The Best Camera I’ve Owned
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ค. 2024
- The Leica M11 has quickly become my favourite and most-used photo camera in my kit. In this video, I'm gonna share all the reasons why and even some of the things that can get better. Enjoy!
00:00 The Introduction
00:40 Leica M11 Best Features
05:54 Leica M11 Surprises
09:11 Leica M11 Improvements
13:41 Leica M11 Settings & Accessories
17:09 Should you buy this camera?
18:35 Closing Thoughts
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These long form uploads have been a real joy. 🙏🏾 I’m loving my M11, I didn’t think I would be able to get use to a true rangefinder coming from an X-Pro. But now it feels like the only way I can truly feel like I’m capturing the moment. This shooting experience has retrained my eyes. Keep it up Gajan! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Well said. And thank you ✌🏾
Love your passion for the camera - I just got my M11 and concur. I've had many M cameras, and although my film Ms are still my favourites, the M11 is the closest to that experience yet.
+1 vote for the double exposure feature, number one thing i've wanted since owning a q2 for the past couple years
My experience with the Leica M11 aligns with yours. Wow, I enjoy this camera.
Gajan, I love how your channel keeps evolving⚡️ It’s inspiring.
Thank you Mick 🙏🏾
I’m not a Leica shooter and I may never be, BUT I can totally understand why someone would buy this camera. Every camera is an extension of one’s creativity. Some cameras work amazing for some and not so amazing for others. Glad you enjoyed it. Great to see what the camera has to offer.
I have the M11 50 Lux and 90 f/2 APO. I have the Visoflex too! Love it!
Only one thing matters : having pleasure to shoot, and being happy when you look at your pictures. The remainder has no importance.
For me, the magic with any M cameras is mainly due to the pleasure you have to build your picture from A to Z manually. With my M, -M262 and M10Monochrome- my pictures are not better, not worst, but my pleasure is clearly higher !
Actually I shoot as if it was a film camera : at my own rhythm and sparingly. With a single 50mm most of the time. Pure pleasure (for me).
Great Video. I love my M camera’s and look forward to adding the M11 this summer. The most perfect part of your whole video, to me, was the part about cameras as tools. I agree, there is more to it than just the camera being a tool. Great job!
Thank you Glenn, appreciate the kind words 🙏🏾
i love this video, my dream camera!
Great to see you back. Just couldn’t afford an m11 so have old m10r instead.
Great video and agree with your thoughts and experiences with the M11. I sold my M10 to get this one and while the files of the M11 are arguably better than the M10, it's all the conveniences it now offers that makes it so good. The only area that I disagree is the Fotos app. The new firmware upgrade made it better, but it's still hit and miss for me. Finally, I too haven't had any issues with mine.
Agreed! Enjoy the journey ✌🏾
Thanks for your candid (hopefully) review. I wish I had the dough to afford not buying one with a good Leica lens, which I probably could, but to have it stolen, lost or broken. Your pictures are wonderful, congratulations.
Jumped from my Xpro3 into the Hasselblad X2D system as it is more ergonomic and compact than the Fuji GFX. However, I am starting to struggle as the system does not always match my needs (which I knew but ignored 😅). The M11Mono may be just what I need… 🖖🙃
I have the original M10 and I don’t see any reason to upgrade. With that said, I truly understand your thoughts about the M11, and there’s not that many cameras from 2017 that feels so fresh and solid than the M10. So I bet you can enjoy this M11 for a long period of time! (The funny thing about the M-series is that it’s so unique and beautiful, strangers tells me on the street, and still it’s design is almost 100 years old. With a timeless and simple design you get a tool that never feels old and/or boring) 👌
Well said and so accurate. There’s also such a joy to use these cameras over a a long period of time and have them patina as you grow.
I like your feature requests (double exposure, using the jpg recipes for a tiff, etc). I wouldn’t have thought of them myself, but now I want them.
Right? Would love to see them get added over time.
Also related to jpeg conversion: I wish more cameras would let you do conversions at will after the fact like Fuji. I’d like to take my DNG and run it through a couple of different profiles right on the camera; I’d probably do 75% of my final edits that way if I could.
I’ll get there sooner rather than later lol I just got a new to me m240 that I’ve been lusting after for 8 years, no regrets at all.
wow, great video, great pacing, informative... so well done, congrats, and thanks.
