Leica teases "Mini M"

Here's my guess...

First of all, this product will not be named the "Mini M." I believe they're using that placeholder name to get us excited. Just look at the marketing graphic: Leica M, Mini M, Micro M, Nano M—only the first one is a real product name. The other names describe how they relate to the flagship.

Second, they placed it between the M and the X2, which means this will be more expensive and more capable than the X2. So it won't be a warmed over Micro 4/3 camera or an X2 with a zoom. "Rumors" (advance leaks to people like Steve Huff) state that it will be made in Germany, so certainly not a Panasonic or Fuji rebrand.

Like all "system" camera makers, Leica has more potential to make money from lenses than bodies, so as I see it there are three possibilities:

1) Create a brand new fast autofocus system, with new full-frame AF lenses, and promote it as the next generation of the M system. The "M-A" camera would have an EVF, and could mount legacy M glass using an adapter. Thanks to AF, it would pull customers away from Fuji, Canon, Nikon... Even Leica fans would want to buy in and get new lenses. The M (240) would of course remain the flagship.

2) Create an APS-C camera with an M mount and EVF. Basically a Fuji X with an M mount.

3) Create a full frame M with EVF instead of RF. Taking out the RF would simplify the product and reduce parts and assembly costs dramatically. At $4000, they could attract a lot of new users who will all need lenses.


Option #1 is not likely because it takes the M and makes it MORE complex. They'd also be competing with autofocus cameras from much larger companies with better resources.

Option #2 is not likely because the Fuji and NEX systems already do this well, and none of those users are likely to pay a $3000 just to mount M lenses.

Option #3 is more likely because it takes the M and makes it LESS complex. It's basically an M-E or M 240 without the expensive precision RF. Compared with the price of the RX1 or 5D Mark III, $4000 is not even much of a Leica tax. I think they'd sell a ton of these.

So that's my guess... just take the RF out of the M. Simple. They haven't had the technology to do live view focusing until the 240, or I bet they would have done this sooner.
 
A ff m mount live view, might be a camera I would be interested in... Because of the Ricoh gxr a12 m module setup I use, I still have all my rf glass.

Gary
 
Well clearly the Leica tease is generating a lot of interest.

I'm curious, though, why they didn't just wait til June 11, and drop the bomb then.
 
Too get the excitement going and maybe make people hesitate on their current purchase choice is what I suspect.

Gary
 
There really won't be that many purchases between now and June 11, though. And from history, whatever it is most certainly won't ship on June 11.
 
My guess, like many in this thread, is that the "Mini" is a digital M body with a detachable EVF.

Leica does not have the financial resources to develop a full frame, auto focus body.

Likewise, they don't have the technical (and financial) wherewithal to butt heads with Fuji / Olympus / Sony in the established mirrorless ILC market.

I suspect that Leica has dug into their parts bin and created a product that leverages their greatest asset, namely the M lenses.

Hopefully, the Mini will have some advances over the M, perhaps a new Maestro processor that can run faster than 30 Hz and support for the VF-4 viewfinder. (This would provide a very satisfying user experience.)

With regard to the price, somewhere between the X2 and M leaning more towards the M!
 
why not tell the US Leica reps ?

why not tell the US Leica reps ?

Whatever it is,

Leica Germany did not bother to inform its USA reps and dealers about it.

That may suggest a relatively minor product.

hmm.

maybe a smart phone Mini M app ?

after all, these are the Leica minds that named the M10 the M240.

Stephen
 
Might as well be a Sony Nex with Leica adapter and branding. Why let Hasselblad have all the fun with off designs.
 
It's always a little more exciting when Leica makes a noise. We still hope they will make a camera for us.

But if it has relations with that Nano M, it won't be that exciting I guess.
Would be great if it takes M and has a EVF and a less clumsy body than the M9/M.
But I guess the premium future over other cameras will be the fact that you can chose the leather and color etc ... and everything else will be disappointing.

Leica makes jewelry now. I only like the film M's and the S system, but thats me.
 
It's worth adding that when Leica introduced the M8 they said that henceforth there would be rather more frequent new M-models than there had been in the previous 50-odd years, and this has been born out: five models in seven years with M8, M9, M9M, ME, M240, as compared with nine models since 1953 with M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, MD, M6, M7, MP. In both cases I have discounted minor variations (M8.2, M4-2, M4-P, M6ttl, MDa) though of course you could dismiss the ME as a minor variant of the M9.

They're also very good at keeping secrets, cf. the S2. So let's hope it is something interesting and worthwhile.

Cheers,

R.
 
gustavoAvila said:
Leica does not have the financial resources to develop a full frame, auto focus body.
Click to expand...
Leica does in fact produce and sell autofocus, larger-than-fullframe camera for a few years now.

Likewise, they don't have the technical (and financial) wherewithal to butt heads with Fuji / Olympus / Sony in the established mirrorless ILC market.
Click to expand...
Leica is the leader in the mirrorless market tech: no competition has come up with full frame alternative in M form factor.
 
varjag said:
Leica is the leader in the mirrorless market tech: no competition has come up with full frame alternative in M form factor.
Click to expand...

Normally the term mirrorless is meant for the mirrorless compact system cameras that we also have a subforum for. A Leica M does not fall into that category although it has in fact no mirror.
 
Well, I was going to set up a formal poll, but the possibilities are kind of excessive:

FF + EFV + M-mount
FF + OVF + M-mount
FF + EVF/OVF + M-mount
FF + EFV + integral zoom
FF + OFV + integral zoom
FF + EVF/OVF + integral zoom
FF + EFV + integral prime
FF + OFV + integral prime
FF + EVF/OVF + integral prime

APS + EFV + M-mount
APS + OVF + M-mount
APS + EVF/OVF + M-mount
APS + EFV + integral zoom
APS + OFV + integral zoom
APS + EVF/OVF + integral zoom
APS + EFV + integral prime
APS + OFV + integral prime
APS + EVF/OVF + integral prime

m43 + EFV + M-mount
m43 + OVF + M-mount
m43 + EVF/OVF + M-mount
m43 + EFV + integral zoom
m43 + OFV + integral zoom
m43 + EVF/OVF + integral zoom
m43 + EFV + integral prime
m43 + OFV + integral prime
m43 + EVF/OVF + integral prime


It's hard to separate "What do you think Leica will actually deliver?" versus "What would you like to see Leica deliver?"
 
daveleo said:
It's hard to separate "What do you think Leica will actually deliver?" versus "What would you like to see Leica deliver?"
Click to expand...

M-Mount, max. crop factor of 1.3, a viewfinder (electronic or optical) and some sort rangefinder patch (electronic or optical) could be interesting.

But probably it's only another M43 camera.
 
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