Will the long-anticipated Leica M11-V with built-in EVF arrive in 2025? Probably, but it’s taking longer than expected and rumors are still flying!

Will the long-anticipated Leica M11-V with built-in EVF arrive in 2025?
Probably, but it’s taking longer than expected and rumors are still flying!

By Jason Schneider

Beginning in February 2025 and continuing into March, Leica Rumors, Red Dot Forum and other unofficial Leica-centric sites began publishing enticing stories, and even photos of putative prototypes, of a rumored new “Leica M11-V” with a built-in “EVF.” This is no conventional EVF like a shoe-mount Leica Visoflex 2, but an electronic or hybrid electronic version of the classic M-series multi-frame-line, opto-mechanical range/viewfinder that debited on the Leica M3 of 1954, but of course with three pairs of frame lines covering focal lengths from 28mm to 135mm. The “internal sources” that provided the info and Images referred to the camera as the “Leica M-V,” but it’s fairly certain that it will be called the Leica M11-V in line with previous iterations such as the M11-P, which provided the basis for the new model. Since the latest beta version of the Leica Fotos app already contains references to the Leica M11-V, most writers assumed the new model would arrive in a few weeks at most. However more than two months have elapsed since the initial reports and that hasn’t happened yet. Most writers are now expecting it to arrive later this year, in late summer or early fall.


Early mockup of "Leica M EVF" camera that resembles rumored Leica M11-V. Note built-in flash which may or may not be included.

Leica Rumors published some “leaked pictures” from a Leica survey that includes one with an EVF, and the M11-V will reportedly have a clean flat top plate and no ISO dial to make room for the EVF. There will be no Leica M12 this year; possibly that will have to wait until 2027. Does this mean that the two models will have different iterations of the built-in EVF? It’s entirely possible. Some writers have described the Leica M11-V’s EVF as “similar to the one in the Leica Q3 or SL3,” but the consensus is that it will have the same 60MP BSI CMOS sensor as the M11 and include features like USB-C, internal storage, and improved Live View. The new body may be slimmed down or reworked, possibly without the traditional ISO dial, and it’s expected to support closer focusing with new M lenses.

Here are some additional details on the rumored specs of Leica M11-V:

Possible Specifications (Not confirmed!):

Sensor: Full frame 60MP BSI CMOS sensor (same as M11)
Viewfinder: Built-in EVF (like Q3 or SL3 in terms of quality)
Optical Rangefinder: Likely no optical rangefinder
Connectivity: USB-C, internal storage (like the M11)
Live View: Improved Live View performance
Focusing: Closer focusing support with new M lenses
Body: Slimmed-down or reworked body without the ISO dial
Other: TheLeica M11-V is rumored to have a clean top plate and no ISO dial, potentially due to space needed for the EVF.


Sneak pictures of the rumored EVF showing focusing aids and finder frame lines. Image courtesy of Leica Rumors

Leica M11-V Q &A: Here’s what the experts told us:

• Q. Will the frame lines in the new Leica M11-V move in and out as you focus to correct for the narrowing of angular coverage at closer focusing distances?
• 
  
• A. No, the frame lines in the rumored Leica M11-V are not expected to move in and out as you focus to correct for the narrowing of angular coverage at closer focusing distances. This is a common feature in Electronic Viewfinders (EVFs) where the frame lines adjust digitally to accurately represent the actual capture area at different focus distances
• .
• However, the Leica M line, including the M11, utilizes a different system for parallax correction, which compensates for the slight displacement between the viewfinder and the lens, especially at close focus distances. This parallax correction mechanism, which may cause the frame lines to shift slightly within the viewfinder, is a separate function from the focus-based frame line changes that would occur in a traditional rangefinder or the digital adjustment possible with an EVF.
• The M11-V is anticipated to integrate a built-in EVF, and while the EVF offers the advantage of showing you exactly what the sensor sees, eliminating parallax issues inherent to rangefinders, it's not expected to replicate the physical frame line movement of the rangefinder system. Instead, the EVF display would provide a live preview of the image, including framing, focus, and depth of field, simplifying composition and eliminating the need for manual parallax compensation.

