Leica M9 vs M240 vs M10 Review: Which One For 2024?

The Film Rotary Processor that I use: www.axle.photography/
Cameras Featured: Leica M9, M240, M10
Video Camera: Canon EOS R
Video Lens: Canon 35mm F1.4L v1
Microphone: Stam Audio SA-47 mk2
Preamp: SSL Big Six
Main Comp: Audioscape LA-2A
#leica #m9 #m240 #m10 #leicam11
0:00 A great time for digital Leicas
1:20 Leica M9
4:54 Leica M240
6:51 Leica M10
7:57 Which one to buy?
The lenses featured in this video were the 28mm Summicron, 28mm Summilux, 50mm Noctilux, 50mm Summilux and the 18mm Super Elmar.
In this Leica M240 vs Leica M9 vs Leica M10 camera review, we'll be comparing the M typ 240, the M9, and the M10. Which one is the best camera for you in 2023? Would these cameras fit your photography, or would you be better suited for the Leica m11?
If you love photography too, join me here on KZbin.
Since 2020, I've made the switch fully to film, and I mainly use the Leica m6 and the MP, along with the 35mm Pre ASPH Summilux, Ilford HP5, pushed 2 stops (HP5++) developed on Ilfotec HC.
I use colour film as well, a few being Kodak portra 160, 400, 800, Color plus, Ultramax and Gold, Fujifilm PRO160NS and PRO400H.
Thanks for watching!

[@ckrug32]

Love your no BS approach. All info, detailed and concise. Looking forward to more content like this!

[@dkii21]

Great comparison video. Definitely using it to inform my next purchase. Thanks!!

[@MarcJohn400]

Great video, fast, accurate, no 35 minute chitchat video, just plain facts. Keep it up!

[@jeremy-t]

Thank you :)

[@andreeszeto4839]

Very well positioned & succinct video depicting the differences. Thanks !

[@jeremy-t]

Thank you! :)

[@1-visible]

Great video! I work with an M6, M8 and a M-P 240, both amazing! I did not hear in the video the amazing battery life of the M240. I can work several days without charging and of course a lot of characters. I am also in Singapore. Happy to meet. ;-)

[@enzumonk776]

Thank you. Great review, very informative.

[@jeremy-t]

Glad it was helpful!

[@russell2165]

you've beautifully laid out the pros and cons for each of them. very helpful... AND not helpful at all! i'm even more confused now. 🤪 the other superficial thing i like about the m9 is the way it looks with brassing. very beautiful. the way i see it, the m9 cannot easily be my only camera, but the m10 probably can. thanks again jeremy.

[@jeremy-t]

Haha! I’m glad it was (not) helpful 😂 yes that’s true.. practically speaking the M10 would do the most!

[@ankerwiedemann]

Great distinction between the three, and I am still happy about choosing the M10 myself

[@mvonwalter6927]

Really concise. I found the M240’s LED projected frame lines nicer too. If the M240 buffer still holds you back you can get the M-P version. It’s twice as big.

[@jeremy-t]

Ahh yeah, those projected frame lines are awesome!

[@mrprivette]

Great video, that breakdown was very helpful. What are your thoughts on the M240 vs Q2?

[@crispin8888]

From experience of the M240 and M10, those two are both good and both render well.

[@jeremy-t]

Ditto!

[@jeremy-t]

Technicality Disclaimer - the camera showcased in M10 section was the M10 monochrom - a variant of the M10. It has the same form as the m10 (eg, an iso dial), with minor aesthetic differences (no red dot).

[@GuamPhotography]

Thank you for this video, I have had the M9-P and M 240, but never the M10, alot say the M10 has similar colors to the M9-P Kodak CCD sensor, if I go back to Leica M cameras, I may start with the M10 :)

[@mwales2112]

I have only shot with my pair of M240s and really enjoy using them as my only camera's. That battery life is to die for and paired with small glass the kits are what I'm after...

[@jeremy-t]

I really enjoyed my time with the M240 too!

[@stephthemolerat]

Super interesting!

[@jeremy-t]

:)

[@glentay]

Thank you for the wonderful tips

[@jeremy-t]

You are so welcome!

[@Gj_frames]

I choosed between the m240 and the m10, I’m very happy that I got the M10, for the size, design and low light performance. I live in sweden and it has been pitch black for like 3-4 month now 😅 But It would’ve been fun with an M9 as well, but I’ll rather put that money on glass for my m10 :P

[@jeremy-t]

Oh wow! Yes in low light the M10 is really nice.. :)

[@chenmunn]

Love the balanced views! Seems the m240 is the Goldilocks of the 3. Thing is, i wonder how long more cam it last before technology kills it? (fellow Singaporean here - great pics!)

