After having owned his Leica M10 camera for over seven years, John felt like it was about time he penned a review for our latest installation of The Radavist’s Obscura series…

If my film experience has been shaped by my Mamiya 7ii medium format camera, my Leica M10 has shaped my digital experience. There’s a LOT to process in this review as I’ve spent over a month compiling photos and writing it, so I’ll jump right in.

Leica M10 Quick Hits

• Made in Germany
• 24 MP full-frame CMOS sensor
• Max resolution 5952 x 3992
• Dimensions: 139 x 39 x 80 mm (5.47 x 1.54 x 3.15″)
• Body weight 23.28 oz
• Same size as the film M4 body
• 3″ screen
• Rangefinder focusing mechanism
• M-mount
• Manual focus only
• Max shutter speed: 1/4000 sec
• Leica Visoflex optional EVF
• ISO 100 to 50,000
• Five fps
• Field of view 30% larger than predecessor
• The magnification factor has been increased by 0.73

Rangefinder Systems

The M system from Leica is a rangefinder line, meaning you look through a rangefinder device for focusing, not through the lens like a DSLR or through an EVF, or electronic viewfinder, as in a mirrorless system. Rangefinders are the fastest-focusing mechanisms, ever.

Rangefinders, when wielded by an experienced operator, beat autofocus systems every time and allow for a “complete scene” framing since their scope is wider than the lens’s focal length. Rangefinders are found primarily in cameras with manual focusing. They also teach you the correct way to hold a camera: with your hand supporting the lens from the bottom. If you hold the lens from the top, your hand blocks the rangefinder window.

One unfortunate byproduct of a rangefinder is parallax distortion, which most systems have corrected or adjusted for, but since you’re not looking through the lens, rather the window on the upper right of the camera body, sometimes foreground objects can block the lens. Shooting through a chainlink fence or foilage, for example, might now result in the image you were hoping for.

Notes On Brand

Leica is perhaps the most polarizing brand in photography. On the one hand, they make some of the world’s most exceptional optics and bodies, but on the other, the stereotypes of a Leica customer are hard to shake. Even Ken Rockwell, one of my favorite camera reviewers, has his own “Leica Man” trope when discussing Leica products.

“To the Leica man, only the best shall suffice. Second best is an oxymoron to the Leica Man. It is not in his vocabulary. Second place is worse than losing, because it might be noticed…” 

I’ll push back on Ken’s Leica Man cynicism and say the reason people shoot Leica is to step back from the autofocus world and re-align with the modus operandi that got us all into photography: shooting film. The Leica is the closest camera to achieve the look and feel of film photography because the end product feels like emulsion in its lens quality and sensor colors.

There is no denying the allure of Leica M systems, and with each new model, previous versions have become more affordable. Over the years, no camera has elicited curious queries from photographer friends than the M10. People ask all the time, “Is it worth it?” and yes, it is, especially now that you can get them for around $3500 – if you’re patient – on sites like Keh or eBay. You could even spring for the older model, the M240 and only sacrifice size, weight, mega pixels, and low light sensitivity.

But before I go into what makes the M10 such an alluring option from Leica, I have quite the story to tell…

The Leica M10 when I got it in 2017

Landing a Big Fish

There was an ad in the Los Angeles Craigslist for a “Hardly Used Leica M10 Body” for thousands less than retail. At that point, the M10 had been around for a few months, so used bodies were popping up on eBay, Keh, and Camera West’s used drops. Hesitantly, I reached out to the seller, not knowing what to expect.

The seller replied to my email with a location to meet up: the Calabasas Starbucks. “Bring cash,” they noted.

I drove from my apartment across Los Angeles on a Friday afternoon, nervous. Palms sweating in anticipation for the transaction, I arrived at the visual and quality dichotomy of a “fancy” cookie-cutter Starbucks in Calabasas. While I waited for the increasingly tardy seller, I began to curse myself and my foolish optimism. An M10 for $2400? You’ve gotta be fucking kidding yourself, dude.

