Leica M11 and Leica M EV1 Camera Review and User Report - Page 9
Leica M11 and Leica M EV1 Review and User Report (Model 20 229) - Page 9 of the Leica M11 Review Series
Leica M EV1 Camera Review - Page 9
Photographer and Leica Evangelist: Thorsten Overgaard is a Danish photographer, author, and educator specializing in Leica cameras. He's written hundreds of in-depth reviews, eBooks, and hosts workshops worldwide. His website, overgaard.dk, is basically a Leica bible; part tutorial, part shrine, part wizard’s grimoire. If you want a title, fans call him the "Leica Whisperer" or "Thorsten the Unflappable" for his calm, guru-like vibe in masterclasses. No spells involved, but his Noctilux tutorials do feel a bit enchanted.
Leica Digital Camera Reviews by Thorsten Overgaard
By: Thorsten Overgaard. December 23, 2025. Most recent edit was on January 8, 2026.
The Leica M EV1 is a personal choice. If you want to see throug an EVF rather than the classic rangefinder. No one else can tell what you are using, because the image quality and the camera specifications are the exact same as those of the Leica M11
The Leica M EV1 is a Leica M11 variant with a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) for manual focusing. It's not a new camera, but an entirely new experience.
It will be a better experience for many, a best-seller for Leica, and won't change anything for those who prefer the classic rangefinder, which Leica possibly will make for another 200 years.
I wrote "The worlds longest camera review" on the Leica M9, and this is my ongoing article series on the Leica M11
THIS LEICA M11 REVIEW STARTS with a general overview of all the new features on Page 1, continues with Leica M11 colors on Page 2, megapixels on Page 3, menu setup on Page 4, one year review on Page 5, exposure settings on Page 6, and an article on the Leica M11-D onPage 8.
And here we are, the Page 9 on the Leica M EV1 variant with electronic viewfinder.
Thorsten Overgaard by Gautam Biswas.
All you need to know about the Leica EV1
The Leica M EV1 (2025) is a child of the Leica M11 (2022) and was introduced on October 23, 2025. However, in the US and Canada, the camera was released on November 24, 2025 because Leica had decided to change the name from Leica M11-V to Leica M EV1 at the last minute, and this delayed the needed official approvals from the Federal Communications Commission.
IN THIS REVIEW, Leica Expert Thorsten Overgaard tells of the history of the Leica electronic viewfinders and how the EVF ended up in the Leica M11, named "Leica M EV1." He also goes over the three main reasons to own and use a Leica M EV1. Enjoy!
Buy now: Leica M EV 1 Bundle: 11 video classes + Leica M EV1 eBook, Leica Styles for CaptureOne + Leica Lightroom Presets (+ 2 Bonus eBooks + 2 Bonus videos).
Leica also makes cameras for people who don't have a Leica
The loyal fanbase of Leica is strong, and we all have an opinion about what "our brand" ought to do, backed by our collection of several Leica cameras and too many lenses (correction: You can't have too many lenses).
But remember, Leica also makes cameras for people who don't have a Leica - yet. The Leica M EV1 serves as a way into the Leica M system, as well as an additional model for those who would like to have a choice of built-in EVF alongside, or instead of, the traditional rangefinder model.
The Leica M EV1 is a classic Leica in the physical shape as a Leica M has been made for 100 years. The build quality and simplicity is always implied in a Leica M.
It is manual focus. Scary for you who are used to a camera that auto-focuses, but a liberation once you learn how fast it is to focus manually: The focus stays where you put it, there is no auto focus that detects something other or somebody else in the last second so you get a blurred subject and a sharp background.
The manual focusing particularly becomes great when you dive into the "low light" lenses from Leica where f/0.95, f/1.4 and f/2.0 apertures create narrow depth of focus, and you can isolate the subject. They're the best lenses in the world, no doubt about it, and they are optimized to be used at their widest aperture.
Manual focus, mind you, to some opens up a new world of photography: You decide what is in focus, not the camera.
The Leica M EV1 model now has an EVF so it is WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). You can zoom in 10x to nail the focus precisesly, you see the exact framing, you see the exact exposure of the photograph, and you can even set the camera to show a preview of the photo for 1 second, to check that you in fact did nail it.
Once you get into the Leica M with EVF, you might want also to try the classic Leica with rangefinder: A bright and clear viewfinder window that shows you a 28mm wide view of the scene, and with framelines inside the viewfinder showing which part of the view will be in the picture. The focus is intuitive, extremely fast, and done by noticing how the highlighted area in the center overlaps. It potentially nails the focus of whichever object you decide to measure the distance to. The rangefinder has the advantage that you see it all live, without delays – and the beauty of it is that you won't know until later, if what you envisioned the image to be, worked out, or maybe surpassed your pre-vision.
There is no doubt that a Leica M for many of us is an inspirational tool that we feel in good company with. If a camera (or lens) inspires you to photograph, then it is the right one for you.
Something that has been made the same way for 100 years can't be wrong. What is right about the Leica M is the feeling, the form factor, the compactness, the portability, the simplicity, the durability and precision that you feel in your fingertips when you hold a Leica M.
As a sidenote, the success of the Leica Q, in my opinion, is based on the fact that it lies so close to the original Ur Leica(1925) in simplicity, form factor and usability. As it turns out, the designer of the Leica Q, Vincent Laine, Leica's first ever industrial designer employed in the company, told me that he spent countless hours with the original Ur Leica (that is usually kept in a safe at the Leica factory Wetzlar, Germany: The full interview will be available in my Leica Q eBook). He is probably the person in the world, next after the inventor of the Leica, Oskar Barnack, that spent the most hours with this camera.
The rangefinder mechanism has become such an essential part of the Leica M (and M stands for Messsucher, the German word for distance measurement). It was a genius invention - at that time - in that it allows one to find the distance to the subject using a split-image optical system to measure distance (called "triangulation," two optical points meet at a third, which tell you the distance to the object).
The Leica M EV1 uses an electronic viewfinder that shows the full frame that the sensor sees, and when you press the Fn button on top right (or use the Fn selector to the left of the lens, on the front of the camera), you zoom in on the subject you focus on and can precisely, by simply using your eyes, see when it is in exact focus.
Is a Leica M only a true Leica M if it has a Messsucher? That's the big question. The success of the Leica Q happened without a rangefinder, you are informed.
In my opinion, it's bollocks. A Leica M is recognized for the simplicity and compactness, and the build quality: The shape of a metal housing that holds two rolls of film (and happen to fit perfect in the hands). That was the success of the original Leica M as introduced in 1925, helped by optics that was likewise compact. The current rangefinder mechanism as part of the viewfinder was introduced in 1953 on the Leica M3. So ... at this point i get tired for talking about if a Leica M has to have a rangefinder or not. Here now a model that has an electronic viewfinder.
Loss of inspiration?
