I have started to LOVE my M11 after a year now. My experience was love and hate in the beginning. I even thought of selling it so many times. But as time went by, I learned "how to best use" the M11; and once that happened, the LOVE remained and the hate faded away. Thank you for your wonderful and helpful thought on this camera.
I was invited to the UK launch of the M11, never having held a Leica before. I was absolutely blown away by the build quality and my jaw hit the floor when I handled one fitted with a 50mm 0.95 Noctilux! Unfortunately I can’t justify the cost as a non-professional shooter but am a great admirer from a distance.
That and the 50 0.95 is def a reach even for a pro. The 0.95 has no appeal to me for some reason. But I do like the images other photographers create with it.
You have sent that camera in 5 times 6 times for repairs? I can't think of any other product with so many issues that a professional would still recommend. Can you imagine a race car driver with that many breakdowns still recommending that car😂
The camera was replaced, never repaired because of know issues on a certain batch of cameras which they made corrections for. Cameras are recalled for issues all the time for this type of thing - doesn’t make them a bad bet. Sometimes it’s just a matter of patience and understanding. And yes, 100% recommend this camera.
@@kaskoPhoto replaced, repaired 5 or 6 times, potato, potato 😂. Been using Olympus for 20 years never heard of that kind of chronic issues not just with the m11 but starting with the m7 there very first digital camera. Matter of fact no other manufacturer having chronic issues from the very beginning of digital history of cameras. I think Leica deserves more very harsh scrutiny for these huge mistakes any other camera manufacturer or business would have been long since shutdown. I just don’t understand the hypocrisy with this. No other high end profession sure would put up with it.
@@WhoIsSerafin To each their own for sure. I like the system and love shooting with it. And at the end of the day that’s all that matters. But thank you for the conversation either way. Have an amazing holiday.
I really enjoy your videos. Informative but not overly opinionated. It’s as if you are engaged in a conversation with your listeners. I really like your laid back approach. I own the M11 and I love it also. I had the M11 M but I actually prefer the M9 M more. That CCD sensor is incredible. I am adding the Q3 to my kit. Lastly, my favorite focal length in the Leica ecosystem is 75mm but I’m also a nifty fifty guy. Leica 50 f0.95, f1.2, and the 50 APO. Continued happiness and success to you and yours. Be Blessed, Doc Chaps
Thank you for sharing. I really want the 75 - just for the headshot work. But the 50s are a nice collection and I can understand owning each one. Best to your clan!
As a Leica/Hasselblad owner I would say if you're dead set on a rangefinder, get a Leica if not definitely pick up a Hasselblad X2. Being able to shoot at ISO 64 at close to 1/2- 1/0.8 handheld is on a different level. I think you really have to love a rangefinder though, personally my Leica M9 is more than enough. I sold my M10 because I feel like it lacked dare I say "character".
@@kaskoPhoto I just wish my X2 was a tri-resolution sensor. I don't always need 100mp, when I can get away with 50mp and don't need any of the bells and whistles, I just use the X1DII.
Same kit with M11/50 lux CF/ grip. Love it. A special kit. I do like it better than the prior 50lux asph and likewise, it'll be my last 50. Im intrigued with the thumb and finger loop. I want to use my 1.25x mag off my MP but that stupid little adapter ring stupid expensive for what it is, I cant bring myself to pay for it just yet. I do get occasional lock ups but I've found is when I turn it on then turn it off quickly. It's not a bid deal, I just eject and reinsert and go back to work. Glad you're having a great experience with it.
I have really enjoyed the M11! One of the reasons that I was hesitant to make the jump from the M10 was the problems you were initially having 😂 I never thought much of the Visioflex until I picked up a used 1.2 Noctilux. It makes hitting focus pretty easy!
@@kaskoPhoto I have the f/1.2 re-issue and f/1.0 Noctilux-M lenses. You wouldn’t mistake a shot with either of them for one taken with a Summilux. They’re softer at the center (pleasingly so) and the focus drop-off to the edge differs in the two Noctilux lenses. From the photos I’ve seen taken with a Noctilux-M 50 mm f/0.95, they look sharper in the center than the f/1 and f/1.2. The f/1.2 is more compact and lighter than the f/1. I could see using it all day long.
just to put it out there, I've shot with a nikon d850 and never in my life had a bug of any kind, this is just to say not all cameras are the same. Great camera though
I am glad you are enjoying the M11. I saw your previous videos about the problems you faced with the M11 freezing issues and was hesitant to get one myself. But, now I bought the M11-P! I will be using it along with my M3 and M9. Having the same lens mount is really convenient and I can switch between the 3 cameras depending on the situation, M11-P for low light situations, M9 for bright daylight, M3 for film photography.
@simonjohansson9235 Based on my output from using the M9, my day time pictures were sharp and well exposed, and the CCD sensor renders colours really well. But I need ample amount of daylight to achieve that. When I use the M9 at night, I tend to overexpose highlights, and I encounter CCD bloom. The dynamic range of the M9 is also quite lacking. It is an old camera, after all. Maybe I need to improve upon my photography skills at the same time. I bought the M11-P just to take advantage of the vastly improved dynamic range and higher resolution to take pictures at night.
