After one year plus of owning and shooting with the Leica M-P 240, I can finally sit down and share the real story.
This isn’t a generic overview or a technical breakdown — this is my personal journey with the Leica M typ 240 P, what happened after buying it, the problems I encountered, how I solved them, and how this camera changed the way I shoot photography.
Why I Bought the Leica M-P 240
It started with selling my Fujifilm X100V, XF10, and my Lumix LX100 II. I was waiting for the Fujifilm X100VI, but while counting the money I had after these sales, I asked myself: why not get a Leica?
After all, it was a dream camera — and with the budget I had, I realized I could afford the Leica M-P 240, often considered the best budget Leica digital body you can get today.
At f/2.4, the Summarit delivers portraits that look like they were taken with an f/1.4 lens. And when stopped down to f/8 or f/11, landscapes come to life with rich detail and punchy contrast.
I specifically chose the Leica M 240-P over the M typ 240 because:
- It has no red dot — making it more discreet for street photography.
- The matte black finish is stealthy and beautiful.
- It offers a larger buffer for continuous shooting.
- It has a sapphire screen
- And it has that Leica simplicity and mechanical feel that I always wanted.
Yes, the sensor is older compared to the Leica M10, but the color rendering and overall output are still top-notch — especially when using fast lenses and proper lighting.
Leica MP 240 First Impressions
When I unboxed the Leica M-P 240 and held it in my hand, it felt different. The build quality is premium, the finish is subtle, and every design detail makes sense.
There’s something about the Leica M system that’s not just about photography, but about enjoying photography. It slows you down, it brings you closer to the image, and it encourages intentionality.
The frame lines in the optical viewfinder are more accurate than any Fujifilm X-Pro camera I’ve used.
The sound of the mechanical shutter, the simplicity of the controls, and the ergonomics all add up to something that truly feels like a tool made for the photographer.
The Leica MP 240 Problems I Faced
Not everything was perfect.
1. The Black Frame Problem
From time to time, I would get a black frame — a shutter sound, but no actual image captured. Just a few kilobytes of data, nothing usable.
It happened randomly, usually after 300 frames or so. I started worrying. I reached out to Leica, I checked forums, I even considered sending the camera back.
But after investigating and trying different things, I discovered the following fixes:
- The issue happened mostly when the battery was low (under 20%). Always keep your battery charged.
- Use a SanDisk SD card. Other cards like Kingston gave me problems.
- Manually set the lens focal length in the camera menu. Even though the camera tries to auto-detect it, setting it yourself removes compatibility glitches — especially when using third-party lenses.
After applying these fixes, I haven’t had the black frame problem again.
2. Lens Mount Issue (Summarit 50mm f/2.4)
Another issue appeared when I mounted a Leica Summarit 50mm f/2.4 lens. My rangefinder broke. Yes, completely.
Turns out, the lens I bought from eBay had mounting issues — it wasn’t sitting straight. It had been tampered with and poorly reassembled.
Thankfully, I found a professional repair service in my city. They fixed both the lens and the rangefinder. But this experience taught me an important lesson: always use Ebay buyer protection, and make sure your lens sits correctly before mounting.
The Lenses I Use On Leica MP 240
Here are the lenses I currently use on the Leica M-P 240:
Voigtländer 35mm f/2.4 Color-Skopar
- Ultra-compact and lightweight
- Perfect for turning the M-P 240 into a stealth camera, almost like an X100V
- Great rendering in good light
- A bit limited indoors or in low light, but usable
Voigtländer 35mm f/1.5
- compact but it has a weight my brass version
- perfect every day lens for outstanding portraits to low light photography
- rendering it’s on the cold side
- full of contrast and sharpness
- Check the full review here.
TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4
- My go-to low-light lens
- Sharp and fast, with beautiful bokeh
- Heavy, but manageable
- Get it here from Amazon affiliate link
Jupiter 50mm f/1.5
- Soviet lens with a ton of character
- After servicing, it works like new
- Very lightweight, great for street or casual portraiture
Leica Summarit 50mm f/2.4
- This one deserves a separate paragraph. It’s buttery smooth, incredibly sharp, and ultra-compact.
- The bokeh at f/2.4 looks like it was shot at f/1.4.
- The rendering is magical — modern, but with just the right amount of Leica glow.
Leica MP 240 Handling and Ergonomics
The Leica M-P 240 is a perfect match between heft and compactness. Pair it with a light lens and you get a package that is as easy to carry as an Fujifilm X-T5. Even with a heavier lens like the TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4, it’s manageable.
The manual focusing system, with its focusing tab and rangefinder patch, is intuitive and satisfying to use. And when I want precision focus for wide apertures, I use the zoom-in function on the LCD screen. It’s fast, accurate, and removes the need for an EVF.
Leica MP 240 Image Quality
This is where the Leica M-P 240 truly shines.
- Colors: Vivid, painterly, and natural.
- Black and white: very easy to edit DNG files for stunning black and white images.
- JPEGs: Some of the best straight-out-of-camera JPEGs I’ve ever seen.
- DNG RAW files: Easy to edit, with great latitude.
- 3D Pop and Microcontrast: The rendering has depth, texture, and subtle tonal transitions.
Leica MP 240 Video Capabilities
Surprisingly, the Leica M-P 240 shoots great video. You even have a zoom-in focus assist that helps with manual focusing. I don’t use it as a video camera, but for the occasional clip or documentation, it works very well.
Leica MP 240 Value and Longevity
One of the reasons I invested in this system is because Leica gear holds its value. Unlike most electronics, which lose 50% of their value in the first year, Leica cameras and lenses often increase in value over time.
And if I ever decide to move on from the Leica M-P 240, I know I won’t lose money.
Final Thoughts: Is the Leica M-P 240 Worth It?
Yes. A thousand times yes.
- It’s a joy to shoot with.
- The image quality is outstanding.
- The experience of using a Leica is different — and better — than anything else I’ve used.
- And it’s a system you can invest in without regret.
The Leica M-P 240 is not a camera for everyone. It’s not spec-packed, it’s not meant to impress with numbers. But it delivers something more important: a return to the essence of photography.
If you’re dreaming about a Leica and hesitant because of what others say or because of the risks — know that if you choose well, you won’t regret it. Just take care when buying used gear, make sure to service what needs to be serviced, and you’ll be rewarded with one of the best photographic tools ever made.