This year's Photokina felt a little quiet, but it might have been the most significant in recent years. As well as major new DSLRs from Canon and Nikon, we also saw a slew of new large-sensor compact cameras and a smartphone - Panasonic's Lumix DMC-CM1. Meanwhile, RED's Epic Dragon pointed the way to the future with its 19MP Raw still images from 6K video footage. Click through for our take on the world's biggest photographic tradeshow
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DPReview LIVE show report: Photokina 2014
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updates

September 26
September 25
211
Sep 25, 2014 at 08:18
DPReview attended the Photokina trade show last week in Cologne Germany, and as well as stand reports and hands-on looks at the major new products we also sat down with executives from several of the major camera manufacturers. In this interview, we speak to Toshihisa Iida, Senior Manager of Sales & Marketing in Fujifilm's Optical Device & Electronic Imaging products division. Click through to read more
September 24
DPReview attended the Photokina trade show last week in Cologne Germany. As well as getting our hands on this season's newest photo gear we also sat down with executives from several major camera manufacturers. One of them was Masaya Maeda of Canon. Our time with Mr Maeda was brief, but in our conversation he shared reactions to the 7D Mark II, and explained that Canon is very serious about mirrorless, and is also committed to making higher-resolution sensors. Click through to read more
At Photokina last week we sat down with Shigeki Ishizuka, the global head of Sony’s Imaging Business. As well as talking us through Sony's current Alpha strategy, Ishizuka-san also explained why the name 'NEX' was dropped and told us a little about how Sony's sensor business works. Click through for the full interview
September 23
341
Sep 23, 2014 at 16:24
When we visited Photokina last week in Germany we made time to sit down with senior executives from several camera manufacturers. Among them was Toshiaki Akagi, Department Manager in Nikon's 1st Designing Department. In our conversation we spoke about reaction to the D750, the legacy of the D600 oil problem and the potential for a large-sensor mirrorless camera from Nikon in the future. Click through to read the full interview
September 18
Behind Nikon's Photokina 2014 stand is the Ricoh booth, the most colorful we've seen thus far. It's not the design of the booth that's colorful. Rather, it's the dozens of color combinations available for the company's DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. The waterfall in front was pretty cool, too. Take the tour.
The stars of Sigma's booth at this years Photokina were two new telezoom lenses - 'C' and 'S' versions of a 150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM aimed at enthusiasts and sports / wildlife professionals, respectively. The company was also showing off its new 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM 'C' for APS-C DSLRs. We headed to the company's stand on our final day at the show, and got our hands on the new gear (except the stuff behind glass). Click through to see more.
Fujifilm announced two cameras on the runup to Photokina - the X100T and X30. But the company is also showing off mockups of several new lenses, slated for release next year. We sat down with senior executives from Fujifilm earlier today, and got our hands on the samples. Click through to take a look at what's in store.
The Olympus booth was relatively quiet compared to the madhouses at Nikon and Canons' stands, which made it easier to get up close and personal with the company's new lenses. We also took a look at some of their recent cameras, and have a few cutaways, as well. Read more.
We swung by Nikon's Photokina 2014 stand to see the new D750 in action and investigate what else the company has in store for show attendees. The booth itself is a bit less flashy than some of the competitions, and distinctly lacking in cars and ladies wearing sequins, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't make an impression. Click through to read more.
How does the idea of capturing 100 19MP Raw files per second sound? That's what RED's latest camera, the RED Dragon can do, courtesy of its 6K video capture mode. Fully modular, the RED Dragon can be adapted to accept a multitude of lens mounts, and although intended for professional movie shooting, its still image quality is seriously impressive too. We got a quick tour of RED's latest magic machines at the company's stand.
September 17
Samsung's hall is a far cry from the over-the-top extravaganza that is its CES booth. There are big tables for every camera it produces, usually paired with smartphones. In fact, it felt like their stand was as much about mobile devices as it was with cameras. The camera that everyone was playing with was the NX1, and we took a look at that as well as a 300mm telephoto prime concept. Click through to read more.
