Leica M10-P Mirrorless Rangefinder Hands-On Camera Review by Thorsten von Overgaard

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/ thorstenovergaard
For my article about the HISTORY OF LEICA, see my extremely long article about more than 100 years of history here: www.overgaard.dk/leica_history...
Leica M10 Review ny Thorsten Overgaard: www.overgaard.dk/M10
For photography and Leica definitions, see my dictionary: www.overgaard.dk/leica_defini...
Thorsten von Overgaard is a Danish writer and photographer, specializing in portrait photography and documentary photography, known for writings about photography and as an educator. You are always welcome to send an e-mail to Thorsten for questions, suggestions and ideas.
Thorsten Overgaard is an independent writer and photographer who write, teach workshops and publish user reports about the equipment he uses. There is no affiliation with Leica Camera AG or any camera dealers, no free gifts, no sponsorship, no kickback and no paid content. All you see is real and based on the life of an eccentric and hard-working photographer who makes his own money, buys his own equipment and form his own independent opinions - and shares with you. Enjoy the ride.
Job no 1925-0619
#LeicaM10-P #Leica #ThorstenOvergaard

[@Lapatinib]

I have the all black one but this safari color is very cool indeed. Enjoyed greatly the pics at the end and glad for the minimal ad interruptions this time. Thank you

[@mgsmith1957]

Always look forward to your insights about Leica, Thorsten. You back up your opinions with some superb photographs. That's a hell of a camera collection and a Mont Blanc Hemingway too !!

[@qnetx]

I like that you mounted an older vintage lens on the Safari edition. Gives it a more rugged, in the field, sort of look. Nice touch with the matching green hood also.

[@goesch]

Just bought my very first digital M and it’s the silver M10P. I love it!

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Yes, that's the classic of them.

[@mosesnroses]

How do you get money back on such a large investment? I own Fuji-XT3 and interested in Leica.

[@goesch]

PS I switched from a Sony A7III with 4 lenses and already owned a Leica M6 with a 28mm 2.8 Asph and 50mm Summicron. I just had to invest 200 Euros extra :-)

[@mosesnroses]

@@goesch Congratulations for good deal!! I am yet to reach that level, selling XT3 wont be 50% of a Leica but I will sure try earn as much to afford a Leica or two.

[@anandhua.b4589]

@@mosesnroses me too man one day

[@carrieannkouri2151]

I love the quiet shutter. Thanks for sharing, Thorsten!

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Yes, it's addictive, isn't it?

[@FarEastSurvival]

I am loving my M8. The B&W photos it provides are amazing. I'm collecting some decent M glass but I dont see a reason to upgrade to the newer M bodies. Perhaps when the M8 dies..

[@Noealz]

nice review - plus the camera itself looks lovely

[@sharonleibel]

Thanks for the comment about the value retention between the M10 and M10P. I wondered about that, Since it's my first digital M. Thanks.

[@sharonleibel]

Thorsten, I’d really like to see a video on your take about the specialized M, namely MM1/MM246. Too many people out there try to compare output between the M246/MM1 and the M9/10 and forget that Leica is not only about the output. But as a long time user of many models and a better way of putting it in words, I would love to have a video on that from you. Thanks.

[@aadvanderwell8602]

Hi Thorsten, after some years of hasitation I finally have an M-10 P black! My first digiM leica. Had an M6 for a long time inc. wonderful glass : @Summilux 50mm, 35mm titanium, 75mm, all 3 with F-1,4 plus a 35mm F2,0 asph. + collapsible 50mm F2,8, (oops! Danger.... do'nt collaps it! It will damage the inside of the body!). So the M vibe is in me and is a special experience. First results were very good. In dark places the beast came out with a DREAM OF A BOKÉH!! My enthusiasm multiplied rapidly! I feel sort of in heaven. No words for it. He's small, unobstructive, silent, a tank and a crown upon a legend. Thanks so much for your brief presentation of some digital M's. Wish u lots of great shots.🎉⭐️🌪☄️♥️

[@tommacbride3654]

Alprazolam helps with when I get next to a green one. Well done show! Cheers!

[@barrycohen311]

Your photos were excellent. I kept pausing every few seconds so I could have a proper look at them. I am not sure how much is due to you using a vintage Summicron, but many of your pictures rendered like a 1940s / 1950s camera does. I love that look.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Thank you :-)

[@aadvanderwell8602]

Leica M. An iconic brand, made of only the best materials. A 'one of a kind' product. At last i decided for the last and best choice of model, the M10P black. Feels like my M6 that i traded in with mixed feelings. To be honest, when i am in a hurry I use my Nikon D800E cause this camera is fit for speed and accurassy that the Leica cannot give me enough. But not in a hurry. I LOVE to work with my new Leica and enjoy every minute of it! I know that feeling already for more than 50 years. The great Leica photographer H.C.B. Henry Cartier Bresson was and is my best inspiration for wanting a Leica. Thank you Thorsten for your thorrow and inspirational video!

