The current Leicaflex SL (on sale on eBay).
Leica will announce their compltely new Leica SL FF system camera on October 20th. And their official invitation text clearly states something big is coming:
For more than 100 years, our thoughts and actions, and our passion, have been dedicated to only one thing – creating the perfect picture. With products that are always focused on “Das Wesentliche”, the essentials, we provide photographers around the world with the ideal tools for capturing the decisive moment and for bringing their own vision to life. This tradition is what drives us to achieve and gives us the power to reinvent ourselves time and again. The outcome is a portfolio of cameras and lenses that redefine the status quo as we know it and have one thing in common, despite a century of progress: a focus on “Das Wesentliche” – in other words, the picture.
We cordially invite you to a celebration of photography in the the spirit of “Das Wesentliche”. From October 20, 6:30 p.m. on until October 21, approximately 1:00 p.m, everything in the Leitz Park in Wetzlar will revolve around the fascinating nature of pictures and the exclusive presentation of a new milestone in the Leica Camera product range. Be one of the first to experience the next chapter in the history of professional photography, a historic moment that begins right here and now and will shape the future. Enjoy a delightful atmosphere and a special photographic program with friends of Leica, photographers, artists, media, and prominent and international guests – in other words, with all those who, just like you, breathe life into the fascination that is Leica.
This will not be the replacement to the M240 but rather a new system with new AF lenses, bulkier than the Q or M lines, with an EVF and lighter build despite the bulk. Sensor will be similar, if not the same, as the Q’s sensor. Anticipate that it will come bundled with a 50 mm f/2 Summicron lens and retail around $8,000 USD. Build quality will be comparable to the M line and Q line…much of the Q’s tech, including in body image stabilization, electronic shutter, and built in high res EVF, will be included. The camera may harken in design to Leicaflex bodies of years gone by…like a bulkier XT-1 with more simplified layout. This may end up being called the new “R” camera and may well take old R lenses via adapter, along with new AF R lenses. Not sure that it will take M lenses.
21 Responses
Well, Somebody has to do it: Introduce the first fully professional mirrorless camera.
If Leica manages to do it I will be pleasantly surprised and take back all my pessimistic comments about the brand.
Now, staying ahead of Sony, Nikon and Canon in the long run is another story, however, showing them the way would be a great start.
Taking bets now, who else thinks this will be another digital camera with the body design of a Leica but the insides Panasonic?
And every iPhone is not made 100% by Apple..
so,what is you point? is Leica as big or innovative as Apple?
oh wait, Leica is not even an great American. But good thing is both Zeiss and Leica do not care about tiny sensor m43 crap, let alone one inch junk.
Impressive reply.
at least Apple designs their electronics and software for the phone, still waiting to see if panasonic made essentially all of the insides for the Leica Q or not. As a lot of the videos I saw when it first came out, most of the official Leica staff made very specific comments about how it was “assembled in germany” or like “the body is made in germany” but never really confirmed it was all made in germany if i remember correctly
The electronic assemblies may be made by Panasonic, but as long as the body is hand rubbed in Germany LOL*, the Leica-ists will pay $10K for it or whatever they plan to charge.
* – and a video posted to Vimeo of this process
If it doesn’t take M lenses that is mental.
I’m sure there will be a really, really expensive, officially sanctioned adapter.
So, here’s my cynical take on this.
Leica, having “tested the waters” of mirrorless with Panasonic and m43, is now seeing “which way the winds are blowing” (I’m just full of cliches this morning). They see a lot of people dropping a lot of dough for the A7Rii (most preordered camera in history). They have a hound dog’s nose for…credit card transactions that trigger bank verification. (unless you have American express black, presumably…) So they are getting on this gravy train in a hurry. I’m not saying they don’t make some incredible lenses, but for the most part, the brand is still sustained by the very rich using their cameras as gaudy fashion accessories.
So, IMHO the loser is 1) anyone hoping for more luxury lenses for m43 at least from Leica, and possibly Panasonic too.
The winner is Sony, who although they now have high end competition, will have their plunge into mirrorless FF be reified as wise, forward-thinking move and not a foolish one.
Canikon are neither winners nor losers but now will be really have their hands forced; time to develop a serious mirrorless full frame strategy, or else.
Your analysis is based on several wrong assumptions. Leica never had significantly more to do with Panasonic products labeled ‘Leica’ than allowing them to use that label. Even their refusal regarding Panasonic’s first Micro Four Thirds lenses, stating Leica wouldn’t give their name for lenses which weren’t good without software correction, didn’t hold for long. Leica’s possible refocusing on Full Frame mirrorless does not need to stop Panasonic to develop and produce Leica labeled Micro Four Thirds lenses in any way. If anything, the Leica-Panasonic relationship will become stronger, as central components of the new Leica will, if rumors are true, come from Panasonic. That might just as well help Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds efforts further.
As for Sony, the time has now passed in which they would have profited from any reassurance for their Full Frame mirrorless efforts. If a Full Frame mirrorless Leica is anything to Sony, it’s competition.
It would be foolish to think that m43 mirrorless and FF mirrorless are competing directly against. m43 can be an excellent entry-level lines for ff mirrorless because the difference between FF and m43 is easier to understand than APS-C and FF, the price difference is also greater.
Actually, the A7R is like 4k TV, not selling well in real world, extremely popular only in tripod loving landscape forums like Lula.
So are they dumping the T mount or keeping it in addition to this SL, the M and the S?
I think there was a story before about how they’ve already dumped the T mount
It’s so funny to see how many haters Leica can gather 🙂
Same thing with the Sony…
Regards
This may be a true game changer in that Leica has learned an awful lot about making digital cameras with the X,T and Q lines.
The possibility of having a line of leaf shutter lenses would be very important as it completely changes the game for flash photography. They have LS lenses in the S line and this would fit nicely in the strategy plus setting themselves apart decisively from the mass market.
The cameras could still have a FP shutter to accommodate legacy lenses when needed. A leaf shutter is nearly silent and advances the Leica legacy of silent shooting without the compromises of an electronic solution.
I am not sure that anything other than a token video implementation is needed since Leica has always been about stills. OTOH the punters with wallets who do buy it may squawk if it doesn’t have 4K and IBIS.
If they do really hit the mark, I think this has the potential to attract a lot of long term users. I would seriously look at dumping my Canon gear in favor of a camera with a LS lens line. I need flash flexibility, silence and I don’t need a 400mm f2.8.
Probably that’s a New GH5 with a full frame sensor…No… just dreaming
For ,,the essentials (das Wesentliche)” it needs nobody, next chapter”. The statements contradict! One can take up ,,the essentials” with every good camera located at the market The announced here is a camera who isn’t splendidly distinction from predecessors or competitors . Certainly no new sensor technology or sensational innovations…
The only thing I could see that could really shake up the “pro” market would be that this new Leica Mirrorless Camera is priced closer to other “pro” camera (Nikon, Canon and Sony)