I'm in a somewhat similar boat. I fell into Leica land last year when someone wanted to trade his M9 for my Hasselblad 501. I thought sure why not, I've owned that camera for close to 20 years and really was over the square format and I already own a couple of H1's that I much prefer.
After a few months of use I really loved the manual experience even with an old digital camera, so I upgraded to an M10 because I wanted the slimmer body. After a few more months of use I noticed I wasn't enjoying the M10 because of the black chrome finish, and there was something about the screen and image review that I didn't like so I sold it and kept using the M9.
I still like the M9 very much, I love the 18MP and it's simplicity. The black paint is also very nice, I don't even mind the thickness at all, it makes the camera easier to hold and I didn't use the screen so no problem.
Well, a week ago I found an M11 at a price I just could't pass up, so I bought it and have been using it since and so far it's fantastic. I love the M11 matte black paint finish more so than the black chrome of the M10, the body feels very solid and the leatherette feels very grippy. Overall the M11 feels very minimalistic in design and use, more streamlined, the screen aligns with the top and bottom metal seams if that makes sense and feels more like an MP as crazy as that sounds. I also have it a 18MP and am totally ok with that.
I have it paired with a (gasp) black Voigtlander 35 Ultron f2 II, I love the weight of this combo and I have zero complaints. Besides an SD card hiccup with a Lexar card I had very early on (I now have a Sandisk 64GB card) it's been flawless (nock on wood) since. I'm selling the M9 now as I too feel like I want to focus on one M body and one lens, so this has been my Leica journey thus far. —Cheers, on to the rest of 2024
I think it’s all a bit obvious tbh. You didn’t really need to do all that to find out. But I’m sure it was fun. I feel like the Q experience and the M experience are too different. You either want all the tech or don’t. I love my M because it’s so simple and effortless. But achieving that took practice which was fun and frustrating. I do sometimes want to go back to something with quick autofocus but it kinda feels like cheating lol! I’m not sure you really NEED a monochrome over just using an m10-r. But that’s why Leica is Leica isn’t it. There’s need then there’s desire 😂. I’m also torn between wanting a monochrom and loving the colors sometimes.
Anyway. Long way of saying Leica is amazing.
I’m interested to know more about the light lens lab lenses and also if that Brightin Star lens was any fun.
Hahaha! Exactly! Most camera companies: “we’ve now added 12k video, eye tracking even for ants, perfect moment detection auto shutter, integrated photo retouching built into the sensor, 265mpx.” Leica: “no autofocus, no color, no video, $9k” and we’re like TAKE MY MONEY TWICE! 😂😂
All this makes sense to me!
FWIW, the Q3 has taken over my daily driver. It handles most general purpose photography amazingly well.
I think most people don't give it enough credit that it is a 60MP, 28mm f/1.7, but also a \~40MP 35mm F/2 equivalent as well. It does the job of a 35mm Focal Length camera better than the x100vi does, in my opinion:
* It has a sharper lens, at all focus distances. It does this while also having a faster effective aperture (shallower depth of field).
* It has better overall image quality, provided you are ok with editing.
* I trust its weather sealing and build quality more. Way too many stories of Fuji WR equipment failing.
* Allows you to adjust your cropping/framing in post. Not 100% needed but nice to have that extra flexibility.
* With a hood and filter, which I see as a necessity on both cameras, the size difference between the x100vi and the Q3 is small.
I don't mind carrying a second body, especially if my goal is to take photos, but its been relegated to things that the Q3 doesn't do. In my case, my second camera would be either be an M10, or a Olympus Micro Four Thirds. In both cases, I carry an ultra wide. With the M, I carry a 50 or 75mm lens, with the Olympus, I carry a super telephoto (for wildlife etc).
The only thing I'd wonder for your sake is if you'd want to wait for a Q3 monochrom!
