My M EV1 arrived yesterday I just finished setting up menus and adding goodies like a strap half case and owlcrown thumb support that lets me still use Zeniko flash even though that is quite short range it too is tiny and light, picking it up it does indeed feel much lighter and compact than the M11P those few grams and shedding the EVF I usually leave attached to do a duo of rangefinder and EVF. Over the next day or so I want to try lenses and see how it performs in different light, I will start with my apo 50 summicron because it is benchmark resolution and then try wider and longer, faster and vintage. So it will take some time to go through it all. When I ordered it I was mostly thinking compact (light weight for old photographer) set up anchored with apo 50, with a bracketing 21/28/90 colorskopers, and maybe a rigid SP2 LLL, and/or 35 mm F2 LLL, or elcan (probably not all of them) for character to keep it all E39 compact. This is my outdoors bright light set when I can shoot the colorskoppers at 5.6 or so. I often "ruin" the E39 perfection with a E49 135 mm apo that is so nice for wildlife. But this time of year low light especially when in Alaska it will be mostly Noktons/Noctlux so heavy lenses light camera. At the moment the M EV1 feels good, my safari M11P is definitely classier and more impressive to the eye with or without the EVF riding it. My first impression is what most of the YouTubers have said a MF Q with interchangeable lenses, not that it is bad thing. If Leica was cost efficient (hah!) it would have been a lensless Q at a 2-3k$ less.... but what is the profit in that when photographers like me will buy one labeled M at full fare.
That is my set up impression- photographic impression to follow.
rji2goleez wrote:
One thing I started thinking about with the EV-1 is to compare my 'comfort' shooting this camera which increases more and more as I use it. It reminded me of when I first started shooting with a rangefinder. Specifically, it took some time to get used to the rangefinder experience coming from the Sony (or any other non-rangefinder system). After a while, using the rangefinder felt natural and easy to use.
I'm finding a similar experience with the EV-1. When I first started to use it, I felt a little awkward and slow coming from my M-11. As I use it more, it is becoming more second nature using the EV and enjoying the ability to see what the camera/lens sees no matter the lens attached.
So, it makes me wonder if some of the EV-1 naysayers are jumping the gun and not giving themselves more time with the camera in the hand. I certainly am not discrediting some of the highlighted negatives that others are noting. Some are from direct comparison to a traditional M. Some are just the technical specs of the EV-1. But like with any new tool, it sometimes takes a bit of time to get to our maxiumum efficiency in using a tool before passing judgement.
I'm still in assessment mode with the EV-1 vs my M11....Show more →
gammarART wrote:
A German owner is currently selling his EV1 in a P version ✨
If that one were in silver… (and ideally with a tilting screen)… I’d be in
stgrove wrote:
EMH
Any comments on your menu setup and how you align it with using an RF? Thanks.
For EV 1 I have not done anything other than basic stuff- I made the wheel ev value because I like that I can view and change ev, the button does focus with wheel, I left the wb auto for now, I made the shutter do low speed multiple photos, hybrid if I go to fast although I try not to use electronic shutter, I have already noted the EVF and you can get rolling black lines, I set the center weight to match my focus point. So far ok.I will adjust on the fly for more challenging going uses. As I wrote next thing for me is to rotate through a bunch of lenses, and lighting conditions. I am in AZ at moment, lots of good resolution and DOF stuff here, close in on cactus is a great DOF test, and the adjacent mountains have so much detail for landscape resolution- they are all good test subjects, just like all the buildings and windows Fred uses for his tests. In a day or two I should have some comfort and shot hundreds of photos with different lenses under different conditions. I want to challenge the EVF in EV1 and then check the photos on big screen with computer and see if I can nail focus and exposure or not- and assess how much practice I might need. Now that I am getting too old my rangefinder focus hit rate film and M11 has declined to ego hurt, still use it but not always happy when light is a challenge- hence this new camera, which of course doesn't help my film use issues that is a tough pill after many decades for film photography.
1) When I'm shooting lowlight/high iso environments with bright backlight objects, it takes the EVF quite a few seconds to meter back properly. The screen seems to freak out and go white for a bit then get back.
2) The focus peaking is not all that great for lowlight.
Both of these, I think, are firmware issues more than anything. I saw a comment on a YouTube video suggesting this EVF could be the same one in the Q3, so the 60Hz limitation could be updated via firmware in the future, albeit at the cost of battery life.
1) When I'm shooting lowlight/high iso environments with bright backlight objects, it takes the EVF quite a few seconds to meter back properly. The screen seems to freak out and go white for a bit then get back.
2) The focus peaking is not all that great for lowlight.
