with reviewers going gooey eyed with tech over substance. I am a former Leica owner (there should be an AA group for us) and I love what they do, but their prices are now bonkers. More bonkers than Donald Trump wearing a pink tutu riding a green giraffe.
The thing with Leica M’s is you just need to get one. Once you find your M you’re pretty much done buying cameras for personal use. Which is a lot cheaper than chasing the new thing every couple of years. If you still had your Leica camera this camera here is totally irrelevant. As far as prices. Leica cameras have never been cheap. So your comment about “prices now” I don’t understand. Back in the 1930s a Leica cost the equivalent of about $4,000 today. All things considered that’s not a lot of difference.
@@carlosmcse Yeah, my bad. A while back I looked at the increase in the price of Leica film cameras since I bought an MP in 2008 and they have definitely outstripped inflation. Not so the digital Ms. I did buy the original MM with a view to keeping it for 10 years, and sold it after 8 years, so had it a good while. But my attitude to Leica has changed. I have a different set of requirements and a lower threshold in terms of budget than when I bought my MP. Even if money were no object, I would still hesitate, particularly given my experience with their reliability. Having owned 4 digital Ms, 2 needed repairing and 1 a full replacement. That's not acceptable at such a high price point. And with the MM it took 6 months to get the sensor replaced to address the corrosion issue. That was the straw that broke the camel's back.
I continue to have no problems with mine, but I only shoot max a couple of hundred frames during any one shooting session on the street, shooting only (at most) a couple of times a month because I have to rotate cameras for testing. I know of the videos you mention (seems like a good guy), but so far, second time around, so good for me.
It's nice to see them receive this hype and this is a great review as always! Although, there is another monochrome camera that has just been released that I would love to see reviewed by you - the Pentax K3 III Monochrome.
Pentax will have anti-shake. It expands one's shooting! Any Pentax lens will work. The don't have to auto focus. One can focus. Cost a fraction of Leica, but still daunting for me!
There is also the advantage that the Pentax K-3 III Monochrome is weatherproof and there are weatherproof lenses available for it. I don't think you would want to take the M11 Monochrome and an M lens out in the rain.
Have people forgot that black & white film are still reasonably priced and easy to develop at home. I can almost guarantee you get more keepers investing in film then digital monochrome cameras
Few options are better! But no colour is kinda kooky! Cavemen /women painted in COLOUR! Ansel, HCB, preferred BW. We use colour very differently now! We have control. Anti-shake is not a gimmic. It works big time. Auto mis-focus not for me! Leica certainly jumped up! The new Pentax Monochrome will be a stiff competitor . Bravo Leica and Pentax! More images, please!
Reminds me that there are two things I want, tangential to this. One, I’d love to see more 1st party camera companies embrace a parallel lens track like the revamped 35 and 50 which are based around character rather than optical perfection, a bit smaller and simpler of a lens design, but still fast and premium. It’s good that there are near-perfect 50/1.2s, even if they’re enormous. It’s good that there are nifty 50/1.8s which are cheap, small, and still razor sharp. But a quirky characterful 50/1.4 could be the fun uncle. How about Canon reaches back to their Rangefinder days and updates a Serenar 50/1.5 design? There can be a lot of flawed modern lenses, but they tend to have modern flaws, such as extreme distortion that requires extensive digital correction, and that’s fine, if the price and size are right. But it’d be nice to see also lenses with flaws more like those of old film lenses. Two, I’d love a Monochrom D-Lux 7. Compact, semi-affordable, great controls, takes filters. The small and relatively low MP sensor would be helped by the added detail, greater dynamic range, and lower noise that tend to come with de-Bayering. It couldn’t be as deliberative as the M11, but I figure I’d buy one.
For B&W nothing beats film. The great thing about Leica M is you only need to get yours. Once you have the one you love you’re done buying them. It’s fun hearing about new gear but the truth is, I’m going to get buried with my 10R and my Summicron. That gives me more than I would ever need. So whatever gear they come out with is totally irrelevant to me. Hopefully this camera will be reliable for those who buy it. Oh yea and the old Summilux is so much more beautiful. These new lenses look too modern and now this one is thicker and longer. I would just stick to the old one.