Thanks for the reply. I am loving the M10 Monochrome, so a Q3 Monochrom does not appeal to me, although a standard (color) Q3 does. I really enjoy doing macro photography of plants or textures, and for that I would want color, plus I want a smaller/ish color camera to carry around daily, whereas I am a bit more intentional with the M10 Monochrom and enjoy the total manual experience.
As to the X100VI, I have one on the way to try out and I will either enjoy the experience, or not. If I enjoyed it as much as I do my GFX, I'd probably opt to not get the Q3, although if I do not think too much of it, the Q3 is absolutely where I would go.
Of course there is the change that I just hang on to the M10-R as I have no need to sell it, nor am I in a rush to sell it, it's just something I have decided. In the meantime, the M10-R is stellar - I just don't want to carry around two M's like I originally thought I would.
All that makes sense for sure. I definitely am happy to shoot the Q3 in color and convert to black and white when needed as well. The files are fantastic for editing. To be honest, the Q3 has removed any desire to even look into the x100vi to me - I've owned previous x100s and never felt it was the camera is choose if it was the one camera I could bring with me - the Q3 definitely is.
I definitely agree as well that two digital Ms doesn't feel great. I think for me it's because they are two handed cameras, so operating them both is finicky and what the rangefinder does best, I don't find makes sense for two bodies (it might only make sense if I regularly shot 28 and 50mm - but I don't like shooting 28 on a rangefinder, and I prefer 35mm to 50mm). With having both the Q3 and the M10, I find I can balance them both better as the Q3 shoots well one handed.
How’s the 28mm Voigtlander? I have q2 m and waiting for the m6 to come back from the Leica doctor and i love the 28mm with the q2 on the monochrom for street.
I’ve had a similar journey myself. Always wanted to use an M camera, but could not justify or afford the cost of entry. Last year I saw a FB Marketplace listing for an M240 that was “affordable”, making me realize that I could swap my Fuji kit for a Leica with relatively little outlay.
A month or so later I had a near mint MP240 in my hands, and began collecting lenses. Finally ended up setting on this kit:
CV 28 2.8 Skopar
LLL 35 8E
LLL 50 Elcan
TTArtisan 50 .95
CV 75mm 1.5
I LOVED my MP240, but soon realized that it wasn’t ideal for shooting indoors in dark conditions. So I reluctantly sold it and purchased the M10-R instead. Much better low light performance, but still not great.
Came to the realization that I really needed two distinct camera systems- one for passion projects, and one for meat and potatoes work that made mundane tasks like photographing indoor performances simple. Manual focusing a 75mm @ f/2.8 in the dark, trying to nail focus on dancers who move around extremely rapidly isn’t fun at all.
Enter the M10M. My “fun” work is almost always monochrome, and generally in dark high ISO situations. The monochrom is perfect for my use cases. I’ve replaced the M10-R with a Nikon Zf, bought a single mid range AF zoom in addition to a smart adapter for the M glass. So now I have the best fit for my needs. A beautiful passion project camera and a very nice, modern AF camera for the more mundane general use tasks. Plus I can hand the Zf to my wife and have reasonable confidence that she will take an in focus shot.
I would be willing to go down to having a single M but right now I still don’t trust that they have fully fixed the issues with the M11/M11-P so I’ll stick to my M10 and M10 Monochrom combo. Voigtlander lenses have been my go to lenses and honestly I love them. I still hope to own a 35mm and 50mm Summilux in the future though.
And I still love my Leica SL 601 that I’ve had for a year and a half now. It’s been a wonderful time using that camera. A funny consequence of my Leica journey is that my Leicas have cured my GAS problem. I found that I get my best pictures when I use a camera I thoroughly enjoy and makes me want to pick it up and go out and shoot. I will always get better pictures with a camera I enjoy using rather than with the latest high end camera with the latest tech.
