Leica M10-D: Sometimes - for Some of Us - Less IS More

Closing in on $8K for the body only, a manual focus digital camera with no rear panel, no EVF and no video is not everyone's cup of tea. But if you're not everyone - if you're the target audience for the Leica M10-D -- oh, baby.
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[@masonimage]

Ok this was one of the best reviews I have seen. A leica shooter. Thirty year professional. This was part technical. Part philosophical. Addressing so of the many issues facing shooters today. Well done and thanks. I will considered this body based on your excellent point of view.

[@3BMEP]

Thanks for contributing to the conversation - and thank you for the kind words. Keep me posted!

[@brocktonbensch1356]

Exactly the same reasons for which I enjoy Hugh's reviews!

Hugh makes my life without a Leica miserable. Hold that thought.

[@TheVFXbyArt]

ALL Of Hugh’s reviews are part philosophical, technical, a pinch of spiritual, with a generous holding of thoughts!

[@angelemmanuel287]

instablaster.

[@nikosb1978]

From a film shooter point of view, who has a Ricoh GRD2 digital camera for secondary, Leica nailed it. Working with film gives u a serenity when outside, compose-focus-expose-click. No rush to see what u shot, just walk away ... now that is back in the digital world where people shoot and look at an LCD panel with their guts twisted if they nailed the shot. Now maybe more people will have fun again.

[@leonarddavis8449]

You could sell a freezer to an Eskimo.

[@gavingynert2455]

That's a racist term for the indigenous circumpolar peoples, I'm going to call interpol.

[@leonarddavis8449]

Gavin Gynert Thanks Gavin, guess I’m just an old stick in the mud. I’m just packing my bags to go on the run.

[@gavingynert2455]

@@leonarddavis8449 😄

[@luigimonaco7826]

The M10-D is a camera for people who exactly know about the essence of what they want to get and how to get it. There are for sure 2000 of them.

[@jerryeisner1]

Hugh... Hold this thought! I found your reviews on KZbin not too long ago and at first I thought I was witnessing a University Professor giving chapter and verse about all things related to photos and cameras. However, as a few months passed by, I suddenly felt a need to watch Three Men and and an Elephant / Hugh B. just before I left for work each day-partly for the wisdom and philosophical ins and outs of camera talk, but more importantly for the therapeutic affect you were having on me! I now view your wonderful reviews as a Must See, at least a few times a week, just for the therapy, the solace, the joy you give me with your wonderful soothing camera and life lessons! More to come, but for now, I say a big wonderful Thanks to you Dr. Hugh!!!!

[@3BMEP]

🙏🏻🖖

[@jimvanmeer]

You have such an eloquent way of reminding me that I'm broke.

[@3BMEP]

😢

[@adilsokolovic12]

I always hated the rear lcd displays on every camera... always wanted just one very good viewfinder on the back an thats it

[@ronitsingh85]

Dude, I am the same way here, I could not stress the ommision of a rear LCD enough, firstly because of asthertics and secondly its not needed, Leica just provesd it with the M10-D here

[@LilaKuhJunge]

The rear LCD is the item that shows the age of your camera first. The LCD on my Canon 5D from 2004 - don't ask...

[@sharonleibel]

Same here with articulating screens. To me it seems "Toy-ish".

[@ronitsingh85]

Before the M-D. I prefered screens to be fixed rather than articulating, at least that looks better, Could not imagine beyond no screen, when Leica put out the typ 262 M-D, I was sold!

[@monochromios]

The day I will decide that I have enough of film and I need a digital M body, it will be this: no matter megapixels, no matter all the other whistles. It will be this. Thank you for sharing.

[@alanstarkie2001]

Great! I agree about adopting the advance lever to cock the shutter. It would probably reduce power consumption too.

[@boarini2003]

"The greatest freedom is to have no choice." -Christopher Anderson

[@gavingynert2455]

Fits great to 2:32

[@DrFearCo]

I think computational photography is akin to tube amplifiers vs Kemper profiling amifiers (or similar). One day, you'll be able to pick any lens to replicate from the past 100 years to the point where even users of those lenses won't be able to tell the difference. However, to those people who want to use tubes, it doesn't matter. Even though I may be able to replace my Boogie with a computer, I won't.

[@3BMEP]

Dr Fear & Co. Great analogy! Thanks for that!

[@DrFearCo]

Three Blind Men and An Elephant Productions thanks, I think for a lot of photographers, photography is about more than the final image.

[@nickbedford]

No screen is one of the reasons I shoot with a Leica M7 and a Rolleiflex exclusively for my personal work these days. That and the tactile nature of operating with film and film cameras is delightful beyond rational thinking. If I had to go back to a digital Leica body, I wouldn't choose the M10, precisely because it has a screen. Don't show me my photo! I want to find it with my own brain.

[@miataman6988]

Having owned a Leica M4, I appreciate the direct experience of shooting without the camera getting in the way, a point you have made many times. That experience does indeed have value. I get it. That said, my practical side kicks in. I find I can have a close approximation of the Leica M 10-D experience any day I desire with both my Fuji X-Pro2 and Fuji X-100f, simply by turning off the LCD and and selecting the eye-sensor optical viewfinder, incorporated in both Fuji cameras. It's nice that this method conserves both battery power and my very important dollar power as well. Yes, I know some may say this experience is not as "pure" as the Leica experience, and that's fine. So be it. I guess I will just have to resign myself to this "limitation". All things considered, my approach to enjoying both image quality and shooting experience is not a bad compromise. Hold that thought. Thanks again for sharing your well considered thoughts and for making the many enjoyable videos you do.

[@3BMEP]

Well considered! Thanks for sharing!