Thank you Anne ✌🏾
You managed to describe the essence of Leica M uniqueness so well 👌
Thanks for watching ✌🏾
I've a Wüsthof, a made in Germany chef's cleaver which I've used daily for the last 35 years and it's as good as new. It started as a tool but has grown to become an extension of me. Now I'm saving to buy a Leica M10P. Like the Wüsthof, I know how the story will end. Thank you.
Well said Tashi. Thank you for sharing 🙏🏾
Awesome photos.
Thank you for an excellent review.
Thanks for watching ✌🏾
Dangit, Gajan. I’m trying so so hard to be content with my M10s 😭
They work and make money in photography. Simple as that.
@@davidmurray5926 Anyone in the western world can afford a Leica if it’s what they really want bad enough. These gentleman are masters at their craft “photography” and therefore can afford such a premium tool. Your comment comes off as jealousness due to your lack of abundance mindset.
@David Murray the answer’s right in front of you but I don’t think you wanna accept it. The reality is that most people don’t have the creative execution and business acumen to subsidize their tools through their photographic work. And for some, rather than acquire the knowledge, they instead make salty comments on TH-cam.
I hope you find some happiness in the future ✌🏾
@@billyabroad8057 he’s a hater!
@@billyabroad8057 very well said my brother. Abundance mindset.
Nice Video. I second nearly every point you're talking about. But get the summilux 28 or the apo-summicron 50, and you will be blown away by the quality.
Nice informations here, thanks for sharing your thoughts
Thanks for watching ✌🏾
Dammit.
Much love. ❤️
Don't know if I'll ever be able to justify purchasing a Leica but they are fun to shoot with!
Agreed!
Nice vid, Gajan. I guess your vid is going to cost me again ;-). The M is indeed a camera that makes you want to go out and shoot. As a fashion/beauty photographer I’ve been around the block when it comes to cameras: Canon, Sony, Fujifilm and Nikon. However, last year when both Profoto and Capture One started to fully support Leica, I’ve switched completely. Always had an M7 and M10-R for personal work, but now also a couple of SL2’s and an SL2-S. The menus are indeed fantastic and so is the Foto App. Hands-down the best of all I’ve tried. It can easily be your tilted LCD screen. Best of all, though is that I can use my M glass (28 cron, 50 lux and 90 apo) on the SL’s too, while maintaining the same IQ. Right next to the fabulous APO-SL lenses. My ab fav is the 50 summilux-m. It is gorgeous, esp in dim light.
Congrats! Enjoy the journey ✊🏾
Great review with very good insights and information. I wish all reviewers had your ability to "get" a camera.
Excellent
Thanks for watching ✌🏾
Inspired 🙏🏾
Thank you brother ✊🏾
I’m impatiently waiting for the M11P to come out so I can buy one of these M11s used for cheaper 😂
Hahaha, not a bad strategy at all
All great points! I love my M11 but am having issues that I know/hope Leica will be able to fix (locking up still). With that said when I saw that terrarium in the background I thought it was weed! LMAO! I was like damn Gajan...the camera was that good?! :D Love your content. That photo of the school girl is amazing!
Hahahaha, maaaan… it looked so much more different in person and then I looked at the footage on cam and well, yea people gonna see this differently 😂
Great video! You mention that you use the user profiles to have settings for special circumstances. Would you be willing to let us know how you set up your M11. I’d really like to see if this would affect how I use my own camera. Thanks!
Thanks! I’ll have four profiles and this is the general idea…
Street: B&W with 1600 ISO ceiling
Night: B&W with 6400 ISO ceiling
Bright: Colour with 400 ISO locked
Studio: Colour with 100 ISO locked
There’s other settings tweaked, but these are the key parameters right now.
Great review Gajan. I recently bought an M11 and love it. By the way as someone who speaks for a living (trial attorney), I have to say that you speak really well. Your observations are clear and concise, and your delivery is very good. You could have been an actor. BTW, what is that design in red on the top of the camera. Is that a map?
Thanks, Scott. Truly appreciate the kind words. It’s a map of my homeland, spoke about it toward the end of this video th-cam.com/video/UGvjlHbfoXI/w-d-xo.html
Love the idea of an M11 but do you think you could use it commercially for lifestyle, brand work?
That "Grab the camera just to feel it"
Yeah......
I know that feeling really well
Hahaha, yup!
M2 for me 😁
Great video! Which on camera flash are you using with the M11 there?
EFX20, it’s a discontinued flash from Fujifilm.
Experienced some lockups this week on my m11. Some issues with focus aid and i feel like the processor in the camera is slower than mass consumer brands. If you clicked playback too quickly, it could get lock up and require a battery reset.