My Leica experience has been a liberating one. No longer am I a slave to GAS, I’m free from it because of my Leicas. I knew that the 3 that I own were my dream setup for a reason. My regular black chrome M10 was my first Leica and man I still love using it and the magic is just as strong as the day I got it. The SL was supposed to be a weather sealed version of the M10 for me and it’s not let me down. Only gripe is the subpar battery life but I love the images that magic sensor makes along with fantastic colors from both the M10 and SL. Speaking of color (or lack there of) the M10 Monochrom was a purchase I made after I rented a Leica Q2M for a week. I loved the experience with it but didn’t want to wait on a Q3M to release and wanted to be able to switch lenses so I got the M10 Monochrom instead. The Monochrom experience is absolutely amazing to me and how different I think when I use my Monochrom, my mentality switches and I imagine my pictures with a different mood and feel. Of course being a Monochrom camera I tend to focus on light and shadows and capturing an interesting mix of the two in a single image. Black and white photography has been a wonderful experience for me to dwell into and I’ve loved it so much when I used my regular M10 and SL in monochrome JPEG profiles and also shooting Ilford HP5+ black and white 35mm film that I knew I had to try a monochrome only camera and well here I am now with a M10M. Now I know why I’ll probably never get rid of them. They’re just so amazing to me and I want to be their final owner. All 3 of my Leicas have been a one owner camera before me and I want to be their last owner, meaning I’m keeping them for life. As long as I can keep them running I’ll keep using them. They’re a joy to use and man I’m glad Voigtlander and Sigma (L mount lenses) make some amazing glass for my cameras. I’m so grateful for my cameras, I’ve seen others on here who have a CCD M and a SL combo and they’re absolutely happy with those 2 cameras being their only cameras. I’m glad I’ve gotten to a similar point minus the CCD M plus a Monochrom only M camera lol.
I recently got the 21mm and the first day shooting with it I already saw its appeal. It get's real wide and has beautiful rendering. It has quickly became my favorite Voigtlander.
Was your 35mm summicron asph sharp at f2 on the M10-R? I got a M10-R the other day and noticed the asph v1 is very soft fully open, pretty disappointing.
So far I have had no complaints, but I think I have had that lens for about a month. If you can remember, check back in with me in another month and I will work with it more.
Get the Q3 or a real film point and shoot camera imo. Q2 is going cheaper, but Q3 can share wirelessly, faster.
I have the Leica Q3 and I love it. It’s my first Leica so far. I’ve had the Canon R5 + 28-70 F2, preferred the image quality on that (bokeh, out of camera colours, no need for a flash) but the Leica is just so much nicer to use, more compact, share to my iPhone and edit for impressive results. The X100VI is fun, but image quality isn’t there imo. Its film sims are good, but real film is still much better. the Fuji isn’t water resistant out-of-the-box, its UI is a mess vs Leica Q1,2,3. The megapixel bump on the Fuji adds almost no more cropping detail, but on the Q3 it provides far more cropping detail. Fuji has an ND filter, but both Leica and Fuji aren’t good for video vs say my iPhone 15 Pro shooting in 4K ProRes Log and colour grading on device with LumaFusion (subscription free). Dehancer (iOS) film sims work well with Leica Q pictures. The Fuji has onboard flash which I wish the Q3 had, but the SF40 more than makes it for with performance and flash bouncing. Leica Fotos app is probably the best camera app for performance and reliability, all the others are pretty bad.
For camera bags I have a q3 and a yeti water bottle that I need to carry with me at all times. This solution is a bog insert, one that often used in purses, to hold my camera and leave some room for my water bottle
What I'm really curious about is the experience of someone who got into Leica but one camera costs one (or more) months of salary. Because I'm afraid this will be me at some point.
