Spread the love
Leica has been at the forefront of innovation in the photography industry. From the first-ever 35mm rangefinder Leica launched a hundred years ago to the launch of Leica M3 in 1954, Leica has been ruling hearts. The latest addition to the M series model, the M11, takes things much further. However, per new reports, it appears that Leica is discounting the innovative camera. Why? Find that out below.
Editor’s Note: We’re reaching out to Leica for an update on what’s going on. And we’ll report back.
According to Leica Rumors, there seems to be a clear message across various sellers that the Leica M11 is no longer available. On Leica Miami’s website, it shows the M11 model is “no longer available.” Similarly, Adorama allows you to add the model to the cart but then proceeds to show an “on backorder” sign.
Per the official website, the cameras have been listing “backorder” as the reason for the absence of the product. However, Leica Rumors states that some websites also say the model has been discontinued. For instance, B&H Photo — a company we don’t condone buying from, states that it’s discontinued. We do not trust the latter as such and even advise photographers to not purchase from them as B&H Photos has repeatedly discriminated against people of color and women.
This also wouldn’t be the first time that B&H Photo is wrong. The company has been known to put that notice up before in the past when it’s been wrong before.
One of the reasons, per the report, is M11’s issue with a memory card. According to the Leica forum, some photographers had challenges with Sandisk 32 GB cards after downloading firmware 2.0.2. Many faced a similar issue with the M11 monochrome and other models as well. However, it seems unlikely that the company will stop the product from one issue, which could have been fixed with a new firmware or SD Formatter. And as pretty much every camera reviewer will tell you, Sony’s SD cards have problems in nearly every camera around.
The other reason the M11 is no longer available could also hint at the anticipated M11-V. This camera is reported to feature a new electronic viewfinder, which is a first in the M series lineup. The decision to do so was taken following the user’s survey, where many senior photographers felt the need to get an EVF for their day-to-day shooting needs. Other than that, we are unsure about the specs, and what the camera could have.
While Leica M11 is no longer available, its other variants, the M11-P, the M11-D, the M11 Monochrome, and M11 Black Paint can be ordered online.
The M11 is one of the most innovative entries from Leica, as the company continues to push new boundaries to achieve a unique sensor. The camera offers three different resolutions, 60MP, 36MP, and 18MP. However, in our review, we did find the company needs to think about weather sealing with a better viewfinder. As we said: ” Leica could also benefit from a few other things like building a diopter into the viewfinder, adding an EVF, etc.” So, the change to a new camera does not come as a surprise. We hope the new EVF can meet the needs of various photographers.