[@jeremy-t]

Thank you!! 🇸🇬 Depending on how much use the previous owner put through it, but compared to other cameras (like Canons or Sonys where people burst a lot more, use them for jobs) most Leica users treat their gear quite well, so my guess is.. At least a decade? :)

[@qvarfoto]

Great stuff. Informative, interesting, well produced and on topic. Instant subscriber here. Also would love to see some film photography videos if you had that in the pipeline. :) Cheers

[@jeremy-t]

Thank you.. Your kind words mean a lot! Yes film photography is where my heart is 😌 more videos are coming soon.

[@stephthemolerat]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻

[@damiengrief]

I have an M240 that I absolutely love. It's my go to street camera. My only negative on it is the back display sucks for photo review. I tend not to review much until I get home because you can't tell if your photos are in focus or look great from it. But beyond that, it's super capable. I found it does better than expected in low light, but low light with a warm light source seems to mess up its colors in the final result. I'm curious, which lenses were you using for these test shots? My go to are 35 and 50mm Summarit-M (f/2.4). And did you edit RAW files or use the cameras' built in color profiles for jpgs?

[@jeremy-t]

Ahhh yes, the M10 has a much sharper LCD.. The main lens was the 28mm ASPH Summicron, they were RAW and edited in post!

[@smith507]

Agree with you, the M240 has terrible Auto White Balance as soon as some warm lights enter the scene; tungsten WB looks pretty bad for some reason. Other than that specific case it's an amazing camera.

[@LCM94120]

Hello, thanks for this comparison :). I have owned the SL and now have the SL2-S. Even though they are great cameras they are overkill to me because: I only have manual lenses and prefer them ; I don't do video. Negative factor is that the SL line is very heavy! So considering now the M10 line (or M240-P for price). What would you suggest coming from an SL2 camera?

[@jeremy-t]

Awesome! The closest thing to the SL2 would be the M10.. The M240 and M9 would be a different flavour.. But it might a nice change too!

[@twinspowertv1078]

MP-240 here! thanks for showing the m240 some love! it usually gets alot of hate haha. Question though cuz i always wonder if im missing out on something, if an M9P and MP-240 were both the same price/mint, which would you choose?

[@jeremy-t]

Aww man that’s a hard one!! Hmm. I think.. It’s got to be the M9P.. Not for the pictures, just for the charm

[@twinspowertv1078]

@@jeremy-t haha nice! I already have the MP-240 lol. I keep going back and forth with upgrading to the M10. I really like punchy filmic colors over everything. I feel like the mp-240 is the happy medium between the M9 and M10. And I’d have to fork over an extra $1500

[@jeremy-t]

@@twinspowertv1078 Yes I know the feeling.. I went from m240 to m10, back to m240 again as well!

[@omarhamdoun213]

thank you for the video. i am considering getting an m9 or m240, are the photos that you posted straight out of the m9/m240 or are they edited?

[@jeremy-t]

They are edited!

[@wilfredshum3703]

My ownership of M is in this order - M6, M10-P, M 240, M10-D, and M9. Just bought another M9😊 so you know how much I like the M9. Yes, I only check for exposure but not for sharpness on its LCD. Beware of using the proper SD cards for the M9.

[@jeremy-t]

Wow 2 M9s? Nice! Yes, those card limits..

[@iKIMshuffle]

I don’t even know how I stumble upon this video. 😂this is not my pay grade.

[@jeremy-t]

haha! Well right now they're cheaper than flagship some Canons and Sonys..

[@iKIMshuffle]

@@jeremy-t I just can’t afford the M side of Leica. I can’t even buy another lens for my SL2-s after the Leica 24-70. 😂so I’ll continue believing in the L mount alliance. I’m glad I started with LUMIX.

[@iKIMshuffle]

@@jeremy-t I’m happy with my ecosystem right now. Haha never was once a fan of any of those. I’m a LUMIX shooter and Leica is just the right transition. Plus, I can’t even control my SL2-s yet. Haha I need to learn how to shoot this.

[@joaoconceicao6856]

​@@iKIMshuffle same with 99% here

[@ConstantinA1]

Excellent video, for me the best Leica is Typ 262.

[@jeremy-t]

Thank you! Yes that’s an amazing one as well!

[@elmerotti789]

@@jeremy-tI agree!

[@IDaumI]

While I like the design of the ISO knob on the M10 paying tribute to older Leicas. I find it annoying to use. I prefer how it is done on the M240 where you hold the ISO button and scroll through the selection with the wheel. I think this is also how it works on the M11. I also find that the M240 has warmer tones compared to the M10.

[@jeremy-t]

Interesting, probably down to the way we use it, in general, I set iso in broad strokes based on the light I'm in, then fine tune exposure via shutter speed / aperture, but if you adjust ISO to dial in exposure, I can see how the dial is more annoying! Ah yes, I agree the M10 is generally cooler.