[@forneverarrow]

Believe it or not, M10-D would be the only reason for me to leave Canon’s system. The simplicity! That also keeps me with DSLR instead of mirrorless, because I like to use my camera on manual mode, with the articulated screen closed inwards, seen only through my optical viewfinder. That’s all! No chimping, no deep dives into menus (I set everything once and done) and no battery drain. It’s very liberating! I only use my screen in the rare cases where I need the dual pixel AF in live view (and only if the Phase detection or MF doesn’t do the job), about 5% of my shots. So, that Leica seems to me like a dream machine, dazzling expensive but desirable! The irony here is when I decided to pay the money it was out of stock everywhere (and I don’t buy used cameras by principle)… Anyway, I love your reviews Hugh!

[@3BMEP]

I fear it has been discontinued - used may be the only way forward.

[@davidf2281]

I don't get why no manufacturer has produced a well-engineered micro four-thirds body based on the same philosophy as this, for $300-500. Or has someone done and I've missed it? I'd buy one without even thinking.

[@Naher1mne1utub]

So don't I. Maybe even make versions with full-frame and cropped sensors and maybe L-mount and some manual lenses for a not an astronomical prices saving money without a screen and 100 mp sensors. And manual shutter lever could save battery life like the one on the epson r-d1

[@Gijz74]

Buy a used GX8. Flip out the screen, rotate it and flip it back in. Voila: a no-screen M43 camera. I really don't see the point of this Leica camera. I love shooting manually myself occasionally but what is wrong with a live histogram? No that's not cool. I want to show off and expose my photos completely manual (and screw up many shots in the proces). I never got the Leica-magic (and yes I've held a few in the hand).

[@3BMEP]

Take a look at the GX9. Not the same, but darned good little m43 with some of the same design goals.

[@davidf2281]

I do in fact already own a GX800 and planning on perhaps buying a GX9 (left-eye dominant, so the tilting EVF would be a boon). But what I'm essentially after is a sturdy light-tight box with an M4/3 mount, decent sensor, basic optical viewfinder and shutter that will last until I'm dead. Maybe I should look into kickstarting one myself.

[@3BMEP]

davidf2281 take a whack at a design, please! :)

[@penchiselcamera]

If only Nikon took this approach with the DF. A true FMd - no screen, manual focus and a working shutter wind lever (like the Epson R-D1).

[@DonFather]

Agree to that so much. But unfortunately they love their cash cow DSLR form factor too much and now risk going the way of blackberry.

[@gregoryduran8938]

I know this is a niche camera , i truly hope they have sold more than 17 of these beautiful necklaces!

[@markturner7910]

Great video as always Hugh , finally managed to get myself an M10-d after wanting to update my M240 for awhile , absolutely love it

[@jshanni2066]

Close! Oh so close! If that "film wind lever" was actually used to recock the shutter - ala the much overlooked Epson R-D1 from over a decade ago!!? - then Leica may have built the perfect 'film' digital camera. Alas, what they aren't close to building is an M in my price range. C'est La Vie.

[@jackthehatphoto]

Absolutely. Why oh why didn't they make it cock the shutter? I'd have sold my car for such a camera :-(

[@TarrelScot]

Yeah, and have the ISO dial set so you can only change it every 36 shots.

[@vangstr]

This is the result of marketing people designing a camera instead of photographers designing a camera :) It is the industry standard even Leica pitifully falls in. I like Leica simply because they still produce an analog M camera brand new, everybody else can keep buying digital.

[@cl3826]

I really wished it had an electric generator in it and the lever created enough of a charge for one shot. That way it didn't need a battery.

[@antoineveling2650]

Jason, my thoughts exactly. I got very excited when seeing that shutter advance lever. What a missed opportunity...

[@ronitsingh85]

Love the concept of the M-D, I was sold on the idea of no screen when the first one came out, Nothing could make more sense to me, For me this is a clear winner, alas I pulled the trigger too quickly and bought the M10-P silver version 3 weeks ago :-( but at almost $8K ($8.5K+) I want the silver version of this for sure. Hoepfully Leica produces one and I wish the EV dial at the back was in silver, would be a nice contrast for sure, Love the EVF edition and WiFi although after using my M10, I enjoy using the RF to focus but I find focusing through the EVF so precise, its a good thing to have and as you say when one gets old, your eyes get old as well :-). I cannot imagine using a camera without manual focus, throughly enjoy it again GREAT REVIEW!

[@3BMEP]

Ronit Singh 🙏🏻

[@clawdawg7248]

I’m reminded of that feeling following a weekend trip where I shot a dozen rolls of slide film. Upon returning home I would rush them to my lab, where I would wait another week to get them back. The seal on the processed film would sit untouched for the 30 min drive home, leading to one of the greatest joys of my early photography days. This camera and, moreso, the M-D Typ 262 that preceded it (no WiFi or Visoflex), bring me back to those days. Thank you for rekindling these memories and the emotions they generate. I am patiently awaiting a good used copy of the M-D Typ 262. Be well.

[@3BMEP]

Glad to be of service - and thank you for sharing your trip down memory lane!

[@shimky301]

Hugh, watching and listening to you speak must be one of the most soothing experiences I have ever had. You are wonderful!

[@3BMEP]

I’m happy you enjoy our work!

[@tuntitommosille]

I think I'd rather just get a Fuji X100 or X-Pro series camera, turn off the rear LCD and set the viewfinder to optical mode. They don't cost an arm and leg and you have the option of going back to EVF once you realize that it's just way better in almost every situation.

[@jackmckechnie5801]

I agree with you...This camera is just someone wanting to waste their money!

