Mark Hasler
@mark.a.hasler31 May
Leica....
I've been really enjoying shooting on the canon p I picked up recently. I can easily adapt my lenses from ltm to m mount. What's the "best value" digital Leica M body? (I know the words value and Leica don't belong in the same sentence).
Best value? M240 or M262 if you can get a reasonable bargain.
My personal favourite, if you can stretch your budget a bit? M10 - it's their best digital rangefinder.
Ok, thank you! The budget would probably stretch but my wife's tolerance to that price might not 😂😂😂
M10-P shooter here – very happy with it. It really felt like the M10's was the digital M they were trying to make for awhile and they finally got there. The M240 and M262 were larger in width, and had video which nobody used. On the M10, they got the body down the the same size as their film bodies. The ISO was improved a lot as well.
As much as I like the 240 and 262 - the image quality jump with the m10 is quite significant. Dynamic range and much much cleaner high iso.
edited
M240 always shot better than its age or anything on paper would want me to believe. And great battery life too. Much much better than my m8.
You might not have wanted a second person to say this… er… sorry!
Haha, I'm a little concerned as I read the batteries are impossible to get hold of If they fail. That's my only concern
I’ve heard Leica themselves are starting production of them once again, sometime this summer.
Oh that's thrown a spanner in the works! Thanks Luke.
M240 by far the best value and has a certain look that the M10 doesn’t have. Batteries are becoming available again. Sold mine for a Q3 43. I shouldn’t have. Keeping my eye out for a like new M10R at the moment that said. Shhhhh the wife must not know
From what I’ve seen the M10R has been going up in price a bit again . It’s a super appealing version of the M
Shhhssss!! Delete your comment🤣🤣🤣. Joking apart, many view it as the best M ever, without being OTT on the file size front etc
Replying to Dan Le Brun
🤣🤣
Unconventional suggestion: I just sold/traded an M11 ($6,000) for an SL2 ($2,500) with an M adapter. I've only taken it out once but I loved it. For me, image stabilization and the EVF are really nice, especially as the light gets low.
I probably wouldn't have even attempted the attached shot with the M11.
I don't buy the YouTuber orthodoxy that street must be shot on a tiny camera. As a former journalist, I'm used to carrying around chonky gear. I don't feel like it makes me less discreet, people seem to notice when I'm taking a photo just as much with a small camera. And I can use the SL2 for stuff other than shooting street.
I’ve shot street with a Ricoh and a Nikon D500…..you’re noticed just the same. 100% agree with you. Often people are less suspicious of the BIG camera as you’re obviously taking photos and not trying to be sly
edited
Update. Got a Leica MP 240. Man it was absolutely beautiful. Went on a shoot with it in Windsor to shoot it. All seemed well. Until I got home and realised the 30% of my shots were blank or half exposed. Love view randomly dropping out. Seems like the shutter randomly sticks. Obviously I sent it right back to MPB. Question. Do I risk another one? Or is this a sign a 11 year old camera is maybe running that risk a little too much.
I’ve had absolutely solid 240s, reckon you got unlucky
I had the black paint one which seems hard to come by. There is a chrome version at the Mayfair Leica store with a 2 year warranty. It's more money and not the colour I want but would definitely feel more confident with it.
Just to add though, I’ve felt MPBs testing has got a little light handed recently. You do need to lean on their returns policy till you get a good one!
I told you you'd be getting another one!
On a serious note though, other than it being slightly annoying that you had to send one back, you didn't lose anything. I'd say keep trying to MBP.
You may be impatient, but I don't think it makes sense to pay more for a colourway you don't like. You're buying a Leica, you should but the one you covet
I got my first two Leica M240s from MPB - both had issues and had to go back. This did allow me to save a bit more for my dream M10 which I picked up form London Camera Exchange and have had no problems since.
I don't rate MPB's quality control due to this but cannot fault their return policy.
They literally took the camera back and relisted it. It's not working properly 😂
For 100 quid more than I bought it last week 😂😂
Replying to Mark Hasler
edited
Good grief... might stick with Park Cameras, LCE or Wex for now! Worth keeping Aperture on your list of places to check. Always had a good experience with them Leica wise... https://www.apertureuk.com/pre-owned-leica/leica-rangefinder-cameras/
Replying to Mark Hasler
That's mental but I'm not surprised. Think I'll have to steer clear of them for good now. Maybe I'm out of touch but £2729 seems ludicrous for an MP240 in 2026. Aren't M240's going for around £2k now?
Replying to Luke Kenny
It's been really hard to find them online. The m240 and M10 are like gold dust at the moment
