u/Oldchou

I'm a Q user, looking forward to using the M series in the future. I'm open-minded about the M-EV concept.

One easy win I see is the eye-detection manual focus confirmation implemented in Nikon Zf. You focus manually, and the camera simply confirms focus on the subject's eye with a green box. It adds zero weight to the setup, avoids interrupting your framing (no need to punch in/magnify), and is far more reliable than focus peaking at wide apertures.

Having this feature would make an M-EV much more appealing to me. I think the feature alone will greatly expand the MF user base. Is this a realistic feature to expect from Leica on future EVF-based M bodies?

Long story short: I've decided that I would reward myself with a Leica M once I finish writing my book. Here's how it happened.

I've always been a casual photographer. I started with film (a Contax Aria), moved through digital SLRs (Nikon D80), and eventually played with a rotation of compacts — the Fujifilm X100, Ricoh GR, and Sony RX100. Good cameras, but all somewhat lacking. I was almost ready to give up and be content with iPhone photography. It wasn't until I picked up a used Leica Q in 2019 that photography truly became a joy.

The Q changed everything. It made me shoot more, get physically closer to my subjects (mostly my family), and actually plan about the images I was going to make. It eventually inspired me to publish an annual family photo album — which has become one of the most anticipated events in our household. (I strongly recommend it)

I love my Q deeply. But increasingly I've been feeling the pull toward more variety, particularly the 40–50mm focal range. I tried to explore other options, Nikon Zf, Panasonic S5II, Sony A7cII . . . but alas the gateway drug worked too well, resistance is futile. I've found myself drawn to the M system — its compactness, its image quality, and above all its "less is more" philosophy. I've found myself browsing the catalogue, watching YouTube tutorials, and running mental calculations on import taxes and shipping.

The price, while within reach, still keeps giving me pause. I'm simply not used to gifting myself "luxury" items. (The Q at $3,000 USD was already the largest photography purchase I'd ever made.)

Today it hit me: make the M the prize, not the distraction.

I've decided that finishing my first book earns me a Leica M body, a 35mm, and a 50mm lens. This way, my longing becomes fuel for productivity — and the splurge becomes something earned rather than indulgent. It's the best plan I can come up with right now to slow me down before making an impulse purchase.

I'd love to hear from anyone who's set up a similar reward system for themselves. Did it work? Did you actually follow through?

I'm also very open to gear suggestions. I expect to finish the book by end of this year. Currently leaning toward a used Leica M10-P (black) paired with two Voigtländer lenses — I've shot rangefinder-style before and I'm confident in picking up the manual focus workflow. I could consider a new M11-P; just that I had a great experience with my used Q, and thought buying used Leica is a good first step into the system.

My beloved and somewhat beat-up Leica Q