Leica announced two new M-series rangefinders at this year's Photokina, in addition to the Digital M-P released last month. The German company also unveiled a new medium-format S, which as well as high-resolution stills can capture 4K video. Naturally, we headed over to the Leica booth to get our grubby hands all over the new cameras. Click through to see more.
It's the second day of the photography industry's biggest tradeshow and we paid a visit to the Sony booth. Hoping to catch a glimpse of the Alpha QX1 'lens-style camera' paired with a gigantic 70-200mm lens, Sony did not disappoint us. We also got our hands on a pair of new lenses. Take a look around Sony's Photokina 2014 stand with us. Read more
Leica released two new X-series cameras at Photokina this year - the X and X-E. The X-E is an update to the X-2, and the 'X' is the flagship model. The Leica X features a 35mm equivalent F1.7 lens - answering the long-standing request from X-1 and X-2 owners for a faster lens. Click through to see (and learn) more.
Panasonic announced some exciting products at Photokina, including the DMC-LX100 premium compact, tiny DMC-GM5 Micro Four Thirds ILC, and top secret CM1 smartphone/camera hybrid. Let's take a walk through the Panasonic booth. Click to read more.
September 16
Leica has announced a new X-series camera with an F1.7 lens. The Leica X (Typ 113) continues to use a 16MP APS-C sensor and offer a 35mm equivalent lens but now with a considerably faster aperture than the F2.8 of its forebear. The existing X2 model will essentially live on as the Leica X-E. The Typ 113 will cost around $2,295/£1,550.
226
camera newsSep 16, 2014 at 18:15
Leica has announced the D-Lux (Typ 109), a compact camera with a 24-75mm equivalent, F1.7-2.8 zoom and a Four Thirds sensor. If those specifications sound familiar, it's probably because they're shared with the Panasonic LX100. The D-Lux will be available in November. A license for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is included.
Canon's Photokina stand is popular as always. The company is eager to show off its EOS 7D Mark II to Photokina attendees, and the public in turn turned out to give the camera a try judging by the crowds at the booth. We took our turn handling the 7D II and checked out the booth. Click through to see more.
Fujifilm's giant green stand in Hall 4 at Koelnmesse is a place to get your hands on cameras, look at printer and film output and, of course, take pictures of models standing in front of expensive cars. Our stand report has a look at what's new with Fujifilm and has some fun photos, as well. Click through to read more.
We're here at Photokina in Germany, and one camera many people were eager to get their hands on was the the new Fujifilm X100T. As part of our tour of the company's stand (more like a ballroom), we got our mitts on Fujifilm's latest ultra-premium compact. Click through to see more.
Photokina 2014 announcements
The D750 is Nikon's latest full-frame DSLR, and sits between the D610 and D810 in the company's FX format lineup. With specifications in common with both cameras, the D750 may be of interest to anyone considering stepping up to full-frame from one of Nikon's APS-C format models. As well as our detailed first impressions review we've prepared a quick 'cheat sheet', telling you everything you need to know about the new camera. Click through to read more.
Enthusiast photographers have been waiting in agony for a replacement to the Canon EOS 7D for five years. Their wishes have finally been granted - and in a big way - with the arrival of the EOS 7D Mark II. With a new sensor, improved AF system, faster image processor, and Full HD video, we think that it was worth the wait. For a lot more on the 7D II, read our detailed First Impressions Review.
Panasonic's LX-series of compact cameras have been favorites of both customers and reviewers alike for many years. Photographers who have been waiting for a more enthusiast-slanted LX can finally get out their wallets, because the Lumix DMC-LX100 is here. Find out what we thought about what sounds like the ultimate enthusiast compact camera in our First Impressions Review. Read on.
For the last two years, the only enthusiast compact with a large sensor you could buy says 'Sony' on the front. Finally, at Photokina 2014, we get some competition from Canon. The PowerShot G7 X uses what is likely the same 20MP sensor as the Sony RX100 III but offers a longer lens, flip-up touchscreen LCD, and arguably better controls. For all the details on this exciting new camera, head on over to our First Impressions Review.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 borrows the styling of the fashion conscious GM1, but adds enough additional control to give it broader appeal. So while it's still a smart, diminutive thing, Panasonic has found room for a viewfinder, control dial and hotshoe. We look at the two cameras side by side and examine the changes that've been made at the petite end of the Micro Four Thirds range.
