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A Jony Ive-designed Leica camera prototype is going up for auction
The final prototype version of a Leica M camera designed by Jony Ive is going up for auction in June.
Leica’s SL2-S is a $4,895 beast with 4K 60 fps video capability
Leica has launched the SL2-S, a sportier and cheaper version of its flagship 47-megapixel, $5,995 mirrorless SL2 camera.
Leica's latest Q2 camera only shoots in black-and-white
Leica has unveiled the Q2 Monochrom, a version of its compact full-frame camera focused on black-and-white photography.
Leica's 41-megapixel M10-R rangefinder is made for landscape photography
Now the German manufacturer has released its highest-resolution model yet, the $8,295 full-frame, 40.9-megapixel M10-R. Unlike past models, it has more potential for landscape or city photography requiring maximum detail. For one, it now makes a good landscape or portrait camera. Both have 3-inch TFT rear displays, 100-50,000 ISO ranges, Maestro II image processors and Leica’s split-screen manual focus system.
Leica's M10 Monochrom is devoted to black-and-white photography
Leica is giving its Monochrom cameras a much-needed upgrade, and it's good news if you're a big fan of black-and-white photography... provided you're willing to pay the price. The company has introduced an M10 Monochrom that's superficially based on the M10-P rangefinder, but switches to a new 40-megapixel sensor that, thanks in part to the absence of a color filter, produces a more "analog" black-and-white picture than applying a software effect to a regular image. To call the sensor an upgrade would be an understatement. In addition to a big jump in resolution over its 24MP predecessor, the M10 Monochrom has a considerably wider ISO 160 to ISO 100,000 range that should help capture moody night scenes.
Insta360's modular action cam gets 360-degree and 'Leica' mods
Just as the few other 360 camera makers decided to focus on boosting resolution or sensor size, Insta360 took a surprisingly different route for its next flagship device. The One R announced at CES today is a modular action cam-type device, with the idea being that you can swap between a 360 camera mod and either of the two wide-angle camera mods to suit your needs. Better yet, advanced users can opt for the high-quality 5.3K 1-inch sensor mod which is co-engineered with Leica -- the first collaboration of such for Insta360.
Leica's full-frame SL2 mirrorless camera has 5K video and higher resolution
Leica has unveiled the SL2, the new flagship of its full-frame mirrorless system, and it has been improved in nearly every way over the original SL. That includes a new body, 47 megapixel sensor, a Maestro III processor and menu system, improved electronic viewfinder/touchscreen and pretty incredible new video capabilities. To get all these features, Leica appears to have used the sensor and guts from the S1R built by its L-Mount partner Panasonic.
Leica's V-Lux 5 is a high-end, travel-friendly camera
Leica isn't exactly known for offering cameras that both offer long-zoom lenses and a relatively affordable price, but it's ready to bend those rules a bit. The company has introduced the V-Lux 5, an upscale rebadge of Panasonic's FZ-1000 II long-zoom camera. The differences mostly boil down to a spruced-up design with the signature red dot on the front, but that's not necessarily a bad thing when the core camera is solid -- this is a fairly powerful option for travelers.
Leica's new 'entry' M rangefinder camera costs $3,995
Good news: Leica just made its M-series cameras more accessible... relatively speaking. The company has introduced an M-E (Typ 240) model that preserves the compact rangefinder design and a 24-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, but at a slightly easier to swallow $3,995 price. It's not what we'd call a budget camera, but it beats spending thousands of dollars more. You will have to live with some limitations, though.
A brief history of mirrorless cameras
Mirrorless cameras are here to stay. The argument to own one isn't only about them being small and lightweight anymore, because nowadays many mirrorless shooters rival DSLRs in image quality -- something that would've been unimaginable a decade or so ago. Today, the likes of the Sony A7 III, Nikon Z7, Canon EOS R and Panasonic S1R are some of the best cameras, period. But none of these flagships would exist today if it weren't for the hundreds of Micro Four Thirds and APS-C models that came before them, some of which are still popular and have paved the way for manufacturers to turn photographers and videographers alike into mirrorless fans.
How to pick a lens for your mirrorless camera in 2019
When buying a mirrorless camera, there's an equally crucial side question: What lenses do I need for this thing? The glass you place in front of that sensor plays a key role in how your photos or videos look and what kind of shooting you can do. It's a complex decision too. You need to consider factors like sharpness, distortion, speed, prime or zoom and, most important, price. In this guide, I'll touch on all that and look at some of the best lenses for Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras.
Leica's compact, full-frame Q2 captures 47MP photos and 4K video
Leica made a few waves with its original Q camera in 2015, and not without merit: the Q was a compact full-frame camera that took advantage of the company's reputation for high-quality lenses. You'll be glad to hear, then, that Leica is back with a full-fledged sequel. The just-unveiled Q2 borrows the same basic formula, including the non-removable 28mm f/1.7 prime lens, but gives you a much higher-resolution 47.3-megapixel sensor and, at last, 4K video capture. It's also billed as the only camera in its class (admittedly a rather small class) with dust and water resistance.
