Macfilos Most-read Articles of 2024: It’s gear all the way down

In case you missed any of these popular articles, here's your chance to catch up

It’s a good time of year to look forwards, with an occasional glance at the rearview mirror. Before it disappears completely from view, let’s take a brief look back at 2024. It would be something of an understatement to say it’s been an eventful year at Macfilos. Looking at the numbers, it has also been a very successful year, as measured by articles, contributors, and importantly, readers. Let’s take a look the articles that truly captured reader interest. These are the Macfilos most-read articles of 2024.

Macfilos posted over two hundred photography-related articles in the course of 2024. Even I can calculate that’s close to four articles per week. We tried hard to consistently hit the cyber-airways on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. But, there were plenty of ‘bonus’ articles each week, which we included to cover breaking news or embargoed stories about new launches.

Posting that many articles would not have been possible without the work of over twenty-five talented contributors. Thank you! We have benefitted from the efforts of both long-standing and first-time authors. This can only be good for the future health of the site.

Photography genres — we’ve got them covered

Throughout the course of 2024 we have covered just about every aspect of photography. Readers have been treated to articles covering travel, street, and portrait photography, as well as vintage cameras and lenses. There is no doubt that the most popular stories are those about gear, as you will see from the list of Macfilos most-read articles of 2024.

In fact, every article on the list concerns a camera or lens model. Furthermore, 75% of the articles are about Leica kit. That doesn’t mean to imply that we don’t cover stories about other manufacturers. We also give strong coverage of those linked to the L-Mount Alliance, such as Panasonic and Sigma.

And, we are increasingly covering Chinese-manufactured lenses, as well as keeping an eye on Ricoh and Fujifilm. Our review of the wildly successful Fujifilm X100VI didn’t quite make this year’s list, but we would not be surprised if its readership continues to grow over time.

A new look for Macfilos

One of the most significant events of 2024 at Macfilos has been the introduction of a brand-new site format. An enormous amount of work went on behind the scenes, especially from Editor Mike. The launch had a few teething problems, but from today’s vantage point, we think it looks splendid: modern, stylish and a pleasure to visit each day. And, we think the much greater visibility afforded to older articles is already making an impact.

We can see readership figures for many articles from the archive beginning to climb again, as new readers discover them. As if to emphasise the point, an article from 2018 has unexpectedly raced up the charts, making it into the Macfilos most-read articles of 2024 list!

By the numbers

For those curious about how large that archive is, Macfilos has posted over six thousand articles to date. That’s quite an achievement. It also means a wealth of articles to explore in our back catalogue.

Assuming a conservative estimate of five hundred words per article, that’s over three million words written. We have also received almost thirty-two thousand comments since the site moved to WordPress in March 2019. Those comments undoubtedly add to the richness of the site in terms of knowledge, practical experience, and sage advice.

For comparison (not that we are comparing ourselves regarding cultural significance!), the Bible holds 783,00 words, Shakespeare 885,000 words, and Dickens 4 million words. Mike Evans himself has written over eighty percent of these words, although he is relieved to see that the proportion is falling in the wake of our continued acquisition of new, keen authors.

An expanding team

Finally, a recent, and most welcome development for the site in 2024 has been the expansion of our team. Besides Mike, Jörg-Peter, Jason, and Keith, we now have Jon Cheffings and Richard Watts pulling at the oars. The Macfilos galley should plough even more speedily through the waters of the blogosphere in 2025. Each crew member will huff and puff a little less.

Let’s get into it and see how you, the readers, voted with your eyeballs in 2024. As we did last year, we have included the twelve most-read articles of the year. There is one for each of the 12 days of Christmas. And, as is customary, they are in reverse order.

12.  Olympus 35 RC: A tiny but true rangefinder camera

Here’s an article that made several appearances in our quarterly reviews of readers’ favourite stories. Now it’s made it into our top-twelve list, and it’s one of the few non-Leica stories to feature here. Jörg-Peter closely examines a small, beautifully designed camera. Maybe it could be your entry point into the world of rangefinder photography. He’s a big fan of the brand that produced it.

Olympus 35 RC: A tiny but true rangefinder camera for beginners and experts

Jörg-Peter Rau, 12 July 2023


11. A Leica M with EVF?

Keith stirred up some spirited discussion with his article earlier in the year. He described his experience using M-lenses on his Panasonic Lumix S5. He asks why anyone would need an M-camera with built-in EVF when the S5 and L-to-M adapter do the trick. I wonder how many readers found his argument convincing. Plenty of people certainly weighed in through their comments. Despite his best efforts, I suspect there will still be Leica-diehards pining for this non-existent camera.

Leica M with EVF: I have the next-best thing

Keith James, 5 January 2024


10. Leica D-Lux 8 Review

Mike delivered two blockbuster articles about this new camera, both of which reached the Macfilos most-read articles of 2024. Talk about milking a topic! In this one, he gives us a tour-de-force review of the latest camera in the D-Lux series. As an earlier owner of just about every version of the D-Lux, Mike is well-placed to discuss this one. While he is enthusiastic about many of the changes Leica made, he has reservations about some of their form-versus-function choices. It is clear from the response to his article that many people share his opinion.

