The Leica M Edition 60 is possibly one of most enigmatic cameras Leica have built, certainly digital cameras. In fact, it’s possibly one of the most unusual digital cameras built by any brand. It even raises an eyebrow from folks who haven’t the first clue about cameras. The idea of a digital camera without a screen on the back is just too much for some people to fathom; clearly the Apple QuickTake is a long forgotten technology. Of course to some folks, perhaps more in the know about cameras, it’s a unique and rather unusual piece of equipment that manages to offer a film-camera-like user experience with a digital end result. But, is the experience film-camera-like enough to please a film photography fanatic like me? Is there anything more to it than a facsimile of a film camera? And actually, is a digital camera without a screen really that unusual a proposition?
Hamish’s assessment is just about spot on. I’ve spent a lot of time with the M60 and I believe there is something unique there. It is a digital camera that thinks it is a film camera. Whatever your views on film versus digital, the M60 is definitely the nearest shooting experience you can get to an M7. It epitomises Leica’s focused attention on the basics and, in reality, it is all that you need to make good photographs.