[@shahedmahbub85]

@Tunti Turpan, politely, very politely have u ever used any of the M cameras? or any real rangefinders? Not rangefinder like, e.g. Xpro2. I use XT2, Leica Ms (film and digital), Nikon 35mm and digital, Yashica range finder, zeiss, Summicron, yada, yada. I am just an enthusiast; never made a dime taking pictures. XT2 is very dear to me but Leica experience and leanings above all. An honest suggestion, rent an M camera (film or digital) for a week or so. Give it a try. Probably u will see some new thoughts.

[@sharonleibel]

@MrBusytimmy I have an M6, And for the first time contemplating a digital M, After shooting for years with Nikon DSLRs, Wanting to go for the M10-P that looks like it has all the advantages for the Digital Leicas so far. I have a question: Because the digital Ms, As opposed to the analog M - have a certain lifespan, Do you upgrade it every once in a while (For example: Every 3-4 models, Or every model) like other Digital bodies?

[@Hiphop7466]

Passion, simply clever, emotion for photo, this is how you review a subject! Very very nice review/love for

[@superkrell]

I choose the MD 262 over the M10-D because it`s more simplistic without WiFi. Less to think about with less distractions. By the way, the MD 262 has amazing battery life! Don`t mess with less...!

[@3BMEP]

Enjoy!

[@amereinterlude]

TMB&E videos are so essential because they make you think hard about photography. Even gear reviews deserve a little deep thought sometimes: it’s not just about buttons and specs and features, because most modern cameras are exceptionally capable take good pictures. We love photography and we love our cameras. We have a personal relationship with them. And, like all truisms, the story about it being all about the guy behind the camera is mostly true, but not completely: the camera we use has a profound influence on the way we work. It can change our entire approach to how we make a photograph. That’s why it’s good that there are still cameras out there with their own very distinct personalities - and no brand is more idiosyncratic than Leica. I’ve been struggling with the Leica thing for a while now. I look at an M10 and my heart says, “That is beautiful”, while my head says, “You must be nuts.” There is no point in trying to claim that a Leica can do anything special that another camera can’t. All you can say is that owning and using one gives you a kind of joy you can’t get elsewhere and that is important: it may even be worth paying a lot of money for. As far the M10-D goes, stripping out the rear screen is too much minimalism for me. When I worked in pro studios in London before digital, our working days were doubled in length, messing about with Polaroid or waiting for the sheet or roll film test to come back from the E-6 lab, before we could progress. For anyone who goes back that far, doing away with an instant review is counter-intuitive, to put it mildly, FOTOS app or not. Nonetheless what is so valuable about a review like this is that we are reminded that Leica is about heart, soul and history; and that these cameras are artisan-made with love. If these things chime, you have all the justification you need. Loving your camera is part of the joy of photography.

[@3BMEP]

Simon, what a lovely, thoughtful, slightly romantic, definitely pragmatic perspective. Always interesting to be reminded how - especially - high end pros would use Polaroids because skill and experience could still be served by hard, actual, on the scene feedback through the lens. Or make iconic images like Annie Liebowitz’s shot of John and Yook for the cover of Rolling Stone.

[@amereinterlude]

Thanks, Hugh. The Polaroids were a funny business. We hated the damned things but we had to use them because a whole day in the studio could be spent getting a single perfect image right, lit with studio flash. Plus it gave the client something to look at. More often we walked or biked a test film (usually 5x4) to a one-hour process. Nowadays we have rear screens and tethered computers. No more Polaroids, no more one-hour E-6. Hugh, like many others, I am loving the work you are doing for TBM&E, really loving it, and I hope you go on with it for a long, long time. I have many friends and none of them are photographers. They regard the determination with which I pursue photography with forbearance, but mostly bewilderment. They simply don’t see how photography can be wound so tightly into anyone’s life. Work like yours reminds me that there is a community of people for whom photography is wholly fundamental to them: it’s the thing they are in love with, and love is not too strong a word. For me, the great Alfred Stieglitz hit it on the nail when he said, “I have all but killed myself for photography. My passion for it is greater than ever. It’s forty years that I have fought its fight - and I’ll fight to the finish - single handed and without money if need be.”

[@3BMEP]

Simon Tasker I love that quote. It’s amazing to see one of his images - like the Flatiron - and marvel how far we’ve come technically, yet moved so little as a species intellectually and emotionally. But it’s a fight worth fighting. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@brocktonbensch1356]

Just the other day I was thinking about how novel it would be to have a digital camera with no preview screen and here it is. All be it at a price I cannot afford, but none the less amazing!

[@jeffreytaylor6257]

cost benefit analysis aside, if we are going to live in a world of Facebook and Instagram, I will stick with the RX1. You do great work.

[@zguy95135]

I really cannot understand the people who put so much energy into hating camera gear. You would think they were being forced to buy it. So what if it's expensive and doesn't have the features of an A7III? It's not supposed to. I really wish this had a mechanical shutter and the lever wasn't just for looks but I'd still love to have one.

[@borderlands6606]

Because it's pretending to be something it is not, namely a film camera. There is absolutely no requirement for a film wind thumb rest, or every digital camera would have one. It's like a bad joke told repeatedly every time you pick the camera up. Leica built their reputation on form following function. Engineering parsimony. It's every Leica dentist joke embodied in one gratuitous, overpriced, lump of German jewellery.

