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Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience
  
 
Ne314satel
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p.8 #1 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


I'm convinced that photographic quality isn't determined by sharpness or resistance to direct sunlight. Photographic quality is determined by the subject, composition, novelty, and so on. Sometimes, lens characteristics, optical imperfections, lens flare, and so on must be added to these factors. And 99% of modern optics have forgotten these imperfections and try to compensate for them with sharpness. The legacy of M-system lenses (including LTM) over the past nearly 100 years is the core value of creative and artistic photography.
Aug 01, 2026 at 02:07 AM
randomphotoguy
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p.8 #2 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


johnvanr wrote:
Sorry…swimming with pigs?

My wife saw the excursion and wanted to try it. There were mainly baby pigs and they would roam around on the beach and get in the ocean. You can feed them and pet them.







Aug 01, 2026 at 09:42 AM
philip_pj
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p.8 #3 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


The field needs a paradigm shift and it is underway in the crucible of cine lens design. Calling any beneficial imaging product of our lenses 'imperfections' elevates technical quality above aesthetic quality. Only a fool would do that IF the goal was beauty and a beautiful portrayal of the chosen subject, which is something humans need for spiritual and emotional nourishment.

Describing excellence in purely and widely accepted technical terms has taken us to a dark place. By contrast, we lack even a good lexicon for the things that really matter in image quality.

We end up using imprecise and overly general language like 'character', 'vintage', 'aesthetic' if we want to be positive. Otherwise, such lenses are described in technical terms: it has curvature, CA correction is not perfect, it is weak at MFD, has poor corners, and so on and so forth.

Modern commercial lenses are the optical counterparts to modern architecture.
Society is at war with good taste.

“Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope. They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only Beauty."

- Oscar WIlde
Aug 01, 2026 at 05:27 PM
philip_pj
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p.8 #4 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


The profound Leica (Leitz) legacy is nevertheless overstated, and pales when compared to the monumental contribution of Carl Zeiss AG to lens design and development. There is no Leitz equivalent in the 20th century to Zeiss Super Speed lenses, as an example. Just an opinion.

These things move in long wave frequencies though, and ZEISS (hurts doesn't it, but that is their brand name) is hopefully nearing the end of a long-term bad taste period, one that began at the end of last century, coinciding with the end of the film era and their Contax ranges as well.

They imbibed the technical lens Kool-Aid, now that bottle is almost empty. People want something more nourishing, so expect some craziness in lens releases until it all settles down. 2-3 years should do it.


Aug 01, 2026 at 05:44 PM
dalegaspi
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p.8 #5 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


Sir, this is a Wendy's.

philip_pj wrote:
The field needs a paradigm shift and it is underway in the crucible of cine lens design. Calling any beneficial imaging product of our lenses 'imperfections' elevates technical quality above aesthetic quality. Only a fool would do that IF the goal was beauty and a beautiful portrayal of the chosen subject, which is something humans need for spiritual and emotional nourishment.

Describing excellence in purely and widely accepted technical terms has taken us to a dark place. By contrast, we lack even a good lexicon for the things that really matter in image quality.

We end up using imprecise and...Show more →
Aug 01, 2026 at 06:50 PM
doubleo6point9
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p.8 #6 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


philip_pj wrote:
They can certainly do so, making an 'EV-1' would be child's play for Sony, for example. We can say that with authority simply because they (in particular Sony, still a relative newcomer and premier innovator) are clearly avoiding doing so.

In 2013 Sony made a camera with 36mp that weighed within 20 grams of an EV-1, then followed it up with the 485g RX1 (lens included). The main M camera at that time was the M240, it weighed 680 grams..so small and light' is easy for Sony, they were ahead of that game 13 years ago.

M cameras as travel options...Show more →


Sorry I'm late to the party as I've been traveling and enjoying life but what a load pompous you know what... So I'm not trying to take any offense to what you're saying in your post but it makes me laugh at how narrow minded it comes off. Not sure why you seem to have a thing against M's for travel when others have proven it works for them. No one is saying it's the best or only option, just that it's an option if it fits your style of shooting and traveling. If not then nothing to see here, move on and live your life. But I'm sure the likes of Alan Schaller and others would chuckle at the few snaps for memories comments. Also FM, while a great forum and resource for those of us here, lacks in people sharing their photos compared to the rest of social media where a lot of other very talented photographers who post incredible work with all sorts of camera gear, Leica M included.