Geländewagen, France, 2023

I choked down my last sip of burnt coffee, grabbed my bags, and began walking back to my car when I got a text: “Pulling up now. Black G-Wagon.”

Sure enough, the rumble of an AMG G-Wagon entered the parking lot and out stepped a hip guy in his 30s with that swagger you’d expect if you closed your eyes and imagined a typical Angeleno with Hollywood or music business aspirations. He was wearing Yeezys that I’d only seen online, those tapered sweatpants, and was dripping with designer labels.

He hands me a receipt from the Beverly Hills Leica store, dated exactly a month prior, with the customer’s name redacted. He quickly asked, “Got the money?” I’m sure he saw me as a workwear hipster from the East Side, getting into a tattered and torn Toyota. Guilty as charged.

Cari, Death Valley, 2022, Baja Sur, 2021

“Is the camera yours? Why are you selling it? Mind if I try it out with one of my lenses?” I fired off as I attached a 35 mm Summicron to the body and focused the camera on the seller’s face. “Yo! Don’t take my picture!” he exclaimed. “Relax, dude, there’s no card in the camera,” I retorted. He responded, “I’m selling it for my boss. He’s a big-time music producer and fashion designer. He bought one but didn’t know it wasn’t autofocus. He told me to get rid of it, so here I am.”

He showed me proof of his employment from this character, and we moved on.

Now, I don’t need to tell you who the seller told me his boss was because the internet is a weird place, and if that guy survived this long working for this particular musician, I don’t want to get him in hot water.

Sandstone, 2018

“Do you want it, man? I gotta go,” he demanded, his hand outstretched. I handed over the envelope, filled with a mixture of bills from a mattress savings account after successful bike swap-meet sales the month prior. He counted, snarkily commenting on the number of singles and fives present. I asked, “Are we good?” In response, he got back into his G-Wagon and sped off.

From that day forward, I don’t think I’ve ever had a more “LA” thing happen to me. But I still have that very camera.

Photos like this felt “flat” to me when I first got the M10, and they still do… 

The Beginning of a (Initially) Painful but (Eventually) Wonderful Relationship

A few days after buying the M10, I was regretting my decision. Not because the camera wasn’t phenomenal but because it was taking a long time to get the hang of it. The M10 shoots like slide film in that it shoots “hot” and the histogram often produced from images will have the whites clipped and the blacks cooked; very contrasty. My favorite emulsion, Kodak E200, in particular, had an issue with highlight sensitivities when shooting in high-noon sun, unless you used an ND filter or stopped the lens down considerably.

MOjaVE, 2017

In those early days, I found shooting the M10 with a wide-open 35 mm Summicron lens to deliver so-so results because I, like many of you, like to shoot photos on bike rides, and at the time, most of my bike rides took place during the times of day where it’s arguably the worst light for shooting. I went back through my archives to dig up some of these failed exposures but couldn’t find anything worth sharing; I deleted almost all of these failures.

Iceland, 2017

Not finding my stride, I contemplated selling the body and my two lenses: 35 mm and 50 mm Summicrons. Then, on one trip, my mind shifted, and I began to understand what makes images shot on a Leica so enticing. Cari and I spent her 40th birthday in Iceland, and the photos from that trip – although when I look back at them now, I cringe – made me feel more confident in my abilities as a photographer because of one thing: there was simply less light. Everywhere.

Iceland, 2017

Going from sunny SoCal to the Land of the Midnight Sun, I learned something important about the M10 sensor: it thrives in low, soft light. Long exposures, slow shutter speeds, ISO 50. When properly exposed, the M10’s RAW files exhibit seemingly endless shadows, and in super-low light, the camera makes magic. I still have to be mindful of intense light, but stopping the lens down or using an ND filter often solves those high-noon shooting scenarios.

The M10 was designed to build upon the ease of handling the size of the M-class bodies with an uncanny ability to capture beautiful scenes in very low-light scenarios.

Shutter

Unlike the big thwump heard in DSLR and other medium format systems like Hasselblad, the M10 shutter is far from silent but still allows for ridiculously low shutter speed shots, all handheld.