[@theohaugen2498]

I wondered if this camera was just a joke until you were showing us the controls, shutter speed, aperture, etc, and that made me think of how much I love my Fujifilm X100f because those controls are right out there where they were on film cameras on that camera as well. At that point the Leica kind of made sense, but then I thought about the price and how much I wish I could afford to get my collection of now barely operable, if at all, way over half a century old Leicas working, if I could even find someone to service them, because...what this new Leica really represents for me is the film camera experience without the most important part, the film. One of the most amazing things about today's world of photography is how little it costs to have the full film photography experience, including the film, using the best film cameras every made, although if for you that means Leica it's going to cost you more. Unable to get my Leicas fixed, for me it means Nikon.

[@3BMEP]

Theo Haugen I understand. I now have a bunch of 35mm in house. Hold that thought. :)

[@haiyanqu698]

Great video. MD is a beauty. But I don't understand why the advance level doesn't advance ... the advance level from my old R-D1 does advance the shutter ...

[@redhakl]

Really a good review and it’s real pleasure to hear you talking. I use to have an Nikon FM2 in 1992 with witch I had my best photography experience even better than the one with the Canon 5D. The back screen is for me a kind of a gadget. The M10-D is expensive, indeed but Bugatti slogan is “Rien n’est trop beau rien n’est trop cher” witch means in french “Nothing is too beautiful and nothing is too expensive” . One these day I will buy me the M10-D and even the really expensive 50mm apo-Summicron ! Life is too short. Have a good day Mister !

[@StuartWeir]

Not as some form of dis to every other KZbinr, but you are a wonderful photographer, as well as reviewer.

[@3BMEP]

Stuart Weir That means a great deal to me. Thank you.

[@TedVieira]

Great stuff as usual, man. Cool shots too! Thanks for the video and have a great weekend.

[@3BMEP]

Thanks -- a little late in my reply, so enjoy the rest of your week. :)

[@vicibox]

Another great review. This camera isn't for me but, the video stirred up lots of thoughts as usual so, my apologies for rambling on, its just the madness of an old lady; perhaps I have too much time on my hands, sorry. Leica rangefinders form the landscape of my life. The very first photos of me in the 50s as a baby were taken on my Father's IIIg, now mine, the last gift to my Father from his Father as help in setting up his business; though his money shots were always on 5x4 cut film. I inherited his IIIg and M3 but I don't use them (shame on you Vici). I started to buy a used Leica in 1973 under father's prompting as my first proper camera, I suddenly had money from my new job at EURATOM but, threw a wobbly and instead bought a gorgeous black Rollei SL35 with Zeiss glass. I learnt photography on his Rolleiflex and Rollei bit deep into my psyche not Leica. Even today when I buy film its for my FM2n or my GW690III; I just cant warm to the Leicas and to date I havent managed to put a film through either. I managed half a film in the M3 and hated it. Of course, I got the Leica ethic, it was bred into me but, for me the thrill came home when Leica started making my sort of camera. When I bought an X113 with Visoflex it changed my photography for good, now augmented with my TL2. I too so love the Visoflex (my GX9 EVF tilts too) and today a new era dawned. I have been suffering from back pain and my harsh gaze fell on my 1.8Kg ONA leather Brixton bag. Today I took delivery of a new dark red Crumpler Doozie Photo Sling bag which weighs in at 590g. I was astonished to find that it will accommodate a bigger camera despite being full of my daily junk. I can even get in my D700 with 35mm f1.8D prime that wouldn't fit in the Brixton. More importantly, it will take my TL2 with 18-56mm zoom AND Visoflex fitted; before I had to take it off in transit. I cannot tell you how big a change that is, it was putting me off using the zoom. You start to realise how important small things like a bag can be to your photography. The other thing that stirred me up in your video was cropping; every image I take is cropped. My favourite format from my X113 is 4500x1800 but; most of my shots are panoramic right up to my TL2 at 6000x2000 for best shots. So what is wrong with cropping; it once was the norm. I remember in the early 60s that after I had developed the Ilford FP3 film from my little Halina 35X with a fixed 45mm f3.5 lens under the stairs, I would take the film out to my Father's shed darkroom and print my images on his enlarger; what a thrill that was, I can still remember the smell of the chemicals. All the photos were enlarged, we didnt have zooms, you chose your crop and adjusted the image before exposure. I see no problem with that approach today as I mostly use primes once more. Any of my Leica, Panasonic, Voightlander, Olympus or Nikon primes will easily take a x2 crop so I see little point in zooms. In fact at the Zoo I mostly use a 45mm f1.8 on my GX9 with heavy use of the x2 digital zoom. I agree with Leica that under virtually all circumstance 24MP is the ideal maximum sensor size; if you arent doing specialist commercial work. In fact working with 24MP RAW files the lag in processing is a major dent in my workflow. I would never use more than 24MP under any circumstances; I am using a 7i Linux tower so I dont know how people manage on a MacBook with 36-46MP images. My aching back thanks me for the new bag, the provision of the lovely tilting EVFs and for getting rid of the ghastly heavy full frame zooms - winks

[@3BMEP]

Vici, as always such a wonderfully rich, thoughtful and heartfelt contribution! Thank you!

[@wanderingphotog]

A person either understands Leica, or they don't. This is a camera many Leica users - myself included - would totally feel at home using and is completely happy with the lack of modern features. This is a photographers tool. If I were to buy another M body, this would likely be the one. I continue to enjoy your Leica analysis.

[@3BMEP]

Delighted you do - thanks!

[@reludennis]

What lens can i install on my fuji to get the Leica look?

[@3BMEP]

rdennis The “Leica look” is glass, sensor - and I think a particular photographic mindset or sensibility, but that’s just me. To answer your question directly, I’d start with FujiFilm’s own 35mm f/2 or 1.4 prime. But before that, I’d suggest switching to ACROS simulation so that when you look through the EVF the black and white display helps you compose in a different way than you might otherwise. If you’re asking me which Leica lens, as I wrote it’s not just the glass - but I’d start with a used 35mm Summicron-M or maybe their 24mm F/3.8 Elmar (50 and 35 full frame equivalents).