Anyways I'm not sure what your criteria for "robust and focused travel work" is but I'm curious at why it seems to come off that your idea of that travel gear is the only option if someone were to be a serious travel photographer. I'm curious as to why you think that buying and selling is a waste of time for photography and why potentially missing shots while traveling is the end of the world (some people love experimenting with new gear and shooting new cameras)? Are you a full time professional being paid to capture those shots while traveling? Will missing out on a single shot ruin your entire trip? If so I can understand but I highly doubt many of the photographers here are being paid to do so.

I used to shoot weddings as a side gig to supplement my income when I first started my flying career as the pay was incredibly low (less than a fast food worker on minimum wage) so I know the pressures of delivering for a client when you need to. But now I fly a Boeing 777 airliner for work and travel quite often for my own leisure due to my flexible schedule and travel benefits that come with the job. I literally spend a large part of my life abroad experiencing new amazing things and I document it all for my own memories but also for my friends, family and the random social media followers I have who have asked that I keep sharing my photos. I've got several photography projects that I'm working on including the printing of several magazines of all my travel adventures for those who have requested it and really the only reason I even started these projects were by request by the people who value my photography. I've traveled with big bulky Canons then Sonys with all the heavy zooms and primes (even Fuji crop and GFX systems) and realized it just wasn't for me. Now I travel relatively light with my M's or Q's or a combo of both and it just works for me. Simple as that and I'll never judge anyone else for doing what works for them.

So as someone had said earlier, do what you do and shoot what you want to shoot. How anyone decides to do that has nothing to do with their actual ability to create amazing photographs. I have no brand loyalty and just shoot what works for me and I suspect a lot of people here on FM are the same way. The OP simply gave his/her opinion and the rest of us chimed in to give our opinions. No need to argue over whose opinion is wrong simply because it doesn't fit your idea of what YOU think is the only way to do things...
Aug 07, 2026 at 04:45 PM
philip_pj
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p.8 #7 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


thanks for that, doubleo6point9. Controversy is always welcome, and I hope you have a nice day.


Aug 07, 2026 at 08:12 PM
Bit-chin-Camera-oh
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p.8 #8 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


thirtyfivefifty wrote:
Some things to note about the M11 series from my experience:

* For freezes/pixelation, I’d look at the card as one possible variable. Before buying my M11, I researched user experiences and compatibility. SanDisk came up repeatedly, and I went with a 300MB/s read/write card rather than the cheapest option. I’ve never had those issues.

* For low-light focusing, the rangefinder patch needs enough contrast to work effectively. Depending on the situation, learning to use available contrast, focus anticipation, and zone focusing can help a lot.

* I rarely use Live View. I keep the screen brightness low and primarily use the optical...Show more →

@thirtyfivefifty
Did you get my PM. Just trying to reply to your PM. Wanted to make sure it got through. Cheers.
Aug 19, 2026 at 12:50 PM
gordec
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p.8 #9 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


M is a life style. It's the smallest footprint to achieve a full frame 35mm f1.4. That's good enough for me.
Aug 21, 2026 at 12:03 AM
weatherproof
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p.8 #10 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


gordec wrote:
M is a life style. It's the smallest footprint to achieve a full frame 35mm f1.4. That's good enough for me.

Where else have I heard this...



https://imgur.com/a/husJQIj
Aug 21, 2026 at 05:34 AM
 


Search in Used Dept. 

SlowDriver
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p.8 #11 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


weatherproof wrote:
Where else have I heard this...

Looking forward to Leica branded water bottles and yoga mats.


Aug 21, 2026 at 11:21 AM
RexGig0
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p.8 #12 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


I can still focus accurately, with the rangefinder, in good light, but, yes, indeed, low light is a different kettle of fish. Low is light the time/place for using a wider-angle lens, on an M body, focusing with its distance and DOF markings; a.k.a. Distance/Scale/“Zone” Focusing, as necessary.

Moreover, I never went all-in with Leica M. My wife is still a Nikon shooter, both F and Z, so, I am not quitting Nikon. I finally started adding Z bodies, this year; a Z30 and then ZR, thus far. My low light night fighter is the Nikon D5.