Is a rangefinder more inspiring than an EVF? I personally find it so, based on experience: As a personal real-life experiment, I used the Leica SL3 (2024) "as a Leica M EV1" (or as "The American EV1" as we jokingly call it now) for some large and long-time portrait projects, as well as week-long photography assignments. The precision of having an EVF allowed me to nail the shot every time, and to adjust aperture, ISO and shutter speed while looking at the preview in the EVF. That was the reason I used it, I didn't have time for external EVF on top of the Leica M11 or Leica M10-R, and I didn't have time to check my screen in ever-changing light and settings. I needed to be able to work fast and nail every photo. A camera with built-in EVF was the right tool, and the Leica SL models have offered buil-in EVF since 2015.
For me, the Leica M EV1 is the camera I obviously will use when I need precision and need to "nail the photograph" and be able to drop off the files to the magazine, just like that.
More interestingly, my experience was also that, after having used this dead-sure-of-right-results setup for weeks, I felt an enormous freedom and creative splurge when I put back the Leica SL3 on the shelf and took out a Leica M10-R (2020) with rangefinder.
Seeing the world clearly through the optical viewfinder, using your mind rather than a screen to pre-vision the image, is the way I really enjoy to work. I make the photographs. Which for me means, I will use both Leica M EV1 and Leica M11-P. Just as I will take out a Leica M10-D (2018) without a screen at all, or the Leica M4 (1969) film camera without a screen or sensor, when "want to be free to create."
It is simple, yet it holds something far greater than itself, something that cannot be put into words. You feel it when you hold it in your hands. It's more than a camera.
For me, the test of a lens or a camera is if I connect with it. Either it has soul or it doesn't.
I never felt a need for megapixels, content credentials, internal memory or any of that. The cameras that spoke to me was the ones that said, "go take photographs" without actually saying it. They just made me feel like my destiny was to create photographs.
In fact, I had cheap cameras that did that, and I had some Nikon cameras early in my youth that made me feel that, and recently also the Hasselblad 907X (2024) made me feel that.
The Leica M EV1 (2025) is a variant of the Leica M11 rangefinder camera (2022) with a built-in EVF instead of a rangefinder. The EVF used is the same EVF as used in the Leica Q3 (2023) with 5,760,000 dots and thus almost twice the resolution of the Leica Visoflex 2 EVF that can be attached as an accessory in the hotshoe of the Leica M11, Leica M11-P, Leica M11 Monochrom, and Leica M11-D.
The Leica M EV1 is manual focusing like all Leica M models, but with the EVF you can preview the image in the electronic viewfinder and enlarge a part of the image (5x or 10x) to focus accurately.
Here is a quick guide on setting up the Leica M EV1 menu. For detailed menu setup of the Leica M11 series, visit my "The Perfect Leica M11 Menu Setup"
The Focus Peaking (red outline), despite having been turned off in the menu, remains in the electronic viewfinder. To remove it, press the Fn selector on the front of the camera to the right, and then the red outline disappears. Now, if you push the Fn selector to the right again, the red outline turns on again. To avoid this, push it right to turn it off: Then push it to the right and hold it there until four options show up. Select Off or Focus Aid so as to avoid that the red outline turn on again.
Menu > Screen 5 > Capture Assistants > Info Profiles > Info Profile 1 > Focus Peaking > Off.
The reason I do not want red outline is that it blurs the vision of what is in focus. With sharp Leica low light lenses like the 28/1.4 or similar, the red outline turns on when the focus is acceptable, which is maybe several inches before the actual object is in focus. So, if you have the red outline turned on, you cannot clearly see if the photo is clear and sharp. You just presume it is, because it was red - Just to realize when you get home to the computer, that your photo wasn't sharp. This will confuse and disappoint you because you were sure you focused to it turned red. Now you know why. The red Focus Peaking reacts to contrast, so when I point a 28/1.4 to a chrome lamp in my office, which is 180 cm away, the red outline turns on at 80cm and reamains red until 15 meters (or infinity). Using my 50/1.4, the red outline turns on at 150cm and remains red to 230cm. This, obviously, is not a very precise technology and should be turned off.
Diopter adjustment: The Leica M EV1 comes with the EVF slightly off. Press the diopter adjustment dial so it pops out. You turn this to get the image sharp. As the image preview and the Status Bar is not entirely at the same distance, you can press MENU to get the graphics on the actual image screen, and then you adjust the diopter until the graphics are sharp. Then press the diopter adjustment wheel back in again so it doesn't move.
Fundamentally, you can set the Leica M EV1 to Auto ISO (and set the minimum shutter speed to 1/250 and the max ISO to 6400), and use the thumb wheel to adjust the exposure when you see in the EVF that it's not quite what you want.
The Leica Q3, Leica Q3 43, and Leica D-Lux 8 invite to this Auto ISO setting as well: It allows you to never really change anything outside in sunshine or when you walk into a dark restaurant. The camera adjusts automatically to the changed environment.
Exposure is fundamentally the only technical skill in photography you have to understand and be able to control. The rest is artistic choices, which no camera can or should be making for you.
A camera with electronic viewfinder where you preview live how the scene is exposed, makes it possible for you to adjust the exposure so it looks right each time.
Similarly, the Leica M EV1 allows you to go fully manual and set the ISO to for example 64 outside in sunshine (and 3200 ISO inside, for example), and then adjust the exposure "the right way" using the shutter speed dial on top of the camera.
Put on a sharp lens (like the 35mm APO, 50mm APO, or 50mm f/1.4) and take a walk in daylight in an area where not much is happening. This allows you to get used to the EVF and work the settings, review the results and do it again with corrected settings - without the stress of having to nail a moving object or trying to get ever-changing light to work.
The 21mm Summilux, the 50mm Noctilux and other lenses are exciting, but it will frustrate you that you seemingly can't get the focus tack sharp. So use a lens that is objectively really sharp.
Using the Leica M EV1 in low light indoor or in the streets can be confusing and should be done later: The EVF will "swim" in low light (which is something to get used to), and the preview will be looking like daylight (why you have to adjust exposure with -2 to -3 stops usually outside in a dark street).
The settings you want to decide on the Leica M EV1 will be:
1) Getting the diopter set perfectly to your eyesight.
2) Decide if you want to keep the red outline (Focus Peaking) on or off, or as an option you can turn on/off with the Fn selector on the front.
3) If Auto ISO is the way to always or mostly use the camera.
4) If you want the preview to be in black-and-white or in color (Menu > Screen 2 > JPG Settings > Film Style > STD (Standard) or NAT (Natural), or BW (Monochrome)).
5) Auto Review off, or at 1 second (Menu > Screen 2 > Auto Review).
1) Put an image on the screen of the computer that you took. Compare it to how it looks on the display on the back of the camera, and then how it looks when you press PLAY and look at it in the EVF.
The brightness of the EVF and the screen has to match what the final photo looks on the computer screen, as this will allow you to trust what you see in the EVF, so as to be able to apply correct exposure compensations.
My test, for me, showed me that the Screen has to be -3 (three clicks to the left), and the EVF has to be -2 (two clicks to the left). Then what I see in the EVF and on the screen will match the "final print". This is an important step as it is the one thing that will allow you to adjust the exposure with the thumb wheel (when in Auto ISO) and be able to nail it right. (Menu > Screen 4 > Display Settings > LCD Brightness - 3 > and > EVF Brightness > -2.
