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Model Name References Year Notes
Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) Leica Historica 1975 - 2015 357 2015 this special series M Monochrom was produced on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Leica Historica. The silver chrome-plated camera was covered with turquoise blue genuine leather and had a special engraving on the top plate. A matching APO-Summicron-M 90 f/2 ASPH., also silver chrome-plated and with a special engraving, was offered separately. 
Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) Leica Store Oslo 357 2017 this special edition was commissioned to celebrate the opening of the Leica Store Oslo. The black chrome camera had the special engraving "OSLO" and a special number engraved on the back of the top plate and on the front of the lens. The lens was also a black chrome Summaron-M 28 f/5.6 with red engravings
Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) Jim Marshall 357 2017 this special edition was produced in collaboration with the Jim Marshall Foundation. The Leica camera, made of brass, was coated with a matt Laiton finish. Marshall's signature was engraved on the top plate. A Summilux-M 50 €/1.4 ASPH. with a classic knurled focusing ring and round lens hood came in the same look. The set also included a print of Thelonious Monk at the 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival and a special edition of Jim Marshall's photo book
Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) Stealth Edition 357 2018 this special series was created together with the fashion label rag & bone. The camera was coated with a special scratch-resistant, matt lacquer to make the surface as black as possible. To match this, the leather covering of the camera was made from extremely smooth, non-slip full-grain cowhide in deep black. The most important engravings on the camera and lens were highlighted with a special fluorescent colour that glowed in the dark. The set was delivered with a correspondingly designed Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH. 
Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) Signature 357 2019 this edition was created together with Andy Summers, the former guitarist of The Police. The camera, coated with black high-gloss paint, had a leather cover with a photo collage. A signature engraved in red adorned the top plate. The set included a Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH. with a round lens hood, a strap inspired by the Fender guitar and a black leather bag by Oberwerth. 
Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) Drifter 357 2019 this special edition was developed in collaboration with Lenny Kravitz. The sepia-brown painted camera was covered in vegan leather with a snakeskin look. The carrying strap was also made of the same material. The controls were made of brass. The set included two lenses, also in sepia brown: Summicron-M 28 f/2 ASPH. and APO-Summicron-M 75 f/2 ASPH. 
Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) Your Mark 357 2019 this special edition was produced in collaboration with Horween Leather Company for the Leica Store San Fran-cisco. The camera and the accompanying Summicron-M 35 f/2 ASPH. were painted in high-gloss black. The camera leather was made by Horween in vintage black. The set also included a carrying strap made of black Horween leather. 
Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) Kyoto 357 2019 this special edition was produced to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Leica Store Kyoto. The silver chrome-plated camera had a green leather cover and a special "Kyoto" engraving on the back of the top plate. A carrying strap made from the same leather was included in the set. 
Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) Leitz Wetzlar 357 2019 this special edition was released to mark the 150th anniversary of the takeover of the Optical Institute in Wetzlar by Ernst Leitz I, and the founding of the Ernst Leitz Wetzlar company. The black chrome-plated camera had the special engraving "Leitz Wetzlar" on the top plate. 

Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246)


  • Introduced in April of 2015318 and remained in production until 2020357
  • The new Leica Monochrom (Typ 246) is built on the foundation of the Leica M-P (Typ 240) but features a 24 MP CMOS sensor manufactured by CMOSIS, replacing the previous model's CCD sensor. It maintains a similar stealthy appearance to its predecessor, complete with a sapphire crystal back and the absence of the iconic red dot304.
  • The Leica M Monochrom (Version 1) of 2012 has seen several improvements, including304:
    1. A faster processor304
    2. A larger buffer304
    3. Longer battery life304
    4. A higher resolution LCD screen304
    5. A quieter shutter (without re-cock pause)304
    6. Reduced shutter lag304
    7. Enhanced performance at high ISO settings304
    8. Higher overall resolution304
    9. An integrated thumb grip304
    10. A thumb wheel for easier adjustments304
    11. Improved ergonomics for better handling304
    12. An upgraded rangefinder design304
    13. A focus assist/exposure compensation button304
  • The new camera is approximately 100 grams heavier and 0.6 mm thicker than the Leica M Monochrom (Version 1).
  • New features include304:
    1. Live View304
    2. Optional Electronic Viewfinder (EVF)304
    3. Focus Peaking304
    4. Focus Assist (zoom focus)304
    5. Video304
    6. Matrix/centre weighted/spot metering modes304
    7. Weather sealing304
  • One of the criticisms of the previous Leica M Monochrom (Version 1) from 2012 was that, despite its impressive resolution, it was difficult to accurately assess the sharpness of an image on the rear LCD due to its low resolution. The new LCD, similar to that of the M (Typ 240), enables users to accurately evaluate image sharpness before transferring the photos to a computer304.
  • As you would expect, at base ISO, the resolution improvement over the older camera reflects the difference between the 18 MP of the old CCD sensor and the 24 MP of the new CMOS sensor. However, the higher ISO performance is a significant improvement. The new Monochrom offers a ‘pushed’ ISO of 25,000, whereas the previous camera had a maximum ISO of 10,000304.
  • At lower ISO values, the new Monochrom appears to deliver a one-stop advantage over the original camera and a two-stop advantage over the Leica M (Typ 240). While banding is still a potential issue at very high ISO settings, Leica has made considerable improvements in this area compared to the M (Typ 240). An ISO of 25,000 is certainly usable in many situations, and what's more, the beautiful tonality is preserved even at these high ISO values304.
  • Overall, the camera has the same features as the M-P (Typ 240), but it includes a black-and-white sensor318.
  • Special Editions of Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246):