[@yccmo]

Great video! What about the 262? How does it compare?

[@jeremy-t]

I believe the 262 has the identical sensor to the M240, but double check that!

[@yccmo]

thanks! @@jeremy-t

[@oobledooble3342]

Did not expect to see the Virts in this video!! Small world.

[@jeremy-t]

Haha!

[@Hektormydog]

As with your previous video reviews you covered everything very well. I bought an M9 when it first came out and used it for 10 years, trading it for my ideal camera, an original monochrom (M9M as they are called). Yes, it is maybe the most film-like digital camera ever made, and the shutter/film advance has a nice sonic sound that for me also is endearing (it was interesting someone else appreciates this ;-). 18MP isn’t ‘modern’ sized but only a limitation if you are doing very large prints or cropping. It’s an over-all fun camera in use - an endless roll of Kodachrome (or my case now B&W) in the camera, and works exceptionally well with rangefinder lenses [thank to a special glass sensor filter that adjusts the light across the field]. I was just looking at my monochrom’s rear LCD the other day and your observations there are also right-on; smaller in size so not as much in the way, and used only for the menu, or just to check framing and/or general exposure. The only ‘problem’ with the M9 is that very slow buffer. I’m not a burst type photographer myself, and usually only take a few photographs at a time, but if taking more that 7-8 photographs quickly it can become frustrating. Sometime wish I still had the M9, but for the advantages the M9 monochrom is still a pretty amazing camera.

[@jeremy-t]

Thank you very much! I’ve never had the opportunity to use the M9M before.. How are you finding it? Are the highlights difficult to tame?

[@Hektormydog]

@@jeremy-t My 19-year old son showed an interest in still photography last year for the first time - he does video - and I gave him my monochrom along with a Carl Zeiss 5cm f/1.5 1937 - a nice combination for B&W. Thought it would be a good way to introduce him to Photography similar to my early experience with B&W film and he’s done some good work and enjoying it. ‘Borrowed’ the camera just yesterday and going to be using it over the next week. I really miss being able to use this camera regularly. With my collection of vintage Leica lenses, it just works so well. Exposure is one of those things that takes an adjustment but is learned quickly - a start of -⅓ in the pre-set, and expose for highlights so that they are not blown out (no recovery without the color blue channel). Any shadow details are easy to bring up (even what seems to be just black) from the RAW file in post-processing. At 18MP but monochrom sensor punches more in the 30MP range [of a color sensor], with great detail (the 50mm APO was introduced at the same time because of the camera/lens combination potential, but even older lenses benefit), you could say ‘true bokeh’ without the distraction of color, RAW files out of the camera can be a bit ‘flat’ and need some work to make them pop, like being in a real darkroom and choosing paper grades and burning/dodging, but all the information is there with correct exposure. Don’t know if there is the same ‘magic’ in this CCD sensor people talk about with the color M9’s CCD sensor, doesn’t matter to me, the original monochrom just works, and except for the slow buffer I have no issues using this camera for as long as it keeps functioning (and yes, the sensor was replaced by Leica).

[@Hektormydog]

Another ‘advantage’ of the M9M monochrome is that it captures in full 14-bit compared to the 246 12-bit (don’t know about the M10 monochrom). Doesn’t seem to make much difference in photo quality from what I’ve seen/heard, but it is there. And the histogram is also 14-bit, which although you can only view after the capture, being a CCD, it does provide a more complete look of everything in the exposure range. Another ‘issue’ I ran into today being out in 0°C temperature, the M9 is not good, and a full battery got a “low battery’ warning after a short time out of the bag. Looking on Leica’s web site at M10 specifications, it is rated at 0°-40°C, so I’ve heard it is better, but the numbers say just maybe.

[@jeremy-t]

@@Hektormydog I see, thanks for the information! I've always been curious about the M9M but never got one. Wow your son sure is fortunate to have access to such beautiful gear!! Haha!

[@oudjunk]

I have used M10 for a while but now I bought SL and really like it

[@jeremy-t]

Awesome! What do you like about it over the m10?

[@oudjunk]

@@jeremy-t the rendering and SL is easier to focus than M10 (IMO). I feel like the rendering of SL has something unique. Actually I had SL and sold it for m10 and sold m10 for SL again. I had M8 as well for a short time I don’t like it much but I wanna try M9 as well as the first fullframe sensor digital camera of Leica.

[@jeremy-t]

Ahh I see! When using the SL do to zoom to focus while shooting? Or do you just use the entirety of the EVF?

[@oudjunk]

@@jeremy-t normally I don’t zoom for it. Sometimes for some lens I need to ensure I could get the right focus I do.

[@paulsehstedt6275]

I swear on my M 240 and M-P 240, great tool for me as a press photographer.

[@jeremy-t]

Awesome!

