p.3 #1 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
OwlsEyes wrote:
I'd love to add an MD to my Leica kit, but the limited production run makes the camera a very expensive purchase. While I don't have an MD, I do have and M9 and find that this camera requires a very slow and disciplined approach. While the LCD can be used to check histograms, it is essentially useless. Furthermore, the dynamic range of the CCD sensor is so limiting that it reminds me of Kodachrome 64. Finally, my framelines are basically approximations and the shutter mechanism is slow... When I feel like shooting with film and want a very deliberate approach to photography, my M9 fits the bill... let's call it a "poor" man's M-D ...Show more →
I shot with the M9 for many years and loved both the shutter noise and the CCD sensor's tones and colors because files requires less post-processing.
p.3 #2 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
If you’re looking to limit the number of shots on your SD card to exactly 36, it’s possible to do this with any card size by partitioning it. Here’s how I did it with my 2GB card, but the same method can be applied to any card size using the formula below:
For a 2GB card, the Leica M-D estimates 54 shots. Here’s how I calculated the partition size for the camera to estimate 36 shots instead:
Formula:
1) Find the average size per shot:
For my 2GB card, which gives 54 shots (note: a 1GB card gives 27 shots), the average size per shot can be calculated as follows:
Average size per shot = Total capacity divided by Number of shots
Average size per shot = 2,048MB divided by 54 shots = 37.92MB per shot
2) Calculate the partition size for 36 shots:
To get 36 shots on the card (estimated), we multiply the average size per shot by the number of shots:
Partition size = 36 x 37.92MB = 1,365MB
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Steps to Set Up the Partition:
1) Fully erase your SD card:
In Terminal, run the following command to erase your SD card:
Replace diskx with your SD card’s partition number. In my case, it’s disk4, but you can find your own by running diskutil list.
Replace cardname with your current SD name)
2) Partition the card with the desired size:
Use this command to create a partition with the required size of 1,365MB:
Again, replace diskx with your SD card's partition number. Also replace 1365 with your unique calculated partition size.
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Final Result:
Now, when I insert the card into my Leica M-D, it shows exactly 36 shots remaining.
PS: You can apply this method to any SD card size. Whether it’s a 4GB, 8GB, or larger card, just use the formula above to calculate the partition size for the number of shots you want....Show more →
I was thinking about this further, and it turns out this can be much simpler than the method above. Since we discovered that the Leica M-D needs to access only 1.35GB of your SD card to estimate 36 exposures, we can streamline the process.
That’s it! After running the command above, your Leica M-D will estimate 36 shots, no matter the size of your SD card. The only thing you need to check is the connected SD card drive number. In my case, it’s "disk4" but it could be different for you. To find out, just run this command:
diskutil list
You can even format just that 1.35GB partition from time to time to prevent fragmentation by running this command:
p.3 #3 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
Absolutely. Digital and film aesthetics are fundamentally different; it’s pixels versus silver halide. Even with simulations, the look remains distinct --- organic versus digital. What I love about the M-D is that it offers the same simplicity as shooting film. There’s no menu, no EVF, no Wi-Fi, and no screen. You just set the ISO (like choosing a film) and calculate exposure by adjusting the lens aperture and shutter speed. The M-D Typ 262 doesn’t even offer auto-ISO, which really slows me down and enhances the deliberate shooting process.
It really seems that the shooting experience of the MD is virtually identical to the MP. In both you have to manually set everything (after taking into consideration what the light meter says). Only difference (other than film vs digital output) is with MP I have to wait longer to get the images, whereas with the MD you can look at them when you get home. Being new (since the 80's) to using a manual film camera and enjoying it so much - being way more deliberative when setting up a shot, I totally get the appeal of the MD.
p.3 #4 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
brick33308 wrote:
It really seems that the shooting experience of the MD is virtually identical to the MP. In both you have to manually set everything (after taking into consideration what the light meter says). Only difference (other than film vs digital output) is with MP I have to wait longer to get the images, whereas with the MD you can look at them when you get home. Being new (since the 80's) to using a manual film camera and enjoying it so much - being way more deliberative when setting up a shot, I totally get the appeal of the MD....Show more →
Yes, only the original Leica M60 and the later Leica M-D offer a shooting experience similar to film, without digital distractions. The M10-D and M11-D are also great cameras but still allow for features like WiFi, EVF, menu access, and Leica FOTOS connectivity, which can make it feel different.