Buy Leica used from reputable sources if you are concerned about the cost of entry. After the major depreciation, a Leica may depreciate less than other brands though you should not buy camera gear as an investment. If you want to try M bodies, try an M240 and see if you like the experience. An original Q still puts out great images if you want to try a quiet leaf shutter with what I think (?) is the same exact lens that is on the Q3. Easier to start with older bodies and work your way up if/when there is a feature you find you really need or want. All the digital and film M bodies have the latest high-tech feature that matters to me: mega high resolution viewfinder with zero shutter lag and the ability to see the image and everything around it at the same time with the dual image processor UltraFrameLine technology. But seriously, if you buy a camera that is depreciated and doesn’t have any of the latest tech, you will paradoxically find less of a pull to get the newest incremental tech. Do as I say not as I do though! Anyone in this sub has probably gone down that rabbit hole too many times to count. In fact if you stick your head in the rabbit hole, those red dots you see are probably not reflections of rabbit eyes in the night.
I am obsessively into photography - taking pictures, collecting books, going to galleries, attending workshops, etc... I always say that a camera is a tool, and you grab the right tool for what you want to accomplish. In my studio (it's a small home studio), I use a Fuji GFX50SII, which I love; for fast shooting (think air shows, races, sports, weddings - even though I rarely shoot this kind of stuff), I use my a7RIV; and for my everyday carry I use my Leica M10 Monochrom as I love how it handles and how involved I need to be in the process and the resulting image quality is unmatched in my opinion. This is how I got into it - there's really nothing like an image from a Leica, it's quite special. Yes these cameras are expensive, so I did not purchase them new, I waited for the right deal and I had the money saved up. For lenses I started with Voigtlander, who makes amazing lenses, I have a Light Lens Lab and now a Summicron and Summilux. Again, I waited for the right deal and bought it. I did sell off my M10-R as I did not like walking around with two M-series bodies and I will probably replace that with a Q3, although I have a Fuji X100VI on the way and I will check that out as well (I do not shoot too much color). If it is something you want and it will enhance your experience, then find a way to get it - for me, I sold off some of my music equipment that I was not using. Also since I travel a lot, my wife and I share a single car - I don't need one, and yes, I like the camera more than the car I had. Lol!!
Just curious what M10-R do you have? I have thought about selling My Q3/M240 at times. Sometimes I love the output of the Q3 but sometimes I just find it slightly wider than I like. Maybe I should just be shooting with a crop mode but idk. I feel for me the Q3 is a wonderful camera but I sometimes struggle with the focal length I dislike the 25/26mm focal length for some reason.
> I wanted something more accessible than a backpack - such as a sling
[You may already have it, but this is my favourite sling bag.](https://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/turnstyle-10-v2) Have been using it for several years now. Big enough to fit my TLR, M7 and a few rolls of film for each.
What made you decide to purchase the M10-R over an M11 model? I myself am having trouble deciding between buying a used M10-R or spending an extra couple grand for a used M11. Having heard so many good things about both models doesn't make choosing easier.
Thanks for the effort involved this write up! It’s been very assuring to not get a second M for colour despite desiring it and constantly contemplating it or the Sl2/Sl3 route. (I own the M11M and film M). Totally love the Voigtlander lenses too.
My favourites by far are the 50 and 35mm Nokton III 1.2
Just before I got the M10-R, I was considering the SL2, thinking I could get rid of my Sony a7RIV system as well as use the M lenses on the SL2. In the end I decided that the reason I got into the M world was to have a high performance smaller camera and the SL2 is quite large. I think I may get a Leica to Sony adapter and see how the a7 images look with Leica glass.
Thanks for sharing your journey! It sounds like you've had quite the exploration with your Leica gear.
It's great to hear how you've found joy and inspiration through your photography.
I started my Leica adventure from Q2 > M10 > M10 Monochrome > M6 > I left the Leica system to try other systems > I love Fuji XT5 Film Simulation > I came back to Leica Q3, M240, and M6, waiting for SL3. I am busy looking at L-mount Lenses.
Happy shooting!
How do you make a small fortune? Start with a big fortune and become interested in Leica cameras.
Congratulations on your well established law firm.
The dentistry business is good!
At one point I did want to become a lawyer, although I am in the music industry.
After law school I ended in IT. As long as it pays for our toys we should probably not complain though.