With that said…..
Still think Leica cameras have the ability to connect easier with people or when you’re trying to take pictures of strangers. Having a mirrorless with a large prime lens makes it quite intrusive and is just too unpleasant to bring around.
I love my M11. The last update destroyed the software so much that I would have to go to a Leica store to have it reset. 😅 Hardware is really fantastic.
No way? Hopefully it’s sorted out.
As I approach my 50th I am sitting on the fence on getting my first Leica, leaning towards the M11-P and the 35mm F1.4 lens, its such a hard decision when I have got a significant amount of Sony gear with me. Your in-depth candid video is helping me make the decision. Will let you know if I get it!
Good luck, and wishing you an awesome 50th ✌🏾
@@GajanBalan I must thank you again for your inputs. I picked up the M11P today and the SUMMICRON-M 28 f/2 ASPH III 11618
(0.4m minimum focusing) from the Leica store in Hong Kong. Hope I picked up a decent lens to start off with.
@@thinkpadx60 Congrats! Put that thing to work and enjoy the journey.
Been following you since your Fuji days Gajan...Like you I switched from Fuji to Leica as well. I have the M11 and M10-Mono. Curious to see if you'll pick up a M11-Mono when that comes out (rumors say its soon)... Keep up the great work man!! Love your channel, and love to see you like Leica. Love the engraving Leica did on your camera!! What lenses do you have for your M11??? Would love to learn what your Leica kit entails. Thanks Gaj, keep up the great work bro...
Thank you, the next video is actually a review of all the lenses for my M kit.
@@GajanBalan sweeeet! Looking forward to it! Thank you bro
I love my M11 as well. I need a small fill flash for those sunset portrait moments on a cruise without the reflectors. What are you using please?
Moved to a Profoto solution with the A10x and A2. Works great.
Love the video and your perspective. If all goes well, I’ll be picking up a M11 tomorrow morning. I do have a question about this in that, where did you get the “black sticker” for your M11?
Found it on eBay. Clean!
Can also use a small piece of black gaff tape 😉
Hey Gajan, where did you get the Leica black sticker (used to cover the red logo on your M11)?
This was from eBay. There was a seller that had red dots scrapped and painted black. Worked like charm.
I would love a double exposure mode.
Have you installed the new firmware 1.6.1 fix freezing 🥶
Dear Gajan, great video. I would like some advice on a 35mm M mount lens for M-11 (non-Leica brand as I am an amateur photographer with some budget concerns). Do you have any recommendations? Cheers.
Thinking of trading all my Nikon gear for the m11, but I am on the fence
Mostly agree with all you say in the video :)
Most photographer tell me « man this camera is so expensive » and … yes it is! But most of the photog I met got like a Canon R5, a 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8 a 35 and or a 85… It’s almost the same amount :)
The internal storage, the battery life are just game changer for me. All the lens you have access to is phenomenal (because no, there isn’t only expensive Leica lenses who work great… My go to kit is a 28 Ultron from Voigt and the Lux 50 :) ).
And as you say, THAT menu system and THAT app… c’mon FujiCanikoSony… you can do that too…
It was hard at the beginning, but it’s clearly my favorite camera, ever…
Totally agree. And that 50 Lux is tempting me…!
I know!!! So true! And then they upgrade it in 2 years for the latest Canon or Sony etc.
What color profile are these images... I dont have a Summilux, its a Summicron 50 f2, and Elmarit 28, Distagon 35mm 1.4. Zeiss and couple of Voigts... each lens has such different colors. I love your colors ... so would appreciate if you share the secret !
Hey @Gajan are you still using the GFX100s? How does it pair with your M11?
I haven’t used it in months 😬
Hey, if you have to choose between GFX100s and Leica M11 witch one would you keep
Personally? I already made that choice. M11.
how did you find the ease of focusing with this rangefinder on the go? thx
I enjoy it. There’s a learning curve but once you put the time with the lenses, it feels like second nature. Especially with respect to zone focusing.
I would love this camera and came very close to buying one, but for $9000… 😬
Maybe when I tire of lugging around my larger camera and lens, I would def buy one with a nifty fifty and the 28, but for the time, the X100V fills the minimalist role I like.
agree. But for me, I can't even afford the x100v.
Buy a Leica M240 which is 90% of this camera's strengths for about $2500 used in mint condition.
Your photography is fantastic on whatever camera you’re using. I’d love to sell everything and get one camera and one lens. But probably not this camera.
