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Obviously, there has been a great deal of interest in the new Leica M. Many people that I talk to here in Cologne think that the M is the standout product of this Photokina. Essentially, it is everything that M9 users have been asking for. Offering faster operation, longer battery life, well-implemented live view with focus peaking, a high resolution scratch-resistant LCD, optional EVF and keeping the time-tested optical rangefinder, LED illuminated frame lines, expanded ISO range with lower noise, improved menu interface, built-in virtual horizon, SDXC support, 50% faster continuous shooting, bigger buffer, ability to use with PC sync cord (via grip), ability to power camera externally (via grip), weather sealing, and more. Leica also saw fit to offer users features they didn’t ask for like full HD video capability and GPS (also with grip). It’s quite an extensive punch list and I think that Leica should be commended on offering all these new features and improvements, all the while keeping the camera true to its heritage. The design is classic, yet modern and the ergonomics are just perfect. Leica engineers actually worked with Audi design specifically for styling and ergonomics.

Oh, and R users finally will get a full-frame Leica digital solution as promised. If you follow the link, you’ll find the transcript of a Q&A session with director of product management Stefan Daniel from exactly two years ago. Leica knew then what they wanted to produce, even in the very early stages, and it shows from his answers and strong hints.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Jesko von Oeynhausen on Thursday and discuss the M in more detail. I will be posting the full video when I return back to the US early next week, but did want to provide answers to questions that I’ve been receiving. We also discusses a few items off-camera, as we didn’t want to have a two hour video.

Does the new M use a different battery than the M9?

Yes, the new M battery is actually two M9 battery cells combined in series, doubling the voltage. This allows live view functioning, but the sensor, Maestro ASIC processor and electronics are all more power efficient than the M9.Even with live view, users should at least the same amount of pictures, most likely more. Using the camera in classic rangefinder mode, without live view, you can expect more than three times more images.

How much improvement will there be in noise and DR with the CMOS?

It’s difficult to say now, before the firmware and sensor calibration is totally tweaked. I get the impression though, that the noise is at least a couple stops better than the M9 and that the M offers a little better DR as well. Again, we will have to judge when the files are made available.

Will image quality or “look” be sacrificed with the move from CCD to CMOS?

I seriously doubt this. Leica is, and has always been, committed to delivering that “Leica-look” and best possible image quality, even if it meant product delays. With all the digital Leicas I’ve used over the years, from the DMR to the S2 and M Monochrom, image quality has never been lacking. It’s like reviewing the latest crop of lenses that Leica has been releasing these last several years. There’s almost no point in quibbling as each one is just as stellar as the next. I’m starting to feel the same way about camera image quality. I just trust Leica to get it right. Sure, there was that whole IR debacle with the M8, but we can blame Kodak for that, and, with the filters the image quality was (and still is) excellent.

Are there ANY other differences with the M-E vs. M9 other than the lack of a frame line preview lever and USB port?

No. Those are the differences. And, the M-E comes in an anthracite finish with contrasting dials.

Is image review available in the EVF (like on the X2)?

Yes, you can review images in the EVF. In fact, when shooting through the EVF, this is the default behavior for image review. Keep in mind, though, that menus are only available on the rear LCD, not in the EVF regardless of mode.

How does the Gorilla glass compare in durability to the sapphire glass?

The Gorilla Glass is not quite as strong, but is probably 90% as much. It is also much less expensive, which keeps the cost of the camera down.

Why did Leica omit the frame line preview lever in the M?

The frame line preview lever was removed for cost savings. Very few were using the feature and it adds a complexity and associated cost to manufacture.

What is the buffer size shooting compressed and uncompressed DNG?

14 images in a burst using DNG compressed (3 fps), then another 20 or so at 1.5 fps.

The new silver D-pad on the back of the camera is nice, but will Leica ever make it in black for black paint cameras?

Probably not. This was just a style choice.

Will either of the hand grips be available in silver, or just black?

Only black will be offered.

How about the EVF? Will this be offered in silver?

No. Just black.

What is the longest exposure available in bulb?

60 seconds at base ISO. The main goal is image quality, and Leica is unwilling to sacrifice quality for longer exposure time. For most applications, 60 seconds should be plenty. In cases of astrophotography, exposure stacking would be a better option, anyway.

Are there any plans for an electronic shutter release for the grip?

No plans for this.

Can you shoot tethered and have access to live view thru Image Shuttle?

No LV to computer. Leica really wanted to do this, but it was not technically possible.

Any options for some kind of tethered video?