Leica D-Lux 8 Review: Redesigned compact becomes a full member of the Leica family

Mike Evans, 16 August 2024


9. From Nikon to Leica

Mike describes Jeremy Walker’s ‘Damascene conversion’ to Leica after a lifetime’s devotion to Nikon gear. Jeremy, an author and professional photographer, became smitten after an encounter with a 60-year-old Leica M3. The article shows off a sample of his photographic skills with some gorgeous colour and monochrome images. Jeremy’s transformation to a Leica devotee clearly struck a chord with many readers. We suspect there are a few more people now planning to trade in their Nikon gear for an M-camera!

From Nikon to Leica: I handled the Leica and fell in love. I have now sold my Nikon gear

Mike Evans, 17 January 2024


8. Fujifilm X20: Unique travel camera still impresses

Remarkably, this six-year-old article received a massive increase in readership during 2024. We suspect the excitement around the impressive, but difficult to obtain, Fujifilm X100VI, has been a factor. It’s a fantastic article, with fantastic photos. We are not surprised that many readers, even those with no interest in buying the camera, still enjoyed Jason’s story. It goes to show there are many gems waiting to be rediscovered in the Macfilos back catalogue.

Fujifilm X20: The unique retro travel camera still impresses

Jason Hannigan, 25 July 2018


7. First impressions of the APO Summicron 35

Claus Sassenberg provides a riveting account of the thought-process leading him to buy one of Leica’s most lauded, and expensive lenses. He then goes on to describe the experience of taking photographs with it, illustrating his story with beautiful images. Claus clearly prizes compactness, alongside image quality and sharpness. In this lens, he appears to have found perfection.

First Impressions: The tiny but astonishing Leica APO-Summicron-M35 f/2 ASPH

Claus Sassenberg, 16 December 2022


6. Leica SL3 Review

Jono gives us his definitive review of this new camera. Having familiarised himself with this flagship Leica device, he gives us a detailed account of its new features. The review is illustrated with incredible photographs, highlighting the skill of the photographer and the capabilities of the camera. It’s a classic Macfilos gear review: a detailed perspective from someone who has used the item extensively. And, it’s a great read.

Leica SL3 Review: Six months with the new L-Mount flagship

Jonathan Slack, 8 March 2024


Here’s Mike’s second entry on the list, based on an article about the same camera! How does he do it? In this one, he wades fearlessly into controversial territory. He offers a merciless critique of several features he prizes, which Leica has sacrificed in this new model. If there was ever any doubt about it, he demonstrates clearly via this article that he is no Leica fanboy. Although it’s a company we all admire, they sometimes make decisions that infuriate their customer base.

Leica D-Lux 8 loses popular features in quest for “the essential”

Mike Evans, 15 July 2024


4. Leica CL to return? No, never

There is one topic that always sets Macfilos readers’ blood boiling. It’s the much lamented demise of the Leica CL. In this widely read article, Mike quickly dispenses with any forlorn hope of this camera reappearing. But he does lay out his recipe for what was then a rumoured new compact, the D-Lux 8. Many of his wishes were fulfilled. Still, there were a few exceptions, including a change in the name of the new camera! Well, you can’t win them all.

Leica CL to return? No, never, but what about a new Leica compact?

Mike Evans, 22 April 2024


3. New kid on the block: The Pixii rangefinder

Is there a word like déjà vu, but where you are sure you have seen the same thing multiple times? It would be a handy way to describe Jörg-Peter’s review of this modern-day rangefinder. It has featured in every most-read list since its publication a year ago. His article is a true perennial favourite, and the definitive review of this intriguing camera. He gives us his unbiased assessment of a non-Leica digital M-mount camera designed from scratch. If you are thinking of investing in a Pixii, you will want to have a look.

New kid on the block: The Pixii rangefinder camera review gives you the full story

Jörg-Peter Rau, 17 April 2023


2. Leica Q3: Photographing the people of Skye at night

Andrew gave us the type of review that we love: twelve months of user experience accompanied by great photos. He put his Leica Q3 through its paces on a very specific project, capturing the people of Skye after dark. We are sure his detailed evaluation of the camera was of great help to potential purchasers. We thoroughly enjoyed his superb photography, even if we were not in the market for a Q3. Many others felt the same way.

Leica Q3: A one year review, photographing the people of Skye at night

Andrew Tobin, 14 June 2024


1. Leica in 2024 and 2025

Mike’s annual crystal ball-gazing article has now become a Macfilos institution. And it was far-and-away the most-read article of the year, spurring links from many other publications. Our very own photographic Nostradamus’s uncanny ability to predict Leica’s future releases must have the Wetzlar team marvelling. His latest triumph was predicting the format of the recently released D-Lux 8 model. Spooky!

Leica in 2024 and 2025: What’s next from Wetzlar

Mike Evans, 5 February 2024


Looking ahead to 2025

We hope you have enjoyed this review of Macfilos most-read articles of 2024. Whether you missed one or two along the way, or are a new reader who discovered Macfilos halfway through the year, they are definitely worth investigating.

In the year ahead we will be working hard once again to keep you apprised of what’s happening in the Leica world and beyond. We look forward to further increases in readership, perhaps even breaking through some viewership milestones. If you would like to write an article for Macfilos, or make a small contribution to our running costs, there is a button below you can click.

Thanks once again to all our readers and contributors. Best wishes for a successful and photography-filled 2025!


Macfilos Most-read articles of 2023



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