Leica M11-D Amazing but No One Mentioned This...

In this video, I want to share my hands-on experience with the Leica M11-D, a camera that's a fascinating blend of digital performance and analog charm. If you’re familiar with Leica's history, you know they’ve always tried to bridge the gap between the tactile feel of film photography and the convenience of digital. With the M11-D, they’ve pushed that idea even further. But there’s a surprising quirk that I have to bring up right off the bat: as of now, there's no way to format the SD card. Yep, you heard that right. No formatting option, neither through the camera itself nor via the Leica app.

Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves—this doesn’t take away from the fact that the Leica M11-D is still a beast of a camera. It’s packing that **60MP sensor** based on the M11-P, and the image quality is stunning. It delivers the kind of detail and tonal range you'd expect from Leica, and the ability to switch between triple resolution modes (60MP, 36MP, and 18MP) offers flexibility for those who don’t always need to shoot at full resolution.

The M11-D brings back the experience that we got a taste of with the M10-D, where Leica stripped away the back screen to make shooting feel more intuitive, closer to a film camera. And let’s be real, it’s got that timeless design we all love—a sleek, minimal look, no distractions, and every shot feels like you’re crafting something special. It forces you to focus on the essentials: framing, composition, lighting.

But, yeah, no SD card formatting—that’s a curveball. I’m still a bit baffled by it. I mean, Leica's all about precision and thoughtfulness in their design, so it’s odd to see a feature like this missing. Formatting your SD card is something you expect to be able to do natively on any camera, especially in this class. If you need to wipe your card clean, you're currently stuck using another compatible Leica model or formatting it on your computer. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s definitely inconvenient if you’re out on a shoot and need to start fresh.

I’m confident that Leica will address this issue soon, probably through a firmware update. They’re known for listening to their community, and something like this should be an easy fix. But for now, it’s something to keep in mind if you’re considering picking up the M11-D. Personally, I can work around it—mainly because the rest of the camera is just that good. But if you're the kind of photographer who wants everything to work perfectly out of the box, this might be a small hiccup.

Outside of this SD card limitation, the M11-D is really all about the shooting experience. With no screen on the back, you’re encouraged to trust your instincts and your eye. It’s a different approach from most modern digital cameras that are loaded with distractions—touchscreens, menus, constant playback checking. With the M11-D, you’re just in the moment, fully immersed in the craft of photography.

The digital/analog hybrid concept is something Leica has perfected over the years, and I think the M11-D is one of their best executions of that idea. For those of us who love the tactile feel of a film camera but want the advantages of a high-end digital sensor, this camera is a dream. And despite the SD formatting quirk, the images it produces are undeniably fantastic. From sharpness to color accuracy to dynamic range, it’s everything you’d expect from Leica's top-tier models.

In terms of build quality, it’s exactly what you expect from Leica. The M11-D is robust, beautifully constructed, and feels like it's built to last. Every detail is thoughtfully designed, from the quiet shutter to the smoothness of the rangefinder focusing. Leica never skimps on the craftsmanship, and this camera is no exception.

**Battery life** is solid too. Leica’s moved the M11-D to USB-C charging, which is super convenient if you’re on the go. You no longer need to worry about carrying a separate charger, and the battery performance feels pretty efficient for a camera with such a high-resolution sensor.

All in all, despite the formatting issue, this camera has blown me away. It’s a powerful tool for any photographer who enjoys the process as much as the final image. Leica has a way of making you slow down, think more, and appreciate every shot you take. The M11-D takes that feeling to the next level.

So, while it’s strange that there’s no way to format your SD card at the moment, I still think the Leica M11-D is an incredible piece of equipment. I’m sure they’ll sort out that issue in due time, and when they do, this camera will be even closer to perfect. Until then, just keep in mind you might need to do a little extra work to keep your memory cards in check. And for those who can look past that, the M11-D is a rewarding, unique experience that you don’t often get with other digital cameras.
#leicam11d #leica11dreview Leicam10d

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[GastonShutters]

What are your thoughts on this Leica release?

[davidfearn]

Instruction manual page. 53, 'formatting storage locations': "Formatting requires a PC connection."

[FrankDavalos]

The M11 series quality control has really been disastrous huh

[btonelli]

This is surprising. I only used the internal drive for capturing photos. Never thought that formatting wouldn’t be there.

[RinzaiRoshi]

Here’s another issue for you: auto lens detect set to off. Voightlander 35mm Nokton 1.2 lens. Auto ISO and auto shutter. Set max iso to 12500 and max exposure time to 1/125. Take low light shot which pushes past limits. Max iso is used (respected) but exposure time used is actually 1/4 (max is ignored).

