Towards the end of October 2025, Leica announced the launch of its latest rangefinder-style camera, the Leica M EV1. Sporting a straightforward, stripped-back control layout, an electronic viewfinder (EVF) instead of a rangefinder, and a 60MP full frame sensor, the M EV1 sounds like a stunner on paper.
But you can't please everyone, no matter what you do right or wrong, as online forums (namely r/Leica on Reddit) were divided over the camera, with users and purists complaining about the death of the rangefinder and omission of an optical viewfinder (OVF). As someone who tests the best cameras, I was curious to try the M EV1 and decide for myself whether this was fair criticism or unwarranted hate.
I've been using the M EV1 for over well over a week now. I haven't finished putting the camera through my usual battery of tests yet (even I need a few days off over Christmas!), but having used the camera to photograph a Christmas party with friends, I have to say, I am impressed... but am I convinced? Let's find out.
Simple yet challenging
One of the things I love most about the Leica M EV1 is something I appreciate in every other Leica I've tested so far: stripped-back dials and a straightforward control scheme which make handling a delight. Don't get me wrong: I appreciate the many dials and buttons on a complex camera like the Sony A1 II, but I also like the simplicity and convenience Leicas offer.
But just because the M EV1's controls are easy to reach and get a hang of doesn't mean the camera makes photography easy, too. This is a rangefinder-style camera, which means there's no autofocus so you need to use the protruding handle on the lens to turn the focus ring to focus on your subject.
Unlike a traditional rangefinder, like the Leica M11-D, there's no "focusing patch" where you have to align two images to focus. Instead, the M EV1's 5.76M-dot EVF features focus assistance and peaking to help you, well, focus on your desired subject. It's slightly challenging but it's fun, and it makes you slow down, take in your surroundings as well as time to frame your subject. For me, it makes me more considerate of what and who I'm capturing.
Focus peaking helps you frame your subject by displaying red lines around it. When photographing humans and buildings, it proved effortless. However, the real challenge arose when photographing my best friend's cats, Bunny and Dougie. Dougie is a shy boy so I respect his privacy as he hid under the couch, but Bunny posed for me on numerous occasions, as you can see above.
The M EV1 struggled to focus on Bunny as she's a black cat with thin whiskers, so photographing her involved a lot of trial and error, with the camera occasionally showing faint red lines on her whiskers. The three photos above are a few of the only in-focus ones I snapped, and they've turned out highly detailed.
Peerless image quality and color
If there's one thing Leica excels at, it's outstanding image quality and true-to-life colors — and the Leica M EV1 is no different. Fitted with a 60.3MP BSI CMOS sensor and Maestro III processor, the M EV1 produces stunning images packed with plenty of detail. Colors appear nothing short of beautiful, as you can see in the gallery above. I haven't edited these photos barring some cropping in post-production.
Because I had so much control over the area I wanted to focus on, this enabled me to focus precisely on my subject, and I captured some cinematic shots, whether that was with background bokeh or foreground blur.
And for anyone confused, my friends and I dressed up as Christmas icons, such as the Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, and Nessa from Gavin and Stacey. I (not pictured) was the most iconic Christmas icon of them all: Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.
There are a few color profiles I played with too, such as Vivid and Natural, depending on the look I was going for. My favorite, though, is Monochrom High Contrast, which makes photos look dramatic. The images in the gallery above were captured in this color profile, and they look fantastic. I might like it more than Fujifilm's Acros, to be honest!
Who is this for?
Although I've used the Leica M EV1 for a week, I am yet to put it through its paces before writing up my full review and awarding it a rating out of five stars. My initial impressions are highly positive. The M EV1 is a delight to use, and it packs a lot of charm. Image quality is, as I expected, sharp and outstanding, while manual, rangefinder-esque focusing is both challenging and fun.
But who exactly is the M EV1 for? It's not for professional photographers to use as their workhorse as high-speed drive is limited to 4.5fps (nearly identical to the Sony RX1R III's 5fps drive), there's no video recording unlike the Leica SL3, and there's no image stabilization (similar to the rangefinder-style Fujifilm GFX100RF). It's an evolution of the rangefinder M Series, which includes the Leica M11-D, but who is it for?
That is a question for another day, once I've reviewed the M EV1. For now, I remain impressed but cautiously optimistic.
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