Turn your classic Leica M2 into a digital Leica M2PI for under $150?!
Yes, but you’ve got to be a dedicated DIY-er with access to a 3D printer!
Leica fans have been speculating and salivating over the possibility of converting an analog Leica M to digital capture for decades. Beginning even before Leica released the first digital M, the APS-H-format Leica M8 in 2006, various ways of “digitizing” analog Leica Ms have been proposed, sparking many lively debates on the leading Leica forums and elsewhere. However, to the best of our knowledge Michael Suguitan, a Cornell-trained roboticist and inspired tinkerer, was the first to construct a working example of a Leica M2 modified for digital, which he dubbed the MPi (pronounced “em-pie”) and to publish a detailed protocol of the procedure in open-source documents and videos so you can make your own!
Neither Suguitan’s original “Leica MPI” of 2023 nor his upgraded “Leica M2PI” just released in December 2024, provides anything close to the performance and shooting flexibility of a digital Leica M. But that was never the goal. The idea that you can convert a Leica M2 for digital capture non-destructively by simply adding parts costing around $125, and then simply remove the 3D-printed “digital back” and other components, and start shooting film again, is astonishing.
The target audience for projects like this: users who prefer the convenience of digital imaging, value the capability of going back to film, and don’t mind (or rather enjoy) spending many happy hours in the workshop. The Leica MPI conversion is non-destructive because the digital back swaps in place of the existing film door and pressure plate, enabling reversibility. Assuming component availability at MSRP [Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price], the total cost sums up to less than $120, or around 1-2% of the cost of a newest digital Leica M!
The conversion system is powered by a Raspberry Pi Zero W single-board computer with the Raspberry Pi HQ Camera Module attached, while a WaveShare 1.3" LCD at the rear of the camera back offers a user interface for the digital side of the equation. Housed in a 3D-printed enclosure, the digital back simply snaps into place on the rear of the camera, while an ingenious bit of wiring connects the camera's mechanical shutter to the Raspberry Pi's general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pin to trigger the Camera Module's digital shutter. In short, the Leica MPI combines the maintainability of the analog Leica M2 with the convenience of a digital capture medium. "The system is post-digital in not just its apparent combination of analog and digital elements, but also in its promotion of agency over its constituent technologies,” says Suguitan. “Similar to the Right to Repair and Maker movements, this design philosophy appeals to a desire to be 'master of one's own stuff.”
Enter the Leica M2PI
The first variant of the Leica MPI was released by Michael Suguitan as an open-source project back in May 2023. Over the past few months, the project has incorporated a host of significant upgrades, but the fundamental idea remains the same: the Leica M2 is combined with a Raspberry Pi computer and a compatible camera sensor to transform the vintage 1957 rangefinder classic into a functional digital camera.
In the new model, the 12 MP 1/2.3” format Sony IMX477 is replaced by a much larger Arducam OwlSight, a 64 MP sensor in 1/1.32” format. The larger sensor results in a magnification factor of 3.7, which means that the Laowa 9 mm f/5.6 lens acts like a 33 mm lens on a full-frame camera, while a 90 mm lens effectively becomes a 333 mm telephoto lens. This new sensor also makes it possible to take color photos during the day, which led to distorted colors in the old model due to the lack of an infrared filter.
Support for flash and the integrated battery, which is charged via USB-C port, are also new. However, the digital module makes the middle section of the Leica M2 considerably thicker, meaning that the viewfinder can only be used with the right eye. Those wanting to replicate the project themselves should also consider the cost of the camera--a good used Leica M2 body will set you back $1,500-$3,000.
Price and availability
The Leica MPI and M2PI are distributed as an open-source project via Github, so if you want to modify a Leica M2, you must do it yourself. The most expensive components are the Arducam OwlSight camera sensor, which costs around $60, the Raspberry Pi Zer0 2 which costs $21, and the Waveshare LCD, which runs about $14. If you want to support Michael Suguitan, the developer behind the project, you can order a photo book in A5 format with at least 30 pages for $20, plus shipping and sales tax via Kickstarter. He is now offering inexpensive 3D-printed components to facilitate converting your M2 into an M2PI.
The takeaway? The glorious Leica M’s inspire creativity in myriad ways, but expanded picture-taking possibilities is always at the heart of it. Kudos to Michael Suguitan!