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Leica unveils V-Lux 4 superzoom, D-Lux 6 compact to mirror their Panasonic counterparts
Leica has its more unique creations, but some of its more affordable cameras are usually upscale parallels to Panasonic models — and that’s undoubtedly true for the newly official (and previously leaked) V-Lux 4 and D-Lux 6, which respectively echo Panasonic’s FZ200 and LX7 shooters. We can’t object too much. That similarity gives the 12-megapixel V-Lux 4 superzoom (seen up top) a 25-600mm equivalent lens with a constant, wide f/2.8 aperture to snap bright images at long distances. The D-Lux 6, meanwhile, combines its large 1.7-inch, also 12-megapixel sensor with a 24-90mm, f/1.4-2.3 lens and that distinctive aperture control ring. What you’re really getting over the Panasonic equivalents is a subtler, all-black Leica color scheme and a copy of Adobe Lightroom 4 to manage the imminent flood of photos. Photographers who don’t mind knowing their luxury cameras’ true roots can swing by Leica dealers in November to buy either design; we don’t yet know prices, but it’s safe to assume that the V-Lux 4 and D-Lux 6 will carry premiums over their more pedestrian equivalents.
Leica reveals S-System medium format digital photography lineup
Leica wasn’t about to let everyone else hog the spotlight at Photokina this year. The company took the wraps off more products than you could possible cram into one post (or two, or three…). But among the more intriguing is certainly the new S-System — an update its pro-series medium format line. The sensor and accompanying board have all been refreshed, with the 30 x 44mm sensor cramming 37.5 megapixels into its expansive CCD surface. The 16-bit color depth is complimented by a wide ISO range of 100 to 1600, which should cover you for almost any imaginable application. A dual shutter design gives photographers the choice between the camera’s built in shutter or the integrated one on the CS lens line, which allow for flash sync at shutter speeds as high as 1/1,000 of a second. Leica is touting the improved speed of its medium format internals, but with the ability to capture just 1.5 fps in continuous mode, it might not be the ideal action shooter. Still, the ability to capture 32 consecutive RAW images at full resolution, thanks to the 2GB of buffer memory, is quite impressive.
The digital viewfinder is a three-inch LCD, capable of displaying 16 million colors representing the full sRGB color space. Of course, the VGA resolution isn’t anything to write home about, but it should get the job done. The integrated two axis leveler, displayed on the viewfinder, should help avoid oddly angled portraits, while the integrated GPS receiver will let you keep track of every remote mountaintop you capture in full resolution majesty.
Of course, no new camera product line would be complete without some lenses as well. In total four are launching alongside the new body, including the first zoom (30-90 MM F/3.5-5.6) and tilt/shift (120 MM F/5.6) members of the family. Rounding out the lineup is a 24mm superwide angle lens and a close-up accessory that shortens the focal length of one of the existing mounts by about three and a half feet. For more info, check out the source link.
Leica launching new Leica M in early 2013, stripped-down M-E available this month
Do you need a stylish, undoubtedly expensive German camera early in 2013? Perhaps right now? Leica’s got you covered on both fronts, announcing today that its Leica M line is finally getting an official followup to the venerable M9 rangefinder in “early 2013.” The new M is outfitted with the company’s first 24-megapixel (full-frame, naturally) Leica Max CMOS image sensor (à la the A99 and D600) — what Leica calls “a completely new development in sensor technology.” That sensor will snag you a sensitivity range of IS0 200 to 6,400 (expandable to 100). Even more exciting, this latest M can mount Leica’s legacy R glass (!) with a new adapter (available separately) and it can also shoot video in 1080p HD with 24 / 25p frame rate. While it retains the classic M-series styling, rear now features a 3-inch 920k-dot display, protected behind a layer of Gorilla glass. Leica’s also making special note to highlight that the new M features live view functionality on the embedded screen and with an optional EVF.
Leica teases our wallets with $50,000 Edition Hermès M9-P, $1,000 scarf sold separately (Video)
If you’ve ever wondered if designer names alone can send a product’s price tag through the roof, this should suffice as confirmation. Hermès, the Parisian fashion giant best known for its prohibitively expensive wearable accessories, has teamed up with Leica for some creative marketing. Two special M9-P editions will be available — a total of 300 Edition Hermès digital rangefinders will ship beginning in June for $25,000, while 100 “very special” (even more exclusive) Edition Hermès – Série Limitée Jean-Louis Dumas models will be available in July for, ahem, $50,000 (that’s fifty thousand, in case you assumed it was a typo).