If you set the EVF and Display so it's "easier to see" with more light, you won't be able to see if the exposure is correct but will get home with too dark photos: They looked nice and bright in the EVF, but that's because the EVF was bright, not the photo.
I don't use exposure compensation on the Leica M EV1.
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The focus point on the Leica M EV1 should stay in the center. But you will see it jumps around, and suddenly it is in the far left corner and you have to double-tap the screen or use the arrows to get it back to the center.
The way to make sure the focusing point always stays in the center is to go to Menu > Screen 3 > Customize Control > Touch Mode > Off (LV mode).
The small Fn (Function) button on the top right works in the way that it zooms in 10x on an area you want to focus on. On the Leica M11, and Leica M11-P, and Leica M11 Monochrom, it is also the way to activate the EVF/Screen (you press it and the live view is activated, and you zoom in to 10x).
When it is activated, you may change the zoom from 10x to 5x or 1x by turning the thumb wheel. I find it useful to have it on 10x always. Only if I deploy a tele lens, the view gets too narrow and I might change it to 5x for that use.
This Fn button can also be programmed to other things, but I would keep it as is (hold down the Fn button for a few seconds and a menu of other options it can be assigned to turns up).
Leica M EV1 Fn Selector: The other way to get 10x Focus Aid
A new feature on the Leica M EV1 is that the classic Frame Selector on the front is now a Fn selector, with one function if you push it left, another function when you push it right. You can change the function of it by pushing it to either side, hold it there for a few seconds, and a number of choices show up and you can select.
By default, pushing left selects digital zoom, while pushing right turns Focus Peaking on or off (the red outline).
A new feature is that the classic Frame Selector has become a programmable Fn Selector where you can use it for Digital Zoom, Focus Aid, or Focus Peaking. Hopefully in a future firmware update, also as +/- ISO.
In case you just arrived in the universe of Leica M, the "Frame Selector" arm traditionally was a way to preview the three available frameline sets in the viewfinder. The idea being that you are out photographing the brand new Mercedes 280 SL in year 1967, and you wonder how much more a 35mm would capture than the 50mm you have on the camera.
Voila, you push the frame selector and it shows a preview of how much more would be in the frame with a 35mm, and you can quickly grab the 35mm from your camera bag, well knowing exactly what it will cover. In recent years, or perhaps throughout its entire existence, it hasn't been used much, but Leica fans love the look of it so much that Leica had a hard time getting rid of it (they tried in one model), and here it is again, as a programmable Function Selector!
Leica lenses are so sharp, and the sensors now so rich in details that it is possible (and has been for a while) to crop an image and still have enough sharpness, detail and resolution that it is as good a photo as they ever were.
My reality is that very few of the photos I take need 60 megapixels. In fact, mostly 5MP or 24MP would do: it doesn't make a difference for the story or context of the photo. When rthe 47MP sensor came in the Leica Q2 I felt ashamed wasting so many megapixels on photos (I've now gotten used to it).
It is lens designer Peter Karbe's clear viewpoint that we now have "more than one lens in one" in that you can use a 35mm APO and zoom 1.8x and thus only use the portion equivalent to a 63mm lens (in a 33MP file). Or use a 135mm APO and zoom 1.8x and the portion of the photo you use is equivalent to a 325mm lens (in a 33MP file).
I fully agree. But I also know that if you buy a Leica M EV1 with a 60MP sensor, you want 60MP photos, just in case, even if it objectively is a waste of digital dust.
In any case, the Fn Selector on the front of the Leica M EV1, when pushed left, goes to show a 1.3x frameline in the EVF, and next push shows a 1.8x frameline, and one more push resets it back to the full frame in the entire EVF window.
While the EVF shows framelines of a crop, if you set the Leica M EV1 to 1 second preview, the resulting preview will show only the crop.
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The electronic viewfinder in the Leica M EV1
By Thorsten von Overgaard
Same viewfinder in the Leica M EV1 as the Leica Q3
The viewfinder on the Leica M EV1 is "the same" as the one on the Leica Q3, except Leica shaved off 3 mm in the depth for the Leica EV1: If you notice, the EVF extrudes 5 mm on the back of the Leica Q3, and on the Leica M EV1 the viewfinder extrudes 2mm to be flush with the screen on the back of the Leica M EV1 camera. This causes a slightly more narrow view on the Leica M EV1 (see below).
The electronic viewfinder on the Leica M EV1 is much improved over the square-box $955.00Visoflex 2 (2022) attachment electronic viewfinder that was introduced with the Leica M11 (2022). The resolution is almost doubled from 3.7MP to 5.76MP. Leica experimented with a 9MP EVF but found it didn't make any difference why they stayed with the well-proven Leica Q3 EVF.
The EVF on the Leica M EV1 is the same as the Leica Q3
electronic viewfinder. Same inside, and the entry point even look the same; only the Leica M EV1 is extruding 3mm less han the Leica Q3.
The EVF on the Leica M EV1 works without blackout or delays
The built-in EVF in the Leica M EV1 is as fast as the one in the Leica Q3, which means it doesn't have the sticky delay the Leica Visoflex 2 for the Leica M11 has, and it doesn't have a blackout after you have taken a photo.
The Leica M EV1 electronic viewfinder is slow in dark settings. This is not actually the viewfinder, but the sensor - or a combination: In a dark street at 3200 ISO, the camera may suggest 1/15 shutter speed, and as you try to focus, the image "sails" and there is a delay. That is just how it is, and you must get used to it, and it's like that with any other EVF camera. As the sensor reads line-by-line and is working hard "to see in the dark", you are actually looking at "rolling shutter" effect in that the preview sails or warps as the camera moves slightly.
The Leica M EV1: 60 frames per second
The EVF on the Leica M EV1 is 60 hz which means it blinks 60 times a second, or that the preview is as if you photographed at 1/60th of a second. I mention this because you may sometimes see computer screens or artificial light sources in the image frame that pulsate faster or slower than the camera's EVF, and this causes flickering in the EVF: The light seems to be blinking, and it is, but usually only in the EVF.
It is good to check the final image in any case. In a room with several light sources, you may experience that if you take three photos in a row, each of them has different light as the lights in the room turns off and on faster than they eye registers, but enough to be captured "in-between" by the camera. Slower shutter speeds than the one you are using will remedy this as the picture taking is long enough to include all light sources.
Similarly, if you allow the camera to go (usually faster than 1/1000th of a second), LED light sources (as used in stage light and large LCD screens acting as backdrops on stages) will cause stripes in the image. Again, you are simply taking a photo at for example 1/5000th of a second, which is capturing the instant some light are on, some are off. The remedy is to go slower shutter speeds, like 1/250 or 1/500 usually. the only way to know this going on, and to remedy it, is to look at the pictures you took, correct it and check again that it's not there anymore. Without checking, you may photograph a concert, sports event or in a restaurant happily unknowing that all your images have stripes.
