Leica M: The bigger picture

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.