Previous news story Next news story

Is this the new Leica 'Mini M'?

May 29, 2013 at 18:07:29 GMT

OTHER NEWS LEICA MINI-M

Pin It

Print view

Leica has announced that it has a 'new family member' coming on June 11th and, as the German manufacturer continues to tease the 'Mini M' on its website, a photo has emerged which may reveal more details about the forthcoming camera. According to mirrorlessrumors.com, a 'French iPad app' has published what seems to be an advertisement for the new Mini M and, if genuine, it reveals that the Mini will sport a 16MP APS-C sensor and an 28-70mm (equivalent) F3.5-6.4 zoom lens.

Other details from the supposed French advert include full HD video recording and aluminum body construction. Ironically (but not unexpectedly) the photograph indicates that the purported M Mini lacks an optical viewfinder. Why is that ironic? Well, because according to Leica lore, the 'M' in Leica M stands for 'Messsucher', which is German for 'rangefinder'. Of course there's every reason to expect that even if it doesn't offer a 'true' Leica M experience, like the X-2 and (M Typ 240) the new camera will support an optional electronic viewfinder of some description (we're holding out for a re-badged version of the very nice Olympus VF4).

Meanwhile, the mysterious black box on Leica's website has opened slightly...

According to mirrorlessrumors.com the new camera will cost 2450 Euros (~$3100). What do you make of this latest rumor? Let us know in the comments.

Comments

Total comments: 366

f 3,5-6.4? Who would buy that? Yes I belive it's a fake!!!!

0 upvotes

There's a sucker born every minute, and every one of them will love this camera.Leica has nothing to do with serious photography. They make 'prestige' products for narcissists to show their uncomprehending friends. LOL. Now the the Hasselblad Loony, that's a camera. Lol.

11 upvotes

They can try Adobe's way... rent it for $499/month

15 upvotes

Bwahahahahahahah!!!!
I would rather have a real M for 2 years than keep this turd for 3k. Rent a Leica! I love it.

1 upvote

Do Leica owners have enough room in their closets for another one ?

(Just kidding) (well sort of half kidding)

2 upvotes

All I needed to see was "~$3100" and then I moved on. One of these days no one will remember what prestige the Leica name had before and all they will know is that Leicas are WAY over priced.

9 upvotes

The writing on the front of the lens looks Photoshopped to me. Between that and the lame specifications, I suspect this is a hoax.

5 upvotes

shooting from the hip just got a lot more expensive ;)

0 upvotes

I wonder how many X-E1's you'll be able to buy for the price of one of these Mini M' cameras?

0 upvotes

I failed to read it was $3100

1 upvote

I'm gonna do the heretic thing here and state that digital cameras in general have lost it for me and all this was exacerbated by the purchage and CLA of a Fujica 35EE with which I managed to get pristine, boxed Fujica add-on lenses with finders in original untouched leather cases. The camera is a real joy to use, smooth as butter on baby oil focussing and silent as a sparrow's fart. Put me back in touch with my roots in photography. I had in mind for my next purchase a m43 or rangefinder/rangefinder-like camera, but right now, it's all gone. As soon as I touched that camera and smelled the chemistry of the darkroom I was home.
All my digitals are now staying at home, all I want to do is go out with my 35EE, some Pan F or some lovely Portra or Pro400H and shoot the streets. I think digital is pretty much now becoming some form of measurbating by companies, but hey can't blame them that's how you survive in business and there will be people willing to spend their hard earned cash.

1 upvote

You're not alone. My old FM is faster to use, lighter, more compact and fits into an ever-ready case since it's not festooned with knobs, thumbwheels and displays to control a myriad of the more or less useless 'features' found on digital cameras. Oh and the viewfinder is brilliant.
Whilst the Leica M9 is the least gimmicky camera on the market, I doubt that the Mini will follow suit.

1 upvote

Just how loud IS a sparrows fart?
Not including Jack Sparrow.

1 upvote

Leica would be much more profitable if they would sell the red dot alone for $2000!

22 upvotes

It's too true to be funny but yet still is.

1 upvote

The one thing Leica has always had going for it was lens selection. I sure hope this is actually an m43 camera, because one (variable aperture zoom) lens does not an adequate system make.

Even with adapters, the wide tri-elmar is the widest Leica makes these days, and that's not enough. At least not for me. I guess Leica folks are used to a 21mm as the widest in the system though, huh?

Comment edited 8 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

21mm isn't widest in the system. Just to name a few: Voigtlander 12mm f/5.6, Zeiss 15mm f/2.8, Zeiss 18mm f/4, Leica 18mm f/3.8.

