Leica M10-P review | TechSwitch

Leica’s M-series cameras have rightly earned their place in photographic folklore, and have been utilized by among the world’s biggest photographers. The usual M10 that Leica launched final yr was with out query the most effective digital interpretation of the collection we have seen, particularly because it misplaced some weight in comparison with its digital predecessors, and was a svelte as its legendary movie siblings. There isn’t any query that because of its (very) premium price ticket, the M10 has a distinct segment (however very loyal) viewers, and the M10-P is geared toward a extra discerning viewers once more, designed to enchantment to those that discover even the usual M10 a bit too ‘in your face’. FeaturesFull-frame 24MP sensorISO100-50,000Touchscreen controlThe M10-P borrows most of the core options of the M10 that it is based mostly round. This consists of the full-frame 24MP sensor that is matched up with Leica’s Maestro II picture processor. This mixture delivers a sensitivity vary of ISO100-50,000, and whereas it is not designed for rapid-fire capturing, the digicam is able to an honest steady capturing velocity of 5fps.There isn’t any low-pass filter over the sensor, in order that’s excellent news for fantastic element rendition. The M10-P additionally foregoes any picture stabilization, both within the digicam or on Leica M lenses (which could sound like sacrilege for Leica aficionados), so that you higher have your method nailed down. Leica M10-P specsSensor: 24MP full-frame CMOSLens mount: Leica MScreen: three.Zero-inch touchscreen, 1,040,000 dotsBurst capturing: 5fpsAutofocus: N/AVideo: N/AConnectivity: Wi-FiBattery life: TBCWeight: 660gLeica would little doubt argue that the compact dimension of the M10-P (it has the very same dimensions because the movie model and is simply 33.7mm thick), partnered with Leica’s luxurious quick prime lenses, means an anti-shake system is not required. Because the M10-P is a rangefinder digicam, it sports activities an optical viewfinder. Or to be extra exact, a ‘Messsucher’ (what Leica calls its mixed rangefinder/viewfinder), with the M of Messsucher chargeable for giving the M system its identify. If you happen to like the thought of the M10-P however aren’t offered on the rangefinder format, an elective clip-on Visoflex digital viewfinder (EVF), with an honest 2,400k-dot decision, is obtainable.The three.Zero-inch show on the rear of the digicam stays, however the M10-P will get contact management over the usual M10, whereas there’s additionally Wi-Fi connectivity. If you happen to’re a iOS person you should utilize the Leica-M app for iPhone and iPad for wi-fi picture switch and distant digicam management.Picture 1 of 4Image 2 of 4Image three of 4Image four of 4Build and handlingNo Leica red-dot logoDiscreet Leica lettering on high plateMetal hotshoe coverThe Leica M10-P makes use of the identical slimmed-down physique because the M10, and as you’d count on for a premium product the end is luxurious. The M10-P is predicated round a magnesium chassis, whereas the highest and backside plates are milled from strong brass blocks, leaving you in little doubt that whereas the know-how inside may not be that related in 10 or 20 years time, the digicam will nonetheless really feel particular. The battery and reminiscence card are inserted into the bottom of the digicam, and, considerably unusually (although not for those who’re a Leica M person), it’s a must to take away the entire base plate to entry this compartment. Happily, this isn’t as arduous as you may think, involving little greater than a twist of a D-ring. The M10-P is all about understatement, and to that finish the digicam has no Leica purple dot emblem on the entrance on the digicam, and options solely discreet Leica lettering on its high plate. There’s additionally a steel hotshoe cowl designed to seamlessly combine it into the highest plate of the M10-P.The M10-P additionally inherits the massive viewfinder from the M10, with the identical guide rangefinder focusing methodology. If that is one thing you are new to it’s going to take just a little observe as you try and get the 2 pictures to develop into one single sharp picture within the viewfinder, however you may be shocked by how shortly you get the cling of it. Some scenes, resembling these with very shiny gentle or notably fantastic particulars, will be tough to deliver to focus manually, however there’s another strategy: stay view on the rear LCD display screen together with focus peaking. By default, the scene is magnified as you begin to flip the focusing ring on the lens, and this makes it a lot simpler to evaluate give attention to smaller components within the scene. And in observe this works very nicely, notably when depth of area may be very shallow, and you’ll even modify the color of the spotlight if it clashes with no matter it’s you need to give attention to.Whereas some cameras are affected by varied controls, the cut-back three-button management structure retains issues good and simpleThe management structure for the M10-P is extremely streamlined. On the highest plate is the shutter button, which additionally acts because the on/off swap, together with a big shutter velocity dial and a smaller ISO dial on the sting of the digicam. To forestall you knocking the ISO out of its desired setting the dial is locked in place, and must be lifted out of place to be adjusted. To be trustworthy, this can be a little bit an excessive amount of of a rigmarole for those who chop and alter your ISO settings frequently – it is not one thing that may actually be carried out with the digicam raised to your eye. Behind the M10-P, whereas some cameras are affected by varied controls, the cut-back three button management structure retains issues good and easy. The restricted exterior controls do not actually hinder the capturing expertise, whereas the M10-P advantages from touchscreen management; that is designed to primarily to assist focus checking when in Reside View, enabling you to pinch to zoom in on the show, whereas you may also swipe by pictures in Evaluate mode. The display screen is pleasingly responsive when tapped and pinched, and captured pictures transfer round nicely as you drag your finger throughout