The odd reality is that you have to scramble to see the entire screen inside the EVF of the Leica M EV1, that is if you wear glasses. This is new becuase I never noticed this in the Leica Q3 which has the same viewfinder, and they both have a magnification of 0.76. Yet, with glasses I can see 80% of the image in the Leica M EV1 viewfinder, and 90% in the Leica Q3. On the outside, you can see the Leica Q3 EVF sticks 3mm further out than on the Leica M EV1, and that's why.
Based on this I wouldn't say the Leica M EV1 is ideal for those who wear glasses.
In the Leica SL3 viewfinder, wearer of eyeglasses can see the entire image due to the extreme big and bright EVF on the Leica SL3.
Leica M EV1 (5.76 million dot):
Leica Q3 (5.76 million dot):
Leica M rangefinder:
Leica SL3 (5.67 million dot):
Leica Visoflex 2 on Leica M11 (3.7 million dot):
Leica Visoflex 020 on Leica M10 (2.4 million dot):
The famed Leica Digilux 2 (2004) had a built-in EVF, at that time 0.235 MP (!) and is a camera I used a lot. The EVF served as a preview of exposure, frame and was used for either autofocus or manual focus as well. I mention this old camera now because the point of the EVF back in this model was that it worked. Despite that the colors were off and almost monochrome with a strong blue tint and the resolution not very high, nor very precise, once you got used to work with this EVF, it helped you manage and predict the final image.
My point is this: An EVF is not a preview of the final image in every detail. It's a preview tool to manage the focus, framing and exposure. It's of course nice if it is precise, detailed and shows exact colors, but make a note for yourself that whatever you see in the EVF is an indication of how the final image will look on a screen or a print. So don't get lost in details and specifications of the EVF of a camera. Ask instead yourself, does it help me compose and record the photograph better?
Why does the Leica M EV1 not have a hybrid viewfinder?
A Hybrid Viewfinder is one that is optical, but then you can switch to digital. Fujifilm introduced this in 2010.
Leica tried the technology, tested a lot of it around 2015, and found they could not maintain the high level of a Leica rangefinder and add digital preview to it. I think the EV1 is the proof that we can have both a classic rangefinder of excellent quality, and then also a digital rangefinder. Just not in the same camera but in two separate cameras.
Factually, the Fujifilm has been a success in numbers (A Fujifilm X100 VI cost $1,700). It is not easy to focus manually with the optical viewfinder, and better with the electronic overlay. But mainly it is an autofocus camera.
Fujifilm 100X hybrid viewfinder.
"The King of EVF"
Now that Leica enters the EVF camera models with the Leica M EV1, it becomes evident how great the Leica SL3 is in terms of EVF. The SL series really is equipped with the best and most clear EVFs available anywhere.
Different creature than a Leica M for sure, but able to take Leica M lenses when you use an adapter.
The secret sauce in the Leica SL3 electronic viewfinder is the Leica optics used, which was developed for the Leica S medium format camera in 1996 (which was SLR, meaning you looked through the lens via a mirror), and then transferred to the Leica SL (2015) wherr the prisms and mirrors were replaced with a electronic screen showing what the sensor sees.
But the optical entry into the viewfinder remains the same, and that is why the Leica SL-series has the most magnificent EVF experience of them all.
The Leica SL3 electronic viewfinder is the best out there.
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For those who claim their eyes are not good enough to focus a classic rangefinder, the built-in EVF offers a solution to focus as you can 10x into the view, nail the focus accurately, and even has extra light to make it all clearer.
A great number of Leica M users have bought the Leica SL, Leica SL2, or Leica SL3 for the reason of having an EVF and thus being able to focus with the 50mm Noctilux f/0.95 and other demanding lenses. Now there is a choice between the Leica SL and the Leica M EV1 (as well as the Leica CL, or a Visoflex 2 EVF on top of a Leica M11 or Leica M10).
The focusing of the Leica M EV1 is like the Leica Q3, from which it borrows its EVF. There is no triangulation focusing system (as it would require more lenses/cameras than one). It is simply an EVF that shows what the sensor sees (through the lens), and that image you can zoom into 5x or 10x for a brief focusing moment, then lightly touch the shutter release button, and you see the full frame.
The extra-large frame in the classic rangefinder, where frame lines inside the wide rangefinder (that show you a somewhat 28mm view), is not in the Leica M EV1: It shows exactly what the sensor would record - no more, no less.
2. Leica M EV1 takes full advantage of Close-Focus lenses
Many of the recent lens releases feature a Close Focus field. You turn the focusing ring, and with a subtle click you enter the grey scale, which is closer focus. However, as this range is outside of what the traditional rangefinder can focus, you need an EVF to see when it is in focus. This is where the Leica M EV1 comes in handy, now you see it all.
3. Leica M EV1 helps with Previewing Depth of Field and Focus
There are days where I don't feel inspired, the world just looks like the good old world from yesterday. But then I look through an electronic viewfinder with the Leica 50mm Noctilux f/0.95, and the world looks dreamy and exciting.
The Leica M EV1 electronic viewfinder allows you to see the world exactly as the lens does.
When you look through an electronic viewfinder, everything looks like daylight. In dark settings in the street, or indoors, you now see clearly to focus.
Once you press the shutter release halfway down, you see the exposure preview, which for a dark street of course should look as dark as the street. As the lightmeter in any camera tries to make everything look like it is daylight, it usually involves adjusting the exposure -2 to -3 stops down - which is also something you can easily preview and adjust using the EVF.
Bad eyesight or not, the Leica M EV1 helps you nail the exact focus. One thing to be aware of is that from when you are done focusing, and until you take the actual photo, if the subject or you move, the accurate focus you just set, is of course as much off as the subject or the camera moved. Just a thing to remember if and when you look at photos on your computer and wonder what happened to the detailed focus.
The good thing is that the EVF in the Leica M EV1 works really fast without delay. Some other EVFs have a lag or delay, so more movement can happen between focus and taking the photo on those.
6. Better Focusing and Framing with the Leica M EV1
I put much more significance into making a portrait than people generally understand. It's not that it is complicated; in fact, it is very simple.
You have to know your camera so well that it's like it doesn't exist between you and the subject (like a pencil doesn't exist in your hand when you write), and then mainly, it is OBSERVING and TIMING.
The built-in EVF in the Leica M EV1 allows you to focus precisely, preview the exposure, and then observe exactly what is happening so you can take photos when the person is just right. Any disturbance while trying to take a portrait takes away your attention from the subject (who feels he or she is left alone in front of the camera), and mainly, it prevents you from capturing the essence of the person at the right moment when you see them pop out.
In this aspect, the Leica M EV1 brings great hope to those who want to pay attention to what is in front of the camera, while at the same time ensuring technical perfection of exposure and focusing.
7. Leica M EV1 for Concert Photography and Event Photography
In most concert settings, the light is bound to change in an instant, to something else, and you can sort of keep track of it with manual settings and checking the screen quickly. I set the exposure to manual, and then I wait for the performer to look the part while I try to prepare the focus to be where he or she will be. It's a fun sport, and surprisingly a lot of the photographs work out. And a lot of the photographs are out of focus, underexposed or overexposed.