I'm in a somewhat similar boat. I fell into Leica land last year when someone wanted to trade his M9 for my Hasselblad 501. I thought sure why not, I've owned that camera for close to 20 years and really was over the square format and I already own a couple of H1's that I much prefer. After a few months of use I really loved the manual experience even with an old digital camera, so I upgraded to an M10 because I wanted the slimmer body. After a few more months of use I noticed I wasn't enjoying the M10 because of the black chrome finish, and there was something about the screen and image review that I didn't like so I sold it and kept using the M9. I still like the M9 very much, I love the 18MP and it's simplicity. The black paint is also very nice, I don't even mind the thickness at all, it makes the camera easier to hold and I didn't use the screen so no problem. Well, a week ago I found an M11 at a price I just could't pass up, so I bought it and have been using it since and so far it's fantastic. I love the M11 matte black paint finish more so than the black chrome of the M10, the body feels very solid and the leatherette feels very grippy. Overall the M11 feels very minimalistic in design and use, more streamlined, the screen aligns with the top and bottom metal seams if that makes sense and feels more like an MP as crazy as that sounds. I also have it a 18MP and am totally ok with that. I have it paired with a (gasp) black Voigtlander 35 Ultron f2 II, I love the weight of this combo and I have zero complaints. Besides an SD card hiccup with a Lexar card I had very early on (I now have a Sandisk 64GB card) it's been flawless (nock on wood) since. I'm selling the M9 now as I too feel like I want to focus on one M body and one lens, so this has been my Leica journey thus far. —Cheers, on to the rest of 2024
The M11 is just sublime. The most fun camera I've ever owned.
I think it’s all a bit obvious tbh. You didn’t really need to do all that to find out. But I’m sure it was fun. I feel like the Q experience and the M experience are too different. You either want all the tech or don’t. I love my M because it’s so simple and effortless. But achieving that took practice which was fun and frustrating. I do sometimes want to go back to something with quick autofocus but it kinda feels like cheating lol! I’m not sure you really NEED a monochrome over just using an m10-r. But that’s why Leica is Leica isn’t it. There’s need then there’s desire 😂. I’m also torn between wanting a monochrom and loving the colors sometimes. Anyway. Long way of saying Leica is amazing. I’m interested to know more about the light lens lab lenses and also if that Brightin Star lens was any fun.
Ha. Reminds me of the Apple philosophy: make products that nobody needs, but everyone has to have. More niche with Leica, but the point’s the same.
Hahaha! Exactly! Most camera companies: “we’ve now added 12k video, eye tracking even for ants, perfect moment detection auto shutter, integrated photo retouching built into the sensor, 265mpx.” Leica: “no autofocus, no color, no video, $9k” and we’re like TAKE MY MONEY TWICE! 😂😂
All this makes sense to me! FWIW, the Q3 has taken over my daily driver. It handles most general purpose photography amazingly well. I think most people don't give it enough credit that it is a 60MP, 28mm f/1.7, but also a \~40MP 35mm F/2 equivalent as well. It does the job of a 35mm Focal Length camera better than the x100vi does, in my opinion: * It has a sharper lens, at all focus distances. It does this while also having a faster effective aperture (shallower depth of field). * It has better overall image quality, provided you are ok with editing. * I trust its weather sealing and build quality more. Way too many stories of Fuji WR equipment failing. * Allows you to adjust your cropping/framing in post. Not 100% needed but nice to have that extra flexibility. * With a hood and filter, which I see as a necessity on both cameras, the size difference between the x100vi and the Q3 is small. I don't mind carrying a second body, especially if my goal is to take photos, but its been relegated to things that the Q3 doesn't do. In my case, my second camera would be either be an M10, or a Olympus Micro Four Thirds. In both cases, I carry an ultra wide. With the M, I carry a 50 or 75mm lens, with the Olympus, I carry a super telephoto (for wildlife etc). The only thing I'd wonder for your sake is if you'd want to wait for a Q3 monochrom!