0 upvotes

$1,200 interesting and exciting. Likely cost: 2-3X.

0 upvotes

I suspect there will be a Panasonic Lumix version of this; if so, it would likely cost ~$1200.

1 upvote

I think the lens F number is FF equivalent much like the zoom range on lens barrel is FF equivalent. Yes, it is very stupid but that's the only way I can explain the large size and small aperture (assuming the photo is real of course).

0 upvotes

There is no such thing as "equivalent F number", unless you're talking about keeping the same DoF on lenses with different focal length

3 upvotes

@Soggoth
That's what I meant.

0 upvotes

And no viewfinder.

Whoever gets this, I think, will be buying jewelry instead of photographic equipment. The lens is *way* too slow, the body seems to be that thing they have which got its clock cleaned by the X100, and the price is higher than a real camera with a few useful lenses.

Leica used to be respectable when it was the name put on cameras made by E. Leitz gmbh Wetzlar. not so much if they're putting out stuff like this. how embarrassing.

8 upvotes

What if it is compatible with the new hot shoe EVF? The EVF2 I believe.

X100? Don' t confuse the camera in the background for the foreground.

1 upvote

You mean the re-badges Panasonic LX7 with a 1.4 24/90 zoom! http://blog.mingthein.com/2013/03/25/leica-d-lux-6-panasonic-lx7/

1 upvote

Will probably cost more than Nikon D800E. :-)

12 upvotes

hm, this will cause to buy me a ricoh gr, or maybe some more lenses for my epl5, maybe I'll get a nikon d800e, or well, maybe I'll save the money for ... hm...
apsc for 3000 bucks, yucks, sucks. seems as lunatic as the hasselblad lunar. let it be at least full frame.

Comment edited 6 minutes after posting

10 upvotes

Hasselblad Looney
Just saying :)

1 upvote

Anything short of a digital Leica CL with high res EVF and full frame is going to be a dissapontment. Leica fans who want a real RF experience will still opt for the M240 or ME while people dipping thier toes into the leica system will opt for the new mini. If they actually produce what has been shown I feel as if leica has run out of ideas, or viable ideas to keep the imaging world progressing. Leica seems to be abusing its own "M" nomenclature

8 upvotes

$3000.00 for a fixed zoom lens...this is ridiculous...just to have the red circle. For that price I would buy the Sony RX1 anytime and it is a full frame!
Unfortunately I don'y have that kind of cash.

15 upvotes

What's the little "pancake" lens on the body in the rear?

0 upvotes

That's an X2 in the background (presumably).

5 upvotes

What a dog of a camera, if true. It will be surpassed only by the Hasselblad Lunar in its folly.

13 upvotes

Where would the K-01 fit on this scale?

5 upvotes

Don't dis the K-01. In the flesh and in use it is a rather excellent camera. Especially with the small Pentax primes on the front. ;-)
However putting my zooms on the front does make it look a bit silly. But I don't put the zooms on it, I leave the K-5 for that.

As for the Mini M, and if that camera shown is indeed the Mini M, having a slow lens is silly, no matter how sharp and wonderful the Leica glass is.
I will stick with my K-01 with a Limited or Takumar on the front thank you very much.
I still would love to have an M wiith a couple of Summilux's though. ;-)

2 upvotes

@ Offertonhatter

There is a better choice than the K-01, which uses the same electronics, but i a conventional design, and that's the K-30 -
much better buy in every way!

1 upvote

Interesting - now that everybody knows that the IQ of Leica cameras is no way better than that of alternatives costing times less - will people still be willing to pay for a plastic red dot only?

7 upvotes

Check out the review on those Panasonic "Leica" on Amazon. People are getting legendary "Leica look" out of those 1/2.33 sensor.

5 upvotes

Peiasdf:

Really where on Amazon do people share raw samples from their PanasonicLeicas.

I think those Panasonics optically good (own the LX5) but it's not up to good Leica M lenses.

0 upvotes

@HowaboutRAW
Guy on Amazon reviewed and say the Leica V-Lux 40 took better picture than his D90 + 3 lens.

For the same camera a woman also say her and and her husband feel the Leica took better photo than their NEX-6

0 upvotes

Everybody also knows that most nikkor glass is not good enough for the D800e..(I have one... ) Leica make great glass and the glass is a large chunk of what gives the look...

0 upvotes

Peiasdf:

But neither of them shared raw photos? Also the Nex system takes many different lenses, including a 24mm Zeiss.