But with a built-in EVF, you work at the ultimate simplicity of tools in your hands, while at the same time you preview the exposure of the scene and can adjust the exposure quickly while not taking your eyes off the scene. The focusing is not as rapid and intuitive as with the traditional rangefinder, but it is what it is (I suggest to simply focus at 100% preview and when it looks charp, cross your fingers that it is. The 10x or 5x implies a delay, and while you focused precise, once the frame return to 100% and you take the photo, the subject have moved. Hence, 100% preview may work better).
I've asked Leica if they could implement a step-up and step-down ISO setting in the Fn Selector so you can quickly change the ISO while looking through the EVF. But until then, but the thumb wheel for exposure adjustment will work as well.
"Banding" from flickering light when the shutter speed is fast, like 1/1000th of a second or 1/5000th of a second . To avoid it you have to change shutter speed.
You can of course also set the Leica M EV1 (or any camera) to a fixed ISO, and then use the shutter speed wheel to adjust quickly (which is what I usually do when I do things like this). But without an EVF, I have to check the screen, or simply guess and estimate and cross my fingers. Not only for exposure, but also if the shutter speed hit flickering light so I get stripes in the photo ("banding"). This is a thing to keep an eye out for in today's world.
However, the certainty that an internal EVF gives; that you are capturing it all correctly, is indispensable, when you don't have room for errors. The downside of the EVF is that when you work with narrow focus, you don't see the background and foreground in the EVF as you do with the classic rangefinder (where everything in the viewfinder is clear).
For additional security, you may set the Menu > Screen 2 > Auto Review > 1 second so as to have a 1 second confirmation after the photo.
I generally set it to Off so that the EVF stays clear and ready, without a 1 second preview blocking the view. But in some cases it might be helpful as there can be flickering lights that you won't see in the EVF, but will appear in the final photo as either stripes (banding), or on/off lights from picture to picture (and in those situations you have to change the shutter speed to a slower one to avoid this. The EVF operates with 60Hz (60 times a second), which equals 1/60th of second exposure. You will not see the flickeri in the EVF. On the other hand, you may see flickering in the EVF, from for example living room lamps, that will not appear in the final photo. The advice is, take the photo, then check if there is flicker or not.
Yours truly doing concert photography with the Noctilux.
8. Leica M EV1 Helps with Previewing Exposure
Exposure is the only technical skill necessary to master in photography. As the word photography means "writing with light," controlling the exposure is all a camera is about, and the electronic viewfinder greatly aids in getting it right.
With the Leica M EV1 set to Auto ISO, you can basically set the lens aperture to whichever level of depth of focus you want, and then adjust the resulting exposure with the thumb wheel. The camera will adjust the shutter speed and/or the ISO accordingly, and you just look at the image: when it looks right, it is.
Remember to set the Menu screen 2 > Auto ISO Settings > Maximum ISO 6400 > Shutter Speed Limit 1/250 so as to avoid that the Leica M EV1 goes below 1/250th of a second (which can cause motion blur). The camera will respect it, and only go above 6400 ISO and/or slower than 1/250 exposure if there is really not enough light to get the photograph.
The idea that one points the camera and it'll be perfect whether because the camera is modern and great, or you as the photographer are excellent - is wrong. Some believe the old masters just nailed it in one shot, but then you haven't studied their contact sheets. Much never worked, and some of the things that worked, took many tries to get right.
In the film days, in studio settings, one would use Polaroids first to test the light and all, and then when it was perfect (after 0 to 60 minutes of test photos), you would load real film in the camera. That's how it was made perfect, not by looking at the light and guessing what the settings were. It was expensive in Polaroids and time, but it was the only way to guarantee it was right, before digital sensors.
After that, with digital, we have had the screen to check, and even then I met many who felt it was cheating and that "a real photographer" should be able to guess the exposure by feeling the wind speed and the time of day in Jakarta.
I have used taking test photos a lot, and even in fast street scenes, I'll take a quick test shot while approaching a subject, look at the screen and set the controls to manual accordingly, so that when I am in place for the subject, the settings are prepared and right for the photo.
With the Leica M EV1 and the preview in the EVF, you see the exact exposure and fundamentally how the final photo will look. More precision, less editing, less missed photographs.
Remember to set the Leica M EV1 to Menu Screen 4 > Capture Assistants > Exposure Preview > Permanent so that you see the exact exposure all the time, not only when you press the shutter release slightly. (The exception is in very dark settings where you may want to change it back to Exposure Preview > Shutter Button Half Pressed as this allows you to see a very dark space in daylight (for focusing), and then press the release button half down for exposure preview (which you can then adjust separately).
For additional security, you may set the Menu > Screen 2 > Auto Review > 1 second so as to have a 1 second confirmation after the photo. I generally set it to Off so that the EVF stays clear and ready, without a 1 second preview blocking the view. But in some cases it might be helpful as there can be flickering lights that you won't see in the EVF, but will appear in the final photo as either stripes (banding), or on/off lights from picture to picture (and in those situations you have to change the shutter speed to a slower one to avoid this. The EVF operates with 60Hz (60 times a second), which equals 1/60th of a second exposure. You will not see the flickering in the EVF. On the other hand, you may see flickering in the EVF, from for example living room lamps, that will not appear in the final photo. The advice is, take the photo, then check if there is flicker or not).
Pick the scene, set the exposure and decide the frame. Then wait for the right moment. The EVF makes it easy to control all elements.
In portraits, timing is of the essence. And of even more essence is what has nothing to do with the camera: which is that you as a photographer have to be present and observe the person you photograph. This is obvious, but nevertheless often forgotten in the frenzy of getting camera features right. The most important reason to be present and not "inside the camera menu" is that the subject responds to you being present. When you are there, they are there as well. The moment your attention disappears into the camera menu or trying hard to nail the focus, the subject mentally ends the conversation with the photographer and you get this nice photo of a person who really isn't there. When you do portraits, you are operating a person, not merely a camera.
All this to say that the Leica M EV1 allows you to get it all right, and be present, and get the timing right, almost as well as the traditional rangefinder.
11. Leica M EV1 Helps create the Perfect In-Camera Composition
Being able to see the entire frame as it will be recorded is a great advantage, especially when you try to include that object to the right, and exclude the annoying sign just next to it. And it helps keeping the camera upright so the vertical lines are straight.
The bonus is that the exposure is previewed and can be adjusted using the thumb wheel. The perfect photo in-camera, ready to print after import to the computer.
12. The Leica M EV1 is Great for Wide Angle Photography
The traditional rangefinder shows somewhat a 24-28mm view, and generally, if you want to use a wider lens than 35mm, you would put on an EVF. You could guess the widest and skip an additional EVF, but when you use wide lenses, you also want to make sure your vertical lines are straight and all that. The Leica M EV1 will make you dig out a whole range of beautiful and fun lenses, because now it's just plug and play.