Surely the greatest contribution to freakonomics since additional work had to undertaken to a 486 chipset to sell it for less money as a 386 ……….. as usual Hugh your views are poetry! You have a wonderful channel…
….still not worth it because of the blown highlights…😢 Leica needs to adopt canon’s high light priority or Fuji’s dr400. Modes for highlight retention. These are specifically to address digital sensors only being tuned for shadow DR, not highlight DR. I assume this is because of legacy preference to low light challenges. Between noise reduction software and modern sensors, we can sacrifice some noise in the blacks to give us unclipped highlights for about 5 stops, as fuji does! This is not a sensor thing, this is a software thing. Your shoot at a higher iso (360-640) to give the sensor some ?headroom” This allows you to expose normally, instead of “for the right” which gives you dark images that need LR tweaking. Think of a bride with a wedding dress outdoors. On a Leica, you would have to expose for the dress to preserve the highlight detail, resulting in dark images on the back of the camera, where you promise the bride “it will look great in post”. With canon’s highlight priority, or Fuji’s dr400, you expose normally, look at the back of the camera, bride looks normal, yet there is detail on the dress! How? These modes, internally, underexposed the image, while boosting up shadow and mid tone ranges…..sound familiar. Yeah, that’s what you do in LR! Since the image was underexposed, there is detail in the highlights. Since the images blacks and midtones were raised to compensate IN CAMERA, your image looks normal on the back of the camera, but without blown highlights! This works in raw, too! Cmon Leica!
Huh, so you can get some pretty good B&W street photos with a $14,000 camera/lens system. Who knew? HInt: you can spend a tiny fraction of that and also get _outstanding_ street photos. So there is that.
I usually like your video so I Know you are more of an introvert street photographer but even if your images are quality I fond it a bit odd that as a parisian if I dont see you taking the pictures I dont Know they were made in Paris coz à Shop réflection or à bird on the pavement can be Taken anywhere in the world... at one point you Will have to take more risk un your approach if the goal is to grow as a photographer and not nly as a youtuber ...
What images will the M11M create that the M10 didn’t? It’s a logical step for Leica but it also seems to be very lost. The world greatest images have been created with much lesser kit and on film. This will buy me 1200 rolls of film and a chance for almost four years every day, 36 times to create a piece of great photography. Sorry Leica, you lost me here…
I love the leica monochrom cameras, but I’ll only ever love them from a distance; they’re cameras for people with more money than I’ll ever have. I’m more excited for the entrance of the monochrome sensor into the realm of mere mortals. Ricoh Pentax’s decision to do this in the shape of a monochrome K3 mark III (rather than, for example, a GR, something I would buy in an *instant*) is…. well, it’s typically Ricoh Pentax! Monochrome cameras are already a vanishingly small niche; why not make a monochrome APSC DSLR?! But I hope it gets some coverage, and allows a wider group of people to experience shooting in true black & white. And I’ll keep my fingers crossed for that monochrome (full frame, while we’re dreaming) GR 🥲
Thanks!
Thank YOU!😊
Hugh,
Thank you for yet another exquisite video. I watch them all not only for the content, but mostly for the demonstration that elegant minds still exist.
😊🖖🏻
Thanks. Probably the best M11 vid out there.
Love the portrait of Leah, Hugh - beautiful and timeless.
😊🖖🏻🙏🏻
I’m quite colorblind and although I like shooting in color, I’m nervous to make color-related tweaks in post. This, along with my creative preference for B&W, have led me to shoot mostly B&W for the past 50 years. I shoot B&W JPEGs with my Q Typ 116 almost exclusively, but I occasionally switch to color for images I’m sharing with family and friends. I’m intrigued by monochrome cameras but I can get the results I want with my setup and I’m happy with that.
Portrait of Leah❤. Timeless!!
Bravo
😊🙏🏻🖖🏻
You had me at “the Summilux’s blades go to 11.” 😂
I love that Leica still makes these cameras. I picked up the original M9 Monochrom (with already replaced sensor) and it truly does change the way I shoot when I know that there is no color. As the camera industry continues to struggle, making a monochrome camera feels like an act of defiance - and I’m 100% here for it.