And then mount a Zeiss lens on the D90 and compare the results to the PanaLeica.

0 upvotes

Fuji X-Pro1 or XE01. Nuff Said.

18 upvotes

The Leica lens is likely better than Fuji. So are Zeiss, good Olympus and good Samsung--better optically than Fuji X lenses, and the Fujis are plenty good.

Anyhow this rumored image may be faked.

Comment edited 19 seconds after posting

1 upvote

and your comment regarding Fuji X lenses is based on???

0 upvotes

No viewfinder and an f/6.4 lens? Not buying it. Leica is not that crazy.

I hope.

Comment edited 57 seconds after posting

11 upvotes

Next!

1 upvote

If there's any truth to this rumor it's quite unfortunate...

2 upvotes

Since when did dpreview start posting rumours?

2 upvotes

Only when they have spread so widely everybody knows already anyway.

7 upvotes

@ zorgon - it's hardly a 'rumor' at this point really. Leica has announced model name, date of official announcement, and is slowly revealing the physical form of the product on its website.

13 upvotes

Many "rumors" are planted by manufacturers themselves.
As long as the source of info is revealed I have no problem to accept the "news".

2 upvotes

Too bad it is not a rumor since Leica could save itself some embarrassment. Unfortunately they seem committed to announcing some kind of new camera on June 11th.

Consider that a 16 MP Sony Nex 3n with a compact and removable 16-50 (not a largish fixed 18 to 46) only costs $450.

1 upvote

Am I crazy, or are there others like myself who would snap up a Leica M 240 without the expensive rangefinder assembly, which doubtless adds thousands to the cost, even if it did not have a red dot or the M-moniker?

They could call it the 1a-2 for all I would care. A FF EVF live-view with the M-mount: so simple. Are you listening Cosina?

2 upvotes

The photo is a fake. Look at the lettering on the lens, crokked and upside down. See also the highlight and shadow areas. camera body is highlighted on right, lens on left, and both differ from the other camera. There is no way Leica, as a legendary lens maker, would offer an expensive camera with such a lame lens spec. With modern manufacturing methods and electronic aids it is not at all difficult to build a fast lens.I say again: FAKE.

2 upvotes

Barney - Leica has not announced model name. In fact there is a question mark at the very position the model name would be.

1 upvote

"See also the highlight and shadow areas. camera body is highlighted on right, lens on left, and both differ from the other camera."

You assume only one light source. Product photography often involves several light sources of varying kinds (sharp beams, diffuse floodlight etc.). The images are often also heavily post-processed, and are sometimes composites of several images.

1 upvote

Total comments: 366


Classic lines when clients want you to work for free Jun 5, 2013	Chronicler of NYC art scene can't give away his collection Jun 5, 2013	Bell Labs creates lensless single-pixel camera Jun 4, 2013	Nikon UK announces cashback on SLRs, and Coolpix promotion Jun 3, 2013

	Pentax Efina Jun 3, 2013
	Olympus PEN E-P5 May 10, 2013
	Samsung NX2000 May 1, 2013
	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50V Apr 24, 2013
	Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 Apr 24, 2013
	Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 Apr 24, 2013
	Ricoh GR Apr 17, 2013
	Samsung NX1100 Apr 11, 2013
	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF6 Apr 9, 2013
	Fujifilm FinePix S8400W Mar 22, 2013
	Fujifilm FinePix XP200 Mar 22, 2013

Considering switch from Nikon, to replace D700 ...	150
Sobering Sales Numbers for Mirrorless	150
New Pentax K-50 leaked	75
Hmmm AF fine tuning : Bullsh#t	70
Praise the Macro Lenses. Post your best macros ...	49
How to turn my Canon PowerShot S3 IS into a ...	42
Still no signs of an Olympus f2.8 zoom?	39
Help me create the best 6D system on a $3500 ...	38
electronic first curtain shutter - on or off?	37
Selecting Camera	37
Sigma 60/2.8... sigma be damned (for its ...	36
Mirrorless & DSLR Jan-April shipment & ...	35
K5(II) SD Card Door Coming Open	34
USPS... The worst mail servie in the world	34
Done Deal - Switched to Fuji XE-1 from ...	32
Thom Hogan: DSLRs going obsolete	31
What's Happening to Sony Stores?	31
Replacing Olympus OM-D with Fuji XE-1 or Xpro-1	30
micro 4/3s , Owls IF	30
Focal reducers, why complexity for the sake of ...	30

Your email address:
Your name: