M10M - Eight Months of Bliss
When I first acquired the original M9 Monochrom, I was once again reacquainted with the feeling that shooting TMAX 100 gave me in the film days. It was bliss, pure bliss. With a simple tweak in LR to correct a ‘flat’ digital negative, these black and white images simply sprang to life. Alas, while I loved that camera, the sensor corrosion issues caused me to part ways before I was ready.
Fast forward and I continue to shoot with my Leica digital cameras, the M240, the M10, the M10P, along with my Q, Q2, SL, and SL2. All fantastic cameras capable of producing beautiful images both in color and in black and white. Still, the magic of the M9M was missing. I searched and searched, dreamed of acquiring one with a replaced sensor, but technology had moved on and the negatives associated with that aging body kept me from requiring one.
Then, finally, Leica introduces the M10M, a worthy successor to the M9M, replete with all the modern traits of an M in the current time. I had to sell some stuff and juggle some other stuff, but finally, last August I was able to take possession of a Black M10M. From the moment I first started shooting with it, I knew that Leica had outdone themselves.
Yes, frustrating at times, especially with highlights, but again, like the M9M, with a few tone tweaks in LR or C1, the files jump to life as if I were looking at a beautifully scanned TMAX negative. Strong blacks and whites with just the right amount of shadow detail. Files that can be incredibly underexposed and still have all the detail necessary to correct my mistake. The files that this camera produce are absolutely spectacular, bringing me much joy each time I use it.
I have shot still life and people, landscapes and architecture, dogs, and whatever else I find myself motivated to capture. Each and every time I take this camera out, it is simply pure joy distilled in the simplest of ways, devoid of color — only the subject matters.
Below is selection of some of my favorite images from the past 8 months.