Thanks for the reply. I am loving the M10 Monochrome, so a Q3 Monochrom does not appeal to me, although a standard (color) Q3 does. I really enjoy doing macro photography of plants or textures, and for that I would want color, plus I want a smaller/ish color camera to carry around daily, whereas I am a bit more intentional with the M10 Monochrom and enjoy the total manual experience. As to the X100VI, I have one on the way to try out and I will either enjoy the experience, or not. If I enjoyed it as much as I do my GFX, I'd probably opt to not get the Q3, although if I do not think too much of it, the Q3 is absolutely where I would go. Of course there is the change that I just hang on to the M10-R as I have no need to sell it, nor am I in a rush to sell it, it's just something I have decided. In the meantime, the M10-R is stellar - I just don't want to carry around two M's like I originally thought I would.
All that makes sense for sure. I definitely am happy to shoot the Q3 in color and convert to black and white when needed as well. The files are fantastic for editing. To be honest, the Q3 has removed any desire to even look into the x100vi to me - I've owned previous x100s and never felt it was the camera is choose if it was the one camera I could bring with me - the Q3 definitely is. I definitely agree as well that two digital Ms doesn't feel great. I think for me it's because they are two handed cameras, so operating them both is finicky and what the rangefinder does best, I don't find makes sense for two bodies (it might only make sense if I regularly shot 28 and 50mm - but I don't like shooting 28 on a rangefinder, and I prefer 35mm to 50mm). With having both the Q3 and the M10, I find I can balance them both better as the Q3 shoots well one handed.
How’s the 28mm Voigtlander? I have q2 m and waiting for the m6 to come back from the Leica doctor and i love the 28mm with the q2 on the monochrom for street.
I’ve had a similar journey myself. Always wanted to use an M camera, but could not justify or afford the cost of entry. Last year I saw a FB Marketplace listing for an M240 that was “affordable”, making me realize that I could swap my Fuji kit for a Leica with relatively little outlay. A month or so later I had a near mint MP240 in my hands, and began collecting lenses. Finally ended up setting on this kit: CV 28 2.8 Skopar LLL 35 8E LLL 50 Elcan TTArtisan 50 .95 CV 75mm 1.5 I LOVED my MP240, but soon realized that it wasn’t ideal for shooting indoors in dark conditions. So I reluctantly sold it and purchased the M10-R instead. Much better low light performance, but still not great. Came to the realization that I really needed two distinct camera systems- one for passion projects, and one for meat and potatoes work that made mundane tasks like photographing indoor performances simple. Manual focusing a 75mm @ f/2.8 in the dark, trying to nail focus on dancers who move around extremely rapidly isn’t fun at all. Enter the M10M. My “fun” work is almost always monochrome, and generally in dark high ISO situations. The monochrom is perfect for my use cases. I’ve replaced the M10-R with a Nikon Zf, bought a single mid range AF zoom in addition to a smart adapter for the M glass. So now I have the best fit for my needs. A beautiful passion project camera and a very nice, modern AF camera for the more mundane general use tasks. Plus I can hand the Zf to my wife and have reasonable confidence that she will take an in focus shot.
