As I usually do every
morning, I seek whatever Leica news I can find.
Today, the official Leica website (www.leica-camera.com)
did not disappoint. It reports of a new
camera to be introduced on June 11, at this point referred to as the Leica Mini
M. It is thought to be a model placed
between the Leica M system and the Leica X and it is thought not to be a
rebranded Panasonic camera but a model made in Germany.
Rather than exercising all
sorts of guesses of what that camera might be like, I chose to wait until the
11th of next month to see what Leica has up their sleeves.
I like the timing because it
allows me to take a close look at this new Leica product on my visit to Solms
in July. You can be sure that an
in-depth report will follow on these pages.
Please, consult your crystal ball. It has been amazingly accurate in the past. I am really curious to see what your thought on this new camera are.
ReplyDeletePeople are so impatient. Obviously I have my own thoughts of what this might be. Prior to the introduction of the Leica M, there were a lot of rumors about a compact, mirrorless Leica with interchangeable lenses. As a matter of fact, this was openly discussed by Leica, only to have this rumor disappear. During these discussions it appeared that this camera had progressed quite far in the development. Taking that into consideration, it seems absurd for Leica to abandon this project and to waste the costs of this development. So, what we might see is a camera, smaller than the M, with the same lens mount, essentially a digital Leica CL. It is doubtful that the camera will have a rangefinder, instead we might see focus peaking and the possibility to use the new electronic Visoflex.
ReplyDeleteCould this be a Leica X with a zoom lens?
ReplyDeleteI doubt it. That would be counter to Leica's placement of the camera on their teaser picture. I am fairly certain that it will be something different than another version of the X.
DeleteSince June 11 is my mom's birthday, I hope the new Leica will be an appropriate birthday present.
ReplyDeleteI fear that this will lead to further backorders since Leica is already is unable to produce their stuff quickly enough.
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. Let's not forget that at the end of this year they will move to their new facility at Leitz Park in Wetzlar. That will allow for a greatly increased production capability. In addition, it has not been decided yet if Leica will give up the current facility in Solms. They consider keeping it to have the capability to increase production even further should the need arise.
DeleteApparently Leica is not planning on a huge media event like they did with the introduction of the Leica M. Doesn't that indicate that the new Mini M will be substantially less exciting and probably not more than an advanced version of an existing camera?
ReplyDeletePossibly, but we must also realize that this new camera is positioned below the Leica M. The introduction of the Leica M was a huge milestone for Leica, thus I can see an important new camera to be introduced without the huge fanfare surrounding the Leica M.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to read some of the comments regarding this new camera on other Leica oriented sites. Considering that so far, all is nothing more than speculation, I find it interesting that some people are already criticizing Leica for introducing an inferior camera. These absurd comments are regarding sensor size, speed of the lens, viewfinder and a lot more details for which there is nothing more than rumors. These Leica haters insane.
ReplyDeleteWhat is even more bizarre is that some people apparently use these unsubstantiated rumors to decide not to consider buying the new Leica. I have read several comments to that effect.
DeleteLeica seems to have the uncanny ability to get the crazies out of the woodwork.