September 18th, 2012

Like Peanut Butter And Chocolate: Apple’s Jony Ive To Design One-Of-A-Kind Leica M

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Apple’s going to have to temporarily share its design wizard Sir Jonathan Ive, with high-end camera maker Leica, as Ive will be creating a special, super limited edition of one version of the new Leica M announced by the company yesterday according to PetaPixel. That’s bound to be a drool-worthy camera, and this might represent the perfect storm of tech design fanboyism.

No details about what… → Read More

September 17th, 2012

Leica Drops Five New Cameras, Each (Not Surprisingly) Both Gorgeous And Pricey

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Leica has long been a high-water mark in photography, and its digital offerings are no exception. Today, the company took the covers off of four new models in its lineup, owing to Photokina getting underway tomorrow. The D-LUX 6, V-LUX 4, M, M-E and S are all going to be on display at the show, and each boasts not only Leica’s signature killer looks, but also enhanced internals to match.

What… → Read More

December 8th, 2011

Leica Introduces V-Lux 3 Superzoom Camera

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Leica has just announced the V-Lux 3 superzoom camera, 12.1-megapixel CMOS camera with 4.5-108mm F2.8-5.2 lens with 1080p60 video capture. Not surprisingly, this thing is actually a rebadged Panasonic DMC-FZ150 which lends truth to the old adage “A fool and his money are easily duped by camera companies.” → Read More

October 20th, 2011

Nearly Half Of Leica Sold Off To Blackstone Group For Rumored $179 Million

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Comparing Leica and Kodak is an interesting exercise. While they’re not the same by any stretch of the imagination, both rode the wave of photography throughout the 20th century and, come the age of digital imaging, both stumbled. Kodak is starting to leverage its IP and Leica has found a new prosperity in its high-end digitals.

But Kodak is still in its crisis period and Leica appears to be… → Read More

July 13th, 2011

Leica Planning New Line Of EVIL Cameras For September Debut

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Leica’s CEO, Alfred Schopf, has abruptly and rather casually announced a new line of compact cameras being planned for a Photokina debut. The new system will have “at least” an APS-C sensor and will “do things differently” from the rest of the EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder, Interchangeable Lens) cameras — serious competition like the NEX, PEN, and G series.

The unnamed camera would presumably… → Read More

July 12th, 2011

Thieves Make Off With Horde Of Leica Gear In Moscow

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In what could amount to a very hefty haul, Moscow thieves took a sledge to metal security shutters and then a glass case to grab twenty items including a Leica Pro Set with three lenses. Interestingly, they left a $32,000 Leica S2 on the shelf and, not surprisingly, focused mainly on lenses and the familiar standard M9s.

Serial numbers are after the jump if you ever spot these in the wild. → Read More

July 6th, 2011

Video: The Makings Of A True Retro Leica Digital Camera

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Watch as a ratty 1938 Leica is transformed into a modern digital camera with the guts of a Lumiz FX70. The video above isn’t a step-by-step video that holds your hand with detailed instructions. Nope, instead it’s a toe-tapping slideshow of the creations development. It is in fact more enjoyable this way. Get a fresh cup of coffee, sit back and watch an old Leica get a new set of… → Read More

June 21st, 2011

Leica's M9-P Loses The Red Dot, Gains Better LCD Coating

Leica has announced a new version of the M9, touted as “the essence of discretion.” The M9-P isn’t much of a jump; the conspicuous red dot logo has been replaced with a script logo on the top of the camera (to deter illiterate thieves, I presume), and a new sapphire covering with anti-glare coating should make reviewing images easier in bad light. Yes, that’s all! The rest… → Read More

May 25th, 2011

Leica Iterates Its Luxury Point And Shoot Series With The V-Lux 30

We liked Leica’s V-Lux 20, but could never really recommend it over its cheaper, nearly identical sibling, the Panasonic ZS7. Now we have the V-Lux 30, which appears to have the same relationship with the ZS10 announced in January. Looks like the same 14.1-megapixel sensor, the same 16x zoom lens, the same LCD, GPS, and so on — but different badge. The Leica costs $750, the Panasonic… → Read More

April 20th, 2011

Video: Leica "Birdie"

LEICA ‘BIRDIE” from Philip Escobar Jung on Vimeo. As you’ll see this isn’t an official Leica commercial. It should be, though. Why? Because you’ll remember it and that’s the most important aspect of any advert. [via Leica Rumors] → Read More

March 18th, 2011

An Exhausting, Continuous Review Of The Leica M9

Our own review of the M9 pales in comparison to thislabor of love by Thorsten Overgaard who has been shooting with the storied digital since 2009 and continuously updates his post with commentary, pictures, and advice. Not only is he a great, quirky photographer he writes passionately about the places he visits and, most important, the camera itself. → Read More

