Description
Leica describes the M10-D with the evocative expression: "Digital body. Analog soul." Always pushing to meld the inspirational merits of shooting film with the convenience and quality of digital, the M10-D is Leica's take on an extremely straightforward shooting experience along with the imaging capabilities of their flagship M-series camera. By omitting virtually all automatic features, as well as a rear LCD screen, the M10-D's simplicity is its core attribute, and affords unencumbered access to the four basic elements of photography: shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and focus. This principle is carried over to the operating aspects of the camera, including its manual rangefinder focusing mechanism, clear 0.73x-magnification optical viewfinder, and stills-only recording. Beyond handling and design, the M10-D still retains the imaging performance the M-series is known for, including the full-frame 24MP CMOS sensor and Maestro II image processor, along with a sensitivity range of ISO 100-50000 and up to 5 fps continuous shooting. Designed as a camera with no distractions, the M10-D's chief objective is to allow photographers to focus on the moment and work in a manner where the rangefinder camera excels.
- 24MP CMOS Sensor and Maestro II Processor
- A redeveloped full-frame 24MP CMOS sensor pairs with the Maestro II image processor to deliver a wide dynamic range with notable color rendering, as well as enhanced sensitivity from ISO 100-50000 to suit working in a variety of lighting conditions. The image processor also incorporates a 2GB buffer to afford fast continuous shooting at 5 fps for up to 40 consecutive frames in a burst.
- Optical Viewfinder and Rangefinder
- The optical viewfinder is a large, bright-line 0.73x-magnification rangefinder with automatic parallax compensation and bright-line frame lines, which are set to match the image sensor size at a focusing distance of 6.6'. On the front of the camera, a viewfinder frame selector can also be used to manually change the apparent image field to help visualize the scene with varying focal lengths; options are available in 35mm/135mm, 28mm/90mm, and 50mm/75mm focal length pairs.
- The rangefinder mechanism displays split or superimposed bright field images within the center of the viewfinder to benefit accurate manual focusing control. The effective rangefinder metering basis is 50.6mm (mechanical metering basis 69.31 mm x viewfinder magnification of 0.73x).