Hi Gajan, what was the name of the camera strap? Thanks
Ona Sevilla
Can I ask where you got that shutter button? Many Thanks.
Aliexpress, skull shutter
Btw i also have the 35mm lux fle ii and the lens is indeed the holygrail
Totally agree! Enjoy the journey ✌🏾
I was thinking, I would like to own a Leica someday because they are build like sturdy tanks. I use a X-T2 for about 7 years now and I feel like that the X-T5 is finally a worthy upgrade. But everywhere I read, and hear on youtube is that the XT5 feels cheap on dials, knobs and screen. I have owned a Oly OM-D 5MII and this camera felt more solid than the X-T2 does. It feels like that a lot of brands are downsizing built quality to keep the sales high. So I am going to use my X-T2 till it dies, no need to upgrade.
Leica is expensive but it is made in Europe and they are sturdy solid tanks.
Just a thought that came up to me. I need to rent a Leica M11 to experience what it is all about. But Fuji GFX is also nice for landscapes and portraits... (man.. here we go! shut up my monkey mind.)
Your photo's are stunning!
where did you get de black leica dot? really nice
Found someone on eBay that paints the originals black, but I don’t see them listing it anymore.
I think you forgot a major improvement for the Leica M serie : a pop-up flash !!! Just kidding. Great video.
Nice video. Could you please give me the reference of the cable you've used for the EX-20 flash on the M11 ? thank you :)
It’s an off-camera speedlite cord. It’s not TTL so I use this one here amzn.to/3PxCBGh
@@GajanBalan Thank you for your answer :)
Just out of curiosity what is that red scribble on the top plate?
Much more than a scribble
th-cam.com/video/UGvjlHbfoXI/w-d-xo.html
What's that engraving on top of the camera supposed to be??
Haven’t seen it asked but what flash are ya using in your thumbnail pic? Been looking for a small flash like that I can throw on my SL2-S
It’s the discontinued Fujifilm EF-X20. Pretty pricey nowadays but such a great little flash.
@@GajanBalan Still less than Profoto ;-)
One of the best videos on photography I've seen in a while.
Thank you 🙏🏾
That's my only real gripe with Leica. The manual focus with the range finder in bad light. I have spent so much of my life manually focusing and as much as it slows me down to consider the image one of two things usually happens:
1. I miss moments
2. My composition suffers because I'm overly focused on manually focusing, and don't notice my framing got wonky or something.
This doesn't matter at hyperfocal distances, so I feel more free to work a scene and things, but as soon as I'm in non-ideal light I lose all confidence in the tool and start worrying.
Also, I totllay recommend one of those handmade wood grips that you attach with a plate to the tripod mount. I got one mostly for the mounting options, but it makes such a huge difference to the grip comfort while not adding much to the profile once the lens is on the body.
Thanks! I’ll have to check it out. I try to keep the weight down but some of these pieces are so useful.
Can I ask you kindly where do you buy the red sticker on the top of your camera? I want to spoil my m11 😍
If you mean the linework on the top of the camera, then it's an engraving done by leica :)
Much more than a sticker
th-cam.com/video/UGvjlHbfoXI/w-d-xo.html
Where can I get the shutter button
Aliexpress had it, skull soft shutter button
are you editing your M11 files in Lightroom or Capture one?
Capture One
I don't know about you, I shoot multiple different cameras almost daily and pretty much never need menus for anything. And if I need menu, there is usually an interface to make an easy access to functions that matter to you. Maybe there is something wrong with Leica's UI, since it seems all M users have to browse menus :)
Lol that’s cute. Good luck with your photography Oleg ✌🏾
Yo. Nice to hear you talk. Let's meet up soon...
Yes brother ✊🏾
Which flash is the one at 6:42?
It’s the discontinued Fuji EF-X20. Can find it online on some places but pricey.
I have this camera and I downloaded the latest firmware and it's still freezing up!!! I don't know what I should do? But still, m11 my favorite camera 📷
Interesting. I would take advantage of the warranty while you can. Better to explore every avenue to land with a working camera.
@@GajanBalan thank u for prompt response
The efx20 suits the Leica considering how much those are selling for now lol
😂
Tamizhan pola irukKe ? Aana American polavum irukke ? One of the most confident photographers on TH-cam who has a great eye... kudos!
It used to be the x100V
It did
why did you retire the 100s?
Probably deserves a video but it largely came down to where my work is going. Less studio, more in the field, dynamic, and a healthy amount of video. Great camera, but I find myself not using it as much.