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Thank you :-)

[@dolphabernethy9723]

I’ve been following you for several years, Thorsten, and enjoy your books, courses, and videos. I hold you personally responsible for my purchase of a Leica M10-P (black) and a 35mm f/2 Summicron lens last week! I had previously bought and subsequently fell in love with a Leica Q. I suspect I’ll also fall in love with the M10-P once I get the hang of rangefinder focusing. You’re absolutely right - there’s something about a Leica that sets it apart from other cameras. Thanks!

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

I take the blame. Thanks for the kind words.

[@ramonbradley9792]

InstaBlaster.

[@dagmarescalona3098]

Thorsten, you do a great job, I really like your videos and tutorials about leica, about your life with leica, although I don't have any leica camera, I've seen them all and I've learned a lot with you, I don't have the leica camera, no because I don't want to, that is my dream, but because when I have managed to raise some money to buy it used, I realize that the lens is more expensive than the camera and there ends the dream of having one, or it does not end, if not that he stays there, just in a dream, thanks for what you do, leica is philosophy of life

[@MeMyselfAndBob]

I just LOVE the Leica M10-P Black-Chrome edition. The Safari looks awesome too!

[@DirkDelfortrie]

I always enjoy your content & videos 👌

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Thank you!

[@sameer0581]

This is way off topic, but I like your glasses. Who makes them?

[@NetvoTV]

You are a great story teller and nice that you like pop color too! That yellow strap!

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Thank you. I make the straps myself, www.alwayswearacamera.com

[@TechOutAdam]

The Safari Edition with the yellow strap is my dream camera. Ahh one day soon!

[@terryjones6049]

Please explain the point of waiting for video to be shown

[@shakteem]

Great video, very informative. 👍

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

:-)

[@victoriankambe3070]

Oh boy. You have a lot of Leicas, like I have a lot of Fujis but I keep watching you so I might get one perhaps a Q3.

[@FreakHBB]

Loveley to see your passion to Leica also i catch a lot of knowlege about Leica M best regards Thorsten :)

[@thatmidlifevlogger4463]

Dear Thorsten , love the video’s a lot! Can you share anew 35mm and 50 mom vintage lenses that are really good fit for M9/M10 that doent’s cost us a leg , arm or kidney, but do provide a real Leica experience/look?

[@johannes.f.r.]

Yes, the M10-p makes more sense than the last p-model. I doubt if the M12 will still have a mechanical shutter (except maybe for sensor protection) or a rangefinder.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Yes, the Leica SL, TL and so on doesn't have sensor protection or shutter. So I think youa re right. There is also the detail that as other brands move away from shutters, it becomes increasingly difficult for Leica to make a camera with a shutter. The M10 shutter is a modified version of the one in the top Nikon models. If Leica continues with shutter curtains, they will have to design their own and have them manufactured. I'm sure they will try to use as many off-the-shelf parts as possible in any camera. That's what Apple and others do today, rather than inventing all yourself and having to start a production yourself. It's just not how it is done anymore. In the same breath I would also expect Leica to work towards a uniform screen and model as screens are made for smartphones mainly today, and any camera producer who want screens for their cameras will have to buy a lot and/or based them on smartphone screen technologies.

[@lucaslucas9505]

Can you , is it possible to focus the Leica lenses without rangefinder?

[@tony___z2410]

Great video! Very informative. Love your watch btw may I ask what brand is that? Thanks:)

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Skov Larsen in Copenhagen :-)

[@derkoekje]

I know I'm very late to this vid but what is this LV strap you're using at the 2:10 mark? Is it just a repurposed shoulder strap or did you upcycle it yourself?

[@erichstocker4173]

Did you detect a big difference in image quality in the shift from CCD to CMOS. I know from an engineering standpoint the CCD ought to have some advantages over the CMOS.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

CCD is the past, but lovely, and the reason the Leica M9 and Leica MM is so high valued. CMOS is what we got now, and it totally works for colors and all.

[@MIZRAIM1906]

Not a fan of the CMOS thing man.... I had an m10 and sold it immediately. Images look plastic and highlights are usually blown out. Get an M9P. I have the M9 monochrome and images are noticeably different. CCD is replaced in 2019. People regularly ask me if I shoot film when they see my images...