Topping off its Photokina 2014 announcements, Panasonic announces two lenses designed to fit the dimensions and style of its GM-series cameras. The Lumix G Vario 35-100mm F4.0-5.6 ASPH Mega O.I.S. is a truly compact telephoto zoom covering a range equivalent to 70-200mm. Also announced is the 14mm F2.5 II ASPH, a version of an existing lens but with revised graphics (equivalent to 28mm). Read more
Canon has announced the 65x superzoom PowerShot SX60 HS, offering a 16.1MP CMOS sensor and a lens covering a 21-1365mm equivalent range. It's equipped with Wi-Fi and NFC, 1080/60p HD video and an articulated 3" LCD with 922k-dot resolution. Read more
Canon has introduced the latest in its uniquely-shaped series of socially inclined PowerShots. The square-shaped PowerShot N2 is equipped with a 16.1MP CMOS sensor, 28-224mm equiv lens, and Wi-Fi with NFC, and wireless sharing is facilitated by Mobile Device Connect button. Read more
Samsung is no stranger to trying something new, and it's really swung for the fences with the NX1 enthusiast mirrorless camera. With a DSLR-style body, a revolutionary sensor, exciting AF system, and more bells and whistles than one could ever need, the NX1 looks like a serious contender. We spent some time with the NX1 and have some first impressions to share. Read'em.
Samsung has introduced the pro-oriented NX1 mirrorless camera for Photokina 2014, boasting the first-ever APS-C sized BSI-CMOS sensor. The weather-sealed 28.2MP NX1 also offers a sophisticated hybrid autofocus system with 205 phase-detect points covering 90% of the frame. Other high-end features include 15 fps burst shooting, built-in Wi-Fi, and a 2.36M dot OLED EVF. Read more
Samsung adds another 'S' series lens to its premium lineup, the NX 50-150mm F2.8 OIS. It's weather-sealed to resist dust and splashes, and covers a range equivalent to 77-231mm on Samsung's APS-C NX cameras. With 20 elements in 13 groups, it offers built-in stabilization and an i-Function button as part of Samsung's user interface. Read more
Olympus has announced the M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro lens. Built to withstand the elements, this dust, splash and freezeproof telephoto zoom covers a range equivalent to 80-300mm. Also announced is a 1.4x teleconverter, which when used with the 40-150mm boosts the equivalent telephoto reach to 420mm. Read more
Olympus celebrates the start of Photokina with the announcement of a major firmware update for the OM-D E-M1 that enables tethered shooting, in-camera 'digital shift' keystone composition, and the E-M10's Live Composite mode. Also announced is the availability of a silver version of the previously only-available-in-black E-M1. Read more
Sigma has announced that the dp1 Quattro, a large-sensor compact that will be available from mid-October. The dp1 Quattro marries a 28mm equivalent F2.8 lens to the latest generation of Sigma's Foveon technology. The dp1 Quattro joins the 40mm equivalent dp2 Quattro in the company's lineup, with the promise of a 75mm equivalent dp3 Quattro to follow. Read more
Sigma has announced a pair of new telezoom lenses. Both described as the '150-600mm F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM' one carries Sigma's 'Contemporary' branding and one is positioned in its 'Sport' lineup. The sports version is dust and splash-proof, while both lenses boast new versions of Sigma's optical image stabilization system. Under the hood though, their construction is significantly different. Read more
Sigma has announced a new superzoom lens for APS-C format DSLRs. The 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM takes its place in the company's 'Contemporary' linep, offering a focal range equivalent to 27-450mm. The new lens will be available next month for $579 in Sigma, Nikon, Canon Pentax and Sony mounts - the latter two will not feature OS optical image stabilization. Read more
The D750 is Nikon's latest FX format camera, which borrows features from the D810 and marries them with a 24MP sensor, offering a faster frame-rate than any non-professional full-frame Nikon DSLR. Aimed squarely at enthusiasts and full-frame upgraders the D750 boasts a comprehensive video and still photography specification which includes a tilting rear LCD screen and (on paper) an improved version of the 51-point AF system found in the D810. We've been using a pre-production camera for a few days - click through for our first impressions.