Leica's latest Panasonic rebadge is the 17-megapixel D-Lux 7
Leica is continuing its habit of repackaging Panasonic cameras and charging a premium, although that's not necessarily a bad thing in this case. The company has unveiled the D-Lux 7, a prettier-looking version of Panasonic's LX100 II. It mates Leica's signature, vintage-looking design with a 17-megapixel four-thirds sensor and a 24-75mm equivalent f/1.7-2.8 lens that, combined, can shoot in low light without much fuss. The new hardware also nets you a 2.8-megapixel electronic viewfinder, a 3-inch LCD touchscreen and 4K video recording at up to 30 frames per second.
Leica's Q-P is a pricey full-frame camera with subtle refinements
Leica is keeping up its habit of releasing subtly refined P variants of its cameras, this time focusing on its full-frame street camera, the Q. The newly unveiled Q-P mostly focuses on stealth, with the signature red Leica dot going away in favor of textured matte black everywhere and a logo engraving on the top. It won't call quite so much attention to itself while you're concentrating on your street photography, in other words. There are some functional changes to the design as well. The shutter and power/drive controls have been redesigned to more closely resemble what you'd get in the M10 or CL, with more reassuring clicks that let you operate more by feel.
Huawei’s latest Porsche Design collab is a fancy Mate 20 Pro
Huawei doesn't launch a new flagship these days without teaming up with Porsche Design for a flashier, and always much more expensive variant. It was a given, then, that the Mate 20 Pro announced today would get the Porsche Design treatment. As the entire front of the device is occupied by display, the aesthetic differences are limited to the back, where glass cuts a racing stripe down the length of the device between two panes of soft leather. There's a black on black model, as well as a limited edition, red on black version that's only headed to China.
Huawei's Mate 20 Pro can wirelessly charge other phones
Over the past few months, all major smartphone manufacturers have laid down their last hands and stepped away from the table for the rest of the year. Apart from Huawei, that is, which -- as usual -- is getting the last word in by spilling the beans on the new Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro today. Historically, the Mate series was intended as direct competition to Samsung's Note family, but these days it's more like Huawei's fall flagships, filling in the gaps between the spring, P family launches. It's no great revelation, then, that the Mate 20 Pro features the high-end camera system Huawei's become known for. Beyond that, though, the company's crammed all the best smartphone tech it could into the Mate 20 Pro, including special charging features you can't find anywhere else.
Sony's full-frame mirrorless cameras finally have some competition
Since the launch of the A7 and A7R in 2013, Sony has had virtually no competition in the full-frame mirrorless space. Major players like Canon, Nikon and Panasonic were keeping their focus on other camera formats, such as APS-C, Micro Four Thirds, point-and-shoots and full-frame DSLRs. But that's all starting to change. At Photokina 2018, Panasonic introduced its first full-frame mirrorless cameras, the Lumix S1R and S1, which feature 47- and 24-megapixel sensors, respectively. While these are still in development and likely won't launch until next year, the fact that Panasonic has finally given in and is making a full-frame mirrorless shows Sony is about to start facing some serious competition. It validates all the efforts the company's been making in that market for the past few years, leading up to the gold standard that's its latest model, the A7 III.
The new mirrorless cameras you can buy soon
Photokina 2018 has been great for camera fans, particularly those who love mirrorless shooters. At the event in Cologne, Germany, we saw a few new models from big players like Fujifilm and Panasonic -- some medium format, others full frame. Whatever system you prefer, there's no doubt you won't have any shortage of options if you're looking to buy a mirrorless camera in the near future. There already plenty of great ones in stores right now, such as Sony's A7 III, but Photokina brought us more mirrorless cameras to look forward to. Let's take a look at the best of them.
Leica's S3 is a slick, 64-megapixel medium format DSLR
Leica's biggest news of Photokina was the launch of the L-Mount alliance with Panasonic and Sigma, but it also unveiled a camera. The Leica S3 is a rakish DSLR with a massive 64-megapixel medium-format sensor and 4K video capability that's set to arrive in spring of 2019. I got a chance to handle it at Photokina 2018 and take a few shots (but not keep them), and I can tell you that this is one beautiful-feeling camera. Given the likely price, however, I'm quite sure I'll never own one.
Leica's new app lets you control your camera with a smartphone
We know Leica is planning to announce some cameras at Photokina 2018, but before it gets to that, the company has revealed a new app for owners of its current shooters. The Fotos application, which will work for iOS and Android when it launches, is going to let Leica users to control their camera remotely with a smartphone and do things like touch to focus.
