Leica M10 Black vs Silver: More than just looks

So you’ve just settled on buying yourself a Leica M10. Now the question becomes do you get the Leica M10 Black or Silver? In this article I will show you how to make that decision for yourself. And you’ll be surprised that it’s not just about picking a color.

Before even going further, it must be said that both are identical cameras. Nothing is changed and it’s just the color that is different between them. The only argument that could be made is that the silver top area is more reflective than the black one, so you could maybe get some light reflected towards your subject but the camera is probably too small to really have an impact.

black leica m6 black lens — Black Leica M6 with black Leica lens

The obvious answer

First things first, jut take the one you find sexier. There ain’t two ways about it. The looks of cameras are purely subjective and while I would go for a Black Leica all the time, some people prefer the chrome look.

One question you’ll have to ask yourself however, is if you don’t mind if your Leica looks like retro cameras out there. I remember someone asking me if my retro looking Pen F was a Leica. There’s a bunch of cameras that look Leica-like from the Pen to the Fuji.

leica vs fuji — Most people can’t tell the difference

So there’s that argument. Are there black PENs and Fujis? Yep. But I’ve mostly seen the silvers going around, if you go for a black M10, it will stand out more.

The logo too, due to the contrast between the black as opposed to the silver really pops out. But here’s the real reason why you want to think carefully…

silver leica m6 silver lens — Silver lenses look good on silver bodies [Leica M6 shown]

The heat problem

There is a difference if you wear a black vs a white shirt under the sun. The white shirt would reflect the light while the black one would absorb it. Result? You’d be hotter with the black shirt.

The black Leica gets hotter than the silver one because of their color. So if you live somewhere that has a lot of sun and gets hot, maybe look at the silver one for the top can get really hot. Alternatively if you live somewhere that is mostly cold…look into the black version because the heat actually heats up the camera.

Resale value

I’ve seen arguments that the Black Leicas hold more resale value than Silver Leicas. If you search for yourself you’ll see that this argument doesn’t really hold water, both are equal in price.

What about the lenses?

Forget about the bodies for a while, what about the lenses? If you already have Leica lenses, better go with a body that fits yours. Silver lenses with silver body, black lenses for black body.

leica black silver lens — The silver lenses really don’t look that good on black bodies 1 | 2 (CC BY 2.0) by Xavier León

If you want to use on with the other, the silver lenses look pretty ugly on the black bodies if you ask me, but the black lenses look good on the silver body.

Leica M10 black vs silver: Conclusion

Unless you live under specific conditions, the choice of black vs silver simply comes down to good old preference. There are no wrong answer, the M10 is a great camera whatever it looks like. But if you already have silver Leica lenses, better stay off the black bodies as they don’t look to good on there, the silver cameras are fine with both silver and black lenses.