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 p.2 #16 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience | |
tofunjay wrote:
Hi everyone, I’m new here and wanted to share some real-world thoughts after spending time with the M11-P as a travel camera. I shoot a mix of systems, but I was really hoping this could become my one-camera solution on the road.
I really wanted the Leica M11-P to be my “end-all, be-all” travel camera, but after spending some real time with it, I ended up with a bit of a love–hate relationship. None of this is meant to bash the camera—it does a lot right—but there are a few things that personally got in my way that might not bother others.
First, the rangefinder experience. When everything clicks, it’s incredibly satisfying. But in low light, I found it noticeably harder to focus accurately, especially compared to what I’m used to with other systems. It slowed me down more than I expected on trips where lighting conditions change constantly.
Parallax also caught me off guard more than I anticipated. I didn’t really notice it at first, but after reviewing several images, I realized some foreground elements I intentionally composed just didn’t show up the way I saw them in the viewfinder. I know live view is the workaround, but that brings its own issues—the screen feels small, not bright enough in direct sunlight, and without a tilt or pivot, there are angles where it’s just not practical to use. In those moments, I felt like I was fighting the camera a bit.
On the hardware side, I’m not sure if it was just my unit, but I experienced occasional freezing and some strange pixelation artifacts in a few images. This was with the latest firmware and using a Sony Tough G-series card, so it wasn’t a media or update issue on my end. Not a constant problem, but enough to make me uneasy on a travel setup where reliability matters.
That said, I absolutely love the build quality, the heritage feel, and of course the Leica glass. The files and rendering are fantastic, and the camera feels special to use. But I do think there are a few design choices that could have been better thought out.
The ISO dial is one example. I understand the homage to the film rewind knob, but on my unit it’s quite stiff and awkward to pull up quickly. It interrupts the shooting flow. I ended up remapping ISO to the rear wheel near the shutter, which works well—but then the physical dial becomes essentially useless. That space could have been utilized differently while still keeping the clean Leica design.
I know the Visoflex EVF is an option, but from what I’ve read, the battery life hit is pretty significant, which makes it less appealing for travel.
Overall, I still think the M11-P is a beautiful tool and can be incredible in the right hands and shooting style. For me, though, these small friction points added up more than I expected for a camera I hoped would be my one-and-done travel companion.
Curious how others have adapted to some of these quirks, especially around parallax and low-light focusing.
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The Sony Tough G cards are probably the cause of your freezing and pixelation issues. For whatever reason they just don't work well on M11 generation cameras. I switched to Lexar and haven't had an issue since. I now use my Sony Tough G cards only on my A1.
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