I just bought a used M246 and it is the  best thing I have ever done. I have only one lens between this and a (also bought as used) M242, a summilux 50 mm 1.4. After years of using DSLR cameras the discipline of selecting shots and thinking about what it means to take a photograph has reinvigorated my love of photography. The image clarity is breathtaking although I have a way to go on using the rangefinder system effortlessly.

I was really happy to see your video and learned a great deal about the functionality of my camera. Thank you

I am grateful for this very useful presentation. Your results are helpful, in my decision whether to acquire an M10 Monochrom, or, keep using my M Type 246 and original-version M10 cameras. The slimness of the M10, and its viewfinder experience, are quite nice, but I think that I prefer the physical control set of the M246. I think that I would rather that a good lens be my goal, rather than acquiring a newer camera body. Thanks!

Thank you for this comparsion. The M246 might be a great compagnon for my M240.

What an excellent, well presented and well structured video. Thank you for this.

Two years later, I have re-watched this excellent presentation. Seeing your comparison images reaffirms my decision to remain with the M Type 246 Monochrom. As my posted comment, from two years ago, had indicated, I did buy lenses, starting with a pre-owned APO Summicron-M 75mm ASPH, rather than spend money on an M10 Monochrom. Thanks, again, for assisting me in making that decision.

Danke für das Video - hätte nie gedacht, dass die Bilder der Typ246 der M10M so ähnlich sind!

The loss of functionality in the on/off switch - particularly the loss of the timer - was one of the reasons I sold my M10 and went back to the M240.  I used mine a lot for landscapes and I liked to bracket my images.  On the M240, I could select the timer on the on/off switch and bracketing in the drive menu.  On the M10, I could only select one or the other from the drive menu.  The M240 was a lot more functional (for my limited set of needs).  Like you, I don't quite understand why Leica didn't see the logical value in keeping the on/off switch that way.

Wonderful, as usual. Bigger isn’t always better and I think that unless you’re in the business of placing billboards on the moon, 24mp is the sweet spot. Heck, maybe even 18!

I’ve been watching your testing over the months and think you do a great job in real world scenarios.  I really hate marketing hype.  I have the Leica q and s.  I still love the look of film very much and have film cameras.  I wanted to pick up a monochrom for traveling oversees.  I can save 3,000 on a brand new in box m246.  I’m not chasing the pixel.  What I want is a film look.  I think the m246 should do the trick.  Thank you for your help.

I'm thinking about getting the Mono 246 and trading in my M10.... I will also have a M10r and SL2 in my kit... I shoot a significant amount of my work in BNW but I don't feel the need to invest heavily into the M10 Mono because the Mono 246 is so comparable to the M10 Mono... I've been converting my files since the beginning of time to BNW... I have used the Q2 mono and like it but I don't love it...  I figured I'd pick up another lens for my kit with the Mono 246 instead of paying the price tag for the M10 Mono body... the Mono 246, in my opinion, might be the most underrated camera (and Best purchase) for BNW shooters that don't want to pay the M10 mono price tag EVER. Thank you for your review(s). I appreciate you!

Great video! I'd love to see how these cameras compare to their colour counterparts though. A video where you compare the M monochrome to the M10 converted to Black and White would be great!

Great video as always.  Owning both cameras I would say where the M10M shines over the 246 is in low light conditions.  Both are very good but the M10M is just amazing in very low light

A very useful and through video, thank you. I've decided to buy the M 🙂

I have used both cameras extensively. The advantage of the M10M is in low light. Period. Otherwise, with the right lens the 246 is pretty remarkable. If you want to get into rangefinder photography today then I highly recommend the M246. To save money on lenses you can choose from any of the Summarit line of lenses or a Zeiss 28, 35, or 50.

I came to this video because i found in another review video the Monochrom classic’s output more to my liking than that of the M10M.  And here in this review, I find again the M classic marginally more to my liking than that of the M10M’s. Thanks for this video. I’m in the market for a digital M (most likely the M11) and a Leica Monochrom - I’m quite convinced that I would prefer the Monochrom classic (Type 246) to the M10M purely in terms of the output. I currently own the last-gen film Leica MP (ala carte) and the original Leica Q, among many other mostly film cameras going all the way back to the Canon AE-1 which i bought in 1980.

Very interesting comparison. I am surprised that there was not a more obvious image quality difference.

The minimum of 320 iso on the classic monochrom I can see as potentially being an issue at times, but a work around could be an ND filter of course.

The M10 more minimalistic button count approach appeals, but, as you pointed out, it seems a shame that the drive control around the shutter button on the Classic has been dropped.

Generally, it feels like in some areas they have stepped forward & in others arguably backward.

Generally, i often find myself looking at Leicas offerings and thinking ‘if only they had incorporated design aspects from another of their cameras’

For example, the M10 D - its a more extreme back to basics, old school shooting experience.....to my mind, it seems an obvious platform to be a monochrom camera.

...or, the ‘fake’ wind on lever of the M10 D, why didn’t they put that on all the M10’s? It looks like a very tactile handy feature which improves one’s grip on the camera, without needing a hot shoe thumb grip which then means you can’t use a flash or the EVF at the same time - the fake film advance lever solves this.

It’s also on livery. Many like the while ‘Leica’ engraving on the top plate, it should be standard on all M’s.

In many respects, I find Leica M’s quite frustrating in the ‘if only they had done’ stakes.

Always great videos enjoying your Chanel, Leica removed video capability on M-10 so they can sell more Q2 I guess

Excellent video as usual

Thanks to this video, I fell in love with your M Mono camera. I want to have it.,.^__^*