[@reludennis]

@@3BMEP Thank you very much for the detailed reply and for the good reviews you make .

[@altr.]

I just found about this model, but can't seem to find a preowned one of these anywhere...

[@yasha8951]

Hold this one, what if Leica offers virtual in app purchases of film rolls in the app and then the only way to shot it’s to purchase this rolls, you can choose tri-x HP5 etc... color and black & white, 35/37 shots each roll and there you have an even more film like experience!

[@caltetm1891]

Excellent shots, the Asian woman I love it so much. What came to my mind looking at your pictures, the homeless people are shot as environmental portraits not showing the "person" like the others - just a thought. Leica just did what a new startup promises to do - the French PIXII rangefinder just announced this week, interesting. This reminds me of the announced Zeiss ZX1, but in a way better thought out: shoot edit share.

[@3BMEP]

You make me realize that in fact at this point in my journey you are right - less Cartier-Bresson’s street photography, and more street portrait/environmental street portrait. I’m going to mull this over. Thank you!

[@drunkenbug]

So emotional! LOVE it!!

[@jameshoward-white2288]

As a musician, I'm disappointed you didn't add the music in the show notes. What was being played?

[@ccbphoto]

Although I most likely will never own a Lecia, I really enjoyed this video. In it you describe how the camera brought you back to your youth and initial love of photography. Thanks.

[@danwray5626]

Yes technically overwrought is the way to describe my Sony a camera.

[@markkeohane9850]

Hugh; thanks for a unique, in-depth, thought-provoking review par excellence, as ever. I love the way you deliver your thoughts and I hold them all. I have done a lot of street photography using various gear but most recently - and enjoyably - a couple of 1990s eBay F3s and an even older ME Super. I carry a Lumix lx100 but I'm liking it less and less for use in the street. I guess the experience of using the old film stuff is akin to your description of using the M10-D; everything is a physical control; no menus, no screen (but a film advance lever that actually - and beautifully - advances film). Whatever you get, it's on you. I'm holding that thought :0) I started using film again - initially with the ME Super, as I've had that from new in 1981 - because I wanted to get away from the dependency on a screen to review what I shot. Now I chimp - in the viewfinder - BEFORE I release the shutter (even when switching back to digital). And, for the most part, I hit the focus reliably (I practised using my AI-S lenses on my D700 so that I could check the results and get better at quick and accurate focusing without consuming rolls and rolls of film!). Perhaps I should rent an M10-D just to see how it stacks up. I can't help thinking that there's a market for cameras like the F3, if only someone would start making them again... It is a joy to hold and use. I recently did a road trip around the Australian outback, an F3 in each hand like a gunslinger as we passed through (sparsely populated) outback towns, one of which with emus and kangaroos roaming the streets... And I'm very much in tune with your views about megapixels. The aforementioned D700 is long in the tooth and, in certain situations, not quite there on DR - like early this morning down at the beach, photographing a pier in shadow as a brilliant sun popped up over the horizon (or, more correctly, the horizon dropped below a brilliant sun). Nikon, to my mind, never truly replaced the D700, intent, it would seem, on satisfying what is, to my mind, an irrational obsession with more MP. (I believe MP stands for Marketing Purposes or, if you prefer and as you suggest, Missing the Point. (I took a photo on my Australian trip of a gallery in Sydney, which was displaying in its window a series of photos of rock stars. All great images. All shot on film.)) So I never took to a D8xx because I have no need of 36MP and certainly not 45. Such numbers are meaningless. I have pre-ordered a Z6; not because I yearn to go mirrorless but because it contains probably the nearest I'll get by way of an up-to-date sensor - importantly, without a ridiculous and unnecessary number of pixels - to upgrade on the one that's in my D700. Though I'm also contemplating a used D4s (16MP) for about the same price... Keep up the good work. And this weekend I'll pop over to Patreon to see what that's about. Best regards.

[@3BMEP]

Mark Keohane I just love the quality of... our KZbin audience. What a joy to read your comment, Mark. Thank you - for all of it. I’ve got a Bronica GS-1 and the last of my own film cameras bought new, the Canon EOS 10s - and a bunch of film waiting for both. Have a great weekend!

[@markkeohane9850]

@@3BMEP Street photography Aussie outback style. When there are no people about...look for emus. www.flickr.com/photos/markkeohane/30535361348/in/photolist-NwiH6o-2aznnmo-2aDMict-Q8N1dh/

[@christianthompson1473]

How about designing the winder with a " stage 2 " position which ejects the battery (with built in backup image storage sd card?) like the old take up spool... Allowing you to quickly insert a fresh battery?

[@joelbenguigui2016]

Damn I’m digging your reviews so much.. and that one, well, that’s gold!

[@3BMEP]

joel benguigui 🙏🏻 thank you!

[@linjasonlin]

your comment on nailing a shot and it is all me...yeah, all me and photoshop in today's digital world

[@JamesGreen321]

Another wonderful series of observations on an equally wonderfully designed piece of artistry.

[@3BMEP]

J G Thanks for your kind words!

[@jackkairos4726]

I have the M10. I can just ignore the lcd if I want, don’t chimp, don’t mess with menus, and then I have the same experience as the M10-D, albeit without the cute fake film advance lever. I do wish I had that quiet shutter, though.

[@3BMEP]

D Kairos I can’t argue with you. 😉

[@ropersix]

Some of us have less self-control.

