The main difference between Leica M film vs digital is of course that you get an analog image with one and a digital image with the other. But there’s way more than that to consider. Here’s an in-depth article on the pros and cons of both digital and film M cameras. Let’s dig right in.
Hi, my name is Sven the Leicaphile, and I love Leica M cameras. Here’s some thoughts about shooting Leica M film vs Digital. It’s way more than simple looks so I’m going to get in deep.
Leica M film vs Digital: Pros
Both systems have a lot to offer, here’s the pros for each.
1. Why shoot film Leicas
Here’s the pros of shooting Film Leicas, so anything from before the M8 cameras.
1.1. They will last forever
Ok probably not forever but they will outlast you and your grandchildren. There’s a good reason for this, the Leica film cameras are mostly all mechanical. Take the first M camera, the Leica M3, this is STILL being shot today, and this camera released in 1954!
It still shoots images like the first one that rolled out the factory. Sure the lens and rangefinder can get foggy but these are things that can get fixed. The film M cameras have no to minimal electronics so you can be sure that they will work for years on end.
1.2. Shooting unplugged
You are not the only one tired looking at a screen all the time. Film Leicas allow you to immerse yourself into photography and shoot without the compulsion to constantly check. It is something special to shoot and cannot even see the images you get.
1.3. The film look
Taken straight out, digital images look bland while film looks really great out of the box. There’s an emotional aspect that you get with film that you cannot get from a straight out of camera digital file. There’s many films to try that change the looks like the HP5 and Tmax films.
1.4. Highlights Dynamic range
The dynamic range of film is superior to sensors especially in the highlights area. You can expose +10 stops and there’s still a usable images in film while in digital, everything has given up the ghost to whites.
2. Why shoot digital Leicas
Here are the pros of shooting digital Leicas
2.1. Creative freedom
When it comes to Leica M film vs Digital, while the film Leicas give you a nice look right out the bat because the film has been pre-processed, there is a downside to this: You are stuck with what you have. So if you shot BW image you are stuck with it. If you shoot color, you are pretty much stuck with those colors.
So the weakness of digital is that it gives you straight images, but because of the clinical look, it gives you a blank slate that you can edit after. One image can be taken multiple directions, while with film you have a limited range of creativity from your original starting point, unless you shoot a bland color film. Plus you can always add the film look to digital images after the fact.
2.2. Less steps
If all you care about is the IMAGES, consider that nothing is quicker from you shooting to getting your images then digital images. You shoot, load up on your computer, done.
2.3. Zen still
One of the best things about the digital Leicas is that while they all have a screen, you don’t really need to use it. The viewfinder is barebones and the experience is simplified, as much as the film ones, all you need to do is not look at a screen and you have the same film experience.
You can set your aperture on the lens, you have your shutter speed on top and at least for the Leica M10 you have your shutter speed on top too. There’s always the screen-less Leica M-D too that is fully digital but with no screen.
2.4. Shadows dynamic range
Next up Leica M film vs Digital: While digital images give up the ghost in terms of highlights, film gives up the ghost if you underexpose +10. The advantage is till with film here however. It is not that highlights are better than shadows but clipped shadows are usually more palatable than blown highlights.
Leica M film vs Digital: Pros
Let’s move on with our Leica M film vs Digital comparison: Since you can’t have everything both systems also have their flaws, here they are.
3. The problem with film Leicas
There’s many cons to shooting film Leicas, here’s why:
3.1. Things are getting more expensive
It is all about supply and demand. Once upon a time digital cameras were impossibly expensive, and film cameras were cheap. But as more and more digital technology proliferated labs and film makers started to shift towards digital, making both labs increasingly hard to find and film getting more expensive.
The good news is you can always start developing your own film, even in coffee
3.2. Film ain’t going to be around forever
Here’s a huge factor to consider in the Leica M film vs Digital discussion. While today you can STILL find film labs and film rolls to buy, the question is, how long will this last? While I wish film would stay around forever, all of the companies like Street Candy, Lomography will be around ONLY as long as there is interest. The sooner the interest dies, we all can kiss film goodbye.
