The world’s very first camera with content credentials has finally hit the market. Every image you capture with the brand new Leica M11-P Mirrorless Digital Camera will receive a digital signature that is backed by a CAI-complaint certificate — both verifying the authenticity and adding transparency to the modifications of an image file. Let’s dive in and take a look at the new Leica M11-P Camera and what else it has to offer.
Key Features of the Leica M11-P Camera
- World’s first camera with content credentials
- 60 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor
- 256GB internal memory
- Electronic Live View Stabilization
- 530g/18.7oz
- High resolution touch display
- Maestro III Processor
- 64-50,000 ISO range
- 1/16,000-60 minute shutter speed range
What’s New About the Leica M11-P Camera?
Content Credentials
The most notable feature of the Leica M11-P is the brand-new content credentials that are digitally verified from each and every image you take. Any image you take on this new camera is in compliance with the Content Authenticity Initiative. This process is possible via a built-in hardware encryptions chip that digitally signs images with content credentials. For creators, this means you gain content integrity on every image you take. The end result of this new technology is simple: to strengthen the public trust in digital content by being able to prove authenticity in the image creation process.
60MP Sensor
As we are accustomed to seeing, this Leica camera can produce some incredible images. The 60 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor has triple resolution technology, ultimately resulting in amazing imagery. You can expect excellent dynamic range and images that are bursting with vibrant color. The 60-megapixel sensor is identical to the one in the original Leica M-11 camera, and offers more than enough megapixels for almost any kind of creator.
Internal Memory
There is 256GB of internal memory within the new Leica M11-P — perfect for adding to the amount of images you can take when combined with a memory card. Or, since we’ve all done it before, the internal memory is perfect for those times when you forget a memory card all together.
Having the ability to switch over to internal memory and get a massive 256GB is a well-received addition to this new camera. For those who use a memory card, the M11-P can utilize UHS-II SD cards, giving you a fast read and write speed and a maximum buffer of 15 DNG images when shot at the full 60 megapixels. If you need to buffer more images, drop down to 36 megapixels and you can buffer 30 images, or buffer unlimited images at 18 megapixels.
Touchscreen Display
The high resolution touchscreen display utilizes sapphire glass with 2.33 million dots over a 2.95” display. Whether you need to browse the menu, select a focus point, or scroll through images, the touchscreen display has you covered. Best of all, the touchscreen covers 100% of the sRGB color space to give you an accurate image review for colors, sharpness, and exposure.
Finally, some of the basic specs of the camera open the door for unlimited creative potential. The camera’s ISO range of 64-50,000 will enable creators to shoot in both extremely bright and dark areas. The quickest shutter speed of 1/16,000 is incredibly fast, offering a shutter speed far faster than what is needed by most creators. On the other end of the spectrum, the slowest in-camera shutter speed tops out at 60 minutes. While this is much longer than most creators will ever need, this does offer some versatility in camera for the shooter to capture creative long exposure images.
Who Should Try The Leica M11-P Camera?
As it stands right now, image authenticity may not be a vital feature for the average creator. On the other hand, any photographer that captures events or news, you know the importance of image authenticity given the rise of AI technology. With this being the very first camera of its kind that offers Content Credentials, this is not a camera you can afford to pass up on if you stand to capture the truth.
This camera will be a hit among photojournalists and other creators who want to add authenticity to their images. In today’s rising age of Photoshop, AI, and other ways of “faking” an image, the new Leica M11-P is a game-changer. Every time you press the shutter, your images are digitally certified according to the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) and the C2PA standard. When verified, the metadata ensures the integrity of the image and the origin, and you are not able to modify the credentials without documentation since the digital signature is sealed with the image.
News media outlets will find this new feature incredibly important to prove that their images aren’t AI-based. While this might seem like a stretch right now, with all of the recent updates and additions to AI, Content Credentials looks to protect the integrity of the photographer, their work, and photojournalism as a whole. The bottom line is this: if you are serious about Content Credentials and image authenticity, the Leica M11-P is the camera for you.
Comparable Leica Cameras
The M11-P is an upgrade of the original Leica M11, released in January of 2022. Offering the same sensor and processor will result in very similar images between the two cameras, but there are a few upgrades. The internal memory has been increased from 64GB (M11) to 256GB (M11-P). Of course, the marque feature and most major upgrade that the M11-P has over its predecessor is the ability to use Content Credentials. If image authenticity doesn’t mean anything to you, or the kind of photography you do, the M11 is going to be the right choice for you, while photojournalists and news outlets will want to snag the M11-P with content authenticity.
New Leica Lens
In addition to the new camera, Leica is also releasing the Leica Summicron-M 28 F/2 ASPH Lens. This new lens is 15 grams lighter than its predecessor and is an excellent travel companion for a wide range of photographers. The 28mm focal length gives a perfect wide-angle point of view for street, landscape, news, and even portrait photography. Offering a 16” minimum focusing distance gives you creative opportunities to take your image creation to the next level.
Overall, it will be interesting to see how Leica’s Content Authenticity system will shake up the photography world as AI becomes ever more present in creative communities.