Hugh, that image of the woman with the curly hair is a banger! congrats. The tones, falloff, and composition are inspiring. well done!
Thank you! 😊🖖🏻
Funny how Pentax today als presented their monochrom APS-C DSLR camera.
You have my vote. Love your work. Come on people, vote. Currently 4th place!
Thank you so much for the kind words; your vote; and for spreading the word! 😊🙏🏻🖖🏻
You have a really reassuring and comforting voice
😊🖖🏻
@@3BMEP I thought the same. Like a feather to our soul to listen to :)
Lovely video. Always a pleasure to see your smiling face.
🙏🏻😊🖖🏻
I knew that these Bayer filters were no good. I am intending to order 3 of these bodies, one for the glovebox, one for my rucksack and the other for my bookshelf. Given that the Bayer filter is missing I am a little surprised that the price has increased. Becoming more obsessed with monochrome, I have also just ditched out relatively new OLED TV, buying an old black & white TV as a replacement. A little boxy, but worth travelling back in time. Anyway, if any of my relatives and friends prefer colour images, they can always use colour creation software.
It's hilarious how funny people are when they just don't get it.
So good, thank you!
Hugh, your ability to acknowledge the surface-level flaws of this camera, while distilling its unarguable beauty and desirability, is masterful. So much of what you proffered in your beautiful monochrome monologue applies universally. An afternoon with you in the streets of New York would doubtless leave me spent, hoarse, and happy.
Delighted you enjoyed it, Peter! We do have seats in October in New York… 😎🖖🏻
@@3BMEP Would love to, but a trip abroad for photography won’t happen for a while. Life, and all that jazz.
Liked! Very thoughtful presentation, especially regarding shooting Black & White, with a sensor that is without a Bayer filter. As an owner of the M Type 246 Monochrom, I very much understand. I remain uneasy, however, about the many reports of M11 cameras having to return to Leica, for fixes and replacements. Perhaps, this second version of the M11 has internal tweaks, that will enable a higher probability of happier outcomes.
Another gorgeous and very individual video. Thank you soooo much!
😊🖖🏻
An interesting video and ruminations as always, Hugh. Perhaps even more so with Ricoh / Pentax announcing a Monochrome DSLR this very day based on their K3iii. Niche markets , but growing more appealing?
🙏🏻🖖🏻
Two niche camera companies are doing it. Nikon and Canon will say, "Go get an FM2 or AE1 with HP5 or TriX".
Beautiful photos, hope you have an amazing time in London.
Thank you, Karl! I hope so too (I know we will)!
Beautiful photos, Hugh. Thanks and Greetings from Frankfurt am Main - Wetzlar just around the corner, you know! :-)
Andreas
Thanks, Andy - and yes: we most certainly do. 😉🖖🏻
I voted for your book. Hope you win. Cheers from Portugal
Hello Portugal - and thanks!
I guess my Q2M will have to go eventually 😢. Just hearing a few too many horror stories about the M11 shutter mech. The 50 Lux is my absolute fav lens on my M10-R and I’m happy to see they didn’t change the rendering. A silver version on a Monochrome looks soooo sweet… Thanks, Hugh for capturing das Wesenliche of this camera and lens. No AF, no EXIF, no IBIS and no AI. Just pure joy.
Exactly my first thought…😂 Now I must replace my Q2M.
But I must say that the Q2M are a fantastic camera!! Many times I prefer the outcome better than my SL2 with APO35sl.
It will be very exciting to see the results from the M11M.
Wish you great Leica day’s / Stefan Annell ( Stockholm Sweden )
An enbodyment of less is more.
@@stefanannell the Q2(M) is indeed a great camera. I wish Leica would make a version with a 50mm lens as well. In some situations I find the 28mm a bit too wide. That would be my main reason for an M11M (or M10M). So I can use my Lux-M 50 or APO-M 75. A great day to you too!
If any brand tells us to keep our cameras for a decade or more, it's Leica.
Fabulous information, presentation and of course: lighting :-) Thank you.
