Leica M240 For 30 Minutes – Part I

First 30 minutes with my Leica M240.  Cold.  Fingers numb outside.  But great weight, great size and several immediate love items.

Graffiti in Old Town

Graffiti in Old Town

The shutter sound is absolutely all is cracked up to be.  It sounds very similar to my film Leica MP.  No annoying spring rewind that the M8’s and M9’s were plagued with.  That is important as it lets me feel a little less obvious when taking photographs in quiet environments.  This is a big plus.

Second, the shutter speed dial is much, much more comfortable to move.  I usually hold the camera to my eye and allow my right index finger to turn the shutter speed dial.  This is good and stiff, but not too much.  Just right.

Third, the auto white balance has had varying remarks of difficult to use.  I have great the latest firmware, 2.0.0.12 (the same as .11, but installed in the factory).  I had some issues with some window reflections that had green and red neon light, interior halogen lights and bright blue sky – so that is understandable with all those temperatures.  However, the above shot is in the shade of the entrance to an ally along with morning sunlight coming up.  I think it did a great job.

That is all I’ve had time to figure out, but I am confident that this was worth the wait and worth selling a beloved M9-P for.

2 Comments

  1. Dave… I’m new to the M240. I live in Michigan so its cold. Have you had any issues with yours in cold temps below 32F? I’m reading about some users having issues.

    • Lou, while it’s gotten warm here (50’s to 70’s), when I shot these images it was high 30’s to low 40’s and I had no trouble – no shutter issues, no memory card issues or slowdowns. I can tell you I’ve used my M9P in the snow with absolutely no trouble (of course the MP does fine too, but mostly because it’s gears and springs, not circuit boards). So, I cannot say that it will not have trouble at freezing and below, but unfortunately, it will probably be ’till next winter that I can test that more thoroughly. Hope that helps…

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