At the same time, you can pull extra detail out of shadows and highlights with the 14-bit RAW DNG files. And considering the higher resolution (and smaller pixels), the M10-R wasn’t bad in low light, letting me capture relatively noise-free shots at up to ISO 3200. There’s some noise beyond that, but I found I could get usable images at up to ISO 12,800.
Despite the lack of AF, video and other features, I had — surprisingly — a lot of fun shooting with the M10-R. For one thing, it’s a precision objet d’art with a satisfying mechanical feel. Plus, it got me involved in the photographic process — I had to nail the focus myself, which in turn made me think more about the shot as a whole.
If you look at what it has and what it lacks, though, it’s impossible to justify the $8,295 price for the