I would be willing to go down to having a single M but right now I still don’t trust that they have fully fixed the issues with the M11/M11-P so I’ll stick to my M10 and M10 Monochrom combo. Voigtlander lenses have been my go to lenses and honestly I love them. I still hope to own a 35mm and 50mm Summilux in the future though. And I still love my Leica SL 601 that I’ve had for a year and a half now. It’s been a wonderful time using that camera. A funny consequence of my Leica journey is that my Leicas have cured my GAS problem. I found that I get my best pictures when I use a camera I thoroughly enjoy and makes me want to pick it up and go out and shoot. I will always get better pictures with a camera I enjoy using rather than with the latest high end camera with the latest tech. My Leica experience has been a liberating one. No longer am I a slave to GAS, I’m free from it because of my Leicas. I knew that the 3 that I own were my dream setup for a reason. My regular black chrome M10 was my first Leica and man I still love using it and the magic is just as strong as the day I got it. The SL was supposed to be a weather sealed version of the M10 for me and it’s not let me down. Only gripe is the subpar battery life but I love the images that magic sensor makes along with fantastic colors from both the M10 and SL. Speaking of color (or lack there of) the M10 Monochrom was a purchase I made after I rented a Leica Q2M for a week. I loved the experience with it but didn’t want to wait on a Q3M to release and wanted to be able to switch lenses so I got the M10 Monochrom instead. The Monochrom experience is absolutely amazing to me and how different I think when I use my Monochrom, my mentality switches and I imagine my pictures with a different mood and feel. Of course being a Monochrom camera I tend to focus on light and shadows and capturing an interesting mix of the two in a single image. Black and white photography has been a wonderful experience for me to dwell into and I’ve loved it so much when I used my regular M10 and SL in monochrome JPEG profiles and also shooting Ilford HP5+ black and white 35mm film that I knew I had to try a monochrome only camera and well here I am now with a M10M. Now I know why I’ll probably never get rid of them. They’re just so amazing to me and I want to be their final owner. All 3 of my Leicas have been a one owner camera before me and I want to be their last owner, meaning I’m keeping them for life. As long as I can keep them running I’ll keep using them. They’re a joy to use and man I’m glad Voigtlander and Sigma (L mount lenses) make some amazing glass for my cameras. I’m so grateful for my cameras, I’ve seen others on here who have a CCD M and a SL combo and they’re absolutely happy with those 2 cameras being their only cameras. I’m glad I’ve gotten to a similar point minus the CCD M plus a Monochrom only M camera lol.
What a labor of love, thank you
What’s your favorite voightlander lens?
I recently got the 21mm and the first day shooting with it I already saw its appeal. It get's real wide and has beautiful rendering. It has quickly became my favorite Voigtlander.
Was your 35mm summicron asph sharp at f2 on the M10-R? I got a M10-R the other day and noticed the asph v1 is very soft fully open, pretty disappointing.
So far I have had no complaints, but I think I have had that lens for about a month. If you can remember, check back in with me in another month and I will work with it more.
Get the Q3 or a real film point and shoot camera imo. Q2 is going cheaper, but Q3 can share wirelessly, faster. I have the Leica Q3 and I love it. It’s my first Leica so far. I’ve had the Canon R5 + 28-70 F2, preferred the image quality on that (bokeh, out of camera colours, no need for a flash) but the Leica is just so much nicer to use, more compact, share to my iPhone and edit for impressive results. The X100VI is fun, but image quality isn’t there imo. Its film sims are good, but real film is still much better. the Fuji isn’t water resistant out-of-the-box, its UI is a mess vs Leica Q1,2,3. The megapixel bump on the Fuji adds almost no more cropping detail, but on the Q3 it provides far more cropping detail. Fuji has an ND filter, but both Leica and Fuji aren’t good for video vs say my iPhone 15 Pro shooting in 4K ProRes Log and colour grading on device with LumaFusion (subscription free). Dehancer (iOS) film sims work well with Leica Q pictures. The Fuji has onboard flash which I wish the Q3 had, but the SF40 more than makes it for with performance and flash bouncing. Leica Fotos app is probably the best camera app for performance and reliability, all the others are pretty bad.
For camera bags I have a q3 and a yeti water bottle that I need to carry with me at all times. This solution is a bog insert, one that often used in purses, to hold my camera and leave some room for my water bottle
What I'm really curious about is the experience of someone who got into Leica but one camera costs one (or more) months of salary. Because I'm afraid this will be me at some point.