Q. Will the frame lines or the rangefinder patch in the new Leica M11-V be illuminated so they are more visible in very low light?


According to Leica Rumors, this image shows frame lines and digital (?) focusing patch likely to appear in Leica M11-V. Note ISO readout.

A. Given the rumors about the Leica M11-V featuring a built-in Electronic Viewfinder (EVF), the concept of illuminated frame lines or rangefinder patch within the traditional optical rangefinder becomes less relevant.

Here's why:

• EVF functionality: The primary function of an EVF is to display a real-time, digital representation of the scene as captured by the sensor. This display itself is inherently illuminated, so the issue of seeing the frame lines or the rangefinder patch in low light, which is pertinent to traditional rangefinders, is eliminated. You see the image projected directly into the EVF, making framing and focusing easy regardless of ambient light.
• No traditional rangefinder: The M11-V is rumored to have a built-in EVF and potentially lack the traditional optical rangefinder. Therefore, the separate issue of rangefinder patch visibility in low light, which can be challenging in traditional M cameras, is unlikely to be a concern with the M11-V's EVF.

Q. Will the frame lines or the rangefinder patch in the new Leica M11-V be illuminated so they are more visible in very low light?
A. Given the rumors about the Leica M11-V featuring a built-in Electronic Viewfinder (EVF), the concept of illuminated frame lines or rangefinder patch within the traditional optical rangefinder becomes less relevant.

Here's why:

• EVF functionality: The primary function of an EVF is to display a real-time, digital representation of the scene as captured by the sensor. This display itself is inherently illuminated, so the issue of seeing the frame lines or the rangefinder patch in low light, which is pertinent to traditional rangefinders, is eliminated. You see the image projected directly into the EVF, making framing and focusing easy regardless of ambient light.
• No traditional rangefinder: The M11-V is rumored to have a built-in EVF and potentially lack the traditional optical rangefinder. Therefore, the separate issue of rangefinder patch visibility in low light, which can be challenging in traditional M cameras, is unlikely to be a concern with the M11-V's EVF.

In short, the M11-V, with its rumored EVF, will offer a modern shooting experience where the viewfinder display is always illuminated and provides a clear preview of the scene in all lighting conditions. You won't need to worry about the visibility of frame lines or a rangefinder patch as you would with a traditional optical rangefinder.


Back view of prototype Leica M11-V shows flat top, upgraded LCD on back, simplified controls.

One long time Leica fan is hoping the V in M11-V stands for VALUE and predicts a substantially lower retail price thanks to production savings from the EVF viewfinder compared to the optical rangefinder viewfinder. Hope springs eternal, but as those irreverent Brits would say, “Not bloody likely, mate .” Will the value of Leica Ms with traditional optical-mechanical range/viewfinders skyrocket in what looks like the coming era of the "EVF Leica M?" Probably, and Leica could always offer special edition all-mechanical Leica M's at (you guessed it) extra cost!

 

[Freakscene]

Very much this! AF, plus Leica already has a M to L adapter that is six bit enabled. Best of both worlds.

As long as they produced a range of lenses that are not the size of a grapefruit, that would be awesome. Both the 50 Summilux-L and the 50mm Apo-Summicron-L are amazing, but they are huge. All the Leica L mount lenses are huge. On an M form factor camera that would be terrible.

 

[AusDLK]

rumors i've read suggest the "M EVF" will actually be a Q with an interchangeable M mount. this makes a lot of sense... but if this is the case, i hope Leica will create a whole new product line, not call it an "M" or a "Q". Maybe call it a "QM." I like the ring of that actually. I still will never buy such a thing but placing it in the "M" category makes no sense. some might call it a sacrilege....

 

[rfaspen]

I personally have no interest in an M with L mount. Not that it wouldn't be something someone out there would appreciate, but I'd worry it represented either a diversion of resources and attention, (and yet another dead end like the X or TL, etc) or represented a new direction for the M that I fully can't support. The SL series are successful enough....and I've thought about getting one. But L mount M? Yuk.

 

[ellisson]

Leica has pushed the M digital camera model to where further modifications give diminishing returns and would depart from the basic form factor and manual focusing on which their M lenses are based. A built in EVF or better yet, a hybrid optical VF/EVF would sell, but I don’t think it would greatly expand their market beyond Leica enthusiasts who can drop 10K on a camera.

