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This morning I took a small detour before going to work. The sun was still relatively low, and there was a blue sky, so I headed to my favourite 'garden' Groot Heidestein. With me; my M9 and a 28mm and 50mm lens.
Even though the M9 is a (technical) dinosaur compared to the newer camera's (some might say it was already dated when the released it), it still delivers gorgeous images. The results (out-of-camera) cannot be compared to what my X-T1 delivers.
I found this nice documentary about the origin and development of the Leica cameras, and the people behind it on YouTube yesterday. It is completely in German, but well worth it.
Leica - a term that conjures up many a covetous gleam in the eye. After all, it is not just any camera, but the miniature camera, which in the Twenties revolutionized the world of photography. The history of the company that brought the Leitz camera on the market began in 1869 in Wetzlar: Ernst Leitz took over there at that time the senior small optical workshop of Carl Kellner, were built in the microscope.
The documentary even shows the, weird looking, Leica Rifle in action.
The cat is out of the bag. Full specs are available now, and it is disappoining. Very disappointing (for the price).
The Mini M is actually a Leica X with a fixed zoom lens. And not just any zoomlens. No, a slow zoomlens. No (hidden) M-Mount to play with.
I really wonder who (in their right mind) will pay €2,500 (or around $3,000 USD) for a camera with a fixed slow zoom lens. I mean, there a numerous other cameras with better specs for less money. The only thing you might miss is the 'Leica-look' of the photos.
Specs that matter:
The rest doesn't matter does it? The last two bullets spoil it all.
Full specs are available @ the Leica website [pdf].
The website Mirrorlessrumors.com published more details about the upcoming Leica Mini M. The specifications were listed in french, but should give a good impression of what we might expect.
Leica Mini M Specifications
These specs are nice, but not for a $3000 USD price. There are numerous other camera's with similar (or better specs on paper) that are much cheaper. Especially the new zoom lens starting at a f/3.5 is kinda disappointing.
But what if this is not a fixed lens camera? What if it's actually a M-Mount camera with an 16MPix APS-C sensor. Why call it a Mini-M if is doesn't have an M-Mount?
The lens in the leaked photo could just be the start of a new family of Leica M-Mount lenses. Lenses with autofocus and zoom capabilities. All you would need is some electronic contacts in the mount.
If that's the case, the $3000 price-range is justifiable for more. I'd be interested in this camera. Especially if there gonna be some great (Mini-M) zoom lenses.
I want one.... and that is based on the packaging alone.
The new features (live-view, better ISO, etc.) are also nice to have.
