p.6 #1 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
I was talking to someone recently about the Leica M-D Typ 262 compared to the M11-D, which I just acquired, and thought this might be useful for anyone considering either one.
My original idea was to trade the M-D for the M11-D, but they're actually quite different cameras. The M-D is the closest thing to shooting film, since there's nothing to set up. No WiFi, no Bluetooth, no live view (no EVF support), you set the date and that's it.
1) It has single, continuous, and self-timer mechanical controls right on the power switch itself. The M11-D needs the app for that.
2) It doesn't have auto ISO. That means you set your ISO first, just like shooting film and choosing your ASA before loading the roll.
3) The custom button only toggles between number of shots and battery life. The M11-D gives you seven settings, which honestly feels like a bit much.
4) This is my favorite part: the viewfinder is 0.68x instead of 0.73x, so with a 1.4x magnifier, you get very close to what the M3 viewfinder offers, working beautifully for 50mm while still giving a bit more frameline coverage for 28mm lenses.
5) Lens detection: Very simple on the M-D. If the lens is 6-bit coded, it corrects and writes the lens name to EXIF. If it's not coded, lens detection just goes to "Off." The M11-D doesn't work that way with non-coded lenses, instead of defaulting to "Off," it writes whatever manual lens was last selected, which is annoying.
6) It's glossy black paint over brass, so it'll patina beautifully over time.
p.6 #2 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
I recently acquired an M-D Typ 262 and I’m loving it. It feels great in the hands, takes great pictures, and I enjoy the simplicity of it. I’m using the Arte Di Mano half-case that lets you access the battery and card without having to remove the plate, a convenience I enjoy with the M11. With all the other benefits Fred listed above, I’m not at all interested in the M11-D.
p.6 #3 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Erich6_ wrote:
I recently acquired an M-D Typ 262 and I’m loving it. It feels great in the hands, takes great pictures, and I enjoy the simplicity of it. I’m using the Arte Di Mano half-case that lets you access the battery and card without having to remove the plate, a convenience I enjoy with the M11. With all the other benefits Fred listed above, I’m not at all interested in the M11-D.
Wait, if you're not removing the base plate, are you even getting the real experience? Haha!
p.6 #4 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Fred Miranda wrote:
Wait, if you're not removing the base plate, are you even getting the real experience? Haha!
Haha, I know that’s sacrilege! I actually like the ritual of taking the plate on and off but some cameras are a bit of a pain to get the half case off first, and I don’t like that. :-P
p.6 #6 · Anyone shooting with the Leica M-D Type 262?
Most of you know that the Leica M-D Typ 262 only allows a set of default parameters set by Leica, none of which can be changed. One of those is white balance, which is Auto only. If I could only have one WB setting that couldn't be changed, AutoWB seems like a reasonable, maybe even the best, choice. But there's a catch: the M240/262's Auto WB isn't as sophisticated as what you get on newer cameras, and it's not very accurate.
So what's the solution? In post, you can choose Adobe Standard and pick a WB preset like Daylight, but that doesn't work well either. Even with the Leica M10-R, if you shoot AutoWB in camera and select Adobe Standard and "Daylight" WB in Lightroom, the color isn't right at all.
The only profile that actually works is the Cobalt Spectre for the M10-R. I can shoot with AutoWB in-camera and just apply Spectre and a WB preset in post, and the results are amazing. The colors look beautiful and accurate, almost like a new camera. That's one of the biggest advantages of the M11 that not many people talk about... its Auto white balance is far more accurate, to the point where you almost don't need Cobalt Spectre, though I still notice a small improvement in color tonality with it.
A little bird told me that Cobalt is working on a Spectre profile for the M240/262 bodies, which will also cover the M-D. Honestly, I can't wait. It would mean much better color straight out of the camera, and the fixed Auto WB on those bodies won't matter anymore.
Estimates on how many were made vary wildly online, anywhere from a couple hundred to a few thousand, since Leica never published an official production number. Some folks tried comparing serial numbers to narrow it down, but even that didn't produce a solid answer. Whatever the real figure is, it's clearly a low one, which is part of why these command the price they do.