 

[Godfrey]

I personally have no interest in an M with L mount. Not that it wouldn't be something someone out there would appreciate, but I'd worry it represented either a diversion of resources and attention, (and yet another dead end like the X or TL, etc) or represented a new direction for the M that I fully can't support. The SL series are successful enough....and I've thought about getting one. But L mount M? Yuk.

To me the distinction is not an "M with L mount" but an L mount camera styled to look and feel like the M ... I wouldn't call it an M at all, even if it were suppled with the M Adapter L as standard in the box (which it should be). Leica came so close with the CL digital model ... very nearly there, just needed a full-frame sensor.

I would have bought a full frame CL model immediately, likely instead of selling the CL and buying an M10-R. It was a close thing: the CL was such a good camera, but I wanted the color FF sensor to complement the M10 Monochrom. And the SL line (I had one) is bigger and bulkier than I wanted, had a wholly different camera workflow.

G

 

[Richard G]

Interesting. Very interesting. M11 put me off new digital. Still using M9-P. Yesterday M2. But a sort of Leica with 90 filling the EVF. Yes, maybe.

 

[shawn]

As long as they produced a range of lenses that are not the size of a grapefruit, that would be awesome. Both the 50 Summilux-L and the 50mm Apo-Summicron-L are amazing, but they are huge. All the Leica L mount lenses are huge. On an M form factor camera that would be terrible.

There are plenty of small L mount lenses available. The Sigma 'i' series for example. Metal body, aperture ring and optically they are very very good.

 

[Archiver]

There are plenty of small L mount lenses available. The Sigma 'i' series for example. Metal body, aperture ring and optically they are very very good.

The Panasonic S9 is a bit smaller than a Leica M body, and the Sigma i primes are just workable on it. So a M size body with i primes could be usable. I wouldn't fancy a M size body with most other L mount lenses, though.

 

[Rayt]

Companies constantly need to release new products to stay profitable. It wouldn’t surprise me if Leica introduces new lenses to functionality match this new camera whatever that functionality may be.

 

[Freakscene]

There are plenty of small L mount lenses available. The Sigma 'i' series for example. Metal body, aperture ring and optically they are very very good.

I know, I've used them. I want a lens the size of the 50 Summilux-ASPH M lens, or at least of similar size, that performs similarly to the Summilux. The Sigmas are nice, but they are not in the category of Leica lenses.

 

[rfaspen]

Well OK. From what I'm hearing, perhaps it would be nice to have another model in the SL line....that has CL or Q stylings, but is most clearly marketed as a member of the SL lineage. I know some have suggested that there are L-mount lenses on the small side, but it really does seem that the bulk of L lenses are relatively large compared to M-mount lenses. It's not a big surprise or some kind of conspiracy... simply the nature of a much wider diameter mount and the usual desire to include some AF capability, and some desire to provide high performance across a FF sensor on a camera with a larger diameter mount. Nobody is hurling insults here. It is mostly a matter of physics and the desire to provide what we "serious" users what from a lens.

I would still love to see the M lineage continue with whatever reasonable "improvements" that could be offered. However, I very, very, very much doubt that would include/support autofocus. Totally fine by me. Some kind of electronic assistance in an otherwise optical viewfinder system -- I'm open to that. But really, can we just acknowledge that the M camera is just near perfection for many of us who use them. There's just not that much I can think of that would substantially improve my M10-R to convince me I really need the latest M. Of course, I am a genuine simpleton who has a limited imagination and certainly not aware of the cutting edge technologies that are out there.

In fact, while I could probably make the move to an M11 from my current set of M9, M240 and M10 (digital, at least), I see nothing in the M11 that I consider a genuine improvement from the perfection of my M10-R. It truly is my curernt pinnacle in this form factor of photographic equipment. Now, I do have a hankering for a companion in medium format.... and that's currently the Hassy 907 if you're curious...but a completely different topic, discussion, and budget item.

Put simply: I love my current M's -- all of them, film and digital. Only the M240 has two detractions, and they're minor (body thickness and a limit on B-setting long exposure so I can't photograph the milky way).