[@jackkairos4726]

Timothy Roper Not sure I have that much self control either.

[@3BMEP]

Timothy Roper hah!

[@u3174]

D Kairos, I agree. I too have an M10 and I keep the buffering light off and the LCD doesn't illuminate after every shot...so, there is NO distraction!

[@axelkeuchel5728]

Hello Hugh! Thanks a lot for this well balanced and insightful review! I really appreciate your attempt to explain why the M10-D is a unique camera in today’s world. It‘s really astonishing how difficult it is to explain to some people why in the case of the M10-D less can be more to some enthusiasts. But again thanks for sharing your thoughts and your photos!

[@daamsettachan6767]

I simply can’t believe I have any interest in this camera, and yet, I do. I think this is in no small part to you and the passion you show in your reviews.

[@3BMEP]

Daam Settachan sorry. 😉

[@SeanSun]

I have a Leica M-D, the predecessor of M10-D. I absolutely love my M-D, but this new M10-D is nothing like the old M-D. The fake lever, the awkward position for the exposure compensation dial, the added WiFi... Just a awkward mesh of analog looking things without the original spirit. I guess I'm not their target audience this time around.

[@eandrade672]

Sean S. I also own the MD and I agree with you... my biggest ask would have been to add the option to format SD cards or a second SD slot . if those things would have been added i would think about upgrading. The only thing i like about this one is the slimness of the new body but still believe the MD to be more beautiful even if the body is thicker.

[@gardnerunderhill3661]

I would love to have one of these cameras. Honestly, I can not justify $8K for a camera body only.

[@3BMEP]

Me too; me neither. :)

[@PorcelainVal]

Another great review for a camera brand I will always lust for but can't justify paying for. It's funny you mention taking responsibility for how the images turn out on this type of machine vs other cameras of today. I've been working hard to remove everything except myself from my personal images. Using my X-pro2, I've really enjoyed shooting film preset jpgs with vintage manual lenses. The photos come out perfectly imperfect and I know they will be the images my daughters will appreciate most, some day.

[@3BMEP]

I LOVE this! Thanks for sharing!

[@marc6652]

It's a beautiful camera. I used to have a M240. I sold it because it's about impossible to get sharp pictures in low light (shaking). Currently I use a GX8 with pleasure in any conditions, thanks to stabilisation. Less (price and sensor) is more (efficient) for me...

[@3BMEP]

Marc M240 Thanks for sharing your experience. Agreed: IBIS is a big deal even for stills! But we also know someone who still swears by the 240.

[@Monkey_D_Cluffy]

Oo the way you talk bout the actual experience in shooting it parallels the way i think about photography and shooter experience

[@lescobrandon3047]

In the US, we have a tradition of complaining about people who have earned a lot of wealth. I recently saw a TV clip about a man who had lived in the Soviet Union. He said that back then, if he saw someone driving an expensive car, the temptation was to stick a potato in its tailpipe. As a recovering socialist/communist, now when he sees an expensive car, he says to himself, maybe I can own one some day. That seems to be the way to go lately. If someone has a lot of money, the complaint is usually that it means that money is being taken from those who don’t have a lot of money. Karl Marx would love it.

[@nayuki2020]

i love the way you talk and how you comment on things

[@3BMEP]

So glad! Thank you!

[@Seeattle]

Your reviews seem comparable as the Anthony Bourdain of camera critique, or, sitting in on one of your favorite professors captivating lectures

[@3BMEP]

I so appreciate the thought! Thank you!

[@glenncharles6622]

Another great review. Love what you are doing. Not quite sure why you would leave the photos app connected all the time? I just finished a week in London shooting my SL and Q with the new program, and agree, it is the single best connection app from a camera manufacturer. It simply works, and does what it is supposed to do, without getting in the way. I had no issues with battery life, but then again, I only connect the app to my camera periodically through the day when I want to review and grab images. Perhaps that was the source of your issues? Thanks again for another great video!!

[@3BMEP]

All the time, I wouldn't. For stretches, I would. But yes, certainly: this drains the heck out of the battery! :)

[@andresjaime9634]

Leica MD262 does not have EVF and WIFI options and have much better battery. Same 24 megapixels

[@quagsoul]

I'm sad that Leica are the only company so dedicated towards stills cameras, at least as far as I know of, and not including Hasselblad. I'm not a videographer, all I want is a digital analogue of my film camera (hah puns...) where I take photos. Yes of course extra features are nice, but there's so many addons that are entirely superfluous. That being said, I love my Fuji camera, endlessly.

[@nsw72]

Back to the basics. Long overdue and so refreshing. I can't afford it but I want one. B&W. The essence of photography. Colour has it's place, sure but to my old eyes there is nothing to compare with black &white...or should that be "shades of grey"? Darn, my age is showing.

[@3BMEP]

I say: Nothing wrong with that! 🖖

[@Kelkschiz]

I was wondering, have you made a video about how you approach street photography? I've tried street photography a couple of times but I feel very awkward doing it. Especially the interaction component. I am asking you because I think we may have a similar temperament.

[@JeffJacquesmd]

Kelkschiz I’d love this as well. I have no problem photographing strangers candidly, but asking them to pose on the street? Not so much

[@3BMEP]

We have not done any video tutorials. But we ARE working on our first hands-on two-day experience.

[@catmonkey6826]

I have one yearning and that's for the Voigtlander 40mm. It mounts and meters on my Nikkormat Ftn, Nikon F4 and D700. So indulge me if you will, is it as amazing as I dream it is?