13. Leica M EV1 Makes Tele-Lens Photography Easier
The Leica 135mm APO-Telyt-M f/3.4 is definitely an underrated lens, but with the Leica M EV1 it might experience a golden age. This and many other tele-lenses will be easier to use on a Leica M EV1, and that includes the 90mm Summilux-M f/1.5 as well as many other – even longer – tele lenses that can be used on the Leica M EV1 with adapter. The Leica 100mm APO-Macro-Elmarit-R is one such gem that becomes handier in this context.
14. The Leica M EV1 Welcomes Odd and Exciting Lenses of all Brands
Leica R lenses will make an exciting revival with an R to M adapter. There are plenty of exciting lenses from the history of photography, other brands, and more. All waiting to be mounted onto the Leica M EV1 with an adapter.
People have been asking for years if Leica could make zoom lenses for the Leica M. Naturally not, it is not possible. But now, with the Leica M EV1 you can use any zoom lens from any brand. If you can find an adapter, it will work.
One amazing zoom lens is the Leica 35-70mm Vario-Elmarit-R f/2.8 Macro that I used to use a lot on the Leica R system. The world's best zoom, so great Leica made 200 and gave up on ever making a profit on it. They float around in the second-hand market still, for $10,000 to $18,000. It's a fairly big lens, but it is beautiful.
(Fun and intriguing point on adapted zooms—just minor tweaks for style!)
If the Close-Focus lenses isn't enough, you can move closer with a $845.00 Leica Macro-Adapter-M rring that will make any lens into a macro lens.
As an alternative, there is also the Leitz OUFRO solid brass macro adapter that is only available second-hand now. There is also 3rd party macro adapters like the $359.00 Novoflex.
17. Not Easy to do Blurred Photos with the Leica M EV1
It will take exceptional strength to allow yourself to take blurry photos. But sometimes, it's not a bad idea.
18. Having Strangers Take Your Photo will Work with Leica M EV1
The waiter in the restaurant, the kids, the colleagues can now figure out how to focus a Leica M because they can clearly see when the image is in focus. This may not seem as great news, but if you ever had someone take a photo of yourself, you had to pre-focus and make sure they didn't move closer or further away, or the photo would be blurry.
With the Leica M EV1 the hit rate will improve. But do remember to tell them it is manual focus and that he or she must focus so the photo in the EVF looks clear.
The Leica M EV1 is obviously a Leica M11 body re-fitted to hold an EVF. One of the first costs is the omission of the ISO-dial on the top left of the camera - one of the best innovations since it was introduced on the Leica M10 in 2017.
The EVF itself is a retro-fitted Leica Q3 EVF, shaved 3mm in the depth, resulting in a slightly less visible frame when you look in through the entry to the viewfinder.
The leather-wrapping, a Leica tradition, has been changed to the same "diamond-pattern" covering as is known from the Leica Q series.
The front of the camera lost the viewfinder-window and looks either bare, or minimalistic, depending on taste.
The Design of the Leica M EV1
The temptation to put something on the front of the Leica M EV1 to make it look like a traidtional Leica M was great. But in the end, Leica decided to leave it empty.
Leica calls the Leica M EV1 "Black Paint Finish" ("Schwarz Lackiert" or "Laque Noir") which adds to the confusion because "black paint" is the glossy black paint known from the Leica MP film camera, the Leica M9, Leica M240, Leica M10-R Black Paint limited edition, Leica M11 Glossy Black Paint edition, and so on. The actual finish of the Leica M EV1 is the same as the Leica M11, which is a sort of silky black, and usually marketed as "Black" or "Black Finish" or "Scratch-Resistant", or "Matte Finish". As such it will never brass when the painting eventually wears off from heavy use.
Though, I did find something that is either gold, or brass-like metal under the paint of the Leica M EV1:
The Leica M EV1 was made because it seemed a new revenue stream. It could be "a new Leica Q" which has been, and still is, a huge success for Leica.
It was made under years of pressure, and because the only way to find out, is to make one. The result is a half-hearted Leica M, which will prove the point. Or not. Then we'll go from there.
To take a Leica M with built-in electronic viewfinder seriously, it would have to be developed and designed from scratch. In the fashion that Leica Q was made a unique camera from scratch. The design has to come together, it has to be made as if they meant it. What's the point in making a camera that isn't the best it can be?
Don't try to stop me, stop me...
Leica's attempt to not have an EVF, and yet have one, has been an ongoing battle that they have fought with themselves since 2012 when Fujifilm introduced the optical viewfinder that can turn into an electronic viewfinder and thus showed a new way. Leica tested this type of viewfinder and found (rightfully) that the quality wasn't good enough. Then skipped the idea of an electronic viewfinder alltogether. And then when the technology was there, they wanted to do it, but also wanted to not do it. Much like the captains suicide here:
Leica's Solution to M11 Colors: Do-It-Yourself Colors
At the same time as the Leica M EV1 was released, Leica released a new Firmware for the Leica M11 series, including a 2.6.0 version for the Leica M EV1.
This new firmware 2.6.0 contains the possibility to adjust the colors so as to have less magenta. Under for example Daylight, you can adjust the setting so you reduce Magenta (by moving the curser 15-25 steps towards Green). You can adjust each setting, Auto White Balance, Tungsten, Daylight, etc.
Under White Balance in the Menu, one can now participate in the Leica Color Lottery: Adjust the color balance by moving the curser, then see what happens. (For exampke +25 towards Green for less Magenta).
Speaking not as a reviewer, but as a customer of Leica, I am not happy with the (lack of) color science of Leica. Their "handling" of the color issues with the Leica M11, Leica M11-P, Leica M11-D, and Leica M EV1, is not satisfactory. I find little pleasure in paying $10,000 for a camera body, and a lot of annoyance in having to deal with colors that are not up to par. As it is, the Leica M11 models (and that include the Leica M EV1) is a color lottery. The sensors now comes calibrated, but not specified how, and one can also get the sensor re-calibrated at Leica. The result is improved, but not specified. This means that I cannot give you a general advice as to how to adjust your colors to be correct; because who knows what state the sensor of your specific camera is in, and what changes may have been implemented in Firmware updates?
And even, if calibrated, the Kelvin numbers don't match reality, which I have documented in the article: "The Camera Color Compendium of Measured Kelvin Values for Leica and Hasselblad Cameras" where one can see that the Leica M EV1's Daylight Kelvin is 5500 (+8 Tint), whereas the Leica M11 is 5050 Kelvin (and +16 Tint) when the images are imported into Lightroom Classic. Different numbers in Capture One Pro. Colors are an obvious weakness of the entire Leica M11 line of models and variants.
"Should I buy the Leica M EV1?"
This is a camera that you should try, and then you will know if you love it or hate it. Trying it in a store, it won't take you many minutes to sense which direction it will take for you. That is the only opinion I have for you. If you have a Leica M11 and want to use EVF occasionally, the Leica Visoflex 2 attachable EVF might do the job (and can even swivel 90 degrees).
In my workshops recently, I have had people who fell in love with the Leica M EV1 and sold their Leica M11, and I have had people who bought the Leica M EV1 and returned it within days. And yes, of course there is also the option to have both a classic Leica M rangefinder and a Leica M EV1. Just because.