When I shoot with the M-D, I go a step further by setting the ISO for the 36 shots on my card and not changing it, closely mimicking the film experience. The only difference is the absence of the film advance, which I find satisfying.
I also develop my own film (both color and B&W) at home, so I can shoot and develop on the same day. However, using the M-D is definitely more convenient for immediate results without the chemical work.
p.3 #5 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
Yes, only the original Leica M60 and the later Leica M-D offer a shooting experience similar to film, without digital distractions. The M10-D and M11-D are also great cameras but still allow for features like WiFi, EVF, menu access, and Leica FOTOS connectivity, which can make it feel different.
When I shoot with the M-D, I go a step further by setting the ISO for the 36 shots on my card and not changing it, closely mimicking the film experience. The only difference is the absence of the film advance, which I find satisfying.
I also develop my own film (both color and B&W) at home, so I can shoot and develop on the same day. However, using the M-D is definitely more convenient for immediate results without the chemical work. ...Show more →
for now I am sending my film to the lab, but when I get back to Asheville in April, I'm getting all the gear to develop b/w film, and the Valoi Easy35 to scan with my Sony and a Sony FE90 macro that I bought from a super nice guy here on FM.
p.3 #6 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
I shot with the M9 for many years and loved both the shutter noise and the CCD sensor colors!
I ended up really bonding with the M9. Felt a bit like film to me because the screen is mostly useless. Love the output from I it's a bit like waiting to see how the roll turned out at home. Plus the thick body feels at home in the hands now.
p.3 #7 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
I came close to getting the M9, but at the last second was talked into getting the M10. I loved the M10, but wonder what my Leica arc would have been had I got the M9 instead
p.3 #8 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
Yes, only the original Leica M60 and the later Leica M-D offer a shooting experience similar to film, without digital distractions. The M10-D and M11-D are also great cameras but still allow for features like WiFi, EVF, menu access, and Leica FOTOS connectivity, which can make it feel different.
When I shoot with the M-D, I go a step further by setting the ISO for the 36 shots on my card and not changing it, closely mimicking the film experience. The only difference is the absence of the film advance, which I find satisfying.
I also develop my own film (both color and B&W) at home, so I can shoot and develop on the same day. However, using the M-D is definitely more convenient for immediate results without the chemical work. ...Show more →
I don't even settle on one speed with Portra 800 or P3200
What's the highlight situation like with the M-D and other Leicas? If I were to shoot the Zf with an OVF, I would live at -1 EV or highlight-weighted metering just to make sure the highlights stuck around. Is this a concern with any of the digital M's and their meters?
p.3 #9 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
brick33308 wrote:
I came close to getting the M9, but at the last second was talked into getting the M10. I loved the M10, but wonder what my Leica arc would have been had I got the M9 instead
Funny... I've gone the other way. In my most recent interaction with Leica (prior to 2023 I left Leica in 2000!), I began with the SL digital system because if felt like it would be a comfortable side system to my Z-mirrorless kit. In the end, I didn't use the SL gear despite having an SL2, SL2-S, and 14 to 400mm in Leica SL lenses. My Nikon's outperformed the SL's in every way but menu systems, and I would grab the Nikon stuff when I needed to get "the shot." In the end, I sold the SL kit and replaced it with an M10, 35mm f2 Asph, and $$.
While I really loved using the M10 and definitely miss the camera and lens, I could not justify the amount of money spent on a kit that would be used once or twice a month. I ended up selling it and banking much of the money.