No. Same as above.

Can still images be shot while capturing video?

Yes. The M was designed primarily as a still camera. So, you can always take a full resolution still image. The video will blank out and you will hear the shutter fire. After the shutter reopens (~1/2 sec), the video will resume.

What are the details on weather sealing? Is the lens mount sealed in any way?

The lens mount is not sealed. Usually lenses would have a gasket on mount, but no M lenses have this. The lenses themselves are built to such tight tolerances and have oil between the parts, which works to create a kind of sealing. The problem was never with the lenses. It has always been with bodies.

Why wasn’t automatic sensor cleaning included?

There was not enough room. Including a cleaning system would have made the camera thicker, which works against the design goal and the desire to maintain the same M dimensions.

Is there is still a manual lens selection in the menu for non-six bit coded M lenses?

Yes, same as on the M9.

Will you have to select the R lens you are using every time you mount the R adapter?

If you are just using one R lens, it will be remembered from the last time you used it. Obviously, if you are changing multiple R lenses, they will have to be selected each time.

What happens if I mount an M-Adapter-R on an M9?

It works, but because there is no rangefinder coupling or live view, focus will be purely trial and error.

 

Are there any R lenses that cannot be used? Or that they don’t recommend?

No. All lenses from 15mm to 800mm can be used without any problems.

What about R extension tubes and teleconverters?

Yes, these can be used as well without limitation.

Will video FPS settings be part of the user presets so you don’t always have to switch from 25 to 24fps, for example?

Yes. Video settings are stored in user presets.

Is the bottom plate on the M larger than the M9? How does overall body size/weight compare?

The Leica M does use a different bottom plate, but it less than 1mm wider from front to back. Overall, the camera is a few mm thinner than the M9 when measured from lens mount to the surface of LCD. In practice, there is no real distinguishable difference. The M does feel a little heavier, though. And it should, given that it has a double-sized battery, larger LCD, beefier electronics and more metal (rather than plastic) used.

Realistically, how will the M Monochrom compare to the M at similar ISO’s, given the M’s resolution increase and lower noise CMOS sensor

Noise will look different as there is no interpolation or color noise on the M Monochrom. On the flip side, the initial quality from the M at high ISO has been outstanding, but final comparisons haven’t been done.

If you haven't already, you can check out my full review on the M Monochrom here, and the ISO noise test I did between it and the M9 here. When I can get my hands on the Leica M, I will be publishing a similar test.

Stay tuned for the full video for even more information on the new M.

 

After a full rundown of the changes on the new Leica S camera which I covered in Part 1, I wanted to delve into the three new S lenses. Clearly, the announcement of the 30-90mm and the 24mm came as no surprise to anyone. Leica has been sharing the basic specs for some time now. The 120mm TS-APO-Elmar-S f/5.6 ASPH is a little different story, which is somewhat of a surprise. The lens might look familiar as it is the same excellent tilt-shift macro designed by Schneider Optics. Originally released in Mamiya mount for use on Phase One cameras, we found this lens worked well on the S2 with Leica’s M645 to S adapter. Really, the lens is most useful for table-top photography given its longer focal length. Still, having the lens in native S mount, covered under Leica warranty is not a bad thing at all. Just remember, the lens is manual focus and not weather sealed. This also wouldn’t be the first time that Leica has collaborated with Schneider on lenses. The legendary 15mm f/2.8 ASPH in R mount is a Schneider design.

The real story in my opinion are the 24 and 30-90, which really round out the S lens line-up nicely.

The 24mm Super-Elmar-S ASPH is extremely compact and offers a relatively fast aperture of f/3.5, just a half stop slower than f/2.8. It handles great and according to everyone I talked to in the Leica booth, is quite the performer. Peter Karbe, the head of optics for Leica, believes this lens sets a new benchmark for wide angle lenses in medium format. Distortion is extremely low and fully correctable in LR. Sharpness is outstanding. There is no shortage of exotic glass here – 12 elements in 10 groups, five of which have anomalous partial dispersion, three made from fluoride glass for CA control and three aspherical surfaces. And, by using a floating element design, performance from close focus to infinity is maintained. This lens is going to be phenomenal for interiors, architecture and landscape.

Since the S System came out, everyone has been lusting for the 30-90mm Vario-Elmar-S ASPH zoom. Well, after around two years in development, it’s here. And, it’s worth the wait.

Much smaller and lighter than I expected, the zoom is completely usable and portable. It is much, much smaller and lighter than the Hasselblad HCD 35-90 f/4.5-5.6, while sporting a wider zoom range and faster maximum aperture. Oh, yeah, and the Leica is also fully weather sealed just like the rest of the S lens line.