😊🙏🏻🖖🏻
She’s a beauty in every way imaginable. Nothing is perfect (no IBIS for M bodies yet) but this is sure darn close.
Wonderfull review, no doubt. But what got me is the female portrait. It is masterful. I dont say this lightly and often, but this is a shot that I’d love to have taken. Epic. It is worth a podcast: The situation, the intent, the situation, the lens rendering, the perfect imperfections. It probably says more about the artist and the lens used than about the camera, but man, this is why gear exists. Heartfelt congratulations!
Thank you, Tom - truly appreciated. 🖖🏻
I second that it's a truly stunning and inspiring image of the highest order.. BRAVO.
@@duderinojohnson5434 🙏🏻😊🖖🏻
I just love your videos
Oh! Thanks so much! Glad you do! 😊🖖🏻
Which app on an iPhone and/or iPad do you use to edit your RAW photos?
LRCC, John.
@ Thank you.
I have the M11 and I’m happy! That said this might be a great opportunity to grab the M10M
Wonderful video and very informative. I recently bought the m11 2 weeks back. But I only do black and white (fyi I'm not a pro). I still have the option of returning but then I do away with the option of color (even its 0.1% of the time). Would you recommend returning the m11 and going for the m11 M instead? Or are the differences not noticeable between the m11 and m11 M in post processing?
The differences are noticeable at the margin. I can’t recommend one over the other because I don’t know your use cases, preference and priorities. As for myself? I’m not trading in my M11 for an M11M because I want the color channel information for editing.
@@3BMEP - thanks!
Thanks for this Hugh. Have just got myself a Q2 Monochrom arriving tomorrow and can't wait. There's no looking back now!
Have fun with it, Mark!
I owned a second-hand M9 Monochrom some years ago and it's the only camera I truly wish I'd never traded. Finances will never allow me to own the M11 Monochrome but the results I've seen on you (and others') channels are amazing. Incidentally, just voted on your link for the Webbys. Best of luck.
Thank you, Paul!
I love your B&W photography. I love your thought processes. Your youtube life is a gift to me and my 1/2 century love of B&W. I hope you get the $15,000 camera/lens combination and use the heck out of it. :)
Barry, thank you for such a lovely lift!
Do you have interest in doing a video over the K3iii monochrome at some point?
...."limitations are the basis for creativity..." I like that.
greeting sir, do you happen to encounter an orange light issues or froze during a shoot with the M11 Monochrome?
I own a plain Jane ‘11, and at this point have no issues with it, sorry I can’t be of more help.
What is breathtaking is the price, I wonder how the Pentax k3 iii monochrome will fare?
I love the very artistic reviews of yours. The only thing I’m missing are some sample raw files to download. I’d really appreciate that for pixel peeping and in this specific case because of true Monochrom. That needs figuring out a whole different edit process, because of the missing colour channels. Would help on purchase decision. 😅
When are you coming down under to Sydney, Australia, and do a “Streets of Sydney “
Did you see today that Pentax (Pentax? Really?) is also releasing a monochrome camera soon? They just announced it today. That M11 (to say nothing of the lenses) is well out of my budget (this is mostly a hobby for me, though I do some commercial product work on the side - a Leica M11 just won't pay those bills), but a K3? I could afford that with a few nice Pentax primes and have a ball.
Enjoy whatever you decide to employ!
Someday I’ll be able to spring for the Leica.
Wonderful video and photos as always. Thank you!
But let’s focus on the real thing. How does this compare in practice and in the real detail to the M10M (or M246 if we care). If one buys into shooting Monochrome, which one to buy?
How does the light metering and risk of blowing the highlights compare to M10M? I got really fed up with having to adjust for this on the M10M (and in colour on an M10R).
And at normal ISO is the difference in output so great vs the M11 with appropriate post work? (I do get the “thinking B&W” philosophy).
The M10M is a TERRIFIC monochromatic camera. But the M11M is better both in terms of sensor performance and operational ease of use. If one owns and enjoys an M10M, no need to upgrade. If one’s budget cannot stretch quite as far as an M11M, the M10M is terrific. But if one photographs at the margin; has the financial wherewithal; and appreciates the incremental but very real operational improvements, the M11M is a significantly more appealing package.