[@3BMEP]

Catmonkey I’ve learned that what is really amazing is when we’re inspired by the gear - and in that sense, yes, it was amazing - and I loved the results. 😊

[@lylestavast7652]

Danielle at Adorama never gives me stuff to use. Just sayin'.

[@77folgore]

Gongratulations for another "usually" excellent video and the 1K new subscribers/week! I am on board with the more manual controls theme ("Fuji boy" speaking here...) and - as a personal stance - for more human involvement in every creational activity. However it seems to me ("seems" is the appropriate verb, not having even held the camera in my hands, hence making my overall comment highly subjective) that with this camera Leica makes the line between "let's stand our ground of legacy and industrial design heritage" and "let's rip those rich hipsters' pockets one more time" dangerously thin. (Humorous interval: I have nothing against hipsters. I am 1/2 Italian & 1/2 Greek. Hipster trend accounts for 50% of Italy's exports and don’t even get me started on the cappuccino and greek yogurt prices in NYC! Five bucks indeed. I love your town Hugh, but sometimes it makes me want to take a flame thrower through the damn place...) Negating key advantages of the digital format, just for the sake of an even more intense analog feel, simply doesn’t make sense to me. Besides, if we were all so into analog, film cameras would still be in large numbers out there. And I am talking as a person with practically zero social media presence and opted out of better cameras and additional lenses so I could get a descent printer and print almost all of my photos! As I said, my opinion is highly subjective and I post it with extreme caution. I don't know... Maybe right now I have the same look on my face as the one my 16yr old neighbour has each time he observes my morning ritual: Smoking a cigarette while my 30yr old Moto Guzzi shakes and rumbles into life warming up while he simply turns on his scooter and off he goes... Too long of a post this one was, I know, but thanks for the time in reading it and thank you Hugh for taking the time for even answering directly to some of my previous ones. PS: Yeah, yeah, I'll see what I can do about that coffee through Paypal. Madonna santissima, cinque dollari?????

[@3BMEP]

77folgore what a BEAUTIFUL, wise and funny gift you’ve given us this morning! Molto grazie!

[@thomashilmersen711]

My vision isn't that good either. That is why I got the SL instead of the M10. The M10 looks better, though.

[@jonrowley1]

Amazing images and a thoroughly enjoyable review - subscribed.

[@3BMEP]

Welcome!

[@sixpgc]

Covered everything what my conscious was saying. Thank you for an amazing review.

[@3BMEP]

Jerome White happy you enjoyed it!

[@Phototrappeur]

11:55 "It's not you, it's me'' George Costanza

[@matthewfinnigan3862]

I think this is a really cool camera.

[@stephenwdunn6712]

What was the music playing over your images from New York?

[@erikoneill6904]

It's just goofy that the price point is the same. Like you have no LCD, rear buttons etc; so you are using less materials to make the camera. This would be a stellar idea if the camera price reflected that. In fact it would be an incredible idea; but at the IDENTICAL price point to the -P; just use the P and keep the LCD off. Also that Nocton is trash. So disappointed at how hit or miss the voigtlander stuff is considering how solid the Bessa line is :(

[@thebiblioholic]

Just discovered your channel (where were you hiding all this time? :-)). Loving it so far, and loved this video. Almost convinced me about the faux advance lever. Great review. I have the Leica M-P and have my eyes on an M6 TTL instead of the M10-D however.

[@3BMEP]

thebiblioholic Welcome to the community! Bud of mine just added an M6 to his M10 - he’s happy. 😊

[@drjsmetz]

Even this vid is a piece of art! Thanks so much😎

[@3BMEP]

🙏🏻😊🖖🏻

[@philipshucet9481]

So, after only recently buying a Q, is it insane to consider a M 10 D? Not that I’m opposed to insanity, but just curious of your view. Thanks!

[@3BMEP]

Philip Shucet Yes. However: if you sell the Q and get the M10-D with Visoflex, you might skate by. 😎

[@philipshucet9481]

Three Blind Men and An Elephant Productions I shall remain sane. At least for the moment. ....hold that thought...

[@ChangLiuPhotography]

As a film Leica M user, I have rather complex feelings regarding to the fake film advance lever. Leica design, to me, are always have this "less is more" kind of concept. this film advance lever to me, is against this concept, just like, you have put fake physical dials on a smartphone.

[@3BMEP]

I understand.

[@robertpearson1781]

I can’t necessarily afford this but based on your review I have no option. I’m ordering on...

[@3BMEP]

Enjoy!

[@DonFather]

If you all want to keep that good feeling from watching an awesome Hugh B. review, then I warn you DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS. LOL

[@yasha8951]

The battery is a big issue

[@pauljenkin297]

When I saw your teaser photos on Instagram, I said I thought the camera was a Leica. I used Leica for many years M6, M7, MP (film), M240, Q and the original M-Monochrom (no not all at once..!) with 28, 35. 50 and 90 lenses. All were second-hand purchases. I really enjoyed having and using Leica kit but, with less than great eyesight, I swapped to Fuji X-Pro2 for the autofocus and Acros simulation mode. I love the concept of the M10-D as anything that just lets the camera get out of the way and "forces" the photographer to engage with the subject can only be a good thing, IMO. I've often wished that Nikon would have built an F3 version of the M10-D (small, no screen, etc) but, with the current fad of switching from SLR to mirrorless, I think that boat has sailed. Anyway, please keep up the brilliant work.

