What is the Mini M ?

What is the Mini M ?


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Another X1, X2 body to take M lenses

This is probably the most logical. At the moment, Leica is leaving this market to the mirrorless manufacturers.

If you don't want to buy a proper Leica digital for a silly amount of money, but you want to use your Leica glass, Leica doesn't provide a solution for this, and this don't make any money from it. So making an M-mount, less expensive solution makes a lot of sense.
 
The box has opened a bit more since I last looked (so this is third iteration of the picture). Looks like a retractable fixed lens. So not the 'leaked' french picture, but not that different either.

Does seem to be pointing to a fixed lens, retractable zoom X series camera, bearing many similarities to the leaked french image, just a bit more compact. Speculation that the lens will have a wider aperture (2.8-4 or 2.8-5.6) sounds plausible to me.

/edit: Maybe I am presuming too much based on the 'leak'. Could be a retractable prime. Could be full frame and we haven't seen the rear of it yet or the other side so it might yet have a built in EVF or OVF. I will rule out the iPhone dock for the moment 😀

All in all a bit underwhelming to me, though does appear to be a more marketable proposition. Enough to make me watch for the next 'episode'

For some strange reason the campaign has started me off looking at getting a Leica iii, as a kind of mini film M ( 🙄 well played Leica, well played!)
 
doolittle, it looks a lot like the DLUX on the end to me at this point. I don't see any huge giant lens sticking out like we saw in the fake released images. But, they are sticking to the "M" part so it has to be an M mount system camera right? 😀
 
The mini will be a complete surprise to the Leica faithful!

It will be an answer to everyone's needs. It will have interchangeable parts including modules for film; u4/3rd's, APS, and Full Frame sensors; it will support interchangeable lenses along with multiple adaptors for the rest of you lenses that you own; and for the folks who want a fixed lens they will include a tube of super glue to permanently attach the lens of your choice.


The mini will be priced accordingly and will have a production run of at least 100 per month until the demand is met for worldwide consumers.

It is going to be wonderful!
 
http://leicarumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Leica-Mini-M-with-large-sensor.png

They're referring to the other two NON-M mount cameras as an "M" — Micro and Nano. And, previously, the CM was called a "Compact M."

Starting to look like an APS-C camera with a semi-fast zoom, no?

I just did a quick look up to remind myself what the M stood for originally.. Messucher, which translates to rangefinder (or viewfinder depending on where you translate it) which changes things a little. I was under the assumption that M was for the mounting system used on the M series cameras.

I can see it being a DLux model as well. Something that is a step up from the other models, most likely with a fixed variable zoom lens. Sort of like a big brother to the DLUX5 but with a body more like the M.

I guess we'll see soon enough. Definitely has a lot of us speculating for sure. I hope it delivers on the buzz it's generated.
 
If this is a fixed lens camera I really don't see the point ... and all this hide and seek stuff with partially concealed images of the camera is stupid.
 
What is the Mini M?

What is the Mini M?

If there is anything Leica is good at (and Canon), it is the neo-science of supply and demand: limit supply to create demand, and do not allow flexible pricing by dealers. WHY IN THE WORLD do we need ANOTHER non-RF point and shoot camera!?!? Its a waste of rare earth elements, grrrr!:bang:
 
I think it will be a full frame fixed lens cam like the sony rx1,
if it has a retractable lens and a EVF it would be a killer cam...


Going by what Sony thinks theirs is worth I can only imagine what Leica would ask for such a camera! 😀
 
Going by what Sony thinks theirs is worth I can only imagine what Leica would ask for such a camera! 😀

Exactly.
What if it really is like the film CM? A full-frame sensor with a fixed 35mm lens? For $4,500?

I'm intrigued by the Sony RX1, but the $3k price puts me well off. I wonder how many Leicas they could sell. I always think, though, that Leica is a generation behind, and so i can't really imagine this is full frame. More likely, an M8-like sensor with an e-35mm lens?
 
It will not have interchangeable lenses. It will not have a full frame sensor. It will not be in my price range. Consequently, it will be a disappointment.

I am hopeful that some manufacturer will offer an M-mount digital, preferably with full frame sensor, that is within the budget of most people in that market. Sure, it would be on the high end of what I can spend, but hopefully still within the range. To help that manufacturer with their decision, perhaps we should make clear what we're willing to spend for these key features? It would hurt, but I would fork out $2000-2500 USD to get what I want. More than $2500 means I have to do a cost-benefit analysis and perhaps hold off on the purchase. That could mean holding off until I see used units on the market. Considering used M8s are out there now hovering around $1600-ish (and dropping), and RD-1's quite below that, I don't know how competitive a high-priced new camera would be, especially if its not full frame. Its obviously not good for camera companies when their inventory is priced at a level that prompts their primary consumers to wait for the used market to develop. That leads to low sales of new units and a small, thin-margin used market.

Even used M9's are dropping in asking price...and I sometimes think; maybe. Of course, to keep perspective, I sometimes look at the 35/1.4 ASPH FLE Summilux. Yeah, sure, that's in my price range...

What would you pay for a brand new Full Frame, M-mount, EVF camera with a form/size factor like an M or a CL, or something like those? I envision a Fuji XE-1 with M mount and FF.

Perhaps the RF(RF-like) market overall is just too small? Should we focus on our phones?
 
I have trouble seeing how it would be M-mount. As a business, Leica needs to move away from the rangefinder/M-mount game; the cameras and lenses are too expensive to continue being relevant in the camera world. They could be the Maserati of the photography world, and only sell a few hundred cameras and lenses each year, or they can embrace new technology and press on. Nobody is buying Leica stuff new anymore--at least, not enough to sustain them as a company.

This camera will be AF, with a new mount and a line of new lenses I'd guess. I hope they surprise me, and make the digital CL/digital Zeiss Ikon we've all been lusting after for years, but I don't see it happening. How many of us would pony up for what it would cost anyway? People want AF these days. I hate to say it but as a business model, the traditional M is dead.
 
...As a business, Leica needs to move away from the rangefinder/M-mount game; the cameras and lenses are too expensive to continue being relevant in the camera world. ... Nobody is buying Leica stuff new anymore--at least, not enough to sustain them as a company.
...

After being on the brink of collapse about 8-10 years ago because they missed the digital boat, they are doing seemingly well in their M-niche.
They have less than 2% of the share that e.g. Nikon has but obviously enough people are buying their new M cameras (ME/M9 , MM and M240) that there are waiting lists.
Actually the MM was my very first Leica item that I bought new.
The enthusiasm of the RFF users is running quite high using these cameras despite all the critique what these old fashioned camera's can't do and don't have compared to the 3 page long standard feature list of every $199 P&S.
There is no point for Leica to even try compete in an area where the big ones are playing (Canon, Sony, Nikon).
I guess they do have a decent market share in digital FF RF's 😀.
 
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