I am not quitting my most-favored Leica/Zeiss/Voigtlander M lenses, either. It is unlikely that attrition with claim all of my Leica M10, M10 Monochrom, and M Type 246 Monochrom bodies, but, if it does, and I still have the M lenses, I will adapt them to Nikon Z.

OK, so, what about low light, WHILE traveling with “minimal” gear? Well, I do not have the M-to-Z adapter, yet, but, I could bring the pocketable ZR body, to back-up/complement the M body.

I KNOW what it is like to DROP a new Leica M camera, at the outset of a photo-specific trip, and to then finish the trip with a Nikon D5 camera, and one compact prime lens. It was just a day trip, but the principle applies, regardless of whether day trip, or epic oddysey…
Aug 21, 2026 at 03:36 PM
philip_pj
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p.8 #13 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


The M imagined as a 'piece of jewellery' reminded me of looking at the atrocious haptics and mass of text that adorns the Summilux 28/1.4. I wondered how could such a company do such a poor job of cluttering up the lens top?

The marketing section appear to fully understand that the appearance of Leica products is just as important as their function. In that lens, looking good overshadowed working well, and probably does so more often than many care to admit, for other Leica products.

Of course, I'm very happy for those who appreciate it done this way, now I know what is going on. But such a direction cannot help but have blowback into design issues, like focus and aperture rings placed within a few millimetres of each other.



Aug 21, 2026 at 04:32 PM
philip_pj
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p.8 #14 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


On topic, 'travel' is a misnomer. It's very often what you do in your home environment, but in a different geography, so best to be specific about what it means for you. I find the idea of using an M camera inside a dark monastic chamber as risible as using a DSLR there - you just need EVF gain up.

Ms are marketed as natty adjuncts to the hipster lifestyle for profiling down the high street - just look at the YT brigade. And they fulfill that role very well. I get the impression many owners won't even take their Ms abroad or in seedy environments, thus negating the entire concept entirely.

At some point, you have to question if what you are doing is actually 'photography'. The lack of affordable 'Ms' puts Leica in a niche similar to that of De Beers, if you know that story. That worked well - until now.
Aug 21, 2026 at 04:33 PM
RustyBug
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p.8 #15 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


philip_pj wrote:
On topic, 'travel' is a misnomer. It's very often what you do in your home environment, but in a different geography, so best to be specific about what it means for you. I find the idea of using an M camera inside a dark monastic chamber as risible as using a DSLR there - you just need EVF gain up.

Ms are marketed as natty adjuncts to the hipster lifestyle for profiling down the high street - just look at the YT brigade. And they fulfill that role very well. I get the impression many owners won't even take their...Show more →

Yeah ... well, umm ... I'm not quite on board with the whole hipster thing. That assertion seems a bit like the Kool-Aid of a different kind being consumed.

Personally, i appreciate a quality mechanical, tactile interface. There is a certain satisfaction in shifting a manual shift car / bike. Handling a precision chisel / knife. Pulling a trigger that has a crisp, clean, break. Some folks like a bolt action, others want a large magazine. Some prefer to use a precision handsaw, others use a powered circular saw.

If you've ever seriously bought and worked with high quality, precision woodworking hand tools ... the M makes a whole lot more sense than decrying YT videos from content influencers. I can buy a a variety of different chisels from cheap to exotic. Some actually cut better than others, some require more frequent sharpening, some are made with exotic species of wood handles, but the chisel itself is meh. Others, the chisel is sublime, and the wood species is "ordinary" (but high quality).

Diff folks land their choice for interaction with their tools in different places. Personally, I think it is a bit short sighted to claim the Ms as YT hipster stuff.

Maybe that's the engineer in me ... but, I've never been mistaken for a hipster.




Aug 21, 2026 at 08:46 PM
1bwana1
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p.8 #16 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


philip_pj wrote:
On topic, 'travel' is a misnomer. It's very often what you do in your home environment, but in a different geography, so best to be specific about what it means for you. I find the idea of using an M camera inside a dark monastic chamber as risible as using a DSLR there - you just need EVF gain up.

Ms are marketed as natty adjuncts to the hipster lifestyle for profiling down the high street - just look at the YT brigade. And they fulfill that role very well. I get the impression many owners won't even take their...Show more →

If you would actually look at the demographics of who owns and shoots Leica camera gear I think "hipster" wouldn't be the term used to describe them. In my experience they tend to be older, financially successful, well educated, experienced, well traveled, and serious about photography.