March 7th, 2011

Look, A Fujifilm X100 Next To A Leica M3

While it’s not the carbon copy some seem to think it is, the X100 does take a lot of design cues from Leica and this generation of cameras in general. I’m dying to get my hands on one of these, though that $1200 price tag is a little intimidating. Lots more comparison pics and other X100 porn at Nokton’s Flickr page. [via 43rumors and PetaPixel] → Read More

February 14th, 2011

Video: The Titanium Leica M9 Gets Unboxed

I’m genuinely surprised that the $32,000 Titanium Leica M9 ships in a cardboard box. I’d expect nothing less than a titanium crate and a Jack Bauer wannabe. That said, it if can’t handle a little FedEx abuse, how’s it going to survive war zones, impoverished countries, and misuse by trust fund babies? [via Engadget] → Read More

January 18th, 2011

Leica Teams With BMW For Special Edition X1 Camera

Leica likes to make special edition cameras. Good or bad, that’s how they roll. The latest is a special BMW edition of the X1 camera. What’s special about it? Nothing. Not a damn thing. → Read More

December 27th, 2010

How Leicas Are Born

It’s not every day you see how the sausage is made. This is how Leica puts together their famous M9 camera – by hand, all done by men in white lab coats. It’s an impressive bit of engineering to be sure and pricing aside, this is an incredible camera. Click through for one more walk-through video. → Read More

December 6th, 2010

Someone Paid Over $500,000 For This Leica

As much as I’d like to say it’s ridiculous that someone has paid half a million dollars for this experimental 1958 MP2 Leica, it’s really no more ridiculous than paying for a piece of art by an old master or famous contemporary artist. In that case, you’re paying for a piece of art history, and in the Leica’s case, it’s a piece of photographic history. Try telling me one is more ridiculous than… → Read More

October 13th, 2010

Hands-on With Leica's 2010 Line-Up

We didn’t get a chance to go out to Photokina this year so Photokina – or at least Leica’s portion of it – came to us. I got a closer look at four of Leica’s new cameras, the all-black X1, the DLUX 5, and the V-LUX 2 along with the new Titanium M9, one of the most outlandish cameras I’ve seen in a while. The V-LUX 2 is Leica’s ultrazoom priced at $849 and… → Read More

September 20th, 2010

Titanium Leica M9 Is Titanium

Honestly. At this point these people are just releasing a new finish for each of their cameras every few months and seeing who bites. Personally, I don’t have enough cash to be dropping used-car cash on a camera, though I might make an exception for Fujifilm’s FinePix X100, which can truly be said to be fine — in the flyest sense of the word. [image: David Farkas; via Leica… → Read More

September 17th, 2010

Leica To Unveil EVIL Camera On Monday?

Leica rumors are usually pretty subdued, since the company doesn’t exactly make consumer cameras. But if they’re getting on the EVIL train, that’s worth shouting from the rooftops. → Read More

August 13th, 2010

Review: Leica M9

This review is by photographer Rich Svinkin. “Nice Equipment.” It took a second to process that the wedding photographer was talking about my camera. It was the shock of phrasing, not the awe displayed, that startled me. When I’m carrying this beauty around I get stopped by strangers all the time. Camera junkies are boundary blind like dog lovers. And like a champion breed, the M9 takes some… → Read More

July 8th, 2010

Leica is not going to be happy about the Likea MPH

So you can’t afford to pop for a real Leica MP camera. Not a problem! Some enterprising bloke has a cheapskate alternative for you, the Likea MPH. Sure, it’s not the real thing, but it looks close and it’s $4,575 cheaper then an actual Leica. → Read More

May 6th, 2010

Hands-on with the new Leica line: Sexytime

Say what you want about Leica but they make some beautiful glass and some great cameras. Today I saw the 18-megapixel M9 (New Yorkers take note: Leica will have loaner units at the New York Photo Festival), the 12-megapixel X1, and the brand new V-LUX 20. I didn’t get a chance to shoot much but from what I saw the manual controls on the X1 are excellent and its designed primarily as a street… → Read More

May 3rd, 2010

The Leica V-Lux 20 gets its own unboxing video

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

April 26th, 2010

Great, an underwater case for a Leica M8 – who's got $8000 to spare?

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

April 20th, 2010

The Leica V-Lux 20 gets official

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… → Read More

April 15th, 2010

The Leica V-Lux 20 gets pictured and detailed

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

February 4th, 2010

Leica M7 Hermès edition, unboxed and lovely

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… → Read More

January 25th, 2010

Leica M9 available for pre-order

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

January 3rd, 2010

Leica S2-p revealed and unboxed

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

November 20th, 2009

Leica M9 up for pre-orders (can I borrow $7k?)

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