[@3BMEP]

Paul Jenkin Good call, Paul! Did I respond by not responding? I recall two people getting close enough that this was my only available response (or perhaps something along the lines of “getting warmer.”). 👍🙂

[@PhotalkbyKJH]

Lovely m10D

[@MrK67017]

Liked, subscribed and hit the bell. Now, I'm fix'n to watch The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

[@philipshucet9481]

@hughbrownstone I joined the club. Low level, but I hope it helps. I’ve bugged you a great deal on my beginning journey into photography. Thanks for always responding. Your videos are great. If (when) I buy an M 10, I’ll tell my wife it was your fault. 😎

[@3BMEP]

Philip Shucet Hah! Thanks for the kind words - and support. Welcome!

[@thomashilmersen711]

This was a particularly thoughtful and interesting video, I thought.

[@3BMEP]

Thank you for the encouragement!

[@lylestavast7652]

had to laugh inside at your "eyes aren't what they used to be"... indeed... in my 60's now - critical viewing accuracy erodes. A friend refers to auto-focus as 'old man eyes-agra'... (apologies to anyone offended)... I appreciate autofocus, A LOT - in fact, I couldn't shoot anymore totally manually focusing - it would have to be a scale focusing style of living - which isn't bad either if you do it enough for it to be second nature... Good vid and thoughts. Less, is more - once again.

[@3BMEP]

😉🙏👌

[@samiams]

Your pictures were beautiful!

[@3BMEP]

🙏🏻

[@Thomas_Geist]

It would take a little engineering and thus probably a higher price, but in keeping with the style, they could have the rewind lever actually reset the shuttler curtain which as a mechanical effort does drain the battery. This could give the cameral about 50% more shoots AND give those who can afford it the extra joy of having to rewind. As a result of camera evolution I’m sure there is a whole generation that would have to develop the synaptic connections in the brain to handle this, but with some practice, good technique I’m sure they could handle it. Again, it would fit with the concept of the camera and add life to the battery eaten up by having to WiFi the images to a smart phone. Leica would probably charge the consumer...oh...around $1000 and those that would buy this camera anyway would gladly pay it.

[@3BMEP]

Thomas Geist I kinda like this idea!

[@justlou717]

This is a brilliant idea.

[@camillebrenes]

As you know Hugh, I love ya. In this case though, being an RD1 owner and Leica MD owner, I think Leica has ruined the spirit of the MD design. The faux shutter recocking lever, addition of evf port and wifi, only carries the concept closer to high tech. This is not the spirit of the MD which is to take away more, not add. All they should have done to improve the MD, is increase the native ISO range, added Jpeg, and used a sensor that didn't give horizontal banding. The icing would have been to remove the automatic advance motor and have added a functional shutter recocking lever. I'm terribly disappointed in this announcement. It's too much like the M10 now. Only the Typ 262 remains as the most pure camera they have left, and that is a major advance over the MD. The fake recocking lever is an insult to photographers. They can call it a thumb rest all they want, it's an insult.

[@3BMEP]

Fair enough, Carl - there’s room here for more than one point of view! Appreciate the spirit in which you’ve shared yours - thanks for contributing to the conversation!

[@camillebrenes]

Always bud, and thanks for always doing such great content.

[@robojimtv]

Sheesh there's so many people upset about the fake lever.

[@borisfwZ]

Let's forget about Leica lenses, sensor and internal processing which makes a lot of this M a like pictures. Let's forget about rangefinder experience, which is a truly a point of view and reason. But. I experienced just a few times, but I did. The moment when people wants to see their pictures to ensure, that you did not shot them acting ridiculously. I think, this will be a problem with the new 10. Even if you pull out a mobile and try to prove, that you did not shoot them anyway. Whoever want this camera, go for it. I can't, and maybe I don't have to understand people who need a technically limited camera to limit themself to some photographically behavior. And please; what hadn't been possible in past of analog photography, isn't crucial in a modern world. Like my little experienced example shows up.

[@mauriziomauricone]

Buy here:

[@prasand]

@ Fotos in general ... **sighs** I really wish they'd allow charging the battery while the camera is on. Or if that's a power management design incapability then don't charge the battery, just allow the camera to be used while plugged into an outlet or power source (unless the power is routed through the battery first, and their design limit makes it impossible to do, which would require a hardware redesign). -- For now, I have enough batteries in my bag, that I can chew through one while sitting in Starbucks and using Fotos on an iPad, and not care, lol. Just wish I didn't have to. #firstworldproblems lol.

[@3BMEP]

Prasand J. Yes, it is an important point: a first world problem. :) Thanks for making it!

[@RonScibilia]

Hugh, you really are a silver-tongued (and silver-haired) devil. No one can make a better case for this camera than you...*though*, as you would say, I'm still not paying that ticket for photographic holiness. My angels sing just fine at one-quarter of the price. (You are the Alan Watts of photography--and that is definitely meant as a compliment. Keep up the great work.)

[@3BMEP]

Ron Scibilia Most of us can’t or won’t either, but that’s OK! Thanks for the generous comparison, whoa!🙏🏻

[@RonScibilia]

Confession: I wouldn't mind owning a Q. :) @@3BMEP

[@JoeLopez]

Well done with this video, thank you

[@3BMEP]

Truly my pleasure!

[@m1k869]

I thought it would actually cock the shutter. And it would have amazing runtime, but with wifi, thats not gonna happen.

[@gavingynert2455]

Why do I need to play with those old blind dudes? Don't wanna do this 😔

[@taylorhickman84]

*Sometime-less costs more* FTFY

[@robertzimmerman9833]

Sorry, but in some of the N.Y. pics, the subjects themselves were not truly in focus. ButI did like the bokeh. Thanks

[@3BMEP]

Robert Zimmerman No need to apologize. I kept them in to reinforce a few points 1) My eyes really aren’t what they were; 2) I really CANT focus as well as any AF camera; and 3) but sometimes it doesn’t matter. Thanks for the eagle eyes!