Leica M System

M System 10 / 11
Closer to the critical moment The rangefinder system allows
natural pictures to be taken at the heart of everyday life. The photographer
is part of events and uses the rangefinder to frame what he
wants to capture – a scene, an atmosphere, a moment. He can also
keep an eye on what is going on outside the viewfinder frame. This
allows him to anticipate the critical moment and capture it at exactly
the right instant – typical of the Leica M. The Magnum photographer
Elliott Erwitt said: “With a reflex camera, you create the image in the
camera. With the Leica rangefinder, you need to see the picture, recognize
it and then frame it.” Leica M pictures convey effortlessness and
authenticity because they are composed in advance and captured in
the blink of an eye. The photographer can still see his subject during
the exposure and even in very difficult available light situations, the
bright and high contrast viewfinder allows extremely fast and accurate
focusing. Combined with the short shutter delay, the rangefinder principle
makes Leica M cameras the fastest in the world.
The rangefinder system is an optical masterpiece, created for cutting edge photography.
Unlike with a reflex system, where you have to focus through the lens and the focal length
and speed determine the accuracy of the measurement, with the Leica M rangefinder the
measuring basis remains constant regardless of the lens. This makes it many times more
accurate at short focal lengths. The high-contrast focusing images in the center of the viewfinder
field guarantees fast and precise focusing with pinpoint accuracy, even in very poor
lighting conditions. The image field selector enables the photographer to simulate the effect
of a different focal length and thus to choose the right lens in advance. The six bright line
frames always show the exact framing as the automatic parallax compensation automatically
adjusts their position depending on the distance setting. All the information that is relevant
for achieving a perfect result can be seen in the bright-line frame viewfinder, along with the
subject’s surroundings – ideal for spontaneous, inconspicuous photography.