Leica boosts compact portfolio with V-Lux 40 point-and-shoot, APS-C-equipped X2
Leica has built a name for itself in the compact market over the years with a handful of Panasonic rebrands — these Lumix models come equipped with a matte black housing, Leica lens and that famous red dot, with the inflated price tag to match. With this latest batch of cameras, the company appears to be taking a more respectable approach — at least with its high-end X2. But first, let’s tackle the V-Lux 40. On the Panasonic front, this camera looks strikingly similar to the Lumix DMC-ZS20 we saw emerge after CES. Both cameras include 14.1-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensors, a 20x, 24-480mm f/3.3-6.4 optical zoom lens and 1080p video capture. The housing has been modified slightly to include a recessed control panel, Panasonic branding has been removed and the Leica logo added. Such luxuries more than double the camera’s price from $269 to $699. Ouch. You can pick up the V-Lux 40 beginning today, or you can grab two virtually identical ZS20s for the same amount, with significant cash to spare.
You may remember the Leica X1, but you probably don’t. This $2,000 shooter was determined to be overpriced when it launched way back in 2009, and now the APS-C-equipped series has returned for a refresh. Dubbed the X2, this year’s flavor ups the ante with a 16.2-megapixel CMOS sensor (boosted from 12.2) while retaining that beloved $2k sticker price. The compact all-in-one includes a fixed 24mm Leica Elmarit f/2.8 ASPH lens, which the company validates as a “classical focal length for photojournalism,” and a 2.7-inch 230k-pixel LCD on the rear. There’s also an option to add a Viso-Flex 1.4MP viewfinder with a 90-degree swivel function, along with a shoe-mounted mirror finder. The $1,995 camera’s price tag may be tough to swallow — but only until you discover the gratis copy of Adobe Lightroom in the box. Both the ZS20 V-Lux 40 and X2 are available now. Snap past the break for the pitch from Leica.
Leica M Monochrom captures exclusively in black and white, costs far more than your color-abled shooter
Wildly colorful photos got you down? There’s an 18-megapixel full-frame sensor for that. The Leica M Monochom may seem an unlikely proposition, with its monochrome-only sensor and $8,000 price tag (not to mention the added financial burden that comes along with investing in a Leica M-mount), but the camera offers some unique benefits that, for some, may justify the cost. Because the sensor is capable of outputting one pixel of data for each pixel captured — there’s no hint of color mucking about — the resulting images are incredibly sharp. There are low-light benefits as well, with the Monochrom offering a top ISO setting of 10,000, compared to 2500 with the aging M9. Other features include a 2.5-inch 230k-dot color LCD, a rangefinder-type optical viewfinder and a 14-bit uncompressed RAW mode that yields 36MB DNGs.
Leica’s M9-P to be offered in unicorn-guise, $31,770 and Japan-only
Currently drowning in more cash than sense? Do you also call the land of the rising sun home? Excellent, as we’ve found the perfect camera just for you: the elusive white variant of Leica’s M9-P. Restricted to only 50 units, the unicorn shooter will go on sale come June for a cool 2,620,000 yen (or around $31,770) — a hefty premium over the regular (read: black and chrome) permutations which cost $7,995. Granted those pedestrian versions don’t come wielding an insane f/0.95 50mm lens out of the box. And if this ridiculous combo is priced out of your league, you could always go after its cheaper, yet also delectable white predecessor– although we’ll hazard you’re going to need more than just luck finding it.
Leica rehashes Panasonic’s Lumix Fz150 as the V-LUX 3, because ‘image’ matters
Leave it to Leica to rebrand a recent Panasonic camera, tack on its iconic red dot and then likely charge a premium. Such is the case with its “new” V-Lux 3 digital superzoom, which is essentially its take on the venerable Lumix FZ150 we spent some hands-on time with back in August. To recap, this shooter features a 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, Leica’s DC Vario-Elmarit 4.5 – 108 mm f/2.8 – 5.2 ASPH lens (that’s 25 – 600mm for you full-frame buffs), 1080p AVC HD video recording at up to 60fps with stereo sound and an a77-like 12fps continuous burst mode (albeit using manual focus). On back, you’ll find an articulating 3-inch LCD loaded with a 460K pixel resolution and a 0.2-inch EVF, both of which feature nearly 100% frame coverage. While there’s no word price, you can surely expect the V-Lux 3 to cost a few Benjamins more than its Lumix counterpart when it hits shelves in January. Hey, at least you can say its a Leica, right?
