Leica M10 Monochrom - first impressions of a dream camera

[@dhaug]

Great job presenting this Monochrom. It looks very appealing!

[@berndvandecruys]

Thanks 🙏🏻. It looks even better in person 🤩

[@donjagoe]

Beautiful images. I particularly love the cow!

[@berndvandecruys]

Well spotted 💯. The outline of the backlit cow is also one of my favourites. Great example how great lighting can enhance a simple scene 🪄

[@drunacres]

An excellent video. I feel the same about my M10 Monochrom. A fabulous camera and really stealth as well. It shines at night where the shadow recovery is remarkable.

[@berndvandecruys]

Still learning a lot about the camera. But the shadow recovery of raw files is indeed quite something so far

[@danieldanahey9446]

All great shots Bernd !11 Looking foreword to seeing more….

[@berndvandecruys]

Thanks! Monochrome future is bright 😎

[@andreasd.8928]

Excellent images - I was surprised that I felt the monochrome was the best possible treatment of the beautiful landscapes (see for example 4:23 and the spectacular framing with the cloud). I think color would only have detracted from the image. Surely that means you're doing B&W right!

[@berndvandecruys]

The way the cloud wrapped around that mountain was a surreal sight for someone from Flat Flanders 😉. Completely agree with you, B/W was the best approach for this image, simplify the scene and let the natural event take center stage. Never thought I would enjoy B/W as much as I do now.

[@stephenvictor8961]

Good job! I like the images and your style of presenting your video. My only camera is an M 10 Monochrome. I love it. Take good care.

[@berndvandecruys]

Thanks a lot 🙏🏻. All-in on the M10-M, you clearly found your niche in photography 💯. What is your favourite lens on it?

[@stephenvictor8961]

@@berndvandecruys My favorite is the Summilux 50mm f1.4 ASPH, it has generally lived on my camera. I have the Elmarit 28mm, and Elmarit 90mm I like too. Recently I bought a Voightlander Helliar 40 F2.8 Aspherical. and right now it lives on my camera - just for it’s small size as I like carrying my camera in my Man Bag nearly daily. Thanks again for you KZbin videos. Now I know of your work, I’ll watch more. Take good care.

[@berndvandecruys]

@@stephenvictor8961 heard a lot of good things about the 28 elmarit. Big fan of the 50 Lux as well. It was my first Leica lens and still love it. Hope you like the other videos as well and stay tuned for more ✌🏻

[@stephenvictor8961]

@@berndvandecruys yes, the 28 and 90 elmarits are really good lenses… take good care

[@sc1]

Very professional photos. The 28 Summilux examples came out well.

[@berndvandecruys]

Appreciate it. Still have to explore the 28 Lux some more on this body. But the combination with this monochrome sensor feels like 🪄

[@danny_r27]

I’ve had mine for a year and haven’t used it enough (mostly due to being busy with work) but I know it’s a camera I’ll own for a very very long time. Mine was practically new and with service paperwork from Leica Tokyo (Rangefinder calibration and sensor cleaning) so it was cool to have some service paperwork along with it. I think you’ll enjoy it a lot. I hope to add a 35mm summicron for its small size and being that it’s a Monochrom I won’t need to worry about shooting in high iso settings since the noise is so low and when it is obvious it looks very good in the image. The M10M paired with my regular M10 is a setup I could only have dreamed of 4 years ago. So thankful that I can own both of them. Hope you enjoy yours!

[@berndvandecruys]

Great find to get it in such a good condition. 2 M10's is indeed a very nice set-up. I'm still debating which colour camera complements the M10M best, a film or digital one. Hope you can find more time with your cameras, and a bit less work :-).

[@filterfreephotography]

Nice video and nice shots. I especially liked the one of your wife and son in the cave. Spectacular! I have the OG… M9M. Love it and will never give it up until it died and can no longer be fixed.

[@berndvandecruys]

Thanks. The cave shots were an ideal opportunity for monochrome shots and a high ISO test. Love those shots as well. The M9M, very nice indeed. Definitely keep that one until its final photograph. What’s your go to lens with it?

[@filterfreephotography]

@@berndvandecruys Right now a 50mm Summarit (2.4 version) but I also have a 35mm Summicron I sometimes use. I seem to be in a bit of a 50mm phase as all my cameras are currently rocking a 50mm lens.

