Leica Q2 von vorn mit dem roten Leica-Punkt

Should I tape over the red dot on my Leica?

Cover image: Henry Söderlund, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The most expensive red dot at Leica is the one that's missing. For models without the dot, the manufacturer usually charges more: most of the time they also come with a bit more technology, but the Q-P was technically identical to the Q and cost 500 dollars more in the US. Leica justifies leaving off the dot with discretion, and some owners really are approached about their camera again and again when out and about. Yet the dot on your camera is only glued on, and a strip of gaffer tape over it costs a few cents. Why other owners tape over it and whether that's the right thing for you too is covered in the following sections.

Table of contents

  1. Why do people tape over the dot?
  2. Why does Leica charge more for cameras without the dot?
  3. Since when has the Leica had a red dot?
  4. Is the red dot too loud for a Leica?
  5. Do you stand out less on the street?
  6. Does taping it over help against theft?
  7. What do you tape over the dot with?
  8. Can you remove the dot completely?
  9. Is taping it over worth it for you?

Why do people tape over the dot?

The same reasons keep coming up in forums and blog comments.

Maybe you don't want to be asked all the time whether that's a Leica. The red dot invites strangers to strike up a conversation, and not every one of those conversations is pleasant. A user in the Leica forum says that because of the dot, people keep explaining to them that their own camera is just as good and much cheaper. The conclusion: “I'd rather just take photos.” A commenter on Steve Huff's blog tapes over the logo so that people leave them alone.

Maybe you're worried about thieves. Another reader of Steve Huff's blog writes that the dot sends “long distance signals to crooks”, and the author of pindelski.org finds that the dot screams “Steal me now”. Whether taping it over helps against that is covered further down.

Maybe you simply like things plain. A user in the Leica forum values their M11 for its build quality but has little use for the brand's luxury image, so they cover the dot. They compare this to car manufacturers that deliver their cars without the model lettering on request.

Leica knows, too, that customers tape over the dot.

Why does Leica charge more for cameras without the dot?

When Leica introduced the M-P in 2014, an M without the red dot, the press release said: “Many professional photographers who already shoot with a Leica M camera tape over the red Leica logo in order to work as inconspicuously as possible. That is why this identifying feature was omitted on the new rangefinder camera.” So the manufacturer turned its customers' tape into a product, and that product costs more than the M with the dot.

The first digital P model without the dot was the M9-P of 2011, and since then almost every generation of the M has also been available as a P model. The press release for the M11-P names the purpose: the “deliberate omission of the red Leica dot on the camera front” enables “even more discreet photography”. On the M11-P, the name is engraved on the top plate, i.e. the top of the body. At the front, a small screw sits where the dot would be.

According to DPReview, the manufacturer even called the Q-P of 2018, a Leica Q without the dot, “an artful statement of understatement”. And for the M-D of 2016, an M with no display at all, the press release says: “The red Leica logo on the camera body was omitted in favor of an unobtrusive appearance.”

For all model pairs we found prices for, the version without the dot costs more than its counterpart with the dot.

With dot Without the dot What else the version without the dot has
M (Typ 240), €6,200 (2014) M-P, €6,700 (2014) Sapphire display glass, frame selector, doubled buffer memory
Q, 4,495 US dollars (2018) Q-P, 4,995 US dollars (2018) technically identical, plus a second battery, leather strap, different shutter button, matte black paint
M10, €6,500 (2017) M10-P, €7,500 (2018) quieter shutter, touchscreen, electronic level
M11, €8,350 (2022) M11-P, €8,950 (2023) Sapphire display glass, 256 instead of 64 GB internal storage, content authenticity for images

Prices according to photoscala (M and M-P, M10 and M10-P, M11), PetaPixel (Q and Q-P, US prices) and Leica (M11-P).

The comparison isn’t entirely fair. Most P models come with additional technology, so the higher price isn’t just for the missing dot. The closest thing to a pure surcharge for leaving it off is the Q-P: according to photoscala it is technically identical to the Q, although the box also contains a second battery and a leather strap.

Also without a dot are the analog MP and M-A, the models without a display (M-D, M10-D, M11-D) and the Monochrom cameras, most recently the Q3 Monochrom from 2025.

