It’s not a secret anymore that Kodak will deifnitely close their CMOS sensor business. The news reinforces the rumor about the possible Leica and Sony sensor partnership. According to MirrorlessRumros.com Leica is working on a fullframe mirrorless system and they need CMOS sensors (not CCD!) for optimal liveview performance. So will Leica use Sony sensors?
Sony already stated that a fullframe NEX is an “option” and the rumored Leica-Sony partnership would create a top of the notch system! Imagine that, Leica and Zeiss fullframe lenses+Sony sensor performance. Who can keep up with that system? Canon, Nikon? No chance!
P.S.: The fullframe mirorrless Leica will be a [shoplink 5501]Leica M9[/shoplink] styled camera without rangefinder and cost 1.500 less! (So I have been told by my sources!)
Useful links:
– Leica M mount lenses at [shoplink 5182]eBay[/shoplink]
– Leica M9 at [shopcountry 5502]
[poll id=”32″]
46 Responses
Sell it to who??
The next full frame from Leica will be an M9-styled camera without (!) rangefinder?
So the “M10” will not have a rangefinder? Then what is it? This would be a major departure for Leica. Please elaborate…
Obviously an EVF.
I assume they’ll make an M10 with an optical rangefinder the same as the M9; Leica M users want a rangefinder, not an EVIL. However, I’d be willing to bet the M10 will have live view. Live view would solve one of the glaring weaknesses of the M system, the fact that you can’t effectively use telephotos over 90mm’s and the need for external view finders when using lenses wider than 28mm’s.
I’d also like to see them offer a cheaper non-rangefinder version. I’d like to see a camera that uses the same basic M bayonet mount, but I’d like for it to be an autofocus version using an a built in EVF. So I could still use M-Mount manual focus glass, but I could also use a range of new autofocus M lenses.
umm… Leica+Sony’s CMOS doesn’t mean Leica will produce A/E-mount lenses.. though we would be like in heaven if this is so.. haha~~ 🙂
There will be both. A M10 rangefinder and a new mirrorless camera without rangefinder. To be honest…I have damn good sources inside Leica 😉
Thank you! Share more! So, the “M10” will be a natural upgrade from the M9, but not a major departure of design? And Leica will also introduce an entirely new model of camera featuring FF sensor? Correct?
Any word on timeframe for release of these of these two Leica cameras, specifically the M10?
Are we talking 2011, 2012…2013…?
Hmm? What do you mean by “there will be both”?
The Leica A/E-mount lenses or the two different cameras with Sony sensors of non-Sony bayonet?
Both, a rangefinder and a mirrorless camera!
Only 1 500 EUR less???
Nice, but why cooperation with Sony instead of Kodak increases cost s much?
Initially – FF EVIL was supposed to cost 3 200 EUR:
http://leicarumors.com/2010/05/05/rumor-leica-evil-camera-for-photokina.aspx
Would it also miss AA filter, like M9?
Hopefully yes.
Would it also contain microlenses for better rangefinder lenses?
Hopefully yes.
M10 will be DIFFERENT line than LEICA FF EVIL camera.
It is known since many months…
That will mean not too much for Sony users if the camera have not compatible with E bayonet.
And that is not good that one of the companies leaves the market – competition is a good thing.
HA! I have a hard time “Leica and Zeiss fullframe lenses+Sony” camera will be affordable for the enthusiast or average shooter.
If leica adopt the E-mount for their mirrorless system that would be a great thing, then we would have zeiss+leica lenses with a FF sony Sensor, nothing can beat that combination in term of color reproduction. Leica and Minolta worked together in the past hopefully they can work with sony now. Leica is working with Panasonic, the did produce a 25mm f/1.4 for the 4/3 format.
woh… Myst – this would be seriously one of the biggest things on Market since the introduction of Mirrorless cameras. Canikon wouldn’t stand a chance against a system featuring good cameras and both: Zeiss & Leica glass… or at least I hope so… 😉
Well it’s what a lot of people would like, including our admin who said the same thing. But it would really be the best of all photo worlds a mirrorless camera made by Leica, a Sony FF sensor and Zeiss/Leica lens. The best part of it would be that the camera will be made with photographers in mind not like the current Nex cameras.
Who can afford Leica lenses or cameras? 😐
Would be cool anyways though. 🙂
Obviously not enough people to keep Kodak in the sensor business… 😉
Panfruit – you would be surprised how many people wait for LEICA FF EVIL for months…
I know I could never afford such a thing, but I have lust for it anyhow. 🙂
who cares about digital leica´s anyway? leica cannot make experiments with EVF with such a small group of true barnack-adepts, who are very picky and only the best shall suffice.. m8 and m9 are the worst of all leica´s, and in 5 years they will have turned into digital junk… my 35mm leica is still going strong, and the lenses still outperform all crappy japanese lenses available on even more crappy dslr´s and evil camera´s..only zeiss is coming close to that, and is sometimes even better then leica, but not always..LOL!
