Review: Leica M Monochrom feels like film!

28mm F2.8 Asph. Elmarit. 1/1000 sec F/5.6 @ ISO 1600. 60% crop and edited in Photoscape.

A friend explained to me the difference between a device and a tool. A device is simply a complicated tool. If it fails to accomplish its task, we simply blame the device. A laptop is a device. Same as a modern digital camera.  When we fail at updating the latest software on our laptop, or our DSLR fails at focusing during a sports game, we blame the device. It's not our fault. The device has failed us. What's a tool? A hammer is a tool. It's simple. It's an extension of our hand. When we miss the nail, we don't blame the tool. We know the fault is ours.

In the world of photography, a manual film camera is as close to a photographic tool as you can get. It is an extension of our eyes and hands. Manual focus, manual exposure, manual film loading. If we misfocus, get the exposure wrong, or misload our film, do we blame the camera? No, we know it's our fault. A good tool doesn't fail us. We fail the tool.

If a Nikon F3 or Leica M6 is a photographic tool, and a Sony A99 or Canon 5D Mrk III is a photographic device, where does the Leica M Monochrom belong?  It's the most tool-like digital camera on the market today, in function, shooting 'feel' and even in the image 'developing' process. The fact the camera only shoots black and white adds to the nostalgic feel of shooting with an old manual camera loaded with Tri-X or Delta 100. The camera is simple in design and function and ability; but a very powerful imaging tool, as long as you know how to take a good picture! How good is this very unique M camera? Let's begin the review of the Leica M Monochrom...

Leica M Monochrom = Street Photography

Do you notice that our cars seem to drive better after we've washed it? Or how we physically feel better when we wear our favourite pair of jeans? Sometimes the physical objects we adore can affect how we feel, making us better at whatever we're doing. The Leica M Monochrom is exactly that, an emotional catalyst that changes how we feel and can improve our ability to take great pictures. 

No autofocus, no EVF with live histogram, no colour images, no 1 million dot LCD screen to check for focus? How can this camera possibly help us take better pictures? By its limitations, we are forced to use the M Monochrom as a tool and not a device (more explanation in my full review).  We don't depend on technology to take better pictures, we depend on our eyes and our hands... and the camera of course. This is where the Leica is a solid tool, it's dependable, focused, precise. 

Upcoming Review: The Leica M Monochrom

1/250th sec F/5.6 @ ISO 1600 converted from RAW file

When my Leica rep asked if I was interested in borrowing the Leica M Monochrom, I got pretty excited. I've been wanting to hold this camera ever since it was announced, and I finally was allowed to test it for a week...and then I got sick!! Nooooo!!! I spent most of the week playing with it in my bedroom and taking self portraits. I know, pretty sad. 

I did eventually get 2 full days to shoot with it, including the above picture of Moustafa and Miles, students at the Vancouver Film School. Speaking of film, although this is a reduced sized image from the original 35mb DNG file, you can see how film-like the picture is. The Ricoh RAW files converted to black and white also look a lot like film, but the M Monochrom does it better...much better. It's safe to say, it's the most film-like images from any digital camera I've ever shot with so far.