Leica M11 (no lens included)

Features

Overview: The Leica M11 digital rangefinder camera (model 20200-black finish) has a 60.3 MP full-frame BSI (back-side illuminated) CMOS image sensor for capturing high resolution images. With the Maestro III image processor, the camera delivers beautiful color photographs with wide dynamic range and increased sensitivity. The M11 has the same slim body style as Leica's film cameras, making them easy to handle. The camera features a full metal housing made of magnesium and aluminum, with a matte black paint finish and leatherette cover. Strategically placed rubber seals help to keep out moisture and dust. The M11 comes with a rechargeable battery, a battery charger, the Leica FOTOS cable (for iPhone/iPad), and shoulder strap. No lenses are included in this "body only" package.

Firmware Update: Leica has recently updated the firmware to version 1.6.0.0 (12/13/2022) which introduced numerous major upgrades. The update has added Bluetooth capability, and the ability to geotag GPS location data from your smartphone or tablet to your images. The update also expanded Wi-Fi to the 5 GHz band for faster transfer speeds. You can easily update the camera's software through the Leica FOTOS app or on the Leica Camera website.

Lenses: The M11 features the Leica M bayonet mount which accepts Leica M lenses. With an optional adapter from Leica, you can attach Leica R-series lenses, as well.

Viewfinder/Rangefinder: The camera has a large optical viewfinder with 0.73x magnification for composing and focusing your shots. The viewfinder is calibrated to -0.5 dpt, and corrective lenses from -3 to +3 diopter are available. The camera is also equipped with a rangefinder which displays split or superimposed bright field images for accurate manual focusing control. The optional Leica Visoflex 2 EVF (electronic viewfinder) can be attached to the accessory shoe to provide additional features, including a diopter adjustment and an eye sensor for automatic activation.

Monitor: On the rear panel is a 2.95" Active Matrix TFT LCD panel with 2,332,800 dots and touch control. The 3:2 aspect monitor has a Gorilla Glass 5 cover to protect the panel from light impacts and scratching.

Full-frame Image Sensor: The camera features a Full-Frame (24 x 36mm) BSI CMOS color image sensor with 60.3 effective megapixels with a 3:2 aspect ratio.

Accessory Shoe: The M11 is equipped with an ISO accessory shoe for attaching accessories, such as the SF60 or SF40 flash units. The shoe has additional contacts for the optional Leica Visoflex 2 EVF.

Still Images: The M11 gives you extreme flexibility, allowing you to choose from 60, 36, or 18 megapixel resolution for both JPEG and DNG formats, while always using the full sensor area. The camera can take JPEG still images in 3:2 aspect ratio only in three sizes: Large (60.1 MP): 9504 x 6320 pixels, Medium (36.2 MP): 7392 x 4896 pixels, or Small (18.2 MP): 5248 x 3472 pixels. In addition, you can capture lossless DNG (digital negative) images using the raw data from the image sensor with 14-bit color depth. Three sizes of DNG photos are available: Large (60.3 MP): 9528 x 6328, Medium (36.5 MP): 7416 x 4928, or Small (18.4 MP): 5272 x 3498. You'll need to convert the raw data to JPEG or other format files using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom or Capture One Pro.

Note: The M11 cannot record movies.

Internal Memory and Memory Cards: The camera has an internal memory of 64 GB, as well as a single card slot that will accept SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards up to 2 TB. The camera is compatible with UHS-II (recommended) and UHS-I high-speed cards. With dual memory types, there are several options for storing data, selectable in the menu:

• Split: The recordings are stored by format--DNG files are stored to the Internal Memory, and JPEG files to the SD card.
• IN First: Both DNG and JPEG files will be saved first to the internal memory until it runs out of space. After that, files will be saved to the memory card.
• SD First: Both DNG and JPEG files will be saved first to the inserted SD memory card until it runs out of space. After that, files will be saved to the internal memory.
• SD Only: All files are saved to the inserted SD memory card. The internal memory remains unused.
• IN Only: If no SD card is inserted, files will be saved to the internal memory, no matter the selected setting.
• Backup: All files are saved to both storage locations, creating an automatic backup of each file.

Drive Modes: The menu offers the following drive modes:

• Single: Normal, single image recording.
• Continuous Shooting Mode: You can choose from Continuous-High Speed (approx 4.5 fps) or Continuous-Low Speed (approx 3 fps).
• Interval: For shooting a series of photos over an extended period, you can set the camera to record a specific number of images over a set amount of time. In the menu, you can select the Number of Frames, the Interval Between Frames, and the Countdown to the first shot.
• Self Timer: You can set the self timer to 2 seconds (to avoid camera shake) or 12 seconds (to allow the photographer time to get into the picture) for taking a single exposure.
• Exposure Bracketing: Exposure Bracketing lets you take 3 or 5 images, each with different exposure compensation settings. The exposure difference which can be set to up to 3 EV.

Focusing Methods: The M11 has a focus range of 70 cm to infinity. You can choose to focus in Live View Mode or via the Rangefinder. Using the Rangefinder, you can use the superimposed image (double image) method or split image method. For portraits, you can focus on the eyes, turning the focus ring on the lens until the contours are aligned exactly in the metering field. For architectural photographs, you can aim the rangefinder at a clearly defined vertical line and turn the focus ring until the split images line up. In Live View mode, you can view the target image in the LCD monitor, using a zoomed in portion of the screen to bring your item into focus. You can also focus using a Focus Peaking assist function which shows the focused areas of the selected target inside a colored frame.

