Even though I know the just-announced Leica V-Lux 20 is nothing more than a rebadged Panasonic DMC-ZS7, I still want it. Bad. I think it’s just because it’s from Lecia and my heart is speaking louder than my brain. Anyway, the camera is now rolling out to select retailers this is where we get this unboxing video from. Man I want this camera. → Read More
If you’ve got the nerves to take your precious Leica M8 underwater… well, I salute you. I don’t think I could take such a sweet piece of kit below the waves unless they made one waterproof to begin with. But I suppose if they’re going to charge this much for an underwater housing, one can be fairly certain that they stand behind their product. → Read More
There isn’t much to say here. We already knew that the Leica V-Lux 20 was going to be a DMC-ZS7 clone with the same 12.1 MP 25-300mm lens arrangement, GPS, and 3-inch LCD. And we were really close on the price, too, stating that it would retail for €549 where in fact it’s coming with a €499 MSRP. So yeah, there isn’t much to say here but you may wanna click through to view a gallery of the sexy matte black shooter. → Read More
Bits of info has been leaking onto the interwebs about a new upcoming Leica the last few weeks. The V-Lux 20 is all but been revealed now though with specs, pics and launch info. God bless the Internet. → Read More
Ahhh, Leica special editions. How you love to come out, and cost lots of money. The Hermès edition is no exception, though, as expected, the design is still 99.9% the same as the other Leicas. But this one has a delicious special-process orange leather grip, plus a special 35mm f/1.4 Summilux lens made using a new process that makes it as light as the black alloy lenses, but chromed like the heavier brass ones.
The owner says he’s going to take a lot of crap from other Leica people because he intends to never use the camera. Well, yeah! → Read More
Time to bust out that wallet and preorder that new Leica! The M9 is now available for pre-order, and it’s pretty impressive. 18 megapixel, using a custom designed sensor from Kodak, the M9 is a digital viewfinder camera, and part of Leica’s new line. → Read More
Here’s an unboxing of the new Leica S2-p, done by happy new owner Matthew Harrison. Matthew hasn’t just unboxed his new toy, he’s also written a first impression review. [Thanks to Leica Rumors for the tip] → Read More
The $6,995 Leica M9 is available for pre-order at B&H. You’re probably excited. I would be too if I had the cash to buy the 18MP digital rangefinder. Just look at it; you know you want it. Forget that down payment on a house. You should buy this camera instead. It will probably hold its value better. [B&H via Leica Rumors] → Read More
Leica loves to produce ultra special editions of its high-end cameras. The latest example is this $14k Hermes edition of the M7. Yes, $14,000 dollars for a film-based camera. → Read More
Have you ever wondered what pictures look like from a camera that costs more than many cars? I have. I know there are a lot of professionals out there that view DSLRs like the Canon 5D and Nikon D700 as entry-level because they have flashes that cost more than those cameras. Well, DPReview got a hold of the $26,000 Leica S2 and just posted some sample pictures, but don’t expect to be blown away. → Read More
So we’ve known that something was coming, but we weren’t sure exactly what. We still don’t know for certain what Nikon is up to on the 15th, but that whole is looking better and better. It’s not a huge surprise really, since the new Leica’s have really been in the news lately. → Read More
Finally. It seems like there have been a dozen leaks about the Leica M9 and X1 the last couple of weeks, but they are finally announced. It’s too bad that the leaks killed all the fun and announced everything already though.
The new M9, which should be available this week, features a very similar body as the M8, but now rocks a 18MP full frame CCD sensor along new button placement for quick access to important settings. Plus, it has new micro lens that should help with performance at the edges of the frame and further justify the £4,850 inc VAT ($8,000 USD) price. → Read More
Looks like someone let some more Leica assets go live a bit early. The M9 had its own leak earlier today, and now some more details are out there, this time about the lower-end X1. I’m happy to say the leak exonerates me in my doubt of the previous leak, in which I thought the X1 looked janky. → Read More
Leica has a big event scheduled for this Wednesday where the M9 was likely going to be announced. But it just so happens that Apple also has a presser booked for the same day, along with a bunch of companies at the audio video expo, CEDIA. So it’s probably best for Leica that a Photography Bay tipster sent the site an official-looking brochure that lists all the specs of unannounced M9. → Read More
mmhmmm. Leica’s got our number. That’s for sure. We love ourselves some retro rangefinders and it looks like the next two Leica digicams will follow that style. These pics came from two Flickr pages that were eventually pulled. If the specs listed turn out to be correct, a lot of shutterbugs are going to max out their credit cards on day one. We’ll probably find out more on September 9 – that is if Apple doesn’t gobble up all our attention with its September 9th event. [Gizmodo and Leica Rumors][PSGallery=at8coobu6p] → Read More
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6356197&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1 Live Webcast on 9/9/2009 – The next Generation of Leica Cameras from leica camera on Vimeo. While Biggs is at the iPod event in San Francisco, I’ll be here in NYC live blogging the Leica event. Oh, there’s going to be a live webcast of the event? Hm. Should I stay or should I go now? [Update: Look closely, could that be the rumored Leica M9 they're handling there?] → Read More
If the only thing keeping you from getting a Leica was the non-interactive buying process, then you’re in luck. Leica’s new “à la carte” service lets you configure a new Leica from scratch, changing everything from the paint finish to the viewfinder magnification.
Of course, there’s no way to skimp and get a “bare bones” Leica for some special unadvertised price; the first thing you have to choose is between the M7 and MP, both of which cost $4560 to begin with. After that, it’s all frosting. → Read More
Leica is firing back over the criticism they’ve received lately about the price of their new flagship digital SLR, the S2. Internet pundits have rather, shall we say, catty about the price based on a rough glance at the specs, and Leica’s VP of marketing says that’s just not fair. → Read More
Remember that Leica S2 we heard about the other day? It’s kind of like a medium-format camera stuffed into a chubby SLR body, but since it’s Leica, it works out better than it sounds. However, since it’s Leica, it also costs a bundle — more than I guessed when the camera got previewed.
I won’t tease you with it, here it is: sixteen… hundred… times ten… pounds sterling. → Read More
For those pros out there working in print, medium format is king. Portable yet powerful, they can be deployed anywhere. With large but not crowded sensors, they provide excellent sharpness and color fidelity with reasonable exposure times. Of course, they do cost upwards of twenty grand. Leica’s S2 is an evolution of the medium format: a medium-format sensor in a DSLR body, a sort of spiritual big brother to the Sigma DP2, which has a DSLR sensor in a point-and-shoot-esque body.
Unlike the DP2, however, the S2 isn’t likely to suffer from its change of form; Leica is too good for that. It’s still not in production, but a few prototypes were available for handling at a recent Foto Care event in New York. → Read More