According to Matt Osborne, M10 owners could even have their camera converted at the factory: a new top plate without the dot plus a quieter shutter for €2,900, or without the new shutter for €1,300. We couldn’t find an official price list for this at Leica.

Black Leica M10-P from the front, without the red dot, with a small screw in its place

Photo: Ferencvizi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Instead of the dot, the M10-P has a small screw on the front, and the name is on top of the top plate.

Leica M11 with Summicron-M 50 mm and red Leica dot

Photo: Peachyeung316, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. For comparison, the regular M11 with the red dot.

Since when has the Leica had a red dot?

The red dot is younger than the brand's reputation. It first appeared in 1976 on the Leica R3 SLR, and a year later on the first hundred or so units of the M4-2, back then still with the lettering “Leitz”. It has only been a fixed part of the M since the M4-P of 1981. On the M6, the lettering in the dot changed from Leitz to Leica after 1986, and since 1999 the red dot has been the official company logo. This was compiled by Jason Schneider for the Leica Society International.

The cameras with which Leica built its reputation did without a dot. On an M3, M2 or M4, the name is engraved. So if you tape over the dot today, your camera looks more like the early M models again.

One story persists stubbornly: Henri Cartier-Bresson supposedly taped over the red dot. The timing hardly fits. From 1968 onwards he turned away from photography and back to drawing, and by the mid-1970s he had practically stopped. The M only got its dot after that. All that is documented is that he covered shiny parts of his Leica with black tape. That is what the English Wikipedia says, for example; we have not found a primary source for it.

Red Leica dot on a Leica Q (Typ 116) in close-up

Photo: 之乎, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The dot on a Leica Q (Typ 116); the lettering on it is slightly raised.

Is the red dot too loud for a Leica?

Many people tape it over because they find the red dot on their camera too loud. An M looks plain: a black or silver body with few controls and no decorative trim. On a body like that, the red dot is the most conspicuous spot, and it's what makes the camera a Leica at first glance. Without it, it's mainly people who know about cameras who recognize it. To most others, it's simply a plain camera.

A customer wrote in their review of our foil cover that they had been skeptical at first. They had already seen plenty of “Bauhaus attempts” on YouTube. With the cover, their camera now looks “really classy”.

Black Leica M with the dot covered in black, black and white photo from a customer

Photo: Dirk S., from their review in our shop. A black Leica M, the dot covered with a black foil.

Understatement can turn into a pose itself, though. At DIYPhotography, Nicholas Goodden asks whether Leica owners who want to stand out less with tape aren't really shouting: “I’m here look at me and my anti-Leica Leica”. Under a post on Steve Huff's blog, one reader calls taping it over false modesty, a kind of “humble brag”, and advises: “if you’ve got it, be proud.” In the Leica forum, someone simply wrote in 2025: “I am proud of my red dot!” If you like the dot, there's no reason to hide it.

Do you attract less attention on the street?

The photographer behind the Luminosity Field channel argues in the video below that red draws the eye, even for people who don't associate the name Leica with anything. Jason Schneider writes that street photographers tape over the dot to keep thieves and gushing admirers away alike.

Whether the dot still means anything to passers-by at all is disputed. A user in the Leica forum counters that hardly anyone today even knows what a Leica is, so taping it over is mostly a question of self-image.

Video: “I'm Hiding My Leica Logo….Should you?”, Luminosity Field. Tells the story of the dot and explains why red stands out so much and how the dot can be covered (in English).

Does taping it over help against theft?

Taping over the logo is also often recommended as protection against thieves. There is no evidence that it protects. We found no statistics showing that a visible brand logo makes a camera a target, and the police tips against pickpockets don't mention logos. Popular Photography does advise taping over the logos on a Leica or Hasselblad, but admits itself: “It won’t stop a theft.” Without a logo, the gear merely looks less valuable. Goodden writes in his article that he replied on Twitter that anyone who steals Leicas will recognize a Leica with or without the dot. Popular Photography also recommends a bag that doesn't look like a camera bag.

What do you use to cover the dot?

First, the size. On the M6, M7, M9, M10, M11 and the Q models, the dot is 10 mm in diameter; on the M (Typ 240) and the SL models it is 12 mm. That's what the US manufacturer AGS states, which offers replacement dots in both sizes, and it's also what the author of pindelski.org measured on their M10. A cover can be slightly larger than the dot; it then rests on the body with a narrow margin and reliably covers the edge.

