UPDATE: Two Leica M11 videos have just been leaked, of photographers Ralph Gibson and Goncalo Fonseca both using the camera to capture images.
These videos look to be promotional material for official launch of the Leica M11, which is believed to take place on 07 January in Europe and 13 January across the US from the manufacturer's scheduled “What Makes a Legend” event.
Within these leaked promotional videos we are clearly shown a redesigned baseplate in the M11, similar to that of the Leica Q2, whereby you no longer need to remove the brass baseplate to expose the SD card and battery. In this new design the battery cover is also part of the baseplate, and once inserted covers the SD card compartment and sits flush with the rest of the camera body.
In the video featuring art photographer Ralph Gibson, we also get a glimpse of the new Leica Visoflex being used in situ with the M11, which looks to have been completely resigned and now features a more low-profile, boxy appearance than that of the previous generation Typ020 EVF.
The Leica M11 is actually referenced in Goncalo Fonseca’s account of using the camera and is said to have excellent low-light capabilities. Sample images are also provided from both photographers within the videos.
These two leaked videos still remain on Vimeo, but it could be only a matter of time before they are removed, so if you want to see the latest M11 before anyone else you'd better watch them while they are still available!
ORIGINAL STORY (10 December 2021): Since we first found out that Leica would be bringing out a new M series camera there have been several rumors regarding its specifications. Following a second image of the forthcoming Leica M11 digital rangefinder camera being leaked online, we've had a look into what features it could offer. As expected, it oozes Leica’s signature style with a minimalist design, black leather-look texture and an external dial to control shutter speed.
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We first got a peek of the new Leica M11 back in October but the photo didn’t give too much away. All you could tell from the initial image was that it was black, it had a dial on top for shutter speed, next to it was the shutter button and on the other side, it has a smaller dial which could be a mode dial.
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Leica M11 key features
The new and improved Leica M11 looks much like the Leica M10-R according to an image Nokishita leaked. As far as we can tell, there are just a few subtle aesthetic differences.
Internally, however is where we might start to see more of an upgrade. According to leaked specs on the Leica Rumors website, the M11 will boast a 50MP sensor that can be cropped in to shoot at 36MP or 15MP depending on how much more zoom you need (Leica typically offers digital crops to simulate longer focal lengths). It’s also likely the Leica M11 will use the new Leica BP-SCL7 Battery and charger and it’s expected to have Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Similar to the Leica Q2 setup, it won’t have a baseplate, which means it'll be faster to change batteries and SD cards. This was always a strange and sometimes annoying historical design feature inherited from Leica's M-series film cameras.
The M11 is also expected to be USB-C compatible, which will speed up charging times and take away the need for an external charger. While many users had hoped it would have IBIS (in-body stabilization) it looks like some people might be disappointed as including it would’ve meant a larger body – something Leica wasn’t willing to change.
One of the differences we've spotted between the Leica M10 and the Leica M11 is the addition of a small button next to the shutter/on and off switch. We're not entirely sure what this will be for but we could hazard a guess that it will be to change the resolution of the sensor (in other words, give you crop factor focal lengths) as seen on the Leica Q and Q2 cameras. There has been talk that it could be a video button, but we're not convinced Leica would add video to the M series when it'd be much more suited to the Q or S series cameras.
The Leica M11 could also benefit from Leica’s new Visoflex – an optional electronic viewfinder that sits on the camera's hotshoe. It's been six years since this technology received an upgrade so it’s well overdue and the best news is the new finder should be higher resolution and backward compatible.
We’re still not sure exactly when there will be an official announcement from Leica in regards to the release date and specifications of the Leica M11. According to a source at Leica Rumors, the release of the new camera will mean discontinuing the Leica M10, M10-P and M10-D. As we hurtle closer and closer to the end of the year, it’s unlikely that we will hear anything this side of 2022. Perhaps Leica has decided to launch the new camera in the new year and keep people waiting just a little while longer.
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