I have a confession to make: I was wrong about the Leica M EV1.
Before I had the opportunity to use one, I made no secret of my concerns about Leica replacing the traditional optical rangefinder with a built-in electronic viewfinder. I worried that an M-System camera without a rangefinder might no longer feel like a proper M.
Worse still, I thought removing that beautifully-engineered mechanical system could leave the camera feeling strangely hollow, as though Leica had retained the familiar shell while removing part of its soul.
Well, after finally getting my hands on the Leica M EV1, I think it is time to serve myself a generous slice of humble pie. I was wrong. The Leica M EV1 absolutely is an M camera – and it might be precisely the kind of M camera that many photographers have been waiting for.
I have used every digital M camera the company has produced since the Leica M9, so I have watched Leica’s full-frame digital journey develop almost from the beginning.
I know where the modern M-System started, how it has evolved and, to some extent, where it might be going next. I have seen resolutions increase, batteries improve, screens become more useful and sensors become far more capable, but the basic M experience has always remained remarkably consistent.
That is why the M EV1 seemed like such a risk. The rangefinder is not merely another component inside an M camera. For many photographers, it is the defining component. Remove it and, on paper at least, you appear to remove the very thing that makes an M an M.
Except that is not what has happened.
The first surprise is how familiar the Leica M EV1 feels in the hands. It does not feel like an imitation of an M camera, nor does it feel like a Leica Q3 that has somehow been modified to accept interchangeable lenses. It feels like an M because, in almost every physical sense, that is exactly what it is.
In fact, I would go so far as to say that the M EV1 feels better balanced than the Leica M11-P. It sits beautifully in the hand and retains that reassuring sense of solidity that Leica does so well. Leica currently lists the M EV1 at approximately 495g with its battery, compared with 530g for the black M11-P.
That difference is noticeable, but it does not make the EV1 feel cheap or insubstantial. Attach a lens, and the camera's entire character changes. It becomes balanced, purposeful, and every bit as satisfying to hold as an M should be.
Whether I mounted a compact Summicron, a faster Summilux or something considerably larger, the camera maintained that sense of balance. I had worried that the reduced weight might make it feel like a paperweight with a heavy lens hanging from the front, but that simply was not the case. Once a lens is attached, the M EV1 feels complete.
Then we come to the most controversial part of the camera: the electronic viewfinder.
I have plenty of history of criticizing EVFs. I have argued that they cannot reproduce the clarity, depth and almost three-dimensional “pop” of an optical finder. I have found some electronic viewfinders slow, unresponsive and uncomfortable, and prolonged use has occasionally left me with eye strain or a headache.
The EVF inside the Leica M EV1 gave me none of those problems.
It activates incredibly quickly when I raise the camera to my eye, even when I have previously been composing via the rear screen. Movement looks natural, too. I did not experience that unpleasant, Jell-O-like effect where the image appears to smear or distort until the camera stops moving.
The 5.76-million-dot OLED finder refreshes at 60fps, offers 100% frame coverage and includes a sensor that automatically switches to and from the rear display. More importantly, it feels responsive in actual use rather than merely impressive on a specification sheet.
The ability to magnify the live image is also genuinely useful, particularly when working with some of my more unusual lenses.
Something like the Leitz 135mm Elmarit-M f/2.8 can be challenging to focus critically through a traditional rangefinder, but the M EV1 enables me to punch directly into the sensor image and confirm focus with far greater confidence.
That does not necessarily make the experience better than using an optical rangefinder, but it does make it different – and in certain situations, it is unquestionably easier. Long lenses, ultra-wides, close-focus designs and extremely fast glass all become more practical because you are seeing the image through the lens itself.
Quite frankly, after using the M EV1 properly, I struggled to find the major problem with its viewfinder that I had expected to encounter.
Even battery life has been excellent during my time with it, enabling me to concentrate on taking photographs rather than watching the remaining percentage disappear.
I particularly like what Leica has done with the traditional frameline selector. On a rangefinder-equipped M, that lever previews the different frameline pairs. On the M EV1, it can be configured to control focusing assistance and digital zoom.
With the camera I used, pushing the lever one way allowed me to toggle focus peaking, while moving it in the opposite direction activated the 1.3x or 1.8x digital crop. Those produce approximately 39MP and 18MP images, respectively, giving the old mechanical control a genuinely useful new purpose.
One complaint among some members of the Leica community is that this camera should not carry the M name at all. Without the rangefinder, the argument goes, Leica should have created an entirely separate product category.
From a marketing perspective, I understand that position. The M name has always been closely associated with rangefinder photography – and Leica buyers tend to care deeply about tradition.
But make no mistake: the M EV1 is an M-System camera through and through. It has the body, controls, sensor philosophy, manual focusing experience and direct connection to the catalog of M lenses. It simply places an EVF in front of your eye instead of a mechanical rangefinder.
That does not mean I have no complaints, though.
My first is the internal storage. The M EV1 provides 64GB, matching the original Leica M11, while the Leica M11-P offers a much more generous 256GB. In practice, 64GB is plenty for the way I shoot – and an SD card can always be inserted when more space is required.
Even so, considering where the M EV1 sits within Leica’s current lineup, I would have preferred to see the 256GB capacity carried across.
My second complaint could potentially be addressed through firmware. I frequently shoot DNG+JPEG, with the JPEG set to black-and-white. When that configuration is selected on the M EV1, both the LCD and EVF display the monochrome preview.
I would love the option to show the black-and-white preview on the rear screen while retaining a color image in the EVF. That would enable me to assess the monochrome interpretation when reviewing on the LCD, while the finder could provide a more natural, optical-style color view when the camera is raised to my eye.
It would be a small change, but one that could make the EV1 feel even closer to the traditional rangefinder experience.
Those are relatively minor complaints, however. The bigger question is whether replacing the optical rangefinder has taken away the spirit of the M-System.
No, it has not.
In some respects, I think the M EV1 strengthens the system. It creates a more accessible route into M photography for people who may be intimidated by rangefinder focusing. It also offers a natural next step for existing Q-series users who love the compact body, manual controls and EVF experience but want access to a wider range of lenses.
Would I buy one instead of my optical rangefinder-equipped Leica? Put it this way: if Leica releases the M EV1 in silver, the answer could very easily be yes.
I adore my Leica M Typ 240, and I am not ready to abandon the optical rangefinder. But when that camera eventually becomes too long in the tooth, the M EV1 may well be in my sights.
I have been genuinely blown away by how well its EVF performs and by how little the camera compromises the feeling of shooting with an M.
I thought removing the rangefinder would leave the Leica M EV1 feeling hollow. Instead, it has shown me that the soul of the M-System may not be contained in one mechanical component after all.
Perhaps it was hiding in the lenses, the proportions, the simplicity and the act of slowing down to focus for yourself.
Whatever it is, the M EV1 still has it.
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