@@streetphotojournalism So far, for the M-11P, I only encountered the freezing issue once after using the camera in the rain. I took out the battery and put it back in and the camera was back to normal. I'm using SanDisk SD cards and I updated the camera to the latest firmware. The staff at the local Leica store mentioned that the M11 is the problematic model as many users encountered the freezing issue with it, which was somewhat fixed with the latest firmware update.
@@Gardiroth So I did freeze. I have had half a dozen Fuji, Nikon, and Pentax and never had one freeze and they were 2k cameras. Super disappointing especially at 10k for a body. It’s must be some sort of a hardware issue that can’t be fixed through new firmware. Maybe has to do with the sensor. I read the freezing issues started clear back on the M10-P when the largest sensor was released.
It is not an overhearing issue, it is the second reason I will not get an M11 or M11P, it still has the same buffer size as the M10 and M10R, 2 gigabytes. Unless you shoot in only .jpeg you are stuck at 7 to 8 photos before the camera buffer is full. Just like it was with the M9, it is a case of one step forward, 2 steps back
I'm pleased you are happy with the M11 , I admit I've never been tempted with it , my first Leica was the m240p , which I still use now and then , but a few years ago I got a pre-owned M10-D which is my main camera and I love it , I mostly shoot 28 or 35 ,but I traded a lot of lenses that I'd got but hardly ever used , 21 75 ,90mm and a few other bits for the older version of the 50mm summilux , I plan to use that as my main lens as a challenge to myself in the new year as I'm not really a 50 shooter I wish you and your family a very happy Christmas and new year from here in the uk
Thank you so much. To you and yours as well! I am surprised how much I’m using the 21 to be honest. I saw one on eBay a while back at an abnormally low price so I took a chance. It’s a gem. The 90 I use for concerts and that’s it.
@@kaskoPhoto I found the 21 was to wide , the 90 was a vintage version from the 1960s that I got off eBay for around £120 ,it was a nice lens , but I tended to use it with the visoflex and it just became annoying as the battery only lasted for around a hundred shots using the evf , I tend to shoot from the hip when I do my street photography so the 28,35 work better for that , I'll see how I do with the 50 next year
I’ve had the M11 since it was launched and I’ve had no freezes yet - I have the camera set to Continuous Low drive but almost always only take one frame at a time. I have it set up like that is if I need to shoot two or three frames at a time, I can do so just by holding the shutter button down a bit longer. Is the 50 Summilux the most used lens on the camera? I wanted a small-ish lens so bought a 50mm Summicron to go with the M11 but I now find I’m using the Voigtlander 35mm f1.5 Nokton more often. I’m thinking of selling the Summicron to help fund a 90mm Elmar to have a simple 2 lens combo but if a Summilux is the way to go, I might need to think longer about it.
I can’t say enough about the new 50 Summilux. It’s on the camera 90% of the time. I use the Voigtlander 28 and 35 a lot for events and only use the 90 for concerts. I never use the 90 for anything else
There is about 3% chance that I buy another M Leica camera (had two M9 and M240) having said that I love manual focus Leica lenses on my SL2S. 19th century rangefinder does not do it for me anymore, but Leica please make a M mount mirrorless body with IBIS no video, that’s it. Have a nice Christmas.
Well when I had the SL2-S I was blown away by the files. Absolutely stunning. Really sad I had an issue with mine. I wouldn’t mind IBIS but I wouldn’t want it at the expense of a larger m body. You have an amazing Christmas as well.
I have the Q2 absolutely love that camera and that awesome lens, of course I fancy an M but in my mind I have other systems for interchangeable lenses when needed, the Q2 works so well for me in so many different scenarios....apart from long exposure at firework displays haha. Great thought liked and subbed cheers
I hear the freezes have to do with the write speed of the memory card. You need a fairly fast SD card. Curious about your thoughts. What kind of memory cards do you use?
I treat my cameras like babies so I do pretty well with that. But if it does happen I always have the Electronic EVF in my bag to cover me at a job and backups just in case.
There isn't too much inCamera Land I haven't owned (other than large format). From Hasselblads, Nikon F3/F4's to EOS1DS/2, Leica film both R series and M... + M8, M9and everything in between. All that to say, the M11P I currently own is the best camera I've owned. I have 3 lenses, the 2 standouts being the 75mm APO and the 28mm Summilux. After 40 years of shooting I feel like it's all new again!!!
