Leica’s New M Camera Drops Its Iconic Rangefinder For An Evf

Clean and simple? Yes. Weird and jarring? Also yes.

Leica is announcing a caller type of M-mount camera, its first that’s not really a rangefinder. The caller M EV1 is based connected nan M11-P from 2023, but it strips retired nan accepted rangefinder successful favour of a 5.76-million dot physics viewfinder — hence nan omitted viewfinder model connected its front. The caller camera is launching successful Europe and different markets coming for €7,950, and coming to nan US astatine a later clip owed to an FCC delay, wherever it’s expected to tally $8,995.

Since nan M EV1 is based connected nan M11-P, it has nan aforesaid processor, 60-megapixel full-frame sensor, 64GB of soul storage, and support for Content Credentials. That besides intends that, for illustration different M11 cameras, nan M EV1 does not grounds video astatine all. Without nan rangefinder assembly, and pinch an aluminum building for illustration nan achromatic M11, nan M EV1 weighs 484 grams (or 1.07 pounds) without a lens attached. That’s 46 grams lighter, astir nan weight of 1 play ball.

The M EV1 is still manual attraction for illustration a accepted rangefinder. However, alternatively of focusing by aligning images successful a spot successful nan halfway of an optical viewfinder, you spot and attraction done nan lens connected nan half-inch EVF aliases 2.95-inch rear LCD. And conscionable for illustration immoderate different mirrorless camera, you tin get a unrecorded vulnerability preview and usage focusing immunodeficiency for illustration attraction peaking and magnification. 

A unrecorded position done nan lens makes utilizing ultrawide and telephoto lenses connected a Leica M overmuch easier. Any lens wider than 28mm (which Leica makes a assortment of successful M-mount) usually required immoderate benignant of outer finder, and 90mm focal lengths aliases longer could beryllium difficult to accurately focus. Full-time unrecorded position besides allows easier close-focusing for caller M lenses that spell shorter than nan accepted 0.7 metre minimum attraction limitation — aliases erstwhile adapting a macro lens from different manufacturer.

M cameras could beryllium utilized pinch unrecorded position since nan M (Typ 240) of 2012, but they required focusing connected nan rear show aliases adding an accessory EVF. The built-in EVF of nan M EV1 is akin to nan 1 recovered successful nan fixed-lens Leica Q3, but it runs astatine a slower 60Hz alternatively of 120Hz. The M EV1 besides borrows nan diamond-patterned leatherette from nan Q cameras, though that’s astir wherever its Q similarities end. (Pour 1 retired for nan Leica fans hoping for an M EVF camera that’s Q-sized.)

One absorbing rotation connected a classical rangefinder power is nan M EV1’s caller beforehand lever. What was usually a preview lever connected accepted M cameras, for changing framelines successful nan viewfinder earlier switching lenses, is now 2 caller customizable usability buttons. You tin toggle nan lever near aliases correct to alteration attraction peaking and magnification, aliases you tin long-push either guidance to telephone up a paper that changes those civilization functions. It’s a beautiful clever return connected what would different beryllium an anachronistic control. Another alteration to nan M EV1’s power layout is that it drops nan ISO dial first introduced successful nan M10, going backmost to menu-based ISO power you bring up pinch a usability button.

I precocious sewage to clasp nan Leica M EV1 and tinker pinch it for a fewer minutes successful a very little hands-on preview, and I recovered it to beryllium precisely what I was expecting from a long-rumored “M EVF” camera — though not a modicum more. It’s nan bare minimum of swapping nan rangefinder for an EVF connected an M11-based camera, particularly considering Leica deleted nan viewfinder model and near that area starkly blank, without moreover relocating nan reddish dot logo. The model for nan rangefinder spot is oddly still there, too, now lodging an LED ray for nan timer. It each looks a small jarring and, frankly, disfigured to me.

But that’s fine, I guess, arsenic altering a long-established creation sometimes conscionable takes clip to set to. While I expected Leica mightiness do thing a small much caller here, I (and I’d wager others) was besides hoping that subtracting nan costly mechanical rangefinder would besides mean subtracting a much important magnitude disconnected nan price. The $845 delta betwixt nan M EV1 and M11-P isn’t an insignificant amount, but this remains a $9,000 camera, nan aforesaid value nan now-discontinued M11 first launched astatine successful 2022. Perhaps it’s a small value protection for nan accepted M cameras, successful lawsuit Leica learns much of its fans than expected favour EVFs complete a rangefinder.

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge