I Always Wanted A Leica

Ever since I got into photography I have wanted to shoot with a Leica. I have hemmed and hawed over buying a Leica. The verdict for the last 18 years that I have had a camera in my hand I have lusted over various Leica rangefinders. On my honeymoon 10 years ago I got to handle a Leica for the first time. It was the Leica M8.2 and I considered selling my Canon 1DMKIII on the spot to get the camera. I decided not to though because I was doing photojournalism and wire service work at the time and I could not afford a Leica kit that would allow me to do my work. I have followed the Leica Rumors page for years watching with each new camera. This year LensRentals.com was running a deal over the holidays where if you did a 9 day rental that was delivered by December 24th and returned on or after January 2 you would get 7 days of the rental for free. This time period aligned with Christmas, and a trip to New Orleans. I figured it would be the perfect time to rent a Leica. I rented the Leica M-D 262 and a Leica 50mm Summicron.

Leica M-D 262

You can read the specs about this camera anywhere. Here are the basics. It is a 24mp digital rangefinder. The thing that makes this camera special is that it has no rear display and no way to format a card in the camera. The camera only has controls for ISO, Shutter-speed and drive mode on the camera. There are no controls on the camera for white balance, or for creating in-camera jpegs. The camera is manual focus only as it is a rangefinder. The range finder is big and beautiful. It is remarkably easy to focus.

This camera is a photographer’s camera. It cuts out all of the junk. Not having a back display makes you think about what you are shooting, where you should focus, how you should frame the shot, and how you should expose the shot. The camera makes you work for it. Personally, no matter what camera I am shooting I shoot in manual mode and only shoot raw. The only thing that I kind of miss is the display for review. I typically shoot in the studio while tethered to the computer so that I know and my clients know exactly what we are getting. Shooting without a rear display makes shooting feel much more spontaneous.

Ergonomics

I have constantly heard people talk about how amazing the ergonomics are on Leica cameras. I’m going to be brutally honest handeling the camera feels kind of like handling a soap bar. Having said that it is the most satisfying camera to use that I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I’m not exactly sure how both of those statements can be true, but it is. The camera has a great leatherette finish with great grip. The simplicity of everything really makes it work. The camera feels like handling a fine piece of jewelry. The area where you grip the camera is rather thin with no indentations for your fingers. The beauty of this camera is that it honestly just feels great despite the fact that it does not have some of the fancy features of more modern styled DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

The Look

The Leica M-D 262 is one sexy camera. It is beautiful in its simplicity. My favorite thing about this camera is how discrete it is. I feel like when you bring this camera up to your face to photograph peoplle they don’t get quite as intimidated as they do by a bigger camera. It just seems so innocent for lack of a better word.

Image Quality

The image quality coming off of this sensor is pretty nice. It does not have the dynamic range of my Nikon Z7 or my Pentax 645Z. Having said that you don’t get a Leica for the dynamic range. The camera has more noise than either of the previously mentioned cameras. Having said that the image quality is perfectly fine. The colors coming off the sensor are really nice. Also, the body plays really nice with the Leica lenses.

Leica 50mm Summicron F2

Along with the Leica M-D 262 I also rented the Leica 50mm F2 Summicron. This is an amazingly small and lightweight 50mm f2 lens with a built-in lens hood. The lens is small and jewel-like. It feels amazing in the hand. It is a really solid and premium feeling lens. The lens is beautifully sharp even wide open at f2.0. The lens does not seem to suffer from any distortion and does not have a ton of vignette. The lens renders really beautifully. The micro-contrast on this lens is really fantastic.

The Images

Lets take a look at some images that I took with the Lecia M-D 262 and 50mm Summicron. These images are a mixture of images taken at my home on Christmas and in New Orleans.

Check out a little food photography with this camera and lens combo. This is an amazing camera and lens, but not perfect for food photography because the maximum reproduction ratio is too low. Having said that you can still get some killer shots.

Next up we have a few natural light portraits. In shooting this camera I felt like it really begged to just be shot natural light. I felt like adding flash was too much.

Next up I have some street photography from New Orleans. This was a really fun camera to use on the street. It is inconspicuous and very small.

Will I Buy A Leica?

I don’t know if you can tell but I had a blast shooting the Leica M-D 262. It was one of the most fun experiences that I have had as a photographer. The camera does a great job of taking photography down to the basics. I would love to rent a Leica M10 and a few higher-end lenses like the 35mm and 50mm Summalux lenses. As much as I loved shooting this camera and lens they are not perfect for my workflow. As I shoot a lot of products and food I have to be pretty close to my subjects. Focusing close with a rangefinder is difficult. Also, Leica does not have a good tethering solution for any of the M series cameras. I would love to buy a Leica camera to shoot for fun and to shoot for some personal art projects.

Update!

Since renting the Leica M-D262 a few years back I have purchased a Leica M10. Click here to read my 2 year review!