Base your personal review on trying it for yourself. I would say it's either first love, or no love. This article is meant merely as a user report, and there is more advice on the setup and how to utilize it in my Leica M11 Full Bundle with eBook and video.
The Leica M EV1 Returns
Leica M EV1 will be one of the Leica cameras with the highest return. People who bought one, but decided it wasn't for them, and then returned it within the return policy. It's just the nature of the beast, of something new, but also your option to get a "used" or "open box" Leica M EV1 sooner than normal.
Why is Leica M11 not the Leica M12 and why is the Leica M12 not Leica M EV1 …?
Figuring out the Leica M model numbers can be confusing. The first digital Leica M was the Leica M8 (2006), then a slightly updated version Leica M8.2 (2008), and then the first full-frame Leica M9 (2009). The next one should then have been Leica M10, but instead Leica decided to change to call them all Leica M with an ad a "type 240" so what was supposed to be the Leica M10, was instead called Leica M 240 (2013).
But then when the next Leica M was to be introduced, Leica came back to their right mind and went back to the model numbers, and the Leica M10 (2017) was introduced. And then the Leica M11 (2022). But yes, you are right in thinking that the M11 should rightfully have been called M12.
The Leica M EV1 (2025) was supposed to be Leica M11-V, and it was the idea, but then in the last minute, someone with a say on those things, changed his mind and it became Leica M EV1, or "EVI" as it was lovingly called inside the factory.
The next Leica after Leica M11, for sure will be Leica M12 ... unless ... well, anything could happen at this point. What worries me is Leica M13 and how we will deal with that unfortunate model name (likely around year 2032 I can tell you more).
So far, Leica M digital cameras also have come in different editions. The Leica M11-P standas for Professionsl and is a version without the red dot logo (and a bit more internal memory, as well as stronger glass on the display). The Leica M11-D model is without a screen, and the Leica M11 Monochrom is a caemra with black-and-white sensor only. Thso D-versions, M-versions and P-versions have been released for almost all models since 2009.
In this sceme, the Leica M11-V made sense, but then we got a Leica M EV1 instead... which will give something to consider internally at Leica when people ask for a monochrome version, and for a version without screen on the back.
Then again, as a Leica executive said to me, "We won't sell one more or one less camera if it's called Leica M11-V or Leica M EV1".
The very first Leica cameras had names, and they sort of also had model names. But the first Leica cameras made in 1925 and onward came with a guarantee that any Leica could be sent to the factory for an upgrade to any later versions. And that is why they were called Leica II, Leica IIIf, Leica IIIg and so on from 1925 and onward.
The Leica M1 came out in 1959, but before that the Leica M2 came out in 1957, and before that the Leica M3 in 1954.
Yes, that is strange.
But then came the Leica M4 in 1966, the Leica M5 in 1971, Leica M6 in 1984, Leica M7 in 2002. And then the Leica MP in 2003 as the last film camera before the digital Leica M8.
As one can see, the model numbers weren't always as logical as you would think. Anyone should be able to count to 11, but in this case the road wasn't that straight forward.
I won't get into all of it, but the strange thing with the Leica M3 (1954) and then the count-down to Leica M2 (1957) and Leica M1 (1959) is easily explained. Maybe. At least I will try:
The Leica M3 was the first Leica with the M bayonet lens mount. Previously Leica cameras had screw-mount lenses (“M39”, also known as “Leica Thread-Mount LMT“) , except the very first models that had a fixed lens.
The Leica M1 was a low-budget Leica M, based on the Leica M2, and without a rangefinder to be used with the Visoflex attachment (that adds a mirror to the camera). In that sense it wasn't really a rangefinder-camera, even it has the family name Leica M.
Queen Elizabeth II with her Leica M3.
As implied already, if we go earlier than the Leica M with bayonet, the picture gets a bit blurred.
As an example, some people who bought the very first original Leica took the factory up on their offer to get the camera upgraded with later inventions. So they got an original model that was modified with some of the newer features ... without being the next model. The irony of this is that while original Leica models can be sold on auctions for 100,000 or even millions as rare original Leica cameras, the modified and "modernized" versions are of almost no interest to collectors.
Some of the later Leica models were also modified sometimes, into other models. There are Leica film cameras with double-stroke film rewind, and single-stroke film rewind. A feature that photographer Eisenstadt asked for, and then Leica made a few cameras that way. And then later more, which is why some Leica M3 cameras are single-stroke and some are double-stroke.
A Leica MP was introduced as a very simple film camera in 2003 (where the MP stands for Mechanical Perfection) but actually was made already in 1956-1957. Of the 500 Leica MP cameras that was made back then (in a confusing mix of single stroke and double stroke), a few are black paint and go for extraordinary high prices to collectors on auctions. The silver ones, not so much.
The Leica M3D that belonged to LIFE photographer David Douglas Duncan, known for photographing Pablo Picasso through many years. This is a modified model, as requested by Mr. Duncan. The camera was sold for 2.2 million dollars in 2012.
Oh, and then there is the Leica CL film camera that was made from 1973 to 1976 as a compact version of the Leica M2, and with electronic light meter. Not really a Leica M camera, but as the name states, a CL (Compact Leica), but a sort of Leica M camera because it shares the bayonet mount of the Leica M.
It was made together with Minolta who made a similar camera named Minolta CLE. The idea, I guess, was to make a modern camera with built-in light meter, and make it compact and inexpensive. But it was also a "necessary cooperation" with Minolta to try to help save Leica that had lived in the past for a long time (which we must admit, can be a pleasant place).
"The operation was successful, but the patient died" as the saying goes. In this case, Minolta and Leica gave up their corporation, and the remaining members of the Leitz family had to sell theirs stocks in Leica in 1986, after which it split up into different companies (cameras, microscopes and more - which is the reason Leica camera actually don't own the Leica name, but rent it from Leica Microscopes GmbH).
Yes, all this and more is in the name Leica M11. Some of it is covered in my Leica History article, and more will be in other articles and books.
The Leica M EV1 Electronic Shutter
By Thorsten von Overgaard
Leica M EV1: The silent electronic shutter option to 1/16000 of a second
When the Leica M EV1 was first developed, before the release of the Leica M11 (2022), an always-on sensor was part of the concept.
As such, the sensor is always active and always exposed, so as to show a live view of the image in the EVF. This also allowed for integrating light metering on the sensor. In the Leica M11 model, the light meter (and not the entire sensor) is always on, but is only a very few of the pixels working. For the Leica M11 family, this means a tiny use of energy to run the light meter (much less than the entire image sensor), but in the Leica M EV1, the image sensor is constantly on (which accounts for the battery drain you may experience).
But the main point is that the Leica M EV1 (as well as the entire Leica M11 model family) has an integrated electronic shutter that can be on for all images, or for the faster shutter speeds above 1/4000th of a second, which is the upper limit for the mechanical shutter.
No doubt that a future Leica M12 or Leica M13 will have only electronic shutter. Omitting the mechanical shutter will spare having a mechanical part that gets harder and harder to source/produce (as fewer and fewer camera manufacturers request them made). It will also leave extra space inside the Leica M12 or Leica M13 for the IBIS people have been asking for for years. (in-body image-stabilization, which is a mechanical feature that the sensor can move during exposure so as to counter-measure hand-movements of the camera).