Leica Titanium Special Edition D-Lux 5 Unveiled
Leica has this week announced the launch of their new Titanium Special Edition version of their compact D-Lux 5 camera that will be available to purchase at the end of this month for around £855 or $1350.
The Titanium Special Edition D-Lux 5 version comes finished in an anodised silver-grey and is presented in a special premium grade leather case and presentation set. Apart from finish and special edition accessories the specifications for the camera at the same as the standard Leica D-Lux 5 model.
Which features a 5.1-19.2mm f/2-3.3 ASPH zoom lens, which is an equivalent of 24-90mm in 35mm format, together with a 1/1.63 inch 10.1 million pixel CCD image sensor sand it’s also capable of capturing images in a 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 and 1:1 format and is also capable of capturing and can shoot 720p HD videos.
Source: Leica Rumours
Leica D-Lux 5 Gets The ColorWare Treatment
If you feel the classic design and lines of your Leica D-Lux 5 need a little spicing up, ColorWare is now offering a number of custom “paint jobs” to transform your Leica D-Lux 5.
ColorWare will either provide you with a Leica already coloured to your specification for $1200 or you can supply your own camera and has it transformed for $400.
To create your perfect Leica D-Lux 5 you can choose from 21 Solid Colour Tones, 21 Metallic Coatings, or 4 “Pearlize” Colourways, a grand total of 48 option on 8 different elements of the camera.
Source: Freshness Mag
Leica M9-P looks like it costs a fortune, doesn't disappoint
Leica’s new M9-P digital rangefinder taps the till at $7,995 — the same price the original M9 commanded when it was released in 2009 — but you don’t stay in the business of making pricey cameras for nearly a century without doing something right. The new version adds a virtually unbreakable sapphire crystal covering on the LCD, produced using diamond cutting tools, and an anti-reflective coating. The body includes a vulcanite leatherette body finish, for a more secure grip, but curiously lacks the familiar red Leica logo and M9 lettering on the front, in line with the camera’s elegant “minimalist styling.” Beyond that, the P includes the same full-frame 18 megapixel sensor featured on the M9, an “almost silent” shutter, and is compatible with Leica’s full range of astronomically expensive M lenses. The M9-P will be available in black or chrome for $7,995 beginning next month, or $15,990 for two — since we know you’re planning to buy both.
1923 Leica 0-series becomes world's most expensive camera, fetches $1.89 million at auction
Just when we thought ancient wooden boxes were all the rage among camera collectors, a compact beauty has shattered our theories — this 1923 Leica 0-series just sold at auction for €1,320,000, or about 1.89 million in US money. Curiously enough, the exact same auction house reportedly sold the exact same camera four years ago: No. 107, the first Leica to be exported, allegedly for a patent application inspection in New York. In 2007, it fetched a relatively paltry €336,000, which was apparently still a world record for Leica cameras at the time. Quite the return on that investment, no? Find more pictures and details at the links below.
Leica announces $749 V-LUX 30 compact camera
Leica i9 concept pairs $1,000 camera with $200 iPhone
When you think of manufacturers that create products to go hand-in-hand with the Apple iPhone, Leica probably wouldn’t come to mind. The seemingly brilliant minds at Black Design Associates hope to change that, however. The Leica i9 concept pairs an iPhone 4 with a fixed-lens rangefinder camera, and the result is nothing short of extraordinary. Slipping your iPhone 4 — black or white — into the back of the i9 brings the camera to life, activating the compact optical zoom, dedicated aperture and shutter dials, flash and light meter. Images are instantly viewable on the iPhone, where it’s safe to assume they’re stored as well. The camera back doubles as a case, but you’re probably going to want to use it with a headset, unless you like talking to a camera. There’s no sign that the i9 will even reach the prototype phase, but nobody is going to stop the high-end camera’s designer from dreaming — especially when said dreams make us weak at the knees.
Leica M9 Titanium unboxed, handled with all the care a $32,000 camera deserves (video)
Even in its “standard” magnesium alloy body, the Leica M9 is an exclusive piece of kit that prices out all but the most fervent and deep-pocketed rangefinder lovers. Nonetheless, Leica has a habit of putting together even more limited editions of its shooters, one of which has recently been subjected to a thorough unboxing and video overview. Only 500 special edition Titanium M9s cameras have been produced, each one individually numbered and costing nearly £20,000 (or about $32,000) in a set with a Summilux-M 35mm F1.4 lens, also made from titanium. With a full frame 18 megapixel CCD sensor and dual image processors inside, it’s a fully fleshed-out beast of a portable shooter, but you’d probably expect nothing less given the fact it costs more than most cars. Go past the break to ogle this special M9.