the display screen to test totally different areas. It’s just a bit extra awkward to make use of when swiping by numerous captured pictures, because it take a very good lengthy swipe from the left-hand-side of the LCD to really transfer to the following picture.PerformanceShutter is extremely quietExcellent picture qualityUseful DNG uncooked formatOne of the important thing issues that separates the M10-P from the usual M10 is the brand new shutter. Leica claims the M10-P options the quietest shutter launch of all M-cameras, and it is exhausting to dispute that. Press the shutter button and the sound is just about inaudible – good for avenue photographers. That stated, if quietness is your high precedence then you definitely may need to take into consideration a mirrorless digicam that provides a silent digital shutter. The digicam’s 5fps burst mode manages to maintain capturing for round 61 JPEGs on their very own or 22 consecutive uncooked and JPEG frames earlier than slowing down. Whereas that is simply bested by many cheaper cameras, it’s maybe adequate for the sorts of pictures the typical viewers is more likely to need to seize. It is also good to see that the digicam stays operational whereas these are despatched to the cardboard, though it’s not attainable to enter the principle menu as this occurs. We had been ready to make use of the M10-P with the SUMMARIT-M 50mm f/2.four throughout this assessment. Not solely is that this a really compact and light-weight possibility, however uncooked recordsdata captured with the lens show a superb stage of element proper throughout the body, even when it’s used vast open at f/2.four. That is little doubt helped by the omission of the optical low-pass filter, and it implies that pure topics find yourself with particulars exhibiting wonderful definition, and with none over-sharpening from the digicam. However, event aliasing artefacts do seem, though until you habitually shoot vogue or structure, chances are you’ll not spot this too typically.This lens additionally produces defocused areas with a beautiful character and properly spherical bokeh, which solely varieties a slight cat’s eye formed in the direction of the peripheries of the body. There’s a contact of longitudinal chromatic aberration on the most f/2.four aperture, which manifests itself as minor inexperienced fringing on the perimeters of particulars, though that is hardly unusual in wide-aperture prime lenses resembling this one.Noise may be very nicely managed throughout many of the ISO vary. Pictures captured in average gentle indoors at ISO3200 present solely the faintest hint of colored noise, and this will increase very steadily as you keep on up the sensitivity scale. Picture captured on the highest ISO50,000 setting are clearly affected by banding, though the outcomes aren’t fairly as horrible as is perhaps anticipated at such settings.It’s attainable to pick from three separate metering choices: spot, centre-weighted and multi-field. The latter is the default possibility, and it tends to err on the aspect of underexposure, notably when there are brighter components within the scene. You’ll be able to simply modify publicity compensation as you shoot by merely turning the rear command dial (until you’ve programmed it to do one thing else), though that is straightforward to knock by accident, sometimes inflicting you to shoot with 1/3EV cease of publicity bias from time to time with out you realising.One factor that might be improved is the digicam’s default JPEG high quality. Whereas particulars stay sturdy right here, among the vibrancy of uncooked recordsdata seems to be misplaced in JPEGs captured on the usual settings, and this leaves colors considerably flat. Happily, saturation will be switched from Normal to Excessive to rectify this.The above concern is compounded by an Auto White Stability system that tends to rob pictures of hotter tones, so switching to a preset may additionally assist to file the scene extra faithfully. One factor that is additionally barely puzzling is that vignetting seems to be extra of a problem in JPEGs than it’s in uncooked recordsdata. After all, many who use the M10-P will little doubt be capturing and processing uncooked recordsdata, fairly than counting on JPEGs straight out of the digicam, and these present themselves to be very versatile when subjected to put up processing. Uncooked recordsdata themselves are captured as DNGs (Adobe’s Digital Damaging uncooked file format), making it attainable to open them in a number of variations of Adobe Digicam Uncooked and Lightroom. Picture 1 of 8Leica M10-P with Leica 35mm f/1.four, 1/125sec at f/13, ISO3200Click on right here to see the full-size versionImage 2 of 8Leica M10-P with Leica 35mm f/1.four, 1/180sec at f/four, ISO6400Click on right here to see the full-size versionImage three of 8Leica M10-P with Leica SUMMARIT 50mm f/2.four, 1/1500sec at f/2.5, ISO200Click on right here to see the full-size versionImage four of 8Leica M10-P with Leica SUMMARIT 50mm f/2.four, 1/90sec at f/2.eight, ISO1250Click on right here to see the full-size versionImage 5 of 8Leica M10-P with Leica SUMMARIT 50mm f/2.four, 1/60sec at f/9.5, ISO5000Click on right here to see the full-size versionImage 6 of 8Leica M10-P with Leica SUMMARIT 50mm f/2.four, 1/60sec at f/four, ISO1250Click on right here to see the full-size versionImage 7 of 8Leica M10-P with Leica SUMMARIT 50mm f/2.four, 1/60sec at f/four.eight, ISO1000Click on right here to see the full-size versionImage eight of 8Leica M10-P with Leica SUMMARIT 50mm f/2.four, 1/60sec at f/four, ISO50,000Click on right here to see the full-size versionVerdictA Leica M-series digicam is both one thing that you’re going to dismiss outright, declaring all the benefits a DSLR or mirrorless digicam affords at half the worth (or perhaps a quarter), or one thing you may hanker after on your whole photographic life. If it is the latter in your case, then you definitely’ll love the prospect of the M10-P. As a variant of the M10 the M10-P is not dramatically totally different, save for the quieter shutter, touchscreen management, and beauty variations. Nonetheless, the premium you pay over the M10 is kind of substantial, so you may should determine if this can be a luxurious you possibly can justify.