Nikon has released the enthusiast-focused D750, a 24MP full-frame DSLR which sits between the D610 and D810 in the company's lineup. The D750 offers an improved version of the 51-point AF system from the D810, a 6.5fps maximum frame-rate, plus built-in Wi-Fi and a vari-angle LCD. Video features are lifted directly from the D810 and include 1080/60p recording and full manual exposure control. Read more
Nikon has launched the AF-S Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G ED for FX and DX format Nikon cameras. It updates the existing AF Nikkor 20mm f/2.8, which lacked an internal focus motor for use with entry-level Nikon DSLRs. Using 13 elements in 11 groups, it features a Nano Crystal Coat and offers a minimum focus distance of 0.2m. The AF-S Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G ED will be available in September for $799.95. Read more
Nikon rounds out its Photokina announcements with the SB-500 Speedlight, a compact flash with a built-in LED for use while recording video. With coverage for a 24mm lens on an FX camera or a 16mm lens on DX, the SB-500 has a guide number of 24m at ISO 100. Read more
SanDisk has announced the latest addition to its Extreme Pro class of memory cards. The 512GB Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-I is introduced as the world's highest capacity SD card, supporting 4K video with write speeds up to 90 MB/s and UHS Speed Class 3 recording. Read more
Ricoh is entering the choppy waters of the action camera market, which is currently dominated by GoPro. The company isn't truly a newcomer into the rugged market, as it has been making rugged cameras for many years. The WG-M1 is a 14MP camera that can dive up to 10m underwater, be dropped from 2m, and function at temperatures as low as -10C - all without a housing. The WG-M1 sports a 14MP CMOS sensor, super-wide lens with a 160° field-of-view, 1.5" LCD, 1080/30p video, and Wi-Fi. Naturally, mounts for nearly every purpose will be available.
If there's one thing you can say about Fujifilm, it's that the company has shown a desire to continuously improve its cameras. In the case of the X100T, Fujifilm has taken the already refined X100S and redesigned the viewfinder, added more exposure controls, and included an electronic shutter. We've spent some time with an early production X100T and have put together an overview that covers the key points. Have a read
Sony got a lot of attention when it released a pair of cameras which clip onto a smartphone last fall. They're really going to raise a lot of eyebrows now, with their QX1, which features an APS-C sensor and E-mount. Yep, an Alpha on your phone. Take a tour of the QX1 and the superzoom QX30 cameras right here.
At first glance the Olympus PEN E-PL7 looks like yet another compact, selfie-friendly mirrorless camera -- but looks can be deceiving. The innards of the camera come largely from the excellent OM-D E-M10, and Olympus touts the E-PL7's autofocus system as its best yet. For all the details on the latest PEN, check out our First Impressions Review.
The Pentax K-S1 is a unique-looking DSLR, with pulsing LED lights on the front and a backlit mode dial on the back. There's more to the K-S1 than just its looks, including a new sensor, image processor, and even a new font in the menus. As always, all of the features one would expect to see on a Pentax DSLR are here too. Learn more in our slideshow.
With the camera industry moved on somewhat since the birth of the Fuji X series compact, is there still room for a 12 million pixel compact in a less-than compact body? In this opinion piece, senior contributing writer Damien Demolder ponders the very existence of Fujifim's newest X-series camera. Read more
Fujifilm's new X30 premium compact is an intriguing piece of kit, with a larger-than-average sensor and reasonably fast lens. While not a revolutionary upgrade to the X20, it still provides some nice improvements. After some play time, we've put together a First Impressions Review that spells out what's new and what's not.
