Leica M11-P Rangefinder- Silver
Leica has maintained a tradition of refining its cameras for professionals and photojournalists through its "P" models. The Leica M11-P Rangefinder Camera carries on this legacy, featuring an iconic design that forgoes the red dot logo for a more discreet appearance. Alongside this distinctive change, it offers several enhancements:
- Unobtrusive design without a logo and a dark chrome viewfinder.
- Engraved Leica script on the top cover plate.
- Expanded internal storage capacity to 256GB.
- Sapphire cover glass for the rear touchscreen LCD.
Key Features of the Leica M11-P Rangefinder Camera
- Maestro III Processor
- 60 MP Full Frame BSI CMOS Sensor
- 4.5 fps Continuous Shooting
- ISO 64 to 50,000
- Bluetooth Compatibility
- Dynamic Range up to 15 Stops
Leica Content Credentials with Content Authenticity Initiative Technology
The Leica M11-P proudly holds the title of being the inaugural camera to integrate Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) technology. Spearheaded by Adobe in collaboration with esteemed organizations like The New York Times and Leica, the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) aims to establish a universal standard for attributing digital content. Within the M11-P, this innovation manifests as Leica Content Credentials. Leveraging a secure processing chip, the camera encrypts image metadata upon capture. This encrypted data can subsequently be independently verified and augmented using compatible applications like Adobe Photoshop. This allows viewers to authenticate the origin of the image and validate its integrity. The objective is to instill viewers with greater confidence in the images they encounter while offering creators an additional means to uphold credits.
Leica Triple Resolution Technology & 60MP Full Frame BSI CMOS Sensor
With a high-resolution layout akin to the M11, the M11-P boasts a 60MP full-frame CMOS sensor featuring a back-illuminated (BSI) design. This BSI configuration enhances noise performance and facilitates faster readout speeds. The heightened resolution caters to detail-focused endeavors such as landscape and architectural photography, while the noise reduction advantages of the BSI design enhance clarity and color accuracy, particularly in low-light scenarios with elevated ISO settings.
Moreover, the sensor's physical construction incorporates an updated ultra-thin dual-layer filter glass. This component effectively absorbs UV and IR wavelengths, resulting in enhanced clarity and more precise rendering when paired with M lenses.
Triple Resolution Technology
In addition to the 60MP resolution and BSI design, M cameras introduce Triple Resolution Technology, a groundbreaking feature. This innovative pixel binning process enables photographers to choose between 60MP, 36MP, or 18MP output, with each resolution utilizing the entire sensor area and delivering rich 14-bit color depth. Unlike traditional cropping methods, pixel binning enhances dynamic range and reduces noise in lower resolutions:
- 60MP: Provides the highest resolution with 14 stops of dynamic range.
- 36MP: Strikes the best balance between resolution and noise, offering 15 stops of dynamic range.
- 18MP: Delivers the lowest noise levels while maintaining 15 stops of dynamic range.
Imaging Improvements
The M11-P remains dedicated to manual operation and photography, yet it embraces numerous enhancements and functional updates, establishing itself as the most contemporary M camera to date:
Introduction of an electronic shutter function enabling shooting at speeds up to 1/16,000 sec, ideal for utilizing faster f/0.95 lenses without requiring ND filters. The mechanical shutter continues to support speeds up to 1/4000 sec, with flash sync at 1/180 sec.
Incorporation of two digital zoom steps at 1.3x (39MP) and 1.8x (18MP) levels, allowing simulation of longer focal lengths by slight cropping into the image. These adjustments are reversible when recording in DNG format or permanent when shooting directly to JPG.
Addition of multi-field exposure metering alongside spot and center-weighted average options, minimizing the need for metering and subsequent recomposition before capturing the shot.
Inclusion of Long Exposure Noise Reduction, which diminishes noise appearance during long exposures; however, users have the option to disable it for quicker saving times.
Maestro III Image Processing
Adding to the triple resolution technology, the Maestro III processor helps provide a higher sensitivity range than previous models. With an ISO range of 64-50000 the M11 is capable of capturing more detail, higher quality images with beautiful natural color rendering than previous M models. This improved processor also allows for up to 4.5 frames per second shooting and a fast file saving experience.
Additional Tech Features
While Leica M series cameras are still focused on providing a manual shooting experience and are photo only cameras, the M11 takes a modern approach to the M series. An electronic shutter provides shooting speeds of up to 1/16000 second which allows for use of a f/0.95 lens without the need for a neutral density filter. Simultaneously a mechanical shutter allows for shutter speeds up to 1/4000 second and a flash syn c at 1/180 second.
When shooting in DNG, photographers can access two digital zoom steps for use with longer focal length lenses which crop the image slightly in preview but that is reversible. These crop steps are 1.3x at 39MP or 1.8x at 18MP. When shooting in JPG, these crops are not reversible.
Exposure metering can be done in multi-field, spot or center weighted averages, and long exposure noise reduction helps to further suppress the appearance of noise and is optional for faster image saving.
Updated Body Design and Handling
Although the M11-P shares similarities with its predecessors, it showcases a range of noteworthy modifications in its body design:
Presented in a sleek black finish, the M11 sports an aluminum top plate fortified with a scratch-resistant coating. This version is approximately 20% lighter than its silver-chrome counterpart, featuring a brass top plate, with a weight of 1.2 lb including the battery.
Breaking tradition, the M11 line adopts a fixed baseplate design, akin to the Q and SL systems, accommodating the new BP-SCL7 battery inserted directly into the camera body's base.
The BP-SCL7 lithium-ion battery boasts a 64% increase in capacity compared to its predecessor, delivering an impressive CIPA-rated 700 shots per charge. When exclusively using the optical viewfinder, the camera can yield approximately 1700 shots per charge.
The design integrates a single UHS-II SD memory card slot within the battery compartment.
With an expanded built-in memory of 256GB, up from 64GB in the base M11, users have the option to forego external memory cards entirely or utilize the internal memory alongside an SD card, mimicking dual card slots for segregating file types or supplementary storage. Additionally, image files can be seamlessly transferred from the internal memory to the SD card for convenient backup.
A USB type-C port at the base facilitates in-camera battery charging and file transfer operations.
Data Transfer and Wireless Connection
The USB type-C port, when paired with the provided FOTOS Cable, enables direct connectivity to an Apple iPhone through the Leica FOTOS app, simplifying file management and sharing.
Additionally, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionalities permit wireless connection between the camera and an iOS device via the FOTOS app.
Within the app, users can utilize in-app geotagging, as well as conveniently select favorite images and apply ratings directly from their mobile device.
Warranty