[@edmond40]

I like M9 or My M3 otherwise Iphone 14 pro max is more than enough

[@christopherrodriguez7223]

m8/m10 combo for me 35 apo on the m8 50 apo on the m10 just a blast of a time.

[@jeremy-t]

Oh wow, two APOs! 🙉

[@christopherrodriguez7223]

@@jeremy-t yes, Voigtlander of course! The 🔴 versions are way out of my budget lol.

[@jeremy-t]

@@christopherrodriguez7223 Ah.. Yes those are great! When I first read your comment I thought you meant the two Leica APOs... That would have been a fancy car in the form of glass! 😂

[@tomislavstanich9379]

Thanx!

[@justlou717]

Have you not made any content about your ownership of the m-d? I’m very curious knowing you owned one but kept the m9?

[@jeremy-t]

Yes I haven't put anything out about that! I enjoyed it in that it gave the closest practical experience to film, yet it still missed the mark for me. One of the aspects about shooting film that I enjoy the most is the clarity of mind it brings, knowing that I"ll only make pictures that are "worth the shot". And so what no digital camera can do, is create the organic sense of scarcity which results in needing to make the shot count (I don't mean artificial scarcity we could impose on ourselves using small SD cards etc). So I bought the MD hoping to get a film with the practicality of digital, but alas, it was only a digital camera. And as a digital camera, the M9, M240 or M10 do great as well.

[@tashihishey34]

M240, love the heft of the camera and the brassing. It's a classic. Rest is up to the person behind the camera.

[@jeremy-t]

Yes!

[@davidecapri]

I wholeheartedly love my M240 and my M246. The only complaint I have on both is... they're too thick! To the point of getting a bit in the way of feeling the camera as an extension of my consciousness. I always wonder if that alone makes an upgrade for both my M240 and M246 worth it... Then I think that I should just ignore it and invest that difference in lenses. I don't really know what to do about it, but last month I briefly tried the M11 silver of a friend paired with his 35 cron asph... and man, handled like heaven compared to my m240 with a 35 1.4 nokton. Weight was about the same for both setups since the cron is 40ish grams more than the nokton, so it's that terrible thickness that tires out my hands, not the weight. As a side note, another complaint I must add to the M246 alone, is BANDING. I don't mind noise, but I deeply dislike banding (which I don't know how to eliminate). It's visually evident, let's say, from 6400 iso. For the rest the M246 it's an unbelievably beautiful camera, to look at, to use, and very, very heritage results full of midtones and nuances. You can't get that with any color camera, doesn't matter how hard you try. Somehow banding on the M240 doesn't bother me since I don't use the camera for extreme iso situations.

[@jeremy-t]

I agree!! The m10 and m11 feel much better in the hands.. Oh wow, I didn’t shoot the m246 for long but I wasn’t aware of the banding. Interesting!

[@davidecapri]

@@jeremy-t I mean, banding is an issue only if you shoot even backgrounds above 6400 iso, whichever unfortunately I often do! If your shot is full of stuff going on usually it’s unnoticeable even at 12500. But that bulk is giving me an itch worth around 3.5k of price difference

[@user-xm9nx5ug1p]

I’m thinking to get the M240 this year....where should I go buy it ? I heard Japan is always good

[@jeremy-t]

Nice! Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong… 🙌🏻

[@wojt4spes]

So, which one you choose the most? :>

[@jeremy-t]

On a beautiful day, probably the m9, on a gloomy day… Probably the m10m.. 😌

[@hermanzhang6494]

the M9's sensor is prone to breaking(corrosion).

[@jeremy-t]

Yes indeed!

[@codiecrieg2480]

actually i want good lens. I have good body. I want clinical sharp 35 :/ 2000$ max

[@jeremy-t]

Voigtländer 35mm F2 ii Ultron

[@CreativeLeadershipwithDaniel]

I wish you would not have recommended the M11 as a camera for those who do not care about money. It's just not quite that simple. The M11 has many issues, and the experience is not great; the image quality is amazing, but the UX is a mess :) I would say if money is not an issue then get a M10-R Black Paint.

[@jeremy-t]

Unfortunate misunderstanding, what I meant was - if have the spending power, the m11 is a great option. Not “if you don’t care about money”. But yes, the m11 is a beast of a camera, that said, in Singapore it goes for approx 3x M240s, 2.5x M9s and almost 2x M10s :)

[@MarttiSuomivuori]

You talk a lot but you also say a lot. A very nice sum up.

[@jeremy-t]

Thank you (:

[@christophsiegl201]

The M240 might be fat, but (at least for me) it feels much better/stable in the hand than the M10 and followers.

[@jeremy-t]

Wow.. Interesting!

[@yucai905]

😂😂😂

[@tomislavstanich9379]

That is why I have M8, M9 and MP 240, only.

[@jeremy-t]

Nice!