Being very knowledgeable about DeBeers and Leica I see near zero commonality in either product or business model.

DeBeers took an abundant natural resource, created artificial scarcity, and falsely inflated prices through monopoly and advertising. This model is crumbling due to uncontrollable low cost competition from lab grown diamonds.

Leica is a small, high precision manufacturer of products. Leica sells as many cameras, lenses, and other photographic products as it can make. No artificial rarely in their business model. It does this by filling a niche in a larger market full of lower cost alternatives. In this enviornment Leica continues to set sales and revenue records in its business. A very different model, with very different results than DeBeers is experiencing.

I am thinking that anyone trying to link these two business models probably doesn't know much at depth about either.

The Leica M system is actually a very powerful camera system usable in almost all enviornments, and accross almost all genres of photography. It can be used with either a RF, or an EVF, depending on need. Exposure and composition is easily and accurately handled in M cameras. MF is also easily handled through the RF. EVF , or distance scales on the lenses. In low light I think AF is often less reliable than any of these methods.

The M line is available in analog models, through the very advanced digital models. All with full mount compatibility without adapters to a huge ecosystem of glass spanning decades of design. No other system currently offers that breadth of capability.

I think the answere to the question of "is what you are doing is actually photography" is clearly YES. This is backed up by the quality of work done with the M system historicaly and currently.



Aug 21, 2026 at 09:10 PM
RomanMF
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p.8 #17 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


I ended up taking my MP and three primes on my Euro vacation. Who knows how the film turned out, I’m still not back home yet, but it’s been a fun challenge. I won’t know how I really feel until I get the film from the lab 😅
Aug 21, 2026 at 10:11 PM
1bwana1
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p.8 #18 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


RomanMF wrote:
I ended up taking my MP and three primes on my Euro vacation. Who knows how the film turned out, I’m still not back home yet, but it’s been a fun challenge. I won’t know how I really feel until I get the film from the lab 😅

Yep, a wonderful travel setup. I just took my M11, M6, and 6 M lenses is a very small bag on a three week trip to the Eastern Mediterranean. I shot every day of the trip. I didn't feel that the M system hampered me in any way, in fact the opposite.

It sure felt like I was doing "photography" to me...
Aug 22, 2026 at 05:13 AM
SlowDriver
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p.8 #19 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience


1bwana1 wrote:
Leica sells as many cameras, lenses, and other photographic products as it can make. No artificial rarely in their business model.

Really? I asked Google AI:

"Yes, Leica’s business model relies significantly on scarcity, but it is a dual-layered strategy that combines the natural scarcity of low-volume craftsmanship with the artificial scarcity of luxury marketing. While mainstream tech giants like Sony or Canon prioritize high-volume automation and rapid product life cycles, Leica operates more like a Swiss watchmaker. They use exclusivity, prestige, and deliberate supply constraints to command immense profit margins."

Sounds spot on to me...
Aug 22, 2026 at 11:14 AM
Nifty Fifty
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p.8 #20 · Leica M11-P as a Travel Camera: A Love-Hate Experience




SlowDriver wrote:
Really? I asked Google AI:

"Yes, Leica’s business model relies significantly on scarcity, but it is a dual-layered strategy that combines the natural scarcity of low-volume craftsmanship with the artificial scarcity of luxury marketing. While mainstream tech giants like Sony or Canon prioritize high-volume automation and rapid product life cycles, Leica operates more like a Swiss watchmaker. They use exclusivity, prestige, and deliberate supply constraints to command immense profit margins."

Sounds spot on to me...
That is exactly how it is.


I recently read an interview with the Art Director and authorized representative of Leica Camera.The interview was also posted somewhere here in the forum.

It discusses Leica’s strategy of scarcity and exclusivity. The company deliberately throttles or limits production volumes, even though demand is higher. The reasoning is that if they were to drastically ramp up production numbers to fully satisfy the market, Leica would lose its status as a luxury brand and—sooner or later—be forced to compete on price and offer discounts.
This is nothing more than artificial scarcity. Leica eschews expansion into a mass-market brand in order to safeguard its high margins and resale value.
In doing so, Leica avoids price wars. Higher volumes would undermine its premium image and ultimately lead to a drop in prices.
Leica explicitly defines itself as a luxury manufacturer, rather than a volume producer.
Aug 22, 2026 at 11:26 AM
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