2 months later I saw an M9 for sale for $1050. It had 3400 shutter clicks, and I bought it and a Voigt Color-Skoppar for a grand total $1250. I thought, now here's a kit that I could keep even if it was only used once a month. I brought the M9 and 35mm lens to Iceland and shot it in Reykjavik... This was a ton of fun, and the colors and contrast were something special. When I got home, I sent the M9 to Kolari for sensor glass replacement, as I wanted to prevent further corrosion. Ok.. so this cost me an additional $1000, but later this week I should have a corrosion-free M9 that has been deep-cleaned... in the end, it and the lens will still have been less than $2400... not bad!
p.3 #10 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
brick33308 wrote:
for now I am sending my film to the lab, but when I get back to Asheville in April, I'm getting all the gear to develop b/w film, and the Valoi Easy35 to scan with my Sony and a Sony FE90 macro that I bought from a super nice guy here on FM.
You seem to have everything you need. I have a very similar scanning set-up with the Valoi Easy 35 and a Sony body. I use the A7CR UT + Laowa 85mm f/5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO.
By the way, I started developing film about a year ago and this is an incredible thread for those thinking about doing it:
p.3 #11 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
BTW, for those who want to do the 36 exposure trick, here is a great deal on a brand new Transcend 8 GB SD Card Pack Of 4: https://www.ebay.com/itm/176602367440
p.3 #12 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
You seem to have everything you need. I have a very similar scanning set-up with the Valoi Easy 35 and a Sony body. I use the A7CR UT + Laowa 85mm f/5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO.
By the way, I started developing film about a year ago and this is an incredible thread for those thinking about doing it:
p.3 #13 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
brick33308 wrote:
I came close to getting the M9, but at the last second was talked into getting the M10. I loved the M10, but wonder what my Leica arc would have been had I got the M9 instead
It's not too late! It has a lot of limitations, like a film camera. So you would have to get used to it's quirks like the shutter sound, ISO limitations, and generally unusable screen. Furthermore, I think the screen actually makes you think the pictures are worse than they actually turn out.
p.3 #14 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Not quite the MD262 but recently picked up an M10-D to replace my M10-P and love it. Feels even more closer to my M film bodies and the gimmicky thumb grip is neat and actually works quite well. The listed body weight is the same as the 10P but camera balance feels different (better) without the screen on the back.
p.3 #15 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
brick33308 wrote:
put me in the camp of people who recently (re)discovered film (in my case not having shot film since the early 80's), and becoming hooked. I just got the MP a couple of weeks ago, and I feel guilty not having it be on display at MOMA in NYC
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Well I'm certifiably insane. I'm loving film so much that I just bought a MINT original M6 that 3 weeks ago was fully serviced by Ye.
With the M6 and MP, I've now got 2 film cameras that I can run different films at the same time - such as b/w or color, or low ISO b/w and higher ISO b/w.
To think that until February, my only Leica experience was the Q, Q2 and Q3. I don't care what anyone says, IMO Qs are a gateway drug to Ms.
p.3 #18 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
BPsmith511 wrote:
Not quite the MD262 but recently picked up an M10-D to replace my M10-P and love it. Feels even more closer to my M film bodies and the gimmicky thumb grip is neat and actually works quite well. The listed body weight is the same as the 10P but camera balance feels different (better) without the screen on the back.
Congratulations on getting the M10-D!
I wish the M-D had the M10-D’s built-in thumb grip. I really rely on the MP’s advance lever/thumb grip for support when shooting. That said, I do appreciate the M-D’s simplicity.
p.3 #19 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
Congratulations on getting the M10-D!
I wish the M-D had the M10-D’s built-in thumb grip. I really rely on the MP’s advance lever/thumb grip for support when shooting. That said, I do appreciate the M-D’s simplicity.
Yes, I know a lot of people consider it a gimmick but I quite like it. I'm also a fan of the back dial power switch and wifi connect, which I know is polarizing as well. The camera seems to suite me well.
p.3 #20 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
BPsmith511 wrote:
Yes, I know a lot of people consider it a gimmick but I quite like it. I'm also a fan of the back dial power switch and wifi connect, which I know is polarizing as well. The camera seems to suite me well.
It has a lot of limitations, like a film camera. So you would have to get used to it's quirks like the shutter sound, ISO limitations, and generally unusable screen. Furthermore, I think the screen actually makes you think the pictures are worse than they actually turn out. 