[@jonathanbush1936]

Nicely presented and you have some beautiful images. You have also reminded me to try shooting my Fuji GFX with the Acros film simulation enabled so that I’m looking through the viewfinder in (simulated!) black and white. I think it’s a good approach to remove color “distractions” and helps you to focus on light and composition within the frame.

[@berndvandecruys]

The monochrome film simulations on the GFX are a great way of doing black and white, especially when seeing the world through the EVF. Awesome to read the video inspires you to try that mode out more often 🙌🏻💯

[@berndvandecruys]

Thanks and great suggestion. Summarit lenses get much more use cases with these high ISO sensor capabilities. Gonna look into it ✌🏻

[@robertWT]

Great videos, beautiful images! Have you had a chance to compare the latest Summicrons with the Summarits? It would be a very interesting subject for a future video!

[@photofreaksk]

Hi Bernd. You have the other Leica M .Could you make video with comparison of both making BW? Is there really a difference that makes purchase the monochrome reasonable?

[@berndvandecruys]

That video will definitely come. Any specific things you would like to see in such a comparison?

[@photofreaksk]

@@berndvandecruys I would like to see the difference and know answer the queston : is it worth to buy and shoot monochrome? ...

[@berndvandecruys]

@@photofreaksk noted ✌🏻

[@lvervoortify]

Hi Bernd, nice video and good shots. If ever you have the time it would be cool to go on a shoot together, your M10M and my M10R + CaptureOne. See how far we can get in post to maximize BW photographs. I shoot in BW on my screen but work from the DNG file in color.

[@berndvandecruys]

That's a great idea and I'll make time to go on such a shoot 😇. Let's discuss the specifics of such a comparison exercise. Really curious about the results.

[@lvervoortify]

@@berndvandecruys just give me a call, I’m on my way back from Venice

[@jonatascd_]

I've been lately giving some chances to digital and the way I could see it fitting would be as a monochrome camera. how does the dynamic range benefit you so far?

[@berndvandecruys]

As long as you protect the highlights, dynamic range is amazing. The level of detail you can pull out of the shadows is very good (to be fair a lot of modern colour cameras as well). The best part of it for me is, no longer having to think about ISO basically and the perceived resolution, clarity and sharpness. But more on that soon ✌🏻

[@jasongold6751]

wonderful images! Done by You, not camera and lens! Digital is easier than film, but little better! Sure one can expose at 100,000 ISO. And? I used a friends M9 after it's long stay in Wetzlar.. Zeiss 35mm and a look at the images ! Is that all? Underwhelmed..I won't do film color, cause of the cost!

[@berndvandecruys]

Thanks for the kind words. I like film for the experience and the results, but price elasticity is real. So hope I can keep affording it :-).

[@domenicolabianca239]

color film camera???

[@berndvandecruys]

Probably a crazy idea, but worth exploring 🫣. What's your take on it?

[@overnightparking]

It’s just a shame that with the rangefinder viewer you see what you are shooting in colour. At least that is my reaction. A case perhaps for the visoflex? A very desirable camera, enjoy!

[@berndvandecruys]

I am trying to practice visualising the world or at least some scenes in black and white. Focus on shadows, bright and dark tones, contrast, emotion. Easier said than done, but getting there 😇. I also prefer the optical viewfinder compared to yet another screen/EVF. Hopefully I will be able to test a Visoflex at some point and see if my statement holds true 🫣

[@christeralmqvist1820]

Hej, you have got a good eye - no, a very good eye - for light and b&w composition. Did your new Leica M Monochrome made your pictures any better? I doubt it. I have shoot with film Leicas (iiif and iiig, and M6 and M7, always two of each, one with Delta 100 and one with Tri-X) for more than 25 years. Nice cameras to hold, expensive when the focusing rangefinder needed recalibration. I now use a (single!) Sony A7RV set to B&W (and RAW) and would never go back to manual focus. With E-mount one has a wide choice of excellent and affordable lenses; some small and light (40mm 2.5) some (35mm 1.4) heavy and large, at least compared to Leica.

[@berndvandecruys]

Hej! Thanks for the compliment. B&W photography does feel quite natural and indeed a camera is just a tool in the end. The thing I like most about Leica M cameras is there size and image quality/characteristics of the lenses (especially the vintage ones). Sony is crazy advanced and excellent cameras overall 💯