What is the distinction between a Leica FF Rangefinder and a “Leica FF EVIL”?
Because the M9 is technically an EVIL, is it not?
Missing an option:
“want FF mirrorless, but can’t afford Leica”
Rangefinder allows you to foucs using optical viewfinder. Optical viewfinder has constant size, not changing for different focal lenses. Only some frames inside do change. It doesn’t show 100% accurate frame due to paralaxa. If you want to magnify it – you need to use optical magnifier.
It allows you to observe what happens outside the frame (it shows more than will be shot, except for ultra wide lenses).
Electronic viewfinder allows to magnify any part of screen and foucs.
It shows 100% accurate frame, no matter what lens you have.
It doesn’t show area that will be outside the shot (exception is Fuji X100).
Rangfinder allows only focusing in the center. It is always bright.
EVF – you can focus anywhere within frame, it slows down refresh rate and shows noise in darker conditions.
RE: “want FF mirrorless, but can’t afford Leica”
If you will attach native lenses – then fine. But they are bigger, larger, less sharp than Leica & Zeiss rangefinder lenses. Especially when widely open.
If you will attach rangefinder lenses to regular sensor – it will show not sharp edges, color shift in corners. That is reason of special microlenses used in M8 & M9.
Also regular sensor will show you less details due to strong AA filter.
Only M8, M9, Panasonic u43, Olympus E-PL1, E-PL2, E-5 – have no or minimal AA filter.
The admin mentioned he has solid & reliable sources within Leica; I hope he answers when the Leica plans to release the next M9 (the “M10”).
From this information, we can deduct when the next FF Sony is due….and I can decide if I should hold off on springing for an M9 now or wait 😉
This is both good news and bad news for me…
I don’t care what others say, but CCD sensors give better low ISO image quality, period. Leica going to CMOS means the end of the CCD era, which is a pity. I was hoping I could own a Leica digital camera sometime in the near future.
(BTW, didn’t Kodak just announce a 30MP CCD sensor or sth like that? We all thought it was gonna be for the M10, remember?)
The good news is that if this really goes through, then we might be able to see a full frame mirrorless from Sony! It’s gonna be way more affordable than the Leica. I don’t care if it’s E-mount or not, I use M-mount lenses on the NEX anyway.
(But the funny thing about this rumor is that Kodak doesn’t make CMOS, or at least haven’t been for quite some time. Does that mean they are selling a department that doesn’t in fact exist anymore? I mean, they didn’t say they were selling their CCD business, right?)
Oh, and about the OVF. I would like something that’s a combination of EVF and OVF, where you can switch in between, that would be the icing on the cake. You gotta admit, as much as I love the rangefinder experience, the OVF does have it’s limitations (The framelines, poor support for longer lenses, need external finders for ultra wides, etc…)
I’d be careful extrapolating that Sony would venture so far as to make a FF compact.
For whatever reason, everyone other than Leica is totally against the idea–as much as I would LIKE for this to be true….it’s probably not going to happen.
If we want a FF compact, we have to go to Leica.
I agree it’s probably wishful thinking for the most part…
But I just can’t justify shelling out 7 grand for a camera…
hahahaha, No Chance!
Hi Andrea, please add the option “FF-NEX would be THE mirror-less system for me as I do care for photography and don’t care for Leica (anymore).” so that I can place my vote. 🙂
PS : Is it possible to place more than one vote…? 😉
Mor ethan one vote? LOL 🙂
u know u can buy my vote. lets say 10$ :]
I can sell my for 9$. (win!)
u guy are crazy, i sell it for 0.99$ as long as you happy! 😀
Gash, why there’s always someone dumping prices beyond reason?!
😛
I think it is a question of time, when other companies will release FF EVIL too.
Sooner, than later.
What can make LEICA different is missed AA filter and microlenses.
We will seee…
Nikon is using Sony sensors, as would Leica. So why wouln’t they be able to keep up?
Kodak close CMOS business? Ehm.. they dont make CMOS? They make big CCDs. CCDs used in almost every medium format camera, including Pentax 645D. Very unlikely that they would stop production.
Though, new M10 would be nice (cause I would be finaly able to buy old beaten M9 😀 ).
No interest into CMOS, colors from it sux. It has better high-iso, but not that good colors as CCD.
is there a typo in the poll question?
How much would you like a Leica-Sensor joined fullframe mirrorless system?
How much would you like a Leica-Sony joined fullframe mirrorless system?
or i am just confuse with what are you asking.
This is what I’ve been hoping for. M mount fullframe with modern goodies. M styling.
A FF Leica-Sony EVIL mirrorless in Leica M mount or another new mount?
Leica won’t make the mirrorless system in M-mount that is for sure, it might be a whole new mount, or the unlikely possibility of using Sony’s E-Mount