The common options compared, from cheapest to most expensive.

Disclaimer: We sell some of the products that appear here. Even so, the article is meant first and foremost as help and not as a sales pitch.

Method Cost How it looks What to look out for
Gaffer tape a few cents matte fabric, a clean circle is fiddly work, the raised lettering easily shows through residue-free in the short term, over longer periods adhesive can be left behind on the paint and the dot (Fred Miranda)
Electrical tape a few cents glossy, looks makeshift leaves sticky adhesive residue over time (pointed out by Matt Osborne), better not to use
Marking dots from office supplies, such as Avery Zweckform 3140 (12 mm, black) around €2 for 270 pieces cleanly round, matte paper according to the manufacturer “permanently adhesive”; whether they can be peeled off cleanly after months is unclear
Third-party vinyl stickers, such as the Stealth Kit from Fieldmade a few euros smooth and matte check the size against your model before buying
Our film cover in black (12 mm, for M6 to M11 and Q) or the silver version (13 mm) for chrome cameras €24.95 for two, silver €29.95 smooth, covers the 10 mm dot with a narrow margin can be peeled off again without leaving adhesive residue
Brass replacement dot, for example from AGS 42 US dollars like on a P model, with a screw look the original dot has to come off first, see below

One customer gave our cover three out of five stars and titled his review “Too expensive”. He writes that you can get a whole lot of dots like these for a fraction of the price. He has a point. If you first want to find out whether you like the camera without the red, start with a strip of gaffer tape and decide after a few days. Our film is for anyone who then wants a smooth, clean solution. Another customer wrote that the covers “fit perfectly” and hold well. You can see how to apply it in our own video on YouTube.

Leica Q with the dot covered in black, black-and-white photo by a customer

Photo: Giulio, from his review in our shop. A Leica Q with the black cover sitting to the right of the lens.

Can you remove the dot completely?

Yes, it is only glued on. On the M, it covers the screw used to adjust the vertical alignment of the rangefinder. That is why even a Leica technician removes it for adjustments, writes Matt Osborne. On the Q, according to an owner's report in the Leica Forum, there is a smooth black recess underneath.

Fred Miranda has described how to do it on his M11. He applies isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) around the edge with a cotton swab and lets it soak in for two to three minutes. Then he warms the dot for one to two minutes with a hair dryer on a low setting. After that, he places two toothpicks on opposite sides and carefully turns the dot until the adhesive gives way. For him, this took about five minutes. In the video below, Tobias Steinert shows the same twisting motion with two wooden sticks.

Don't use anything made of metal. The author of pindelski.org explicitly warns against it: the lettering is only slightly raised, and a screwdriver slips off it. The rangefinder adjustment sits directly underneath. Keep the removed dot, it will hold again with double-sided tape. According to Luminosity Field, Leica service centers no longer sell black or silver replacement dots.

We found no reliable statement on whether a removed dot affects the warranty or resale value. As long as the original is in the drawer, you can always go back.

Video: "How to remove the Leica logo - Red Dot remove tutorial", Tobias Steinert. In German, using two wooden sticks instead of tools.

Is taping it over worth it for you?

That depends on why you want to tape it over. If you want a plain camera that doesn't look like a status symbol, you are in good company: Leica itself sells this look as understatement and charges for it, even though the more expensive models usually come with a bit more technology. If you want to be approached about your camera less often, covering the dot removes its most conspicuous feature, and with it many a reason for a conversation. There is no evidence, however, that taping it over protects against theft.

Our advice for anyone who is undecided: put a piece of gaffer tape over it for a few days and see whether you like the camera better that way. If you do, get a clean cover or swap the dot for a brass replacement. If you don't, just peel the tape off again and you have your answer for a few cents.

Read more

The most detailed history of the dot, including the dispute within the Leica community, was written by Jason Schneider under the title "Revenge of the Red Dot". How differently Leica owners view taping it over is shown in the thread "For those who wish to hide the red dot" in the Leica Forum.

From us: if you use older lenses on a digital M, the guide "Coding Leica M lenses" shows you how to give them their 6-bit code without milling. The camera uses this code to recognize the lens. All articles are listed in the blog overview.

Sources

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