[@elangeldelamusica]

Whats with the shirt?

[@pandoraefretum]

I will, one day, one day...

[@robertoposa1120]

I can see quite a difference in the images between m 240 and m10 P due to the different sensor and less battery life, no?

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

I tend to think there is not a big difference. Even the M9 from 2009 does great photos. But the newer sensors tend to capture mode shadow details, and the wider dynamic range will also help. Apart from that, they are different sensors with different 'color theme'.

[@nophotoallowed]

what lens is the front angle on your video?

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

50/1.4 with a piece of lace on the back lens

[@ronaldbubnich7429]

@ Thorsten Would you buy the M10D? What do you think of the premium price for the removal of modern conveniences?

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

I agree whole-heartedly with the philosophy that simpler is harder to make and must cost more. So yes, premium price for less is to be expected when in the top line of things. The other possibility is low end where less cost less (like in cars where extra festures cost more to add in basic models). I wanted the M10-D, then decided I didn't need it, then changed my mind again that I needed it.

[@ronaldbubnich7429]

Albeit you’ve a point in regards to the luxury aspect of simplicity, I’ve felt it’s always been the case for the cameras that they’ve created. It would have been a smarter move to actually make the camera a more accessible price and create a huge influx of newer users whom could then fall in love with the method involved with using this system. (Plus the glass is where all the cost goes.)

[@ronitsingh85]

I love the M10-D and waiting on Leica to release one in silver, I had asked last year about getting one with just silver rear center dial and they said no and they may in the future release it in silver. The green lens shade is a real eye catcher, aslo the vintage 50mm is really beautiful

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Ask them directly if they can make you one. Some did when the MM came out in 2011, and they made two of them.

[@ronitsingh85]

I contacted Leica Germany directly when I asked. I figured that everything Leica does is kind of tailor made that this would be possible. Could you provide me with contact infor for me to reach them directly? I went off Leica website and selected Leica Germany and contacted them through that, I think it would have gone through their sales division.

[@lukemakayabu4369]

where can I get the yellow/black strap?

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

That is the Leica X Strap, made for the Leica X. They have one with 70% off or so at Leica Shop Vienna: www.leicashop.com/brandnew_en/leica-leather-carrying-strap-x-lemon-yellow-unpacked.html

[@vangstr]

Does the M10-P have image stabilization like the cheaper Sony, Nikon, Fuji ????

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

No image stabilization in the M series. The Leica SL has in the lenses and body.

[@eyeeyeoh]

I own an M10 and I don’t mind the shutter sound, it is even a bit quieter than a film Leica.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Yes, it is pretty all right. Even the M9 sound is quirky and cozy now. The M10-P almost soundless shutter is really nice.

[@anandhua.b4589]

4:21 that image is 👌

[@HN-sk2lr]

I agree , they should release the limited edition at less 2 years before the new camera comes out

[@thomashilmersen711]

I recently saw a photo of the top plate of the M10 and it struck me that it looks more chubby than the old M4. I looked it up, and it is true. The M10 is 5,5 mm thicker than the M4, but of course slimmer than the M240. The M9 is smaller and thinner than the M10, but still a few mm thicker than an M4.

[@ekonkante]

No one would survive a drinking game where you took a shot every time Thor says "This one".

[@roastbeef1967]

.....but what if the SD card fails?

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

That have happened .... never i recent years. The last 800,000 exposures, I haven't had a single SD card error. Back in 2006 - 2008 it was something that happened, but somewhere along the line SD cards became pretty stable. My rule is that I use one SD card for a camera, and I have a backup that I don't use. I keep using "the lucky card" till the plastic lock falls off, or if the card shows any sign of behaving weird, I retire it and take the backup card into use and that becomes my new card for that camera (and have a new backup card ready for one day). I never try to fix SD-cards. I generally find that the main error is that the plastic lock braks off, and that's the end of it.

[@jahfus]

First time hearing about this camera and I know for sure it’s top of the line. It says made in Germany 🇩🇪 that alone let me know this is not no regular camera. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@ucevrim]

When is the m11 coming?

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

2 years plus/minus ...