The X30, Fujifilm's latest enthusiast compact camera, offers the same 12MP sensor and 28-112mm (equivalent) lens as the X20 but improves on its predecessor with updated ergonomics. Changes include a new electronic viewfinder, a tilting screen, and Wi-Fi. We've had access to a prototype X30 for a few days - click through for a hands-on tour of the new camera.
Under the slogan 'Perfect understatement' Leica has quietly released a new M-series rangefinder, the M-P Digital (240). Featuring a full-frame 24MP CMOS sensor and 2GB of built-in RAM, Leica claims that the new M-P digital is 'twice as fast' as the standard M (Typ 240). The original Leica MP (no hyphen) announced in 2003, took the film M-series back to its 1950s roots by featuring unflashy ergonomics inspired by the M3. The new model updates the same approach, omitting the iconic Leica red dot. Click through for more details.
As Sony introduces the Alpha a5100 interchangeable lens camera, it officially leaves behind the NEX moniker its mirrorless line originated with. The a5100 picks up where the NEX-5 series leaves off, combining the 24.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor of the a6000 and the more compact footprint of the NEX-5T. The a5100 also inherits many of the a6000's good qualities, including its impressive autofocus system. The a5100 also one-ups its big brother by offering 1080/60p video at 50Mbps. We took a hands-on, preliminary look at the a5100. Read more
The Sony Alpha a5100 is a petite, compact mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a lot to offer. We've had access to a pre-production sample for a few days, and as well as a full first impressions review we also got hands-on with Sony's latest Alpha. Click through for a tour of the a5100's major features.
Ricoh has announced the Pentax Q-S1, its latest compact interchangeable lens camera with a Q lens mount. It offers some cosmetic updates, but the internals like a 12MP 1/1.7-inch BSI CMOS have remained largely unchanged from the previous Q7 model. The Q-S1 will be sold in 40 different color combinations when it becomes available in September for a price of $499.95/£379.99 with kit zoom. Read more
Products
Olympus |
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Telephoto zoom lens | Micro Four Thirds | V315050BU000
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Sep 15, 2014
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16 megapixels | 3″ screen | Four Thirds sensor
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Aug 28, 2014
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Pentax |
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20 megapixels | 3″ screen | APS-C sensor
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Aug 27, 2014
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12 megapixels | 3″ screen | Compact sensor
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Aug 4, 2014
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Sony |
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20 megapixels | 24 – 720 mm (30×)
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Sep 3, 2014
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20 megapixels | APS-C sensor
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Sep 3, 2014
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24 megapixels | 3″ screen | APS-C sensor
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Aug 18, 2014
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Fujifilm |
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16 megapixels | 3″ screen | 35 mm
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Sep 10, 2014
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Telephoto zoom lens | Fujifilm X | 16443060
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Sep 10, 2014
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Telephoto prime lens | Fujifilm X | 16443058
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Sep 10, 2014
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12 megapixels | 3″ screen | 28 – 112 mm (4×)
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Aug 26, 2014
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Ricoh |
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14 megapixels | Compact sensor
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Sep 10, 2014
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Nikon |
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24 megapixels | 3.2″ screen | Full frame sensor
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Sep 12, 2014
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Samsung |
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28 megapixels | 3″ screen | APS-C sensor
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Sep 15, 2014
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Telephoto zoom lens | Samsung NX | EX-ZS50150ABUS
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Sep 15, 2014
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Canon |
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20 megapixels | 3″ screen | APS-C sensor
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Sep 15, 2014
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20 megapixels | 3″ screen | 24 – 100 mm (4.2×)
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Sep 15, 2014
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Panasonic |
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13 megapixels | 3″ screen | 24 – 75 mm (3.1×)
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Sep 15, 2014
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16 megapixels | 3″ screen | Four Thirds sensor
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Sep 15, 2014
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Telephoto zoom lens | Micro Four Thirds | H-FS35100K
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Sep 15, 2014
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Zeiss |
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Prime lens | Leica M
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Sep 16, 2014
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Leica |
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16 megapixels | 3″ screen | 35 mm
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Sep 16, 2014
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13 megapixels | 3″ screen | 24 – 75 mm (3.1×)
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Sep 15, 2014
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