YOU CAN TURN A FILM LEICA INTO A DIGITAL CAMERA
A Raspberry Pi digital module that hinges into a Leica M2 film camera in place of the film door and locks in with the original baseplate.
Open-hardwarePhotography
Built withRaspberry Pi3D printing
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- a weekend-plus
- license
- AGPL-3.0
- repo
- repo ACTIVE27 stars
●●●●○ · a weekend-plus · AGPL-3.0 · 27 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
Michael Suguitan's Leica MPi turns a Leica M2 film rangefinder (made 1957–1968) into a digital camera. A 3D-printed module holding a Raspberry Pi Zero 2, a Waveshare 1.3 inch LCD with a D-pad, a PiSugar battery and a camera sensor takes the place of the film door. You hinge it in, lock it with the original baseplate and plug a printed adapter into the flash sync socket, so pressing the shutter release starts the electronic exposure. The shutter dial goes to Bulb and you pick the exposure time on the D-pad (1/2, 1/15, 1/60 or 1/250); focusing stays on the rangefinder. This is for someone who already owns an M2 (the CAD is designed for it) and is comfortable with 3D printing, soldering header pins and setting up a Raspberry Pi over SSH. The big trade-off is crop: both sensors are much smaller than 35mm film, 5.5× with the Pi HQ Camera and 3.7× with the Arducam OwlSight, so a 50mm lens frames like roughly 275mm or 185mm. The OwlSight has to be taken out of its autofocus lens assembly, and the Pi only captures 5MP with it. After assembly you calibrate focus by adjusting the sensor distance with two bolts and anti-static foam, using focus-bracketed test shots. The author says plainly that it does not render with the sharpness of a modern digital camera and has quirks like shutter lag, occasional software glitches and limited battery life (the PiSugar runs about 3 hours). If you want a reversible digital back for an M2 and enjoy tinkering, this is a well-documented starting point; if you want full-frame image quality, it is not the project.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —STL files for the housing, back plate and sync cable adapter, plus optional top and side covers, are in the repo on the mpi branch.
- —The bill of materials lists a Pi Zero 2 (~$15), Waveshare 1.3" LCD hat (~$15), PiSugar battery (~$40) and one sensor: Pi HQ Camera 12MP (crop 5.5×, ~$50) or Arducam OwlSight 64MP (crop 3.7×, ~$50), plus M2 bolts and nuts, anti-static foam, header pins and wires.
- —Assembly, installation, software setup, usage and focus calibration are covered in docs/mpi.md, which the author describes as an in-progress living document. The repo itself is a general hardware-software library; the MPi is one of its example rigs.
- —Licence is AGPL-3.0: if you share a modified version of the software, you have to release its source under the same licence.
Parts to buy
7 itemsFrom our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
Videos
Leica MPi, a Leica M2 with a Raspberry Pi-powered digital sensor3:50
Original MPi video, published 11 May 2023 (first version of the camera).
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Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the MPi documentation (Bill of materials, print list, assembly, installation, software and calibration in one page.)
- 2.Choose a sensor and order the parts(Pi Zero 2, Waveshare 1.3 inch LCD hat, PiSugar and one sensor: Pi HQ Camera (12MP, 5.5× crop) or Arducam OwlSight (64MP, 3.7× crop, requires disassembly). Add M2 bolts and nuts, anti-static foam, header pins and wires.)
- 3.Print the housing parts(Housing, back plate and sync cable adapter; the top and side covers are optional. The STL links are in the docs.)
- 4.Solder the headers and assemble the module(Male header pins go on the Pi's inner row, right-angle female headers on the outer row. Then stack the PiSugar, Pi and LCD, fit them in the housing and mount the back plate and sensor.)
- 5.Wire the sync adapter(A bolt in the printed plug touches the flash sync centre pin and is wired to GPIO 23 (pin 16); a second wire runs from the hot/cold shoe to a Pi ground pin such as pin 14.)
- 6.Install the software on the Pi(Flash Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm 64-bit, clone r0b0, check out the mpi branch, install with pip and enable the mpi systemd service.)
- 7.Calibrate focus(Take focus-bracketed shots at three distances and turn the sensor bolts until the photo focused at the marked distance is the sharpest.)
Resources
Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.
KNOWN ISSUES
- Both sensors crop the frame heavily (5.5× or 3.7×). A 50mm lens frames like roughly 275mm with the Pi HQ Camera or 185mm with the OwlSight, so plan focal lengths accordingly.
- The MPi instructions are in docs/mpi.md on the mpi branch. The main branch README covers the wider r0b0 library, not the camera build.
- The Arducam OwlSight comes attached to an autofocus lens assembly that you have to remove to reach the bare sensor. The author calls this precarious and not supported, and the Pi only captures 5MP images with it.
- If photos come out completely or partially black, the mechanical shutter is closing before the electronic exposure finishes. Set the shutter dial to Bulb and hold the shutter button a little longer.
- Focus will likely be off after the first assembly. Calibrate the sensor distance with the two bolts and the anti-static foam, using focus-bracketed test shots, until the photo focused at the marked distance is the sharpest.
- The PiSugar lasts about 3 hours. The author carries a USB-C power bank to keep the camera charged through the day.
Does this work with other Leica M cameras?
The instructions and CAD files are designed for the Leica M2. Michael Suguitan writes that for other bodies the main part that should need a major redesign is the large back plate that replaces the film door.
Can I get full-frame sensor coverage?
No. Both sensor options are much smaller than 35mm film: the Raspberry Pi HQ Camera crops 5.5× and the Arducam OwlSight 3.7×. With the OwlSight, the author notes the Pi can only capture 5MP images before the camera freezes.
Do I need to modify the camera body?
The installation is: remove the baseplate and film door, hinge the module in, lock it with the baseplate and plug the adapter into a flash sync socket. The instructions do not involve cutting or drilling the camera.
What if my photos come out black?
The docs say completely or partially black photos mean the mechanical shutter is closing before the electronic exposure finishes. Set the shutter dial to Bulb and hold the shutter button down a little longer.
Is the software hard to set up?
The docs walk through it: flash Raspberry Pi OS (Bookworm 64-bit), SSH in, clone r0b0, check out the mpi branch, install with pip and enable a systemd service so it starts on boot. The author calls the instructions an in-progress living document.
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Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
The Pi HQ Camera crops the frame 5.5×, the OwlSight 3.7×. Which lenses would you actually mount with that much crop?
Michael Suguitan
Michael Suguitan built the Leica MPi on r0b0, a hardware-software library that started as the control software for Blossom, the open-source robot he developed during his PhD; the same library also runs a motorized IKEA lamp. He uses the MPi as his main camera in New York City and released the instructions and files in December 2024 with the second revision of the camera.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM1d ago
Checked against the docs and the author's blog: the repo is active (last push May 2026), the instructions live on the mpi branch, and both YouTube videos are online. The licence is AGPL-3.0. The biggest practical surprise is the crop factor — 5.5× with the Pi HQ Camera and 3.7× with the OwlSight — so a normal lens becomes a telephoto; the author's 12mm Voigtländer frames like a 44mm with the OwlSight. Expect to spend some time on focus calibration after the first assembly.