For the longest time, the Leica M digital rangefinder cameras could perform 1/4000th of a second as their fastest shutter time. Not a problem for action, mostly, but a problem for a system that offers many light strong lenses, because with that much light from a 50mm Noctilux f/0.95 or a 35mm Summilux f/1.4, you have to use an ND filter (Neutral Density filter which are dark glass that reduce the amount of light) to lower the light. With a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000th, a minimum ISO sensitivity of 64 ISO, in sunshine a lens has to be reduced to f/2.4 or f/2.8 in order to avoid blown out highlights.
The only “missing element” in having only electronic shutter in a camera, is to have a sensor scan rate that is so fast it prevents "rolling shutter", and thus completely eliminates the need for a traditional mechanical shutter.
The lack of such sensors is the reason the Leica M EV1 and Leica M11 model family still have a shutter.
The Leica M EV1 has an electronic shutter readout time of 1/10 second, which will create "warped" images even at fast shutter speeds of for example 1/2000 sec that would normally freeze any action with a mechanical shutter. But as the sensor readout time of 1/10 second means the sensor is still recording, any movement will be recorded as part of the image. In short, any handheld image will result in slight movements, which will then result in warped shapes. The Nikon Z9 (2021) has a readout time of 1/270 second, which eliminates most of this problem, and thus indicates there is hope for future electronic shutters.
Rolling shutter photo from 1912, Jacques Henri Lartigue's "Grand Prix of the Automobile Club of France" shows how (the wheel of) the car is recorded across the image surface as the cloth shutter (as was used back then) moves slower than the car.
The mechanical shutter of the Leica M EV1 has always been part of a Leica M. In the past, the shutter was made of cloth, which gave a distinct flat, soft sound, and as it was the only moving part in a Leica during the picture taking, this made the Leica known as the discreet (almost) soundless camera.
With the introduction of mechanical shutters that used a foldable metal curtain, the sound got sharper and not as damped discreet as in the past.
Since the Leica M10-P (2018), the metal shutter has gotten damped to make a very discreet sound, even more damped and discreet than past versions of the Leica M.
A mechanical shutter. It consist of rows of metal that covers the sensor, then folds when the shutter opens.
Why else is this an interesting subject? Well, it is because the Leica M still features a mechanical shutter, which in modern photography, very few cameras do.
When Leica wants to build a camera with mechanical shutters, there aren't really that many options. The Leica M8, Leica M9, and Leica M10 feature the same shutter as the Nikon flagship camera, but as one can imagine, soon almost no cameras will have a mechanical shutter. The Nikon Z9 (2021) flagship camera is now a mirrorless and shutterless camera.
The point I am making, and which is almost already obsolete before I can end this sentence, is that a mechanical shutter becomes a rare and exclusive part to implement in a camera. We should be happy that it is still there, but likely we won't see it in the Leica M12 or any other camera in the future. Not a great loss in that the electronic shutter is soundless, uses less battery, doesn't present camera shake by moving parts, and offers much faster speeds.
The base ISO of the Leica M EV1 is 64 ISO, which is rather low. Which is good, because the lower ISO, the less digital noise. Which plays in not only for any type of photography, but in particular when you have a 60 MP sensor to record the image on. The last thing you want to see when you zoom in on the precious files, is noise.
A "base ISO" of a sensor is always of interest, because this is where the sensor perform the best. Canon traditionally have had base ISO of 100 on their cameras, while Nikon have had a base ISO of 200. Leica M10 has a base ISO of around 150, and the Leica M240 has a base ISO of 200, and the Leica M9 has a base ISO of 160.
The low base ISO also – again – allow for using lenses wide open at f/1.4 and f/0.95 in sunshine without risk of overexposure.
With the new low ISO of 64, and the new shutter speeds up to 1/16000th of a second this is not really an issue.
64 ISO is also the "classic ISO" of film like Kodachrome.
Less photos on one battery with the Leica M EV1
By Thorsten von Overgaard
The Leica M EV1 loves a good battery
The Leica M EV1 uses the same battery as the rest of the Leica M11. While generally known to provide really good battery throughout the day, in the Leica M EV1 it's a different story:
The Leica M EV1 feeds a sensor that is always-on as long as the camera is turned on.
The EVF has a small sensor that senses when you put your eye to the viewfinder, and then it turns on. So, you could say that when you don't use the camera, it's off.
But as you usually have the camera hanging on you, the sensor in front of the EVF is likely activated the entire time. The sensor doesn't know if it's your eye or your hip that is in front of it. So the EVF screen turns on. This is the reason for the reported short battery life.
To avoid battery usage, turn off the camera when you don't use it. Or get an extra battery, and take advantage of the fact that you can recharge the camera with a USB-C cable whenever you have down time and are nearby a computer or power outlet.
The Leica M EV1 battery is the same as the Leica M11 battery (BP-SCL7). The battery charger shown here is an acessory as cameras doesn't come with chargers anymore. When the battery is 80% full, the "80%" lamp lights up. The "Charge" light blinks when charging and stays lit when fully charged. You can see the weather sealing on the battery itself, which closes the bottom of the camera which also holds the SD card inside just next to battery.
Internal flash memory
By Thorsten von Overgaard
Leica M11: Internal memory of 64 GB
Leica M11-P: Internal memory of 256 GB
Leica M EV1: Internal memory of 64 GB
The Leidac M11 family features internal memory. the Leica M EV1 has 64GB internal memory (good for about 320 pictures in full 60MP raw resolution), which means you can photograph without inserting an SD card, or you have a backup memory in case you loose or fill up the SD card.
The internal memory is accessed via a USB-C connection under the bottom of the camera. You simply connect a cable to the camera and it appears like a SD card or hard drive on the computer.
If you use the internal memory, I would recommend to insert an SD card and then transfer the images to the SD card (and delte internal memory after that).
Leica M EV1 In-Depth Review and Testing
Visit the paid site Reid Reviews for nerdy comparisons and details you won't find anywhere. Of the Leica M EV1 and other Leica cameras and lenses.
Photographer and Leica Evangelist: Thorsten Overgaard is a Danish photographer, author, and educator specializing in Leica cameras. He's written hundreds of in-depth reviews, eBooks, and hosts workshops worldwide. His website, overgaard.dk, is basically a Leica bible; part tutorial, part shrine, part wizard’s grimoire. If you want a title, fans call him the "Leica Whisperer" or "Thorsten the Unflappable" for his calm, guru-like vibe in masterclasses. No spells involved, but his Noctilux tutorials do feel a bit enchanted.
Leica Digital Camera Reviews by Thorsten Overgaard
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Thorsten von Overgaard is a Danish-American multiple award-winning photographer, known for his writings about photography and Leica cameras. He travels to more than 25 countries a year, photographing and teaching workshops to photographers. Some photos are available as signed editions via galleries or online. For specific photography needs, contact Thorsten Overgaard via email.
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