[@nickmoys22]

Safari M10 looks fabulous

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Yes, it's a special one. Somehow it's more beautiful to look at than to use ;-) You see someone with it, and you are filled with envy. You get one, and you forget how cool it looks from the other side :-)

[@jamestulk4169]

Thanks for the videos Thorsren! I started my film-era photography with a ancient M3 and several lenses of that period: a collapsible 50 mm Summicron and a goggle equipped 35 mm Summaron. Later, I acquired an M4 with 35 and 90mm Summicrons (Canadian built). Now my question: while I might just be able to afford an M10 body, I am frightened off by the cost of a full kit of body + new 35,50 and 90 mm lenses. So, what sort of results could I expect from a new body and old lenses? I know that everything would "work", and that the slightly soft "vintage " look could be attractive for some subjects, but would the old lenses (no ashperical elements, primative coatings etc.) really compromise the potential of the new body?

[@aadvanderwell8602]

James Tulk Do'nt worry James. Unless you need metadata of your gear the images made by the 'analog' lenses are fantastic! Even the non aspheric types. They can be fixed with codes via the Leica factory for 300 euro's a piece. Present, (new) lenses might be better than the older ones but will cost a fortune to trade in for new.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Super question. Vintage lenses are cool, and for example the 50mm Summicron-M f/2.0 that you can still buy, that is the same design as when it came out 30-35-40 years ago! So it's not even real 'vintage' yet. You have to go with the previous models, like my "Rigid" model from the 1960's to call it a real vintage. Factually. the new lenses have coatings on the lens surfaces, which kills internal reflections. This is something you notice when you take an older lens out in sunshine. Once you get a lot of light into the lens structure (from the front or the side), the colors milks out and it looks as if you had sandpapered the front lens. Black and white does the same, but you can edit the contrast in the computer later so it looks "classic, yet high contrast". Colors you can save to some degree, but it's a dismaying experience to take photos that looks like that. Once you have the light behind you, or are working in overcast, or around sunset with bright colors and not much light directly into the lens, those lenses are amazing pieces of work! With the next generation , they are coated, and that takes so much reflections away that it almost kills the fun: By which I mean it takes away flare and other interesting effects also. (see my article on lens flare here: overgaard.dk/the-story-behind-that-picture-0204_gb.html ). There are also more and more aspherical elements used, which is that you press the optical elements so you can get different shapes to correct details. This is mainly seen in more straight lines, but also overall better clarity of details. (See definition and examples of ASPH in my dictionary here: www.overgaard.dk/leica_definitions.html ) The very new designs are "for perfection", which is what is happening in lens design right now. Leica M lenses, but mainly Leica L lenses, and if you look to other brands, it's Sony G series lenses. This is taking lenses to a whole new plateau of perfection. Firstly, the resolving power is doubled or more, which is how many lines of information the lens can resolve. New lenses are optimized for 200MP sensors and above. If you compare to printers, we were happy once with matrix printers, and then came laser printers with 300 dpi. Letters were not as pretty, but it seemed nice back then. Today we have 1200-2400 dpi resolution on most laser printers, and it looks pretty cool. So lens design was made for film, and it looked all right. Then came digital sensors that see more details, and the lenses could sort of still handle that. But with bigger and bigger resolution of sensors, the lenses has to be optimized, and that is happening now. A lot of the Leica lenses, like the 35/1/4 FLE, all the 28mm lenses, the 75mm Noctilux and so on are optimized with higher resolving power, without that we actually noticed (because we didn't have 50 or 100 MP sensors to put them on. This is not something you will see in a photo, but it is something you can measure, and once you get a new lens with higher resolving power, you will scratch your head and wonder about it. But I used the 75/1.4 on the Panasonic S1R (47MP) and also for 187 MP "High Resolution Mode" recently, and that lens, being 40 years old, does perfectly well still. The newer lenses, apart from higher resolution power, are precision designed, precision grinded glass surfaces, precision assembled. Just like electronics has become smaller and you work with tiny tolerances, lens design and production has become much more precise. Finally, some lens designers add APO to the design, which is extreme fine-tuning of how the light is directed through the lens. It was used for long tele lenses for many years now, but not this technology is also used for example in the 50mm APO Summicron f/2.0 from Leica, and for the Leica L range in wide angle lenses and a whole set of lenses in that L-mount. The short answer is that any older Leica lens will do great on a modern camera. The last 40-50 years of lens design does mean something, but compared to for example cars, the jump in quality and technology of 40-50 years of lens design is like 5-10 years in car design.