Another great review Hugh, thank you sir.
Thank YOU, Rod!
I never heard of this guy, the black/white photo's with the sound is really epic.
The guy talks very nice about this camera. I like to sell everything i own and buy one.😊
I stick around for a while on this channel.
Stunning images.
Thank you, Jack!
I wanted to get a M10 Monochrome for my 50th, so now you changed may mind and I have to save up for the M11 M, looks so good
Worth the wait - and happy birthday!
Wow, that shot of the woman at 11:55 is the closest thing i've seen so far that actually felt - and i say felt- like a black and white film photo.
I felt the same.
Damn!! What a beauty. I just wish (having the Q2M) that Leica will bring out a Q3M with same sensor and with THIS lens integrated!. 28mm is nice on the Q2, but sometimes...
I hear you.
Your a great story teller
Thank you, man! 😊🖖🏻
Enjoyed the video mate. As always. I think a full monochrome camera would be amazing for photography here in Ireland for the moody skies and stormy scenes. Would love to get this eventually. You’ll see from my latest video I’m shooting the m10R and even that is superb for what I do here. Cheers
Agreed, M10R is superb - continue to enjoy!
I was shooting monochrome today, with my almost 40 year old Nikon FA and Fujifilm Acros II 100 and Rollei 640… limitations are fun! If I had the cash, I would buy an M11 first. If I had oodles more of cash, hello M11 Monochrom.
Just out of personal interest, I saw that you are shooting with glasses on. How much does it affect your shooting? Nobody talks about those everyday things. Great pictures by the way.
Thanks. The answer is: not really. I compose for what I can see, and because I wear progressives, I see pretty much everything (with maybe a bit of moving around the camera to see into the very corners.
I edit the individual colour channels in my B&W images too much to consider this camera. I shoot a lot in B&W and it's really useful to pull out skin tones in Lightroom, or to add contrast in those blue skies. I love the concept of this camera but it's the price of 10 Fuji X100Vs !!!!
I hear you!
Oh boy… I love my M10M, but this looks amazing too. What’s the min iso?
Dropped to 125, Jeff!
@@3BMEP Were you able too avoid ND with the 50 Lux wide open in daylight? That would be great. I'd add an orange or red filter so that would account for another 1/2-1 stop.
@@jeffreytotaro7051 yep!
Well Hugh, you posted a video a few weeks back on how the M11 color converted to black and white is your "M11 Monochrom". So now that the real M11 Monochrom is out, is this your new monochrom? And what about your M11? Do you like post processing organic b&w images, or converting color to b&w and have the flexibility of color sliders to control contrast? Thanks for a great video.
I haven’t changed my mind: I prefer the flexibility of color and color channel information for black and white. But this is my opinion for what I do only although Claudia feels the same way); and I’d say my latest color photographs shot with the Q3 confirms I walk my own talk. 😊🖖🏻
@@3BMEP Hugh thanks for the reply.... I can't agree enough I sold my M10M and got an M11 and I can't seem justify the M11M.... OK it is better at extreme high ISO's but otherwise its not way ahead for me. Also color converting for B&W is more versatile with color channels to manipulate. And best of all you have the color info if you want to make the shot color. Keep up the great work...I like your honest, no BS and classy way of telling it like it is... Great job Hugh
I kept my M11 Monochrom but sold my M11 (I have three other Leica color sensor cameras). I like the constraints the M11M provides.
What a beautiful camera, and the images, sheer perfection . That is one he'll of an option, but I am not surprised. That portrait just rocks, thanks Hugh.
Thank YOU, Thomas!
Loving the story so far. Feel like this release has been the worst kept secret though.
I hear you.
Interesting. I just bought the new Leica M6 film camera yesterday.
Yeah, i am an M6 fan, choice of B&W or color film is nice in the same body, and that film look is just special.
So, Hugh, when are you going to buy this new Leica combo? You know you want it. 😉
STOP!!! 😎🖖🏻
Excellent Hugh! Your videos are such a refreshing break from all the specs based videos out there. And you clearly get what Leica is up to and break it down to the same simplicity the M system offers. New Lux ordered, although I'll keep my current Lux. It was my first M lens and has been on too many trips to let it go. Now trying to decide about keeping the M10M or getting the M11M.... tough one.
