This is a Leica typ 240 M-E.
The lens is a Voigtlander 50mm APO.
I imagine that everyone has a favorite camera that cycles back into play no matter how many other, newer cameras have joined the pack. For me, at least for the last year or so, it's been this particular combination.
While the original M 240 camera was introduced in 2013 the M-E showed up much later; in 2019. One could conjecture that in the intervening years Leica had a lot of time to fine tune and perfect the operation of the camera and the firmware that runs everything. Of my three Ms it seems the most solid but that could just be a placebo effect given that I know it has a bigger buffer and a few other speed improvements. I'm sure it's the same 24 megapixels CMOS sensor found in all the other models but it shares some DNA with the P series. And given the pristine condition and later year of manufacturing I think it is almost unused compared to older Leicas.
Since I live in Texas I've come to prefer it for Summer use because of the industrial metal finish which should be less of a heat magnet than the usual (beautiful) black paint finish of the regular M 240 cameras.
I've use this camera a lot but have yet to inflict a scrape, ding or insult to the finish. I tend to pay attention when I handle it. When I purchased my copy the price for these cameras, of which only about 600 were made, was $3200. Since that time the used price has skyrocketed to well over $4,000. Which basically means (for all the Leica deniers) that, should I sell mine today for around $4,000 I will have been paid a positive $800 for the privilege of using the camera for 18 months. That's a better rate of return by far than the S&P 500 Index Funds. Sadly though I doubt I'll ever exercise the gain since I find the camera irresistible and don't need the extra cash anymore.
For a regular M shooter, not a collector, I think of the M or typ 240 cameras as the most practical and probably the most enjoyable of all the digital Ms. The batteries have incredible stamina. The full frame sensor has very nice, very individualist color rendering. The camera is built like a German tank and I rarely hear of them failing mechanically. I like that I can add an EVF if I need one. I imagine my only real need for the EVF would be when using wide and ultra wide lenses like the 24, 21 or 18mm varieties. For longer lenses I think other cameras are more convenient and effective.
There are drawbacks, of course. Compared to later M cameras the sensor is noisier in low light. That might have been a bigger issue before Adobe came out with a great artificial intelligence noise reduction feature in Lightroom. I use it when I absolutely want to shoot at higher ISOs in low light. Works well. At least a two stop improvement for underserved files.
The camera is also thicker front to back than the previous models or the models that follow it. Some have conjectured that it was to accommodate video capability by I think it was just good, basic engineering which was aimed at allowing for more space inside to deal with heat build up in rough climatic conditions. If one switches between this unit and older or newer models there is probably some friction that derives from the operational and hold-ability difference. And the M 240 was the heaviest of all the digital Ms. But that's never been an issue for me since I tend to use them one at a time and don't need to carry spare batteries.
Whenever I am out and about with this camera I am asked by most people who are interested in cameras if this one (the M-E) is a film camera or a digital camera. It does have a unique, retro vibe. While the menus aren't the state of the art menus I've become accustomed to in the SL2 variants, or the Q2, or the new DLUX8 they are short, not overly detailed and easy to master in a day or so of use.
When I see another M-E for sale I'll probably buy it if the prices stay reasonable. When it switches from being a "user" camera to a collectible camera I'll most probably consider myself priced out of the market. People scoff at special models and special editions from Leica but this M-E was first marketed as an economical way to enter into the system and priced that way. A final production run of the M 240 series to use up all the various parts on hand in manufacturing. I like that its interface matches my two other Ms and would love to have a travel system comprised of just two M-E bodies and a small selection lenses. With the black models at home as a redundancy.
One could do a lot worse.
I've been buying batteries as they become available. I have two on order at B&H and they have been on backorder for months. That's okay, I ordered two new batts last year and I also have five older batteries that came as part of deals on used camera bodies over the last few years. If you take good care of your batteries they can last a really long time.
Blog note: I'm sorry I veered back into writing about cameras. I know you were desperate to hear more about my new running shoes. They seem very exotic to me. One of my friends who is a daily runner is a big believer in cycling through shoes. One day of running followed by several days "resting the foam and rubber". Given that he runs every day he keeps a rotating stock of shoes to facilitate the process of cycling through the shoes and letting them rest between runs. He has seven or eight pairs of recent Hoka running shoes. He calls himself "the Imelda Marcos of Running Shoes." And he's proud of it.
final note. When I said I didn't give a hoot about EV cars I was misunderstood. A reader (anonymous) had to leave a pithy comment. He wrote: "I feel sorry for you and for the climate." Now, I care about the environment, I really do. But EV cars don't fit every situation. Not by a long shot.
If I were a "high mileage commuter" I would probably have bought a hybrid or a fully electric car of some sort by now. But my average driving mileage is about half of the USA average and I don't commute at all. No real savings here since I'd need to change cars from some that's already paid for to accomplish EV theater and then drive the new car for years and years to hit some sort of practical inflection point.
Did I mention that we've still got a ways to go on the Hoka Stinton 7 shoe reviews? We're just now past the unboxing episode..... Now I know that got your attention!!!!!
