Leica M EV1: A Divisive Step Forward for the Legendary M System

Photo Courtesy Of Leica AG

Watch my live initial review of camera here.
https://youtube.com/live/Gu0FaiTSoZY

The Leica M series has long been defined by its iconic rangefinder—the "M" literally stands for "Messucher," German for rangefinder. But with the new M EV1, Leica has taken a bold step away from tradition, replacing the optical rangefinder with a high-resolution electronic viewfinder. At $8,995, this camera represents a fascinating crossroads between heritage and modernity, and early reviews suggest it's dividing opinion in predictable ways.

What Makes the M EV1 Different

The most striking change is what's missing: that distinctive rangefinder window at the top corner of the camera. In its place, Leica has installed a 5.76-million-dot OLED EVF borrowed from the Q3, offering 0.76x magnification. Underneath, the camera shares nearly identical specs with the M11—the same excellent 60-megapixel full-frame sensor, identical body dimensions, and familiar controls.

The weight drops by about 80 grams compared to the M11, a noticeable difference when shooting all day. The camera retains a single UHS-II SD card slot, 64GB of internal storage, and like the M11-P, supports C2PA content authenticity protocols.

The Shooting Experience: Two Perspectives

This is where opinions diverge significantly.

The Optimistic View

Some photographers find the EVF to be a logical evolution that adds versatility without sacrificing the essential M experience. The electronic viewfinder offers several practical advantages: accurate exposure and color preview, easy diopter adjustment, and most importantly, the ability to magnify the view for precision focusing. This becomes especially valuable when using fast apertures with razor-thin depth of field or when working with adapted lenses.

The EVF also solves long-standing challenges with the M system—ultra-wide lenses no longer require auxiliary viewfinders, and super telephoto lenses adapted from SLR mounts become far more practical. Focus peaking and magnified live view help achieve the kind of precision that a mechanical rangefinder sometimes struggles to deliver.

For portraits and deliberate work, the ability to zoom in and confirm perfect focus is genuinely useful. The shooting experience remains quintessentially M-like, with manual focus lenses and a minimalist control layout that feels familiar to anyone who's used Leica's rangefinder cameras.

The Skeptical View

Others argue that the M EV1 misses the entire point of what makes a Leica rangefinder special. The rangefinder isn't just a focusing mechanism—it's a distinctive way of seeing and shooting that becomes intuitive with practice. That hard-won experience brings a sense of pride and accomplishment that an EVF simply cannot replicate.

Manual focusing through an EVF, even a high-quality one, proves slow and imprecise compared to the quick, elegant overlay matching of a traditional rangefinder. Focus peaking is inconsistent, sometimes highlighting everything or nothing depending on lighting and aperture. For true precision with 60 megapixels, you'll need to use magnified live view, which requires tapping the screen or slowly repositioning a focus point—a far cry from the fluid speed of rangefinder shooting.

The 2.4-second startup delay becomes more frustrating with an EVF, since you can't begin focusing your lens while the camera wakes up. Battery life also takes a hit, requiring a spare battery for full-day shooting.

The Fundamental Question

Perhaps the most telling criticism is this: if you're going to shoot manual focus through an EVF anyway, what justifies paying $8,995 for the M EV1 when a Sony a7CR offers the same sensor, autofocus capabilities, and video recording for $3,399? Beyond the Leica name and red dot, the practical advantages become harder to identify.

Yet this perspective may miss the target audience entirely. The M EV1 isn't meant to replace the rangefinder—Leica's decision to use an entirely new naming convention makes that clear. This camera serves those who love M-mount lenses but struggle with rangefinder focusing due to failing eyesight, those who want to use adapted glass more effectively, or those who simply prefer composing through an EVF.

The Verdict: It Depends Who You Are

The Leica M EV1 is perfectly capable and fun to use. It delivers the same stunning 60-megapixel image quality as the M11, saves buyers a bit of money by eliminating the expensive rangefinder mechanism, and adds genuine utility to the M system for specific use cases.

But it won't win over traditional rangefinder enthusiasts who see the optical finder as the soul of the M experience. For them, paying 91% of the cost of a proper rangefinder camera to get something that shoots like any other mirrorless camera makes little sense.

The M EV1 deserves its place in the Leica family as an alternative, not a replacement. Whether it finds its audience will depend on how many photographers value M-mount compatibility and Leica build quality enough to choose it over more affordable, feature-rich alternatives—or how many longtime M shooters are ready to embrace a different way of working with their beloved lenses.

One thing is certain: Leica has created exactly what they intended—a camera that will polarize opinion and spark passionate debate among its devoted following.

Leica M EV1: https://bhpho.to/4o7j9yZ
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