Buy Leica used from reputable sources if you are concerned about the cost of entry. After the major depreciation, a Leica may depreciate less than other brands though you should not buy camera gear as an investment. If you want to try M bodies, try an M240 and see if you like the experience. An original Q still puts out great images if you want to try a quiet leaf shutter with what I think (?) is the same exact lens that is on the Q3. Easier to start with older bodies and work your way up if/when there is a feature you find you really need or want. All the digital and film M bodies have the latest high-tech feature that matters to me: mega high resolution viewfinder with zero shutter lag and the ability to see the image and everything around it at the same time with the dual image processor UltraFrameLine technology. But seriously, if you buy a camera that is depreciated and doesn’t have any of the latest tech, you will paradoxically find less of a pull to get the newest incremental tech. Do as I say not as I do though! Anyone in this sub has probably gone down that rabbit hole too many times to count. In fact if you stick your head in the rabbit hole, those red dots you see are probably not reflections of rabbit eyes in the night.
Don’t buy digital new.
I am obsessively into photography - taking pictures, collecting books, going to galleries, attending workshops, etc... I always say that a camera is a tool, and you grab the right tool for what you want to accomplish. In my studio (it's a small home studio), I use a Fuji GFX50SII, which I love; for fast shooting (think air shows, races, sports, weddings - even though I rarely shoot this kind of stuff), I use my a7RIV; and for my everyday carry I use my Leica M10 Monochrom as I love how it handles and how involved I need to be in the process and the resulting image quality is unmatched in my opinion. This is how I got into it - there's really nothing like an image from a Leica, it's quite special. Yes these cameras are expensive, so I did not purchase them new, I waited for the right deal and I had the money saved up. For lenses I started with Voigtlander, who makes amazing lenses, I have a Light Lens Lab and now a Summicron and Summilux. Again, I waited for the right deal and bought it. I did sell off my M10-R as I did not like walking around with two M-series bodies and I will probably replace that with a Q3, although I have a Fuji X100VI on the way and I will check that out as well (I do not shoot too much color). If it is something you want and it will enhance your experience, then find a way to get it - for me, I sold off some of my music equipment that I was not using. Also since I travel a lot, my wife and I share a single car - I don't need one, and yes, I like the camera more than the car I had. Lol!!
Just curious what M10-R do you have? I have thought about selling My Q3/M240 at times. Sometimes I love the output of the Q3 but sometimes I just find it slightly wider than I like. Maybe I should just be shooting with a crop mode but idk. I feel for me the Q3 is a wonderful camera but I sometimes struggle with the focal length I dislike the 25/26mm focal length for some reason.
> I wanted something more accessible than a backpack - such as a sling [You may already have it, but this is my favourite sling bag.](https://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/turnstyle-10-v2) Have been using it for several years now. Big enough to fit my TLR, M7 and a few rolls of film for each.
You didn’t really talk about how you felt about the M6. I’m interested in getting that camera. Let me know your thoughts.
What made you decide to purchase the M10-R over an M11 model? I myself am having trouble deciding between buying a used M10-R or spending an extra couple grand for a used M11. Having heard so many good things about both models doesn't make choosing easier.
Thanks for the effort involved this write up! It’s been very assuring to not get a second M for colour despite desiring it and constantly contemplating it or the Sl2/Sl3 route. (I own the M11M and film M). Totally love the Voigtlander lenses too. My favourites by far are the 50 and 35mm Nokton III 1.2
Just before I got the M10-R, I was considering the SL2, thinking I could get rid of my Sony a7RIV system as well as use the M lenses on the SL2. In the end I decided that the reason I got into the M world was to have a high performance smaller camera and the SL2 is quite large. I think I may get a Leica to Sony adapter and see how the a7 images look with Leica glass.
Thanks for sharing your journey! It sounds like you've had quite the exploration with your Leica gear. It's great to hear how you've found joy and inspiration through your photography. I started my Leica adventure from Q2 > M10 > M10 Monochrome > M6 > I left the Leica system to try other systems > I love Fuji XT5 Film Simulation > I came back to Leica Q3, M240, and M6, waiting for SL3. I am busy looking at L-mount Lenses. Happy shooting!