I have the black chrome Summilux 50, not the 2023 version with close focus. I use a macro adapter when I need close focus with any of my lenses (or a Q). I had the M10-R for a long time and when the M11-P came along I had told myself I would update to the M11 bodies. I did, and for that first 2.0.1 FW it was atrocious and I was cursing the camera. Freeze-up? Check. Some sort of odd Fotos Geotagging issue where it was constantly talking to my phone and freezing the camera, and draining the battery. It almost made me get my M10-R (and Q2M that I also traded) back! But I didn't. FW 2.0.2 came out and like some kind of software MAGIC the camera stopped having any issues. EXCEPT, for exactly what you described. IF you MASH the shutter with 60MP or even 36MP the buffer will fill up. This will cause issues and you have to wait. For this, I have a back-up SL2 or M10M waiting. Mostly, I do not have to use either of them, but when that has happened, I have just left the camera alone for a few minutes and them picked it back up to shoot. This isn't horrible, it's how we used to have to use even Canon or Nikon cameras a few years ago when the high MP sensors started migrating to mirrorless. Why don't I have this issue with my M10 variants, or earlier? They have all the FW updates they can have, are at EOL and also do not have the full feature-set the M11 variants have. Maybe for the M12 Leica will pull back on some of the features, like they did from the M240 to the M10, I'm not sure it's needed but they could do this (according to how difficult the software side of things has become). I think the M10 went through five full firmware updates before it stopped, we are still on two. This camera will only get better, and it's already good! I'm happy, you are happy. A professional has other cameras (mine are mostly Leica too) we use the M11 for MOST of our work and the others have all become special use or back-up. That says something, for a rangefinder to be the primary camera used for a commercial shoot!! that says A LOT. Cheers!
Thank you for sharing. At this point I couldn’t imagine using anything but the M11 for most all my work. Of course I need the standard mirrorless now and again but I’m ok with that. Have a great holiday and thank you for sharing
Serious question, would you say all the m11 and m11p freezing issues are completely resolved? Or do you still need to ask your clients to hold on while you pop the battery out and put it back in?
@@kaskoPhoto Weird sounds like some have the issue and others don’t. Quite the gamble at 10k for just the body. Shame I was really looking forward to getting one for the credentials meta.
I’m the worst over shooter of all time. Had my a7rv for 9 months..500k shots. I do about 5-10 shoots a week. Angelbird 1tb cards. Never once had an issue with buffering or performance. Works flawlessly and nails focus everytime. Color out of camera pretty much always sucks though. Makes me think it could be the internal card. I’m transitioning to gfx…I’ve been forced to change my bad habits 😂 so painfully slow
Following you and have my own M11 now. May I ask some questions? 1. What is the brand and spec. of your SD Card recommended for M11? 2. Could you share me the link to get the hand strap? 3. Is Vidoflex helpful when you focus under very low light? I appreciate for your advices. Thank you and Merry Christmas 🎄
They fixed the issue and stood behind their product. Electronics sometimes have issues - cameras are sometimes recalled. Doesn’t make them a bad product - just happens sometimes.
Great to see your review on this. I'm loving my M11M for the last half a year and am having trouble not just picking another one up vs picking up something like an R5 + a lens for a more "modern" camera as a second body. I mean, with two M11M, I can not worry about lenses anymore either, either, right? haha Interesting perspective on the VisoFlex. I keep thinking oh, I'll never use it, but there's been two times where it would have been pretty great to have, actually, so I think you're right: pick it up and it'll pay for itself sooner or later.
I really love this video based on a real long term experience, and not just a basic m11 review. Thanks a lot ! So at the end, you finally found a 50mm that you prefer over the Voigt 50 APO ? :) I spent so much time and energy comparing the 50 lux asph V1 and the Voigt 50 APO, I decided to finally go with the APO for my M11 several months ago because to me, the rendering associated to resolution and sharpness is simply amazing on this lens. But now, you really make me considering to try the new Lux and to compare it again... Haha this story never ends 😅😆 Do you really feel the improvement over the Lux asph V1 in resolution and sharpness ? I saw or heard a lot of opinions saying that the difference with the V1 was really not that visible, and that the only reason to choose the new one was the close focusing at the end... that's why I never went with it, but your experience seems to say the opposite isn't it ? Have a great rest of year ! 🙂🙏
Well first and foremost - at f/2 that V APO is simply perfection. That is on par with the Leica 9k APO. Now the new Lux is better than the previous version, no question. And for when I want the 1.4 it’s there for me- but I need to hit 5.6 ~ to match the APO and that’s where I’m at in studio, so best of both worlds in one lens. If you are looking for perfect from f/2 you have the right lens.
I love my Q2 and if they ever make a 50mm version… but the Q3 with the 60- that would have been good for a lot of my work if the only put in internal memory. For my work I do need the M11 and glass options.
@@kaskoPhoto it almost makes me want to get the Summilux-M 35 mm f/1.4 FLE II. I have the FLE I version (great lens), but if I find the coin to get the FLE II, I’ll use the I on my M6 TTL film camera.
M lenses are good but not the M bodies. Use M lenses with adapters with Sony or micro 4/3 cameras (Olympus or Panasonic). ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MriClztqTJ0.htmlsi=C8IeoY0NQ1z8QD4Y
