Photographers with more stamps in their passport than a philatelist has Penny Blacks should start cashing in their air miles now; Leica has a new limited-run camera on the way. The Leica M11-P Safari Edition continues the firm’s tradition of giving its mirrorless cameras an olive green makeover, and instantly making them collector’s items in the process.
The Safari Edition started life in the ’60s, originally for military use. As well as being built to survive harsh conditions, each camera was given a green enamel finish instead of Leica’s trademark black and silver. The general population cottoned on a decade later, and the M11-P is now the latest in a long line to get the treatment.
Leica has given the full-frame rangefinder an olive green leatherette grip, and painted the brass top plate in matte olive green. The controls and dials stay in a contrasting silver. The iconic Leica Red Dot has also been omitted from the front in favour of a subtler silver screw.
Underneath the natty new exterior, the Safari Edition is mechanically identical to the regular M11-P. It’s rocking the same 60MP full-frame sensor, which can drop down to 36MP or 18MP when resolution isn’t mission-critical, and plays nicely with Leica’s extensive M-mount lens selection.
There’s an optical viewfinder and LCD screen at the rear for composition, with the latter protected by scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass. The 256GB of internal storage means realising you left your SD cards at home won’t spell disaster for any outdoor adventures, and the built-in Bluetooth LE handles background transfers to your phone through the Leica Fotos app.
It’s also equipped with Content Credentials tech for tamper-proof metadata, guaranteeing your shots are free from any AI ‘enhancements’ – something pro photographers are beginning to find news desks and picture agencies insisting on before licensing their images.
The M11-P Safari Edition comes with a black Leica carrying strap in the box, but unlike the older M10 Safari, there’s no matching olive green lens being offered alongside it.
Would-be wilderness wanderers can buy the Leica M11-P Safari right now, either from the Leica online shop or its bricks-and-mortar stores, for £8100/€9250. There’s no word on a US price as yet, but given the tech world is still reeling from new trade tariffs, I’d suggest American photography fans save up even more cash.
