Some news from Leica is coming via Amateur Photographer:
“In a statement issued this afternoon a Leica spokesman said: ‘Leica has been producing mirrorless cameras since 1954 (starting with the M3, and even before this, if you consider the screw mount cameras).
‘With the , we have the most compact, full format, mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses on the market.
‘Of course, we won’t stop with the M9, but it is definitely too early to discuss a successor to this model.’“
What do you think?
11 Responses
But in the statement there is NOTHING about LEICA FF EVIL…
It just says it is too early for M10 (different line), what is obvious…
i think that 5.500 euros for “the most compact, full format, mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses on the market” is too much. there are no reasons that this camera have this price. mechanical ‘times’ they are changin’: lenses are interchangeable, the sensor are comparable [NON THE SAME, but…….] with others on the market that have a price one-fifth of this. 3500€ is a reasonable price. why not?
I’m not sure a Leica FF EVIL makes sense. A Leica FF EVIL would basically be a Leica M9 with just an electronic viewfinder.
I don’t see Leica doing this. If there is a Leica EVIL, it’s not APSC not FF, and even if it were–it wouldn’t have a viewfinder at all (electronic or otherwise), just like NEX cameras.
correction to above–meant to say it would* be APSC, rather than FF.
They’ll license the Panny GF1 (or whatever) and rebrand it Leica, and some will buy it for the red dot. Who cares?
That’s the definition argument of “mirrorless” which rangefinder camera should be included as there is no mirror box in the structure. Of course, we are expecting an interchangeable lens camera with APS-C format without the optical rangefinder mechanism at camera top. I always wander that will Leica make an interchangeable lens version X1.
I think i see no mirror in this picture and they have been making this type of camera ever since the f*ing beginning of photography itself !
I am completely baffled by the response to this.
“We have been told that the complex rangefinder part of the Leica M9 costs alone $1500 Euro!”
Seriously ? No kidding, it’s a Leica ! it’s how it focuses ! It better damn right be good.
I have a fully functional rangefinder here i bought for 40 euros the Olympus XA, it is only complex in a Leica because they want to do it better than good. Voigtlander has been making rangefinders for a few hundred dollars for ages now also, still selling well. (Bessa R)
Leica has already made a mirrorless camera without rangefinder, it’s called the X1. All they have to do is remove the lens and put a lens-mount on it. Except for the lens’s great rendering (Leica bokeh) it was a performance disaster tho.
Translation: 2 years until the FF AF Leica Mirrorless arrives.
I think that “full format” is a lie. The Leica m8/m9 are 1.3x crop, which puts them in line with the Canon 1D which is not considered full frame.
The smallest camera in the next size down at 1.5x crop is the Sony NEX-5, which:
* is less than half the weight
* is less than 1/13th the price
* includes such advancements as (optional) autofocus, auto shutter speed and auto aperture.
Leica, you are in denial and you need to adapt to the times. We want you to still be around in 10 years. We really do.
The m9’s sensor is not a 1.3x crop. It’s a Kodak KAF18500, with dimensions of 23.9mm x 35.8mm – ‘full frame’ enough for me…
The M8 might be equivalent to the Canon 1D range, but the M9 is equivalent to the 1Ds range – the M9 is definitely full frame.
Try to get it right when you have a rant 🙂