While it’s tempting to take advantage of Leica’s buttery-smooth ISO 1000 setting, I found shooting the 50 Summicron wide open at ISO 50 and speeds as slow as 1/30th of a second with steady hands or resting on a surface to produce more favorable results. The bokeh, when the light is right, is unmatched, almost appearing like liquid glass in the background, creating a buttery glow so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Leica Visoflex

When I was shooting with various R-mount lenses and the first version of the ƒ1 Noctilux, I shot with the Leica Visoflex a lot. This device plugs into the M10’s hot shoe and allows you to use the rangefinder camera like a mirrorless camera, looking through the lens. I found the Visoflex to work just fine when it came to composing images but it was nearly impossible to use while shooting action and caused the camera to have a considerable lag with shutter speed (since it opens the leaf shutter while in use.)

What I enjoyed about the Visoflex was its use as a waist-level finder, much like the Hasselblad 500cm. This allowed for composing images at a lower perspective than eye level. At the end of the day, I felt like it took away from the shooting experience and was only really helpful when composing architectural photos, where the goal is to compose images without parallax distortion.

Overall, the Visoflex is handy but completely unnecessary for this rangefinder camera.

Leica M10 50 mm ƒ1.4 left, Canon R5 50 mm ƒ1.2 right

Cutting the Mystique

Unfortunately, pixel peepers and photo correction chart zealots are often correct in the assumption that a Leica sensor and lens are arguably no better than a similar combination from Sony, Canon, Nikon, or Fuji. So, I offered a side-by-side comparison between my Canon R5 and 50 ƒ1.2 lens and the Leica M10 and 50 ƒ1.4 lens. The same settings were used with both.

Leica M10 50 mm ƒ 1.4 left, Canon R5 50 mm f 1.2 right, iPhone photo

Size Matters – Even With File Sizes

As you can see, the Canon images are sharper, with perhaps more fine detail, but the Leica images are more glowy and soft. Bear in mind, this is from a relatively new 2023 Canon R5 MKi body ($3,899 retail) versus a 2017 Leica M10 body (intro price $6,495, $3500 used or $4000 now for ‘like new/open box’), so there have been improvements made on Leica’s behalf. There’s even a new R5 MKii body now, too.

What’s different is the M10 is roughly the same size as the M6 or the size of a Fuji X-Pro. It’s tiny comparatively, especially when you place the two 1.4 aperture lenses side-by-side. The comparison is comedic. Even in your hand, the two systems feel completely polarizing. The M10 body (23.28 oz) plus a 50 mm Summilux (10.58 oz) weighs 33.86 oz total. Meanwhile, the Canon R5 (26.03 oz) plus the 50 mm f1.2 RF lens (20.8 oz) comes in at 46.83 oz. This weight is only accentuated by the Canon’s comparitively bulky size.

Self, Elgin, 2023

The magic of the M bayonet lies in its size. The body plus any M lens will always be smaller, less assuming, and less socially protruding. It’s easy to take truly candid portraits of people because they feel at ease with a small camera versus a bigger body and lens. Staring down a 50 1.2 is intimidating on a mirrorless or DSLR body. Yet, a rangefinder lens offers a cuter, almost friendly disposition.

Agave and Sagebrush, 2018, 2021

When it comes to the M10’s file size, they are completely manageable. I have rarely needed anything larger than 6000 pixels and 300 dpi to print a photo. 24 megapixels is plenty for a modern digital camera, as long as you crop with your eye and not in post-production. There is no “zooming in” with a prime lens, so if you want to get a better look at something, get closer if you can, or use a different focal length.

Iceland, 2017

A majority of mega-megapixel cameras are the result of an increased demand for (lazy) post-production cropping. Be active in shooting habits. We’re cyclists! We’re used to working for our rewards. Don’t zoom in and crop; find a way to be more engaged with your subject. Unless, of course, it’s a rattlesnake or a bear. Keep a safe distance, then!

