Look, i've been shooting M bodies for years and the whole mandatory thumb grip thing is mostly hype. In my experience, it just gets in the way of the dials and makes the camera feel bulky in a jacket pocket. Since your budget is tight, skip the Visoflex for now. It is cool but totally kills the rangefinder experience... plus its way too pricey for a first accessory. Instead, put that cash into a solid strap like the Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap Black and definitely grab an extra Leica BP-SCL7 Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery. The M11 is decent on power but you dont want to die mid-session in Brooklyn. If you really want a better hold without ruining the profile, the Leica M11 Handgrip Black is a much better investment than a thumb stick. Stick to the basics and just go shoot.

> My logic was to maybe just get a half-case to help with the grip and protection, but I dont know if that's enough for a secure hold. Honestly, i've gone back and forth on the half-case vs grip debate for years. In my experience, a good leather half-case gives you just enough meat to hold onto without making the camera look like a piece of tactical gear. It keeps that classic silhouette which is basically why we buy these things, right? I'm not 100% sure if the newest ones have fixed the access to the battery and SD slot without taking the whole thing off, but someone told me the newer designs are much better for the M11 baseplate-less bottom. Since your budget is capped at 500 bucks, I would strongly suggest skipping the Visoflex for now. It is a massive chunk of change for something that kind of ruins the rangefinder experience anyway. I think I read somewhere that you can actually get screw-in diopters for the viewfinder if your glasses are the main issue. Not sure if those are still easy to find for the current model specifically, but they used to be a lifesaver for folks who didnt want to smash their frames against the back of the body. Tbh, if i were in your shoes heading to Brooklyn this weekend, I would just grab a high-quality screen protector and maybe a really nice leather neck strap. If you still feel like the grip is lacking after a day of walking around, you can always look at those small adhesive finger loops later. They are cheap and surprisingly effective, though they look a bit funky. Just keep it simple and focus on the shooting... the M11 is a beast on its own.

To add to the point above: i honestly think you should just take a breath before spending that last 500 bucks! I was in the exact same boat when i got my first M body and i rushed into buying a bunch of gear i ended up selling a month later... it is such an amazing rush getting a new Leica though, seriously congrats!! Since you are hitting Brooklyn for street stuff, are you more worried about the camera getting scratched in the crowd or just how it feels in your hand after walking for five hours? Also, are you mostly shooting wider lenses like a 28mm or 35mm where the frame lines are easy enough to see even with glasses, or are you looking at longer glass where that pricey EVF might actually be a necessity? Ngl, the weight really starts to feel different after a few miles so knowing your lens setup and how you carry it would help a ton before you blow the rest of your budget.