Hey, Jeff! Let’s try again to grab that coffee!
How much were these edited in post?
I season every frame to taste; there’s no point evaluating a brush without paint or an idea of what you want to do with it. 😉🖖🏻
"Happenstance" creamy linguistic beauty ❤
Got my vote, Hugh. Pictures look amazing, but as you said, M11 can also get good B&W images
On that note Hugh, if one is looking for the ultimate BW image maker, are these monochrom cameras a good choice? Assuming one is not trying to impose limitations on oneself to "see the world differently" as you say. The advantages in high ISO and resolution in other words, do they in your opinion sufficiently stretch the capabilities of the sensor to warrant a BW only camera regardless of price?
Only if you shoot B&W exclusively (or have at least one other non-Monochrom camera); enjoy futzing with filters; don’t mind the absence of color channel information when editing; and and operate at the absolute margin of highest ISO, highest sharpness and widest dynamic range. 😎🖖🏻
❤ m11 mono 👍
😎🖖🏻
I’m hoping for a SL3 monochrome
Workshop • Streets of Amsterdam😮
50 years from now, Leia will point to a print of that photo on the wall and say, "That was me." Absolutely gorgeous.
Voted!
Appreciated!
There is no way I can justify to myself spending over £8k on a monochrome camera, as my primary interest is in colour. I do like B&W photography though, and I have nibbled at the idea of getting a Q2M, but the fixed lens puts me off. I know that great monochrome images can be taken with a Bayer sensor camera (as you yourself have shown constantly), but being forcibly limited to B&W changes the way one sees the world. Photography is now all about shapes and the interplay of shadow and light, without the distraction of colour. I may save my pennies and get an M11 later this year or next, but I have just put down a pre-order for the Pentax K-3 III Monochrome. Now, £2.2K I can justify!
Enjoy that Pentax mono!
'limitations are the bases of creativity' so true and this is what Leica does intentionally to induce the inner creativity that we all have.
That final photograph of the young woman is sensational, but it could have been captured on any number of camera systems. Yes, nuances of lenses and sensors make a difference in terms of rendering, but it is the photographer and subject that create what is worthwhile. Kind of getting fed up with reviewers going gooey eyed with tech over substance. I am a former Leica owner (there should be an AA group for us) and I love what they do, but their prices are now bonkers. More bonkers than Donald Trump wearing a pink tutu riding a green giraffe.
Thank you; as for the rest: I understand your perspective.
The value of utility and worth of an item is in the eye of the beholder.
The thing with Leica M’s is you just need to get one. Once you find your M you’re pretty much done buying cameras for personal use. Which is a lot cheaper than chasing the new thing every couple of years. If you still had your Leica camera this camera here is totally irrelevant.
As far as prices. Leica cameras have never been cheap. So your comment about “prices now” I don’t understand. Back in the 1930s a Leica cost the equivalent of about $4,000 today. All things considered that’s not a lot of difference.
that’s the reality of digital cameras in general I think, they’re all amazing now, which is why I shoot film now 😅. It got boring
@@carlosmcse Yeah, my bad. A while back I looked at the increase in the price of Leica film cameras since I bought an MP in 2008 and they have definitely outstripped inflation. Not so the digital Ms. I did buy the original MM with a view to keeping it for 10 years, and sold it after 8 years, so had it a good while. But my attitude to Leica has changed. I have a different set of requirements and a lower threshold in terms of budget than when I bought my MP. Even if money were no object, I would still hesitate, particularly given my experience with their reliability. Having owned 4 digital Ms, 2 needed repairing and 1 a full replacement. That's not acceptable at such a high price point. And with the MM it took 6 months to get the sensor replaced to address the corrosion issue. That was the straw that broke the camel's back.
The M11 Monochrome with the 50 Summilux 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼
Hey, Benj!
I hope it is more reliable than the colour version of the M11. One reasonably popular YT Leica M photographer is now on his fifth replacement body!