Use Case and Analog Experience

Psychologically, my Leica M10 is my “non-work camera,” even though professionally, I’ve sold more photos I’ve shot with it than any other system I’ve used since owning it. Still, when it comes to travel, nothing beats its bang-for-buck compact size and incredible colors. Anytime Cari and I take a holiday, my M10 comes along, and even though I bring my other lenses, I almost exclusively shoot with just the 50 mm Summicron.

Canyon Lift-off, 2021

My M10 doesn’t have the physical and emotional burden that my Canon R5 kit has. It’s over half the weight and size, more enjoyable to shoot with as the images feel analog in their process. My R5 is my work camera, and it’s arguably the best work camera I’ve ever owned, but it is not a camera I look to for “soul shooting.”

With the M10, everything you need to make a photograph is on a dial. The lens has the aperture ring, and the ISO dial is on the top, as is the shutter speed. What else do you need? The only time I open a menu is to format my card. I haven’t touched a single other menu item for as long as I remember.

Hollyhocks, Ride and Recycle, Hairlor Taylor, 2022

Even shooting with a flash is easy. Step the lens down to F11, ISO 50, and done. Fire away. I have an old SF 24D that I use.

Nothing about the M10 experience imitates what photo computers like Sony cameras deliver in terms of a user experience. The M10 might be smoke and mirrors or a rich guy’s toy to some photographers, but for me, it’s as close to shooting film as shooting digital can get.

Picking the Right Kit

I rented lenses before deciding on what lenses I would ultimately be interested in acquiring, and it’s taken me eight years to buy them. After a lot of experimentation, I determined that a 21 mm lens for wide, yet not distorted architectural photography made sense when paired with a 50 mm lens for travel photography and portraiture, and a 135 mm telephoto prime for landscape photos created the ideal kit for me.

Other lenses I’ve bought and then sold were the first gen ƒ1 50 mm Noctilux, 18 mm ƒ/3.8 ASPH Super-Elmar-M ultra-wide, the 28-35-50 Tri-Elmar “zoom” lens, 35 mm Summicron, 90 mm Macro-Elmar, and a 90 mm Summicron, along with various R lenses. I found my 21 mm, 50 mm, and 135 mm lenses were more than enough to achieve everything I’d want in all scenarios.

Once you’ve picked the right lens kit, it’s time to be patient and wait for the best pricing possible.

Battling Pricing

Never. I repeat N E V E R buy new Leica glass. You’re burning money. Never buy a new, slower aperture lens when you can buy a faster aperture lens “used” by a Leica Man. Each of my lenses, like the body I use them on, have an acquisition story and while I didn’t buy any of my glass from a famous musician, they were all purchased well below the average used sale price. Many looked brand new. “Did they even use this lens?“ I’d ask myself.

My secret? Buying from Leica forums, sniping eBay auctions, and lurking Facebook groups. Give yourself a budget and stick to it. One brief anecdote is I paid $1800 for my Leica 50 ASPH (*aspheric) Summilux because it had a scratched front element. The scratch was pretty bad, but I took it to the Leica store for repair. To my surprise, the lens was still under warranty, and the front element was replaced for next to nothing. I walked away with a $5000 lens for around $2000. So, deals are out there. You’ve just got to have patience.

Morning Sun, 2018

Eventually, a lens with more barrel wear than most would want will surface. Or learn to snipe eBay auctions. Set up a saved search for what you’re looking for. These lenses are all metal, so the patina just adds to the character. I hunted for almost a year for the Summilux and sold my Summicron for more than I paid for it, too.

The beauty of the M bayonet is you can use ANY M-mount lens on this camera, dating back to the 1950s. The difference is a 1953 Summicron won’t be 6-bit coded to communicate with the digital M body, it won’t be aspheric, and the glass won’t have a coating, which gives these modern lenses their color contrast. In general, the tech from a 1950s lens won’t be the same as a modern lens, but as a lot of photographers have found, that’s a good thing that just adds character to one’s photos.

*Aspheric lenses allow for corrected aberrations using fewer lens elements than conventional spherical optics because they allow for more aberration correction than multiple surfaces of the non-aspheric lenses. In short, less is more, and better.

