Leica M: The bigger picture
Posted on May 4, 2023
The new Leica M11 Monochrom and Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 ASPH promise to elevate digital photography
Leica recently released the M11 Monochrom, its fourth generation monochrome camera. Developed exclusively for black-and-white photography, the M11 encourages photographers to focus on light and composition rather than colour. Leica also announced the Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 ASPH, a standard prime lens that promises high image quality in a compact build.
The M11 Monochrom boasts a full-frame, multi-resolution sensor that can create Raw, DNG and JPEG images in 60, 36 or 18 megapixels. With an ISO range of 125 to 200,000, the camera can handle a wide variety of light conditions, promising low noise even in the ISO’s upper limits. The 50 f/1.4 lens’ wide aperture provides even more freedom in low light, and its 11 aperture blades are designed to create a pronounced bokeh.
The 50mm is a versatile lens, with a close focusing distance of 45cm. It’s available for cameras across Leica’s M series as well as the SL2 and SL2-S via the M-Adapter L.
The M11 Monochrom offers a 265 GB internal memory, with a USB-C port and Bluetooth connectivity to the Leica FOTOS app. The camera is housed in an all-metal body with an aluminium top plate, a sapphire glass display and a black leather finish. The lens weighs 337g and comes in either black or silver.
The Leica M11 Monochrom and Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 ASPH cost £8,300 and £4,000 (£4,200 for silver), respectively. Both are available at Leica’s brick-and-mortar locations and its Online Store, as well as from authorised resellers. Learn more at leica-camera.com.
Don’t forget to sign up to receive our newsletter below, and get notified about the new issue, exclusive offers and competitions.
Have you heard The Photography News Podcast? Tune in for news, techniques, advice and much more! Click here to listen for free.