Both of these, I think, are firmware issues more than anything. I saw a comment on a YouTube video suggesting this EVF could be the same one in the Q3, so the 60Hz limitation could be updated via firmware in the future, albeit at the cost of battery life....Show more →
yes noticed same last night when after I first got the camera yesterday I put the 0.95 Noct on it since it was late in the day and low light and just shot around the home- the freak out as you described was very troubling. Today in daylight with a few lenses like the apo 50, a 28 colorskoper, and even the 0.95 with a ND and shot at 0.95 the camera is well behaved. I hope firmware update will stabilize that issue because otherwise I am going to be exploring its limits of when I can and cannot use it. I got the camera mostly to go light and the 0.95 Noct overwhelms the camera... but the camera feels good with a series of E39s on it. After I finish playing with E39s, I'll try some of my midweight lenses like the 28 nokton that Iike, it does soon ok with the 135 apo but being a long lens it is different from the others.
EMH2025 wrote:
yes noticed same last night when after I first got the camera yesterday I put the 0.95 Noct on it since it was late in the day and low light and just shot around the home- the freak out as you described was very troubling. Today in daylight with a few lenses like the apo 50, a 28 colorskoper, and even the 0.95 with a ND and shot at 0.95 the camera is well behaved. I hope firmware update will stabilize that issue because otherwise I am going to be exploring its limits of when I can and cannot use it. I got the camera mostly to go light and the 0.95 Noct overwhelms the camera... but the camera feels good with a series of E39s on it. After I finish playing with E39s, I'll try some of my midweight lenses like the 28 nokton that Iike, it does soon ok with the 135 apo but being a long lens it is different from the others.
Agreed, alot of my shooting is at night, so my ideal kit was lighter body + faster lense so I really need the EVF firmware to be fixed on this. I'm A-ok with EVF boost at the cost of battery.
If this rumor turns out to be true, then this may end up being the best Leica branded EVF based camera for shooting M lenses on. Performance, form factor, weight, and price in one package.
Yes, I've noticed some weirdness in very low light settings including a very grainy EVF. But, in anything but dark(ish) settings, I have had very good results. In daylight I find it very satisfying - and especially with those lenses that were formerly somewhat challenging on my other Ms.
Like Math Photographer, I assigned the rear wheel to focus zoom and I find that helpful with the 90 and 135 lenses.
I'm hopeful they will make some improvements via firmware going forward. I think it's pretty good now but could be great with some enhancements.
Yes indeed the Viso2 on my M11P has done well enough so that is my question for Leica why does the EVF seem inferior to the Viso2 when the the hardware and software of EV1 is basically the same and isnt it the whole point to have the EV1 give a good EVF experience to use those light lens (I was paying attention to the Leica posts on youtube!) So is this a purposeful limit that may hobble the camera in low light, or is this a glitch that like so often happens when something first appears and is fixed with update. I hope it is update, Leica has a far better update capacity through their app than most things including othet cameras, So they need to get their “geniuses” working on the update and show apple how one fixes a launch glitch.
Dec 09, 2025 at 08:03 AM
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1bwana1 wrote:
If this rumor turns out to be true, then this may end up being the best Leica branded EVF based camera for shooting M lenses on. Performance, form factor, weight, and price in one package.
That would indeed be an interesting camera, with a fast stacked sensor which Leica currently doesn't have. It would be fairly small at 800g as well. So very much a Sony A1 II competitor in performance, and size. I think the EV-1 is a very different camera, however, which will be about 300g lighter and a much smaller package that does not require an adapter. Which you prefer for M lenses using an EVF would depend on priorities. The new camera would have great IBIS, a great view finder experience, and the ability to shoot silently. The EV-1 would be significantly smaller, however, and would have a native mount. I think there is probably room for both.
Personally, I would like the new camera for most shooting, but I would prefer the EV-1 as a travel camera. I probably wouldn't be in the market for either for about a decade, however, as that is how long it takes for Leica cameras to settle to the price I am willing to pay.
1bwana1 wrote:
If this rumor turns out to be true, then this may end up being the best Leica branded EVF based camera for shooting M lenses on. Performance, form factor, weight, and price in one package.
Why wait for the Leica model when the Panasonic model is already available and at a lower price point?
A friend who has the 44 MP Panasonic also said that the Panasonic offers cyan focus peaking which I am finding greatly helps with my X2Dii images captures.
stgrove wrote:
Why wait for the Leica model when the Panasonic model is already available and at a lower price point?
AFAIK, the Leica have different micro-lenses and are better with M lenses for instance. Not 100% sure.
And one can prefer Leica ergonomics and be ready to pay for it.
pmeheut wrote:
AFAIK, the Leica have different micro-lenses and are better with M lenses for instance. Not 100% sure.
And one can prefer Leica ergonomics and be ready to pay for it.
I have heard that asymmetrical microlenses were used in the past but are no longer used on modern M Leica BSI based sensors because the wells are now more open on the top so such lenses are not required. Can anyone who knows for sure clear this up?
I don't beleive that the SL sensors ever had microlenses because the SL lenses were designed for mirrorless sensors from the begining.
pmeheut wrote:
AFAIK, the Leica have different micro-lenses and are better with M lenses for instance. Not 100% sure.
And one can prefer Leica ergonomics and be ready to pay for it.
My friend who has the S1RII and also the SL2S, to him both perform the same with M lenses.