With the right kit, the M10 can become an exceptional tool to document all sorts of material.

Country and City, 2017

On Shooting Various Subjects

I bought the M10 to take on bike rides with me, as it’d fit in a small handlebar or hip bag, but it quickly got relegated to being my “travel” or “lifestyle” camera. While I still shoot cycling subjects with it, perhaps my favorite images are from road trips and international travel with Cari. Here are some common subjects encountered while shooting, along with example photos.

Architecture

The M10 is an ally in shooting architectural spaces. The 21 mm focal length for wide spaces, paired with the 50 mm focal length for details can get it done in most cases. Stop it down and use a tripod for razor-sharp lines, or fire handheld for quick framing.

Portaits

Because of the size of the camera body, I’ve gotten my best portraits from the M10. People aren’t intimidated by the camera in the least, rather there is an inquisitiveness to the camera that shows in the portraits. “How is it so small, so retro looking, and digital?”

Cycling

All cameras are action cameras, even manual focus cameras, if you know how to focus trap. Focusing on an imaginary datum allows you to capture a subject as it passes through that point. Panning with the lens stopped down, and the focus range set to mid-range also helps. In general, the only thing stopping you from manually focusing action photos is practice.

I shot our ride up to White Mountain on the M10 and took it along on our Three Ranges, Three Days road ride a while back, too!

Plants

The tones, lines, and texture of plants make for beautiful subjects. Paired with a 50 mm lens, stopped down or shot wide open, the M10 allows for ease of movement and studying while focusing on composition. I’m amazed at the Summicron’s ability to “swirl” bokeh in the tight light on the right plant.

Landscapes

It has been said that the best camera is one you’ll always have with you, and in that regard, a small-bodied camera like an M10 paired with the right optics can produce some stunning landscapes. Be it 135 mm or 21 mm, it’s all about the framing, light, and post-processing.

Travel

I like to cosplay as a travel photographer when Cari and I take a holiday, capturing vignettes from our downtime as we visit foreign lands. Due to the M10’s size, I’ll often just walk around all day with it and a 50 mm lens attached, shooting all sorts of interestingness. Some of my most cherished moments are while on these photo walks.

Just Shoot

Look, photography is inherently egocentric, and I don’t find that to be an alarming note. It is, in its purest essence, the art of throwing a frame around a scene and capturing the moment as one experiences it. In those regards, I don’t think of myself as a good or great photographer; I think of myself as someone who enjoys what they do, and in that, I’ve found fulfillment in my own creative endeavors.

Bondi, 2024

People looking for the acknowledgment of their peers or field will never find the act of photography fulfilling, and people who buy a camera because of brand iconography are simply gearheads. All modern cameras are great. It’s all about how they feel in your hand and if they motivate you to be the photographer you want to be.

Mojave, Max, 2023, 2019

This year, HIPA awarded a 65-year-old photographer $200,000 for a photo he shot with a Canon 5D MKiii camera that’s over ten years old at this point. Your gear does not matter. It’s about capturing a moment in a specific place in time and throwing a frame over it. Post-production helps, but no amount of retouching or AI can elevate a bad photo to even mediocre ranking.

Speciments, 2017

It’s more important to shoot, shoot, shoot, and learn to edit or cull your work and develop a style or approach than it is to fall into gear acquisition syndrome. Sure, having a nice piece of glass can create nice images, but the soul of a photograph isn’t something you can buy.

A photograph’s soul is captured by patience and practice.

Pros

• Small
• Compact
• Light-ish
• Fully-metal; brass body
• All M-mount lenses mount to it
• Vivid files
• Manual focus (autofocus chimpers be damned!)
• Black or silver body
• Leica glass holds value
• Used models are less than half the price of the original retail

Cons

• Leica Man stigma
• God forbid you show up wearing all black with the camera; your friends will never let you hear the end of it..
• Leica glass is pricey
• Manual focus (shut up, you love friction shifting!)
• Expensive

There’s no point in linking to Leica here. They don’t care. Support your local camera shop and shoot, shoot, shoot!