Taking pics while standing behind the cricket bat...brave man!! lol
Hahaha
I love my M, but I wear glasses and it just doesn't work well with them
I''d love to know what it's like to shoot on a leica, but I can't afford that lol.
I will love buying this camera in 10 years when its hopefully affordable for me haha
Haha, fair fair
After watching this I'm again reconsidering selling my M10 and get an M11😅
One thing I don’t understand: why do you even take the SD card out of the camera?
Faster offload, especially for those large raw files.
@@GajanBalan interesting, from my tests, with a 100mbps cable, it’s around 80% as fast, which doesn’t compensate the rest (for me)
I do also love that it’s like $1USD per photo hahahaha
Hahaha 😂 what’s wilder is that it’s still cheaper than Kodak film per shot 😂
I am surprised neither you, nor anyone else, is mentioning the MAJOR problems with the digital M cameras' fragility. Mine has no tolerance for moisture, even slight moisture that my Leica SL handles perfectly well. Also, the camera is not dust resistant, and neither are the lenses, so over time, you are likely to end up with dust both inside the viewfinder and between lens elements (has happened to me). Finally, it handles physical shocks very poorly, since the rangefinder is easily knocked out of allignment. All in all, it is not an "all weather camera" at all.
Two years of using this all over the world in all types of conditions, I have yet to have this kind of issue. That’s unfortunate.
@@GajanBalan Yes, you have been lucky. My M246 has failed on me numerous times on mountain hikes, due to moisture. My brother has a Leica MP that he accidentally bumped. He had to send it to Germany to have it fixed, at a cost of more than 1000 dollars. Wrt dust, my Leica M lenses now have lots of dust inside them, simply due to several years of being used on the street in big cities with a lot of traffic.
I wish the battery life of SL2s had the same kind of energy.. they just die so fast.
Same, two batteries a day when I’m using the SL2-s.
Under this outrageous price it is best camera to own, for sure. I bet you are writing it off from your taxes as business expense. For the rest of us ... No dust reduction on sensor camera, in 2023... No service in Canada brand, either, while Leica service is nowhere close to Canon Brampton by all means. I do own some Ms, but those are not cameras I would take to Toronto downtown during blizzard forecasted for tonight. :)
We need some way to embarrass the other companies into doing something about their crap apps!! I'm so jealous seeing the Leica app.
beautiful but seems way overpriced like most Leicas. Very happy with my XE4
Not for everyone 🤷🏾♂️
@@GajanBalan yeah for sure!
8:13 Say their name. SONY. They need to be named and shamed because I’m sick of their BS. My a1 shouldn’t be missing features that a $2500 camera has
It’s not just them but they may be the biggest culprit here.
You guys a hilarious. 9K for just the camera with freezing issues. You guys are suffering from the sunk cost effect.
Haven’t had the camera freeze on me in months, but okay 🤷🏾♂️
“I’m not sure any other solution could have done these photographic moments justice…”
Is what we all tell ourselves when justifying the cost of our gear. You should be a salesman. Not sure I’m buying it, but noteworthy hyperbole nonetheless.
Maybe, but having used so many different brands for work I can’t help but feel that way for my personal journey. To each their own.
Gajan, I have a lot of respect for you as a photographer and TH-camr, but this is one instance where I think you are not being objective at all. I mean, it's okay that Leica take their time in fixing their issues "because they operate on a different timeline"?!? Come on! Things that are inexcusable (and rightly so) for any other company, are cute quirks for Leica? A whole video on the M11, and not one negative thing to say? At most some suggestions that would make a perfect camera even more so? I appreciate that you received excellent customer service from them with the personalized engraving and all, but there should be more to a review, at least by someone of your calibre.
You are by no means the only person to do this- I mean if any other company had had the QC issues that Leica have had (on a body that costs as much as a car), they would have been slaughtered, while here they are being praised for their excellent customer service. So, I'm not truly surprised, it's just that I was expecting something different from you. Oh well....
On a side note, your images are as excellent as ever!
respect deez nuts
You made this video to cope with the price
Yep, that’s how I spend my weekends. Writing and filming elaborate TH-cam videos as a coping mechanism for my spending habits 😂🤦🏾♂️
If you cant afford the camera, don’t get upset because other more successful people can…simple.
Stopped watching immediately after the word “jpegs” 😂 man…
Triggered by jpegs? Damn… good luck with that ✌🏾
Unfortunately, no diopter compensation - I can't take pictures with this camera at all.
Can’t you buy diaptor compensators that screw into the viewfinder?