Leica M (Type 240) Digital Camera Review
By TJ Donegan March 25, 2014
A Leica M with live view and video? Besser spät als nie (better late than never)
There are few cameras in history more revered than those from the Leica M series. But since the M3 debuted in the 1950s, Leica's rangefinders have mostly remained the same, even as technology advanced and the photography world transitioned from film to digital. Leica's rangefinders have never been at the forefront of these changes, with the M series sticking with film all the way until 2006's M8 finally included a digital sensor—nearly 10 years after digital cameras first rose to prominence.
The M8 was replaced by the M9 in 2009, and the M9-P in 2011. But though technology continued to advance, the M9/M9-P seemed stuck in the past, eschewing modern features, such as live view and video recording, that had become commonplace. Leica has remedied these faults, however, with the debut of the Leica M (MSRP $6,950.00). Announced back in 2012, the M is the bold step forward technologically that Leica fans and broke daydreamers have long waited for.
Leica cameras are designed and manufactured in Germany, though the components are usually sourced globally.
Oddly enough, the Leica M brings modern features to the venerable M series just as the desire for retro camera designs has skyrocketed. The M is poised to take advantage of this movement, as there's a classic sensibility to using a camera that combines the analog charm of a rangefinder with the modern advances other top-shelf cameras enjoy. And even with all the new bells and whistles, the M is a camera that makes you stop and think about what you're doing. The idea of a digital rangefinder may be anachronistic, but it's also timeless, and the ostensibly staid design belies massive performance gains under the hood....