As with any zoom, there are some compromises versus fixed primes. I spoke with Dietmar Stuible, the optical designer of the new lens, who said that while it may appear simple to design a “normal” range zoom, the reality is that is actually extremely challenging to go from wide angle (24mm equiv) to short tele (90mm equiv) and maintain S-quality optical performance. So, the best compromise is to optimize for the middle range, where the lens will see the most use. Here, that is from 45 to 75mm.

Of, course, this doesn’t mean that the lens is bad in the wide angle range. Quite the contrary, actually. We are talking about resolving 70% contrast for 40lp at 30mm, its “weakest” point in the zoom range. Yeah, not too shabby. Looking at the MTF of the zoom versus the fixed 30mm Elmarit-S ASPH, the MTFs look strikingly similar. At 60mm, the MTF is almost perfect , resolving over 80% contrast wide open for 40lp. The bottom line is that this is a real S lens. Also featuring quite an exotic design, the Vario-Elmar uses 14 elements in 4 groups, of which 9 have anomalous partial dispersion, three fluoride glass elements and three aspherical surfaces.

When you hold the lens, you wouldn’t know that you’re moving all that glass around. Zooming, even on the pre-production model, was very smooth with just the right amount of drag on the zoom ring. Leica placed the zoom ring forward of the focus ring where it falls right in between your thumb and forefinger. The rear-placed focus ring is still easily workable by sliding your hand back a few inches. The decision was made to go this way for two reasons. First, this approach was much easier from a mechanical perspective. Secondly, users will spend more time zooming that using manual focus. After, all, the S is an autofocus system. The lens, while shorter in length than the fixed 35mm Summarit-S ASPH, does extend several inches when zooming all the way to 90mm. In spite of the exposed tube, it is still fully weather sealed.

For me, the real use of this lens isn’t to replace the fixed primes. A 70mm still offers a much faster aperture of f/2.5 in a lighter package. Where the zoom appeals to me is for tripod mounted landscape work. Not having to change a lens and being able to leave on my Schneider 4” filter set, while being able to change my perspective is huge. Less lens changes mean less times I have to dig into my backpack, less times shuffling filters, less exposure of the sensor to dust and moisture in the field and, ultimately, less break in the flow of shooting.

Both new lenses use 95mm filter size. According to Dietmar, the wider filter ring should allow the use of standard filter rings without any vignetting. I will be keen to try this with my Schneider 4” filter rig, which has a lot more depth than a polarizer.

In addition to the lenses, Leica also showed an Elpro close-up adapter for the APO-Tele-Elmar-S 180mm f/3.5. My only gripe about the 180 – it is perhaps the most perfect of the S lenses, after all – is that the close focus just isn’t that close. Leica has answered the call on this one with the Elpro-S 180mm. Just screw the optical adapter on the front of the 180mm and you can now focus your 180 down to 3.6 feet for a reproduction ratio of 1:4.5. Not too shabby. I see this as of real use in fashion and beauty photography as well as adding flexibility while out in the field for landscape and general travel photography. You can carry just the 180 but have near-macro capability without the 120mm. Keep in mind, though, that with the Elpro attached, the camera will not focus to infinity. With a maximum focus distance of 8.8 ft, you won’t just be able to leave it on all day for walk-about photography. Here, the 120mm APO-Macro has a leg up in flexibility. Also impressive is that quality is not degraded at all and neither is exposure. There is no light loss with the adapter as there would be with an extension tube.

 

Finally, I’ve gotten questions related to the field of view range with the new lenses. While I wasn’t allowed to take sample shots as the models at the show were prototypes, I was allowed to shoot a sequence on a demo S camera and photographed the LCD to give an idea of relative angle of view.

What I found was really fascinating was that the exact focal length and aperture were displayed on the LCD. So, even though there is no 35mm marking on the lens, I was able to use the camera to tell me where the correct zoom position was. Cool feature that eliminates guesswork. The aperture is accurately displayed in 1/10 f-stops. Also nice.

That wraps up my S coverage for now. I will be interviewing S product manager Stephan Schulz in a couple hours and will most likely post the video when I return from Germany (painfully slow Internet does not like 1080p 30 minute YouTube uploads).

All of the new S lenses and the Elpro are available for pre-order from Leica Store Miami. The 24mm, 30-90mm and Elpro are expected to start shipping November 2012 and the TS 120 in January 2013.