There’s a certain romance to shooting a meterless Leica. The ritual is tactile. You’re working with brass, glass, and intuition, relying on muscle memory and a bit of Sunny 16 magic. But romance has its limits. When the light changes quickly — say, ducking into a dim alley or chasing golden hour across the street — intuition can only get you so far.

Enter the Keks M-Meter.

This little device has been making waves among Leica M shooters lately, and for good reason: it brings 21st-century precision to some of the most iconic cameras ever made — without sacrificing a drop of vintage charm.

A Nod to the Past

If you know your Leica history, you’ll remember the MR-Meter from the ’60s — that beautiful, chunky accessory that clipped onto your M2 or M3 and mechanically linked to the shutter speed dial. It was an elegant solution at the time, but today, most of those old meters are either dead, inaccurate, or impossible to service.

The Keks M-Meter feels like a spiritual successor to that design philosophy — only cleaner, smarter, and decidedly modern. It mounts onto your camera’s accessory shoe and physically couples to the shutter speed dial of compatible M bodies. No mental math. No translating numbers. Whatever you set on the dial, the meter knows — and vice versa.

It’s a simple idea, but one that instantly feels right. Leica shooters appreciate harmony between tool and technique, and the M-Meter nails that balance.

Form Meets Function

On top, you get a crisp 1.3-inch OLED display that shows exactly what you need: shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, and battery status — all at a glance. It’s bright enough to read in harsh sunlight but subtle enough not to blind you during night shooting.

Inside, it’s powered by a high-precision VEML7700 sensor with 16-bit resolution. Translation? This thing is seriously accurate. Whether you’re exposing for skin tones in soft window light or trying to hold detail in a harsh backlit scene, the M-Meter gets you there reliably.

Some quick specs for the technically inclined:

Aperture range: f/1 to f/128
Shutter speeds: 30s to 1/1000s
ISO range: 6–3200
EV range: 1–20
Exposure compensation: ±3 EV in 1/3-stop steps

And yes, it supports both single and continuous metering modes — great for street shooters who work fast.

Battery Life Done Right

One of my biggest gripes with older external meters — and even some modern ones — is the battery situation. Tiny coin cells that die without warning? No thanks.

The M-Meter fixes this elegantly with a rechargeable 240mAh lithium battery that charges via USB-C. A full charge takes about an hour and delivers 10+ hours of continuous use. Better yet, the battery is user-replaceable — a small but thoughtful touch in an era where too many gadgets are sealed shut.

Built to Belong

The M-Meter isn’t just about performance; it’s about aesthetics, too. Available in Satin Chrome, Black Chrome, and a Black Paint brass finish, the design complements Leica M bodies beautifully.

The brass version is particularly tempting — it’s meant to age with you, slowly developing a soft patina that tells its own story over time. It feels like something that could’ve been designed in Wetzlar, but with modern sensibilities.

And unlike many boutique accessories, this one is built to last, backed by a 24-month warranty.

Pricing & Availability

Here’s the part that surprised me: $120 to $140, depending on finish. In Leica terms, that’s… well, practically pocket change. Pre-orders are live now, with deliveries slated for September.

For a tool this thoughtfully designed — and one that integrates so seamlessly with vintage M bodies — it feels like a no-brainer for anyone serious about shooting film.

The Verdict

The Keks M-Meter isn’t trying to reinvent the Leica experience; it’s refining it. It respects the ritual, the mechanics, and the pace of analog photography — while quietly solving one of its oldest frustrations.

For photographers who’ve been relying on guesswork, phone apps, or clunky standalone meters, this feels like the missing link between heritage and modernity. It’s the kind of accessory that disappears into your workflow — until you realize you’d never want to shoot without it.