Yesterday I had the good fortune to bump into Kevin Shelley of the Street Photography Blog and we got to discussing the Leica M60 Edition–you know, the digital camera with no screen and few controls: The camera that takes you back to the basics of a film shooter such as Leica’s own M7. I reviewed it in March and felt that there could be a future for such a stripped-down, no-nonsense approach. It could be the perfect antitode to the box-ticking of features that plagues modern digital cameras.
Kevin, who has had a much longer time to get to know the camera, shares my view. In fact, he is very enthusiastic about the concept and would like to see a production model. So would I.
The M60 was made to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the introduction of the M3 in 1954. It was designed specifically to remove all the surplus options, many of which are there only because they are possible, not because they are needed. All that remains are controls for aperture and focus, shutter speed and ISO. Even auto ISO is missing.
Unlike the M3, though, it does have an exposure meter. I’d say that the best comparison would be with the MP or M7. The gorgeous steel body and matching 35mm Summilux lens look fantastic, even though someone forgot to add strap lugs. But I’d settle for a standard model similar to the M240.
Kevin has a lot of interest to say on the M60 Edition and I would recommend you read his entertaining blog. You can find the latest part of the story here and follow the links back to the start of the saga.