Leica’s new M EV1 camera represents a significant shift in the company’s iconic M-series lineup by replacing the traditional optical rangefinder focusing system with an electronic viewfinder (EVF). This design choice essentially positions the M EV1 as a full-frame mirrorless camera, albeit one that remains strictly manual focus and retains compatibility with Leica’s renowned M-mount lenses. The change is intended to make precise focusing more accessible, a claim that Leica stands behind, but one that proved challenging in practice for this particular user.
The M EV1 boasts an impressive 60-megapixel sensor, promising exceptional image quality, especially when paired with top-tier lenses like the 28mm f/1.4 Summilux used in this review. However, despite the camera’s technical prowess, the user found manual focusing difficult to master, resulting in many images that missed critical sharpness. This difficulty was not necessarily a reflection of the camera’s capability but rather a personal hurdle in adapting to manual focus photography—a discipline that demands a different mindset and skill set compared to autofocus systems.
For context, the reviewer owns Leica’s Q3 43, a camera with more conventional features such as autofocus and an articulating screen, which has enabled them to capture thousands of images they are pleased with. By contrast, Leica’s digital M series, including the M EV1, has not resonated as strongly with them. The reviewer acknowledges that with more time and practice, better results with the M EV1 would likely follow, as the camera itself is an outstanding addition to Leica’s lineup. However, the steep $8,995 (approximately £6,840) body-only price tag places it out of reach for many enthusiasts, including the reviewer, further tempering their enthusiasm.
Throughout the testing period, the reviewer explored a variety of subjects and settings, sharing candid assessments of both successful and less successful shots. One of the first test subjects was Toulouse, the reviewer’s cat, chosen for its stillness and suitability for focusing practice. By underexposing the shot, the image captured the delicate highlights of sunlight on Toulouse’s fur, resulting in a photograph with rich colors and sharp focus. This experience underscored how static subjects provide a forgiving environment for manual focusing, allowing the camera’s capabilities to shine.
The reviewer also experimented with indoor and low-light photography, including shots taken inside a pub. For example, a portrait of a dog named Cal was taken using the camera’s built-in high contrast black-and-white mode without any post-processing. The image exhibited nice focus falloff thanks to a relatively wide f/2.4 aperture, and the soft focus contributed to an artistic, filmic quality. The camera’s ISO performance was also highlighted, with images shot at ISO 3,200 maintaining clean detail and a pleasant grain structure that enhanced the overall mood.
Despite these successes, the challenges of manual focusing were evident in other images. For example, when photographing a patterned blanket indoors, the reviewer missed focus slightly, with the camera focusing in front of the intended subject. This illustrates the fine margin for error inherent in manual focusing, particularly on detailed or textured subjects. To compensate, the reviewer often shot both RAW (DNG) and JPEG formats, applying selective edits such as warming tones and adding grain in Lightroom to evoke a filmic aesthetic.
Street photography, a genre where Leica’s M-series cameras have historically excelled and enjoyed a near-mythical reputation, posed additional challenges. The fast-paced nature of street shooting demands quick reflexes and precise focusing, conditions that are less forgiving for manual focus users. While the reviewer appreciated moments like a candid shot of two people on a bench or a pair of cowboy boots hidden behind a vape cloud, the difficulty of achieving sharp focus in dynamic scenes was a recurring frustration. Motion blur and missed focus were common, highlighting the learning curve for adapting to an electronic viewfinder without autofocus.
The reviewer also utilized the M EV1’s physical controls, such as the shutter speed dial and manual aperture ring on lenses, often leaving shutter speed in automatic mode while selecting aperture manually. This traditional approach appeals to photographers who enjoy tactile control but can slow down shooting speed in fast-moving environments. For compositions, the reviewer sometimes employed the camera’s built-in digital crop function to better frame distant subjects like ships and buildings, though this resulted in some image quality degradation as expected with digital zoom.
Color rendition and white balance emerged as another point of critique. The M EV1’s auto white balance tended