[abcjjjun]

Hello, Thanks for the sharing the review. I'm wondering if the M11 series raises the shutter curtain when powered on, does the M11-D have an option where the shutter curtain automatically closes when you remove the lens while the camera is powered on? Or is it the default setting for the shutter curtain to close when the lens is removed?

[IntrovertAmateur]

thanks for sharing man! I agree with you - Leica will fix this soon and it's also the system I enjoy the most. But as you said paying almost 10k for a camera to realize it misses basic functionality leaves an after taste.
In general I have the feeling Leica can't keep up with quality control in the software department:
M11 - freezes and some bricked after release (see Three Blind Men and An Elephant M11 story)
Q3 - freezes and shutdowns, took Leica almost 3/4 year after release to fix the issue completely - my own experience after owning the Q3 on release date
SL3 - photos getting deleted during shooting
If I see this correctly the last Leica camera which was released without major issues was the re-issued Leica M6 - because it's analogue without software ... :D
Still, can't wait for your review on this beauty!

[TheRealMisterProtocol]

I suggest a test. Format the SD card on the computer, put it back in the camera, and take a few test shots. Put the card back on the computer and look at the directory structure. If it shows a Leica directory structure, they did the right thing: if the format of the card isn't recognized, the camera reformatted it. That'll act as a workaround for now.

[RinzaiRoshi]

Here is another 'oversight' on the part of Leica. No 'dust detection' function in Fotos for the 11-D.

[Gvacam]

I got mine, no freeze so far, so refreshing it seems even faster without screen I did not stop shooting over the weekend 👌

[bubbachua]

The M11D is just a handicapped version of the M11P basically. Unless you’re into collecting I really don’t understand why a serious shooter would go with the hassle of having to get the phone out to do everything. I was an M10D user and the firmware was more finicky back then, and connectivity to FOTOS was not always stable, had enough of it. Just using a M11 now

[TobiasKempePhotography]

Quick question. I realized Theo Same AND I can‘t find where and HOW to select the Storage (intern/SD). do you Know how Top Switch between both?
Otherwise it’s the most beautiful (digital)camera I‘ve ever had (M10-R, M10-D, M11, M-11P)Thanks!

[davidkipperman]

Did you find the format when you scroll through menu in the viewfinder?

[MaximilianWessely]

Thanks for putting this issues out. I hope Leica watches your video and solves this problem.

That it seems that is still no update available for M11-D users is really a poor statement for an around 10k camera.

What also nobody mentions and what makes no sense for me is that the M11-D is not able to make use of the Leica FILM Looks in the Fotos app. I mean, as for SL3 and Q(4)3 users this is available it would at least be a cool add on, it is advertised as a digital heart with an analog soul, so why not...

For me as an SL2-S shooter with various lenses the last update made everything worse as it is not possible for third party lenses to make use of tutning the thumb wheel and with leica lenses its possible to use the magnification with the joystick. I am considering to downgrade again.

I really really hope that Leica listens and gets their software team on track, there seem to be serious issues and they will lose their core community and especially new upcoming enthusiats within the next ten years when they are not solving those continous bugs.

for high price cameras, no one should have the feeling of being a beta tester. its good to improve a software along the way but it should be a 100% at the start...

what're your thoughts on this? 🙏🏻

[camerafusion]

Great images in this one. I’m looking forward to mine. Do you happen to know when they expect to ship the preorders?

[Lipman_Famliy]

There is honestly so much to be disappointed by with the M11- D, especially by comparison to the M10-D! First I think it’s insane how there’s no option to format. Secondly I don’t understand why they haven’t reworked the shutter to be more like the M10’s - especially considering that live view isn’t needed anymore. The benefits of which mean that the camera will naturally expose (like the M10) and give way more latitude in the processing; plus an infinitely better shutter sound - and perhaps start-up time! Last, one I’m heartbroken that they have removed the thumb support.

One thing that people don’t seem to talk about also is the M11 image quality by comparison to the M10. Although stunning - it’s incredibly clinical, and is such a far cry from the organic and Film like colour from the M10.

I’ll be holding onto my M10-D as if attached by super glue - I sincerely regret selling my second body!!

[thomashilmersen]

I only ever use my camera screen for the camera menu, not for looking at the photos. And it makes way more sense to use the camera screen for menu changes than using some external app, and much more than using the computer, so in the end the M-Ds are not for me.

[kudee]

nice review Gaston. I want to buy a M11D now. I wonder how dynamic range in daily light of the M11-D. Can you share some raw images.

[yaniel]

A computer can be used to format an SD card, but what about the internal storage? Is there currently no way to format that?

[blazeboy]

it’s film experience… once filled you change to new sd card…. if you fill up internal storage…. dispose camera just like disposable camera… it’s an added feature not mistake