Globally recognized as a true pioneer of photography, Leica Camera AG has been boldly paving new roads in the art of painting with light for over a century now. The company truly revolutionised photography in 1925 with its Leica I as the first series-produced 35mm camera; an incredible heritage now succeeded by the Leica M which exemplifies Wetzlar’s imagine philosophy unlike any other camera. With its iconic, precisely crafted design and unwavering focus on the essence of manual photography, it has successfully embodied the brand’s values for over 70 years while even as it systematically evolves with technological innovations. The Leica M8 transposed the M-Camera’s analogue soul into the digital age in 2006, while the more modern M11 and its ingenious variants – including the black-and-white M11 Monochrom, M11-P with Content Credentials Technology, and analogue M6 – continually demonstrates the M-System’s ingenious individuality.

Now, the new Leica M EV1 brings its illustrious family to new heights as the first M-Camera to boast an integrated electronic viewfinder (EVF), combining the M-System’s rangefinder-inspired analogue values with the advantages of this technological evolution. While making the realm of manual focusing M photography more accessible to photographers of all levels, it also enables comfortably reliable focusing regardless of visual acuity, especially when used in tandem with Leica’s fast Summilux & Noctilux lenses at extremely shallow depths of field, or also when composing images with telephoto or ultra wide-angle lenses – further expanding the M’s imaging possibilities.

Continuing the timelessly iconic, functional M-Camera design language, it’s handmade in Germany with highly refined materials according to the M’s familiarly cultivated design language. Its intentionally clean, pure front truly sets it apart from the legacy rangefinder M-Camera, along with a diamond patterned leatherette covering. This is a great feeling camera indeed, with a reassuringly solid heft in the hand; reflecting its nature as a serious photography tool for those who really know what they’re doing.

Further re-engineered from the M11 and its proven full-frame BSI-CMOS sensor with Triple Resolution Technology, renowned for precise colour rendering & impressive detail resolution, the new M EV1 shoots at 60, 36 or 18 megapixel resolutions in DNG or JPEG formats. Its Maestro III chip quickly processes image data at the highest resolution and saves it to either the 64 GB on-board memory or an SD card. Similar to its M11-P & M11-D siblings, it also supports groundbreaking Content Credentials technology developed by the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), adding a digital signature to images to authenticate their origins along with any post-processing in a way that’s genuinely tamper-proof.

That EVF’s addition really expands creative imaging possibilities for even experienced M-System users, while helping new customers get to grips more intuitively with its operating flow that actively encourages them to slow down, compose & shoot photos that are more intentional and story-driven. Its high 5.76 megapixel resolution provides brilliant, exceptionally clear image quality with naturally rendered colours. Relevant exposure data including shutter speed, ISO & exposure value can be set to display around the image without compromising it, as it stays entirely uncovered.

Indeed, what users see in the M EV1’s viewfinder is exactly what they’ll get when they snap the shutter, matching the lens, focal length and aperture in use. Especially when shooting with telephoto or ultra wide-angle lenses, its direct preview of the field of view & plane of focus are incredibly advantageous. On top of that, a highly precise real-time exposure preview enhances certainty while enabling even more creative compositions via targeted under- and over-exposure. An integrated dioptre compensation allows the viewfinder to be adjusted according to any photographer’s own visual acuity from -4 to +2 dioptres.

Adapted from other existing Leica cameras, the M EV1’s integrated focus assist further enhances its user-friendliness by highlighting the active plane of focus with an overlaid focus peaking colour, allowing any desired image outcome to be precisely optimized in real time. Its focus zoom makes for even easier manual focusing with two freely selectable magnification factors, enabling incredibly precise focusing particularly when using fast lenses at shallower depths of field for that beautiful bokeh. That’s not all: the traditional M-Camera front lever has been given a new purpose in the M EV1 as a useful multi-function switch, now assignable to either one of the focus assists or the digital zoom. A quick & easy push to the right or left comfortably engages or disengages the focus assist as situations require.

Several esteemed friends of Leica were also on hand to share stories of their experiences with the M EV1 thus far, with perhaps our favourite one of the evening coming from Suzanne Lee of AltStudio Asia. To paraphrase, “When we were shopping for a new car when we moved back from Hong Kong, we had all these options laid out with so many features with all these extra electronics, and in the end we went with a car where we really enjoyed the way it drives. Because in the end, what is really essential is that you really need to enjoy the machine itself. So I felt maybe many other cameras that I use have a lot of other features, but in terms of that the M EV1 is very much similar to an older film model. It’s the quality of what you get, it’s the feel of the camera. In total I felt that I thoroughly enjoyed shooting with it, as it gives you essentially everything you need to take a picture: your shutter button, shutter speed, aperture, once you have all that set up & you’re just out there shooting… it’s more just between you, your subjects & your environment. It was very naturally intuitive for me as a first experience with the M-System, feeling just as familiar as always.”

Now globally available from Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store and authorized dealers, the Leica M EV1 will be retailing in Malaysia at RM41,850.