I continue to have no problems with mine, but I only shoot max a couple of hundred frames during any one shooting session on the street, shooting only (at most) a couple of times a month because I have to rotate cameras for testing. I know of the videos you mention (seems like a good guy), but so far, second time around, so good for me.
@@3BMEP I’m sticking with my 10R for now. I’ll see how the land lies when the 11P comes along!
Nice SONY sensor😉
The only Leica I would ever want to own however, I don't want a divorce. I wonder how much it would cost to convert an XPRO-3 to monochrome?
Great question!
Try MaxMax. They both convert and sell converted Fuji cameras.
@@Arcadia11201 Cheers for that.
"Limitation are the basis for creativity! " That's it!!! Thank you so much Hugh!
😊👊🏻
It's nice to see them receive this hype and this is a great review as always! Although, there is another monochrome camera that has just been released that I would love to see reviewed by you - the Pentax K3 III Monochrome.
Pentax will have anti-shake. It expands one's shooting! Any Pentax lens will work. The don't have to auto focus. One can focus. Cost a fraction of Leica, but still daunting for me!
There is also the advantage that the Pentax K-3 III Monochrome is weatherproof and there are weatherproof lenses available for it. I don't think you would want to take the M11 Monochrome and an M lens out in the rain.
The 50 lux was already an apochromatic lens anyway, according to Peter Karbe, who should know.
A Ricoh GR monochrome please.
Have people forgot that black & white film are still reasonably priced and easy to develop at home.
I can almost guarantee you get more keepers investing in film then digital monochrome cameras
Full manual, huh? Sure looks like Claudia caught you using aperture priority at 1:17 ...😀
She did - figured I’d try the more advanced metering - and went back to full manual. 😊😎🖖🏻
@@3BMEP No matter the camera, I've been burned way too many times on aperture priority.
i want one
❤❤❤
If I would just find a sponsor. 😊
or m6 , Tri-X, rodinal , Rag paper !!! 😉
Few options are better! But no colour is kinda kooky! Cavemen /women painted in COLOUR! Ansel, HCB, preferred BW. We use colour very differently now! We have control. Anti-shake is not a gimmic. It works big time. Auto mis-focus not for me! Leica certainly jumped up! The new Pentax Monochrome will be a stiff competitor . Bravo Leica and Pentax! More images, please!
For me monochrome is a selling point. Less noise, a bit more sharpness and complete focus on BW when taking the pictures. I also have color cameras.
Do you feel safe carrying a bauble like that on the streets of New York?
Clearly, yes. 😊🖖🏻
Do you prefer the M11 or M11 Monochrom?
I bought (and still own) the original M11. Let’s see how bad my proclivity for Leica gets…
@@3BMEP Do you have the LEICA APO-SUMMICRON-M 50 mm f/2 ?
@@gurugamer8632 No; I have the Leica Summicron-M 50/2 and Voigtländer APO Lanthar 50/2.
I guess you could read the phone book it would be interesting
😉🖖🏻
Reminds me that there are two things I want, tangential to this.
One, I’d love to see more 1st party camera companies embrace a parallel lens track like the revamped 35 and 50 which are based around character rather than optical perfection, a bit smaller and simpler of a lens design, but still fast and premium. It’s good that there are near-perfect 50/1.2s, even if they’re enormous. It’s good that there are nifty 50/1.8s which are cheap, small, and still razor sharp. But a quirky characterful 50/1.4 could be the fun uncle. How about Canon reaches back to their Rangefinder days and updates a Serenar 50/1.5 design? There can be a lot of flawed modern lenses, but they tend to have modern flaws, such as extreme distortion that requires extensive digital correction, and that’s fine, if the price and size are right. But it’d be nice to see also lenses with flaws more like those of old film lenses.
Two, I’d love a Monochrom D-Lux 7. Compact, semi-affordable, great controls, takes filters. The small and relatively low MP sensor would be helped by the added detail, greater dynamic range, and lower noise that tend to come with de-Bayering. It couldn’t be as deliberative as the M11, but I figure I’d buy one.
For B&W nothing beats film.
The great thing about Leica M is you only need to get yours. Once you have the one you love you’re done buying them.
