Full disclosure: I wrote the book linked at the end of this post, Take Photos You Love: Every Single Time. The Amazon and MPB links below are plain links, not affiliate links.
Over the years I have owned three Leicas: the original Leica Q (Typ 116), a Leica M (Typ 240) and a Leica M11. I loved all three. If you ask me which one gives me the JPGs I like most straight out of camera, the answer is still the M240.
This is the comparison I pointed to in Leica M240 in 2026: Is It Still Worth It as a Travel Camera?: how the three cameras actually differ if you want one for travel, with official specs, used prices I checked on 13 November 2026, and real frames from the M240 and the M11.
The short answer
- Choose the Leica Q (Typ 116) if you want autofocus, optical stabilization and a single fast 28mm in one compact body. It is the simplest of the three to travel with, because the lens never comes off.
- Choose the Leica M240 if you want a digital rangefinder and you care about colour out of camera. It is the most affordable way into a CMOS M, and it is the one whose JPGs I prefer.
- Choose the Leica M11 if you want the current M feature set: 60-megapixel files (or 36 or 18, if you drop the resolution), USB-C charging, 64 GB of internal storage and a lighter black body.
I loved all three. The real fork is whether you want a fixed-lens compact or a manual rangefinder with interchangeable lenses.
How they compare on paper
These figures come from Leica’s own documents: the Q (Typ 116) technical data PDF, the M (Typ 240) technical data PDF, and the official M11 technical data page.
| Leica Q (Typ 116) | Leica M (Typ 240) | Leica M11 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Full-frame compact, fixed lens | Full-frame rangefinder | Full-frame rangefinder |
| Sensor | 24.2 MP CMOS (effective) | 24 MP CMOS | 60.3 MP CMOS, Triple Resolution 60 / 36 / 18 MP |
| Lens | Fixed Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH. | Interchangeable M-mount | Interchangeable M-mount |
| Focus | Autofocus or manual | Manual rangefinder (Live View available) | Manual rangefinder |
| Stabilization | Optical, in the lens | None in the body | None in the body |
| ISO (manual) | 100–50,000 | 200–6,400 (pull 100) | 64–50,000 |
| Weight | 640 g with battery (590 g without) | 680 g | Black: 530 g with battery |
| Charging / storage | SD card | SD card, BP-SCL2 battery | USB-C charging, SD card plus 64 GB internal |
On paper the Q is the odd one out: it has autofocus and a fixed 28mm. The two M bodies share the same way of working — a rangefinder, a manual focus patch, and whatever M lens you mount — and differ mainly in the sensor, the files and the day-to-day conveniences (battery, charging, internal storage, weight).
Leica Q (Typ 116): autofocus and a fixed 28mm
The original Q, announced in 2015, is a 24.2-megapixel full-frame compact with a permanently attached Leica Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH. It has contrast-detection autofocus, an electronic viewfinder and optical image stabilization. There is also a digital crop to 35mm or 50mm if you want a tighter frame, at a lower pixel count.
For travel, that package is the straightforward one of the three. You do not pack a second lens. You can hand the camera to someone else and they can use autofocus. The 28mm is wide enough for streets, rooms and landscapes, and f/1.7 is fast enough for dim interiors. You give up interchangeable lenses, and you live at 28mm unless you crop.
I owned the original Q and I loved it, as I loved the two M bodies that followed. I am not going to invent a trip-by-trip diary for it here. The photos in this post are from later trips with the M240 and the M11, which is the work I have already published on this blog.
Leica M240: the JPGs I like most
The M (Typ 240) was announced in 2012. It was the first digital M with a 24-megapixel CMOS sensor, Live View, optional electronic viewfinder and Full HD video. It is heavier than a black M11, and it is slower to use in 2026, but the colour I get from its JPGs is still the colour I prefer.
That is a personal preference, not a lab result. I have written a longer used-buyer’s guide, with more frames from Verona and Lake Garda, in Leica M240 in 2026.
The M240 photos below are from three trips: northern Italy in June 2025, with a 50mm (the Zeiss C Sonnar 50, as already noted in the M11 gallery post); Folgosinho in the Serra da Estrela in May 2025, also with that 50mm; and northern Sardinia in July 2025, with a Voigtländer Ultron 35mm. On some M240 files the camera writes a “Summilux-M 50” or “Summicron-M 35” name into the EXIF. Treat that field as a lens profile, not a receipt.
Leica M11: the modern M
The M11 keeps the manual rangefinder and adds a much more modern back end. From Leica’s official page, the points that change how you pack and shoot are the 60 / 36 / 18 MP Triple Resolution options, USB-C charging, 64 GB of internal storage alongside the SD card, an electronic shutter up to 1/16,000 s, and a black body that weighs about 530 g with the battery — lighter than the M240, and lighter than the Q with its lens attached.
It is still a manual-focus rangefinder. It is not a “better Q”, and it is not a point-and-shoot. I wrote longer notes, and a larger gallery, in Leica M11 for Travel Photography.
When the M11 comes on a trip, the kit is a Voigtländer Ultron 35mm — my favourite travel focal length, because it is light — and a Leica 50mm f/2 when I want a tighter frame. The 35mm stays on the camera most of the time. The same EXIF warning applies: some 35mm frames are written as “Summicron-M 35” even when the glass is the Ultron.
What they cost used, in November 2026
I checked MPB Europe on 13 November 2026. Prices move, and individual copies come and go, so treat these as a snapshot and confirm the warranty and return window before you buy.
- Used Leica Q (Typ 116): 21 copies listed, from about €1,929 to €2,669.
- Used Leica M (Typ 240): 4 copies listed, from about €1,989 to €2,529.
- Used Leica M11 bodies cost substantially more. One excellent black copy was listed at €6,219 on the same day; other recent listings I saw were in a similar band. Check current M11 stock on MPB, because it changes quickly.
In short: a used original Q and a used M240 sit in roughly the same price band, well under a used M11. The M11’s extra money buys the newer sensor, the lighter black body and the everyday conveniences. It does not automatically buy JPGs I like more. For me, those still belong to the M240.
Which one should you choose?
If you want the least thinking on a trip — autofocus, one lens, a lighter decision about what to pack — the original Q is the obvious camera of the three. If you already like focusing a rangefinder and you want interchangeable lenses without paying current-M prices, a carefully checked used M240 is still a great travel camera in 2026. If you want the modern M and you are happy to pay for it, the M11 is the one with the contemporary file sizes and the better daily logistics.
I have owned all three and I loved all three. I would not pick one of them as “the best Leica” in the abstract. I would pick the one that matches how you already like to shoot.
Whatever you take, the habits matter more than the body. Here are 10 travel photography tips that work with any camera, including a phone. I also wrote a short book on that idea, Take Photos You Love: Every Single Time (also on Amazon.es).
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