Film is driven by two main groups. The first are older photographers who still love their film, and the second is a younger generation that still remembers film even if digital was most of their experience growing up. Now the question is, once the generation that is 100% digital, born when the iPhone came out grows older will they see the interest in film?
Who knows. All I can tell you is, if they are not interested in film, the money won’t be there for companies to continue making film because if there is no demand, film dies.
So while the film Leicas might still be around and kick butt 50 years from now, the availability of film is something that is up in the air.
All is not lost for the cameras themselves however. I do believe technology will catch up to the idea of having a film negative that shoots digital images instead. There’s been efforts to do this, but the tech simply isn’t there, yet. But that of course isn’t really film photography, just reusing film bodies.
3.3. It ends up digital anyways
This is important when thinking about Leica M film vs Digital. Say you want to publish and share some of your images on Flickr or Facebook. What do you need to do? Right, you need to scan it! Meaning even if at the beginning you shoot film, you usually end up with a digital file at the end. So why shoot film in the first place, right?
If that will be your process indeed, consider if instead of: shooting – developing – scanning – publishing, it is not more time conscious to simply shoot & publish instead.
4. The problem with digital Leicas
Let’s finish our list of pros and cons of Leica M film vs Digital cameras.
4.1. Quirks galore
If a photographer choses a camera, there’s usually no problem. There’s expectations about these cameras that are usually met. You have an APSC sensor camera, you should be fine with ISOs as high as 3200 for example. You expect a relatively clean image.
That is usually not the case for the older Leica digitals. The M10 is the Apex but the M9 doesn’t rival even smaller sensors of the time at higher ISOs, and the M8 had issues like image-breaking bars when you shoot a light source in a corner. And the M9 had corrosion issues that needed to be replaced (so if you get one, get the upgraded sensor).
So unless you get the latest generation of Ms you will need to deal with quirks in some form.
4.2. Images need work
When thinking of Leica M film vs Digital, while the film images give you something nice out of the gate, when it comes to digital, there usually needs to be some sort of post processing. Images rarely look good by themselves.
4.3. Less durability
The older film Leicas are mechanical, the modern cameras are electronic. This makes them much less durable then the film counterparts. They are not flimsy in any way, mind you. Leica M8s have been shooting well since 2006, but electronics are electronics and nothing can beat mechanical in terms of durability.
If any piece gives up, the whole camera gives up. And not all digital cameras can be repaired, as the supply of extra parts for these cameras are now finished. On the flipside however, because Leica has few cameras, they service their cameras for decades, including digital.
Leica M film vs Digital: Answering this once and for all
So, Leica M film vs Digital, which one should you get? Here’s the simple answer and a longer answer. The simple answer is get the Digital Leica Ms. Why? They are simpler: I you shoot film, you will still probably end up scanning them, so why add an extra step between you and your images?
Sure they are not as durable as the film cameras, but the M8 is going on two decades now and it’s fine. So digitals are great as long as you get the older ones without the digital quirks that the older ones had.
Sure you do need to edit your images after the fact, but it offers more options vs being stuck with whatever film you shoot.
So yeah. Digital. But here’s another answer: Leica M film vs Digital is a non issue. Remember the that all the Ms, including the first M3 to the latest one share the same mount. That means you can get one lens and shoot both digital AND film if you chose so.
Who said you had to chose just one? Why not get both Leica M film AND Digital? Get the digital one first and then a film version, or simply do the opposite. The real crux of the Leica system is more the lenses because these are truly what last, the bodies will change.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this article about Leica M film vs Digital. There’s more strength in the digital cameras then the film cameras. But because this is the Leica M this ends up being a non issue, you can always pick up one camera and then pick up the other version right after, they all share the same mount.