It’s fun hearing about new gear but the truth is, I’m going to get buried with my 10R and my Summicron. That gives me more than I would ever need.
So whatever gear they come out with is totally irrelevant to me. Hopefully this camera will be reliable for those who buy it.
Oh yea and the old Summilux is so much more beautiful. These new lenses look too modern and now this one is thicker and longer. I would just stick to the old one.
Surely the greatest contribution to freakonomics since additional work had to undertaken to a 486 chipset to sell it for less money as a 386 ……….. as usual Hugh your views are poetry! You have a wonderful channel…
😊🙏🏻🖖🏻
Dude. You could sell freezers to Inuit people.
I am 1.5% Inuit, as it turns out. :)
….still not worth it because of the blown highlights…😢
Leica needs to adopt canon’s high light priority or Fuji’s dr400. Modes for highlight retention. These are specifically to address digital sensors only being tuned for shadow DR, not highlight DR. I assume this is because of legacy preference to low light challenges.
Between noise reduction software and modern sensors, we can sacrifice some noise in the blacks to give us unclipped highlights for about 5 stops, as fuji does!
This is not a sensor thing, this is a software thing. Your shoot at a higher iso (360-640) to give the sensor some ?headroom”
This allows you to expose normally, instead of “for the right” which gives you dark images that need LR tweaking.
Think of a bride with a wedding dress outdoors.
On a Leica, you would have to expose for the dress to preserve the highlight detail, resulting in dark images on the back of the camera, where you promise the bride “it will look great in post”.
With canon’s highlight priority, or Fuji’s dr400, you expose normally, look at the back of the camera, bride looks normal, yet there is detail on the dress! How?
These modes, internally, underexposed the image, while boosting up shadow and mid tone ranges…..sound familiar. Yeah, that’s what you do in LR! Since the image was underexposed, there is detail in the highlights. Since the images blacks and midtones were raised to compensate IN CAMERA, your image looks normal on the back of the camera, but without blown highlights!
This works in raw, too!
Cmon Leica!
This is the type of camera one goes irrationally into credit for. God I’m drooling like a rabies ridden dog. Lord, help me not buy it please ❤
Let me help you: do not go into debt for ANY camera. Especially now.
@@3BMEP amen🙏🏻 (but it’s so cute…). Cheers!
Huh, so you can get some pretty good B&W street photos with a $14,000 camera/lens system. Who knew?
HInt: you can spend a tiny fraction of that and also get _outstanding_ street photos.
So there is that.
You are absolutely right. 👍🏻
I usually like your video so I Know you are more of an introvert street photographer but even if your images are quality I fond it a bit odd that as a parisian if I dont see you taking the pictures I dont Know they were made in Paris coz à Shop réflection or à bird on the pavement can be Taken anywhere in the world... at one point you Will have to take more risk un your approach if the goal is to grow as a photographer and not nly as a youtuber ...
A camera for monochromeïst
i have a great common sense.. and even in all it s glory, the m11 details for 11k$ in canada. No, thank you.
No logo, no red dot and about $10K after sales tax? No deal.
You get the Logo on the web page!
What images will the M11M create that the M10 didn’t? It’s a logical step for Leica but it also seems to be very lost. The world greatest images have been created with much lesser kit and on film. This will buy me 1200 rolls of film and a chance for almost four years every day, 36 times to create a piece of great photography. Sorry Leica, you lost me here…
Fair analysis. But the answer may not be as black and white (pun intended) for everyone.
I love the leica monochrom cameras, but I’ll only ever love them from a distance; they’re cameras for people with more money than I’ll ever have.
I’m more excited for the entrance of the monochrome sensor into the realm of mere mortals. Ricoh Pentax’s decision to do this in the shape of a monochrome K3 mark III (rather than, for example, a GR, something I would buy in an *instant*) is…. well, it’s typically Ricoh Pentax! Monochrome cameras are already a vanishingly small niche; why not make a monochrome APSC DSLR?! But I hope it gets some coverage, and allows a wider group of people to experience shooting in true black & white.
And I’ll keep my fingers crossed for that monochrome (full frame, while we’re dreaming) GR 🥲