Note: The M11 can only focus manually. There is no auto focus function.

ISO Sensitivity: You can set the ISO sensitivity between ISO 64 and ISO 50000. There are 30 total ISO settings, selectable in the menu in 1/3 EV increments. On the ISO setting wheel, you can quickly set the camera to ISO 64 to ISO 6400. The sensitivity can be set manually or automatically.

White Balance: The Leica M11 lets you select the white balance using four different methods: automatic control, fixed presets, manual setting via metering, and direct setting of the color temperature. The presets include Daylight, Cloudy, Shadow, Tungsten, HMI (metal halide), Fluorescent Warm, Fluorescent Cool , and Flash. The color temperature settings can be selected in the menu between 2000 K and 11500 K.

Exposure Modes: There are two exposure modes: Aperture Priority or Manual. Aperture Priority sets the exposure automatically according to the manually selected aperture. Once you set the aperture value (on the attached lens), the camera automatically selects the appropriate shutter speed to obtain the exposure you desire. Low aperture settings provide a narrower depth of field to make your subject stand out against an unfocused background. A high aperture setting gives you a wider depth of field with items in the foreground and background in focus. In Manual exposure mode, the user sets both the aperture and shutter speed.

Exposure Compensation: You can adjust the metered exposure to make an image lighter or darker. Exposure compensation can be set in the range of -3EV to +3EV in 1/3EV increments.

Shutter Speeds: The M11 comes with a mechanical shutter and an electronic shutter. The shutter speed range is 60 min to 1/4000s for the mechanical shutter and 60 sec to1/16000s for the electronic. In Hybrid mode, you can choose a working range of 60 min - 1/4000s + 1/4000s - 1/16000s. You can set shutter speeds automatically (in Aperture Priority mode), or manually. On the top panel is a shutter speed setting dial with Auto, Bulb, and shutter speed settings of 8 seconds to 1/4000. Fixed shutter speeds above 8 seconds are available. Bulb settings are available up to 16 minutes (depending on the ISO setting) while the shutter button is held down. When the Time Function is enabled, the shutter button doesn't have to be held down. The Time exposure starts when you press and release the shutter button, and ends when you press and release the shutter button a second time.

Auxiliary Displays: To help you with your images, you can view the auxiliary displays. The Clipping Display marks bright areas of your image in flashing red and dark areas in flashing blue. A Level Gauge shows the orientation of your shot along horizontal and vertical axes. Zero positions are shown with green lines, and tilted positions are shown in red. When shooting in portrait orientation, the camera will automatically switch the aspect of the level gauges. You can choose between two grid overlays (3x3 and 6x4) to divide the image into multiple fields to facilitate picture composition. There is also a histogram display that represents the brightness distribution of the image.

Battery: The M11 is powered by the supplied BP-SCL7 Lithium-ion rechargeable battery (7.4V 1800mAh). The battery charges in the supplied BC-SCL7 charger (output: 8.4V 1A). An AC adapter and USB cable are included for delivering power to the charger. Charging time is approximately 2 hours to charge to 80% or 3-1/2 hours for a full charge, using the included charger. A fully-charged battery provides approximately 700 shots, according to the conservative CIPA standard. In a Leica adapted shooting cycle, up to 1700 shots are possible.

Review Mode: Directly after shooting, the photo is automatically displayed in the LCD screen for a set duration. You can choose 1 sec., 3 sec., 5 sec., Permanent, or until the Shutter Button is pressed. You can also turn Auto Review off. In Review Mode, you can view the stored recordings one at a time, or multiple thumbnails simultaneously. Pressing the Play button brings up the last picture taken. The images are visually arranged on a horizontal reel, and you can scroll left to right using the directional buttons or by swiping the touchscreen with your finger. Tapping an image allows you to view the camera settings in the header and footer lines. You can zoom into any section of the image for closer inspection using a two-finger pinch/spread action or button control. You can view 12 (3 rows of 4 images) or 30 (5 rows of 6) thumbnail images to make photos easier to find.

Apple MFi Certified: The Leica M11 is certified Made for iPhone and iPad, and delivers a direct cable connection from the camera to your iPhone or iPad through the included FOTOS cable (Apple Lightning-to-USB-C) or a USB-C to USB-C cable (for USB-C equipped iPads). This allows you to control the camera using the Leica FOTOS app, and quickly download photos from the camera to the device.

Wi-Fi/Bluetooth: The camera can connect wirelessly to your local network (2.4 GHz/5 GHz) through the Leica FOTOS app. You can also connect wirelessly via Bluetooth 4.2. When connected, you can take pictures remotely via the mobile device, change image settings, and transfer images and data to the mobile device. The Leica FOTOS app is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch running iOS 14.0 or later. It is also compatible with Android devices running version 8.0 and up.

Geotagging: With the recent firmware update, the Leical M11 is now capable of using the GPS in your smartphone to geotag location information into your photos. The data is transferred through the FOTOS app on your device when you are connected via Bluetooth.

Other Specifications:

• Dimensions: Width: 5.795", Height: 3.161", Depth:1.514"
• Weight: 18.7 ounces (with battery), 16.05 ounces (without battery)