[Leica] M11-D mini review WAS M6 Anniversary/ M3 Rules

[pdzwig at summaventures.com (Peter Dzwig)]

I surprised myself the other day and went and had a look at the M11-D. 
Curiosity had got the better of me.

My impression- and this is strictly subjective - was of a camera that 
somehow felt heavier in the hand than either my M3 or anything except my 
X-Pro. It felt a clean design with everything pretty much where my 
hand/fingers would want it. Focussing was easy and the viewfinder 
certainly appeared bright enough even in the store lighting (I wasn't 
allowed to take it into the street). I wasn't too bothered by the lack 
of a rear screen. With a digital camera I find that with that amount of 
memory available means that I bracket/re-orientate/whatever and look to 
see later what I've got. If it comes to "The Decisive Moment" (lucky 
you!) then you've only got one chance anyway.

However what did it for me was the repeated mantra of "You set/do/adjust 
that in the app". I think that wouldn't be a way of working that I would 
be happy with, but who knows in time, maybe...

I also got to play with an M-A and a (digital) MP. Both felt more 
comfortable in the hand and somehow a bit more familiar(?) to use. Of 
the three I felt happiest with the M-A, but it would be a close run 
thing between that and the M-P.

All are very similar in price and if I were choosing between Leicas the 
above comments would stand. However they remain expensive in relative terms.

Would I buy an M11-D if I wanted a digital camera and I were flush with 
cash? The answer is that I simply don't know.

I just want to stress that this is a **very** subjectivereport and the 
people in the shop had no idea I was going to write this. Nor did I, 
until read Alan and Frank's comments I thought I would stick my 2p in! :-)

As for the comparison with the M3...

All the best,

Peter

On 27/09/2024 22:08, Alan Magayne-Roshak via LUG wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 25, 2024 at 8:13?AM Frank Filippone via LUG <lug at 
> leica-users.org
>>
> wrote:
>> ...
>> ...
>> Ever notic how every new DigiM is compared to the M3?  Says something
>> special about that M3.
>>
>> And there is one more salient comment.... an M3, even form the original
>> series of manufacture (1953? 1954?) , is still a state of the art camera.
>> It
>> has never been eclipsed.  While I like to think of the M6 as THE best M,
>> with its built in meter, the M3 is equally capable of making equally great
>> images.  It is no better than an M3.
> ====================================================================================
> My silky smooth M3 is 65 years old, and is still my favorite camera ever.
> I handled an M6 once, but it felt flimsy
> and cheap in comparison, and I like the viewfinder of the M3 better than
> all the later M's - it is ideal for my two
> most-used lenses, the 50 & 85/90 (I like the APSC sensor on my X-E2, since
> it gives me an 83mm field with a
> 50mm lens).  And it wasn't a hardship to pair the M3 with my Sekonic L-28
> for Kodachrome or Panatomic-X;
> with Tr-X I'd generally estimate exposure from experience.
> 

-- 

Dr. Peter Dzwig