[@jamestulk4169]

@@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard Thanks very much for the links! The closest that I have come to a "test" is to mount my Version II 35 mm and 1950's vintage "collapsible" Summicrons on a Fuji XPro 2 (with Fuji adaptor) and compare it to a "native" Fujinon 35 mm f/1.4 and 56 mm f/1.2 lenses. The old 50 mm stands up pretty well (at least in no-flare conditions) while the 35 mm clearly not as crisp as the more modern lenses. However, neither Leica lens has made it into daily use, mainly because of the inconvenient shooting procedure - open aperture, adjust focus, reduce aperture, shoot. Of course I could always zone focus, which this doesn't work for people pictures in low light (large aperture) situations where I'm trying to work quickly, while focusing precisely on one of the subjects eyes. And perhaps auto focus has made me lazy ( :-( ) Another thing that keeps me coming back to the Fuji is the ability to move the area of focus around in the field of view with the little joystick. When I look back at my old film-era (Leica) pictures, ( jimzwordsandpictures.ca/Film_Era/index.htm ) I notice that I had a strong tendency to put the main object of interest right in the middle of the frame - likely because this is where the focus rectangle lives. Of course I had the option of following the 'focus and recompose' routine, but when I was trying to capture a dynamic subject, there was a strong tendency to place the focus rectangle over an eye (or whatever) and wait for the 'decisive moment'. With the Fuji, I can frame the shot, move the focus area to the appropriate spot and then concentrate of the moment. Best of both worlds! Again, thanks for your thoughtful comments. Jim

[@techtop9312]

Just upgraded to an M10P ASC body from the m240, not sure if it’s worth the upgrade though😂

[@35mmview18]

I still have my black MP - 240 and will still be using it until I re-grow a new kidney to sell for upgrading!

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Go vegetarian, then the new kidney grow faster and better ;-) And take vitamins.

[@chriswiser9647]

@@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard lol

[@CharleyWang]

subscribed to your channel, great! Always share your experience in time, I am also trying to keep up with your rhythm, my channel theme is to follow the painter to travel.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Love your channel. In understand more from it than one would expect :-)

[@stefanol9272]

I havce a leica monochrome type 246 I loveee it and will use it , until it or I die lol

[@GKhanKutar]

the only thing I really don't like about that system is optional EVF is not good as SL or any closer to that..

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

The Sl viewfinder is quite big, the optical part, so that is why it doesn't look like - and also why it is not built into the camera. The Leica CL viewfinder points towards a high resolution smaller viewfinder that might find its way into a future Leica M

[@GKhanKutar]

@@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard Leica M11 -P Safari Edition with a nice EVF is my dream camera. As a GFX100 owner, I can buy that M camera for daily use!

[@davejenx]

my dream camera is the safari , I think I spent too much time in the military

[@jeszyandrew419]

Am your new subscriber..

[@MannyScoot]

When you are holding the camera, I can't barely see it (must be the camo green)...... Ha

[@anandhua.b4589]

wait.... he was holding a camera

[@sharonleibel]

Wifi, ok. Touch screen ok, My Red line: If an M will have a tilting screen-that’s one step too far ;-)

[@williaminbody205]

Ask for a safari SL before the SL2 comes out.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Not going to happen :-)

[@Junior-mw1zn]

finally got mine with summilux50

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Congratulations :-)

[@msamiullah001]

6:21 so true !!!

[@mahdiali6732]

What is this Leica good for? Only street photography??

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

No, landscape, portrait, reportage, news ...

[@mahdiali6732]

Magic Of Light I’d love to own one but it’s too expensive

[@Kdkjdjewerdnxa]

13 days lmao. I hate this premiere feature.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

Don't hate on it. Just lining them up. I will not have a release every Sunday, but we are lining them up for premieres on Sunday, and there will be one both this Sunday, and next Sunday. Stay tuned :-)

[@Kdkjdjewerdnxa]

Magic Of Light I know but it just appears in the subscription feed and looks almost like a new video was released. Especially on mobile. I clicked expecting a new video because I didn’t notice the little text that said preview

[@TheNotsmith]

Kameranya Sultan

[@epicon6]

In 14 daaaaaaaaaaaaaays!

[@TheVFXbyArt]

the m11....safari...god help me!

[@mikeyestrada1674]

1:26 very metallic ???? Wtf does that mean Hahahaha

[@topopops]

I’d like the click to sound like screeching seagull to spice up my photography

[@juhaheljakka6642]

Danish English > Dinglish!

[@WarrenRoddy]

Stupid money! Not even a dual card slot. I get the allure but just not for me.

[@MagicOfLight_ThorstenOvergaard]

No, if you want dual card slot you will have to buy two cameras ;-) The Leica SL has two card slots, the Leica TL models have internal memory *and* a card slot.

[@giulianoferrari2278]

You pay so much for it that you convince yourself at all costs that it is the best