The new Leica Mini M has Leaked..or has it?

May 28, 2013 First Looks, Leica, News, rumors 135

Leica-X-zoom-lens

SAY IT ISNT SO!

The all new Leica “Mini M” has apparently been leaked and it seems to look like an X2 with a zoom lens attached…a slow zoom lens. Say it isn’t so Leica. Supposedly coming it an $3000 US this will be a camera more expensive than the X2 with a slower zoom lens attached.

NOTE: I just arrived to Disnelyand for a 3 day mini vacation with my Fiancée and saw the news once I arrived to my room. To say I am disappointed in this lackluster release is an understatement.

No EVF, 16MP APS-C sensor, Slow f/3.5 zoom lens, X2 (but slightly larger) body and $3000 US. Really? Can this be real? Maybe it is something to throw us off..to lower our expectations..no idea. Maybe that zoom lens is just that, a LENS. Maybe it is an IC camera and there will be new lenses for it? THAT would be much better than a fixed slow zoom camera. If this was an IC camera we could mount M glass on it. If it is a fixed lens, it is destined to be a failure.

In fact, I am going to go with that dream..that it is an interchangeable lens camera and the image is showing a new zoom lens MOUNTED. Hmmmm. HAS TO BE! Right? I also see the video button like the 240 has so this will have video…but…if it is a fixed lens I just do not see a reason to buy.

The X2 is a SLOW seller and has been sitting on dealer shelves since its release, and the X2 has a 2.8 lens coming it at $2000. Until this camera is officially released and announced by Leica I am having a hard time swallowing this one.

For $3000 there are many other cameras I would invest in so hopefully this is not correct news. If it is, I feel Leica made a blunder as only the true Leica die hards will plunk down $3k for a camera with these specs.

I guess we shall officially see in June what the real story is.

More to come as I find out news…

Steve

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135 Comments

  1. OK, now the image of the box is more open and only those completely blind can’t see that the supposedly leaked image was FAKE. Leica is promising a sensor larger that usual for that small camera size, what can it be? FF or 1.33 crop? or simply APS-C? I don’t think so.

  2. Words like “fantasy”, “delusional”, “arrogance” and “ignorance” come to mind when I think that Leica
    marketing executives would consider a $3000 mediocre spec point and shoot camera. At $800 the
    camera would be interesting, maybe even double that “because it’s a Leica”, but at $3000, it’s a joke.
    The Fuji X20, Canon G1X, the Nikon something or other and probably even Sony has a competitive
    alternative in the $600-800 price range. How would you like to be a dealer and HAVE to buy this
    no-seller to keep on display. Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!

  4. ‘HEARD THE RUMORS? …GET THE TRUTH’. Obviously, they’re not the same.

    • I appreciate your post that includes the link to the Digilux 4, truly a Dream camera. I mean really, what could be better?

      I still have my Digilu 2. Truth be told I have never taken a picture with it that would have been better had I used a Leica or other camera. Surely it is slow to start up, auto focus could be faster, the RAW buffer improved. But it is a wonderful photographic instrument. A great creative tool designed and built for the purpose of painting with light.

      Sigh…

  6. if that is a new body? one with a pancake and one with a zoom doesn’t that suggest an interchangeable lens ???????

  7. To be honest I’d love to have a go with any Leica – never been in a position to afford one and I like photography and especially dig the quality of the Leica brand.

  9. To the more important things: Congratulations to you to become married soon.
    I enjoy your site a lot, keep up the excellent work.
    Cheers,
    Michael

  10. The Leica Facebook page now features a new teaser with the text “HEARD THE RUMORS? GET THE TRUTH: LEICA STORES – JUNE 11TH.” (https://www.facebook.com/LeicaCamera)

    To me it’s pretty obvious now that this X2 with a zoom lens is a fake. Otherwise they would have just denied it or said nothing at all about it, since usually these companies don’t respond to rumors. Also, this slogan is rather light-hearted – in light of the unanimous negative feedback on the X2 with zoom, their phrasing would probably have been more careful than “la la la we’ll see eventually”.

  11. Should that not be called a maxi X instead of a mini M? Mini M for me indicates the option to use M lenses…maybe a 16mp m4/3 w/ live view and M mount ::)) like an Oly OM-D, just three times the price…

  12. If you compare the leaked pic with the “unfolding box” on the Leica website; I would say it certainly looks like there is NO lens attatched to the one coming out of the box… Which would mean it is in fact IC…

  13. It is clearly an obvious fake and not very well done. As anyone can see, on the top of the lens you can clearly see zoom indications for 50 and 70mm. Yet on the front of the lens it says 16 (maybe 18?)-46. The lettering around the lens also does not look to follow the curve of the lens fluently, it looks a bit angled.

    Why would you put zoom indications of 50 and 70mm on a lens that on the front says 16-46? Besides, 46mm on a 1.5 crop sensor is 69mm, not 70mm.

  14. Actually, a fixed slow zoom lens on a x2 body seems all too consistent and probable.

  16. Not possibly true. Why would Leica have a zoom lens with a focal length almost identical to the Fuji Zoom (18-55 on 1.5x cropped sensor) yet have a smaller aperture throughout the range? Very un-Leica-like, if I do say.

    Better be a hoax.

  17. A fake most likely , not even Leica could be this stupid, or could they? They have a habit of releasing sub standard models when not one of the premium range so……

  18. Since we got pretty much every detail last year before the MM’s release, I tend to believe this is true – sadly. If this thing doesn’t have an interchangeable lens mount, it is surely the most non-sense camera of the year.

    • It is disappointing, but probably real. People seem to latch onto anything they think is suspicious in a photo as if it were obvious proof of a fake.

  19. Even though it doesnt look interesting for me – maybe it is just the right camera for people who like to take good quality images (in good light).
    <<not for me, but I am also not mad on Leica. As long as they do not give up the "real" M-line they can offer as many models as they want and I dont care if they also do call them mini-M or whatever.
    Eventhough I believe they risk to destroy the brand/logo/image of a Leica "M"-which they have "built" over many many years.

  20. if this is real it’s worse than the Hasselblad lunar.
    Seriously, WTF is wrong with all these companies. Too many cameras with too many crappy specs.

  21. Do any of you think that your loyalty and opinions have been respected? YOU are the customers, past and present anteing up premium, premium cash, and if this is a real camera how well has Leica listened, other than to get the message they can do no wrong?
    Reduce, recycle, reuse: nobody does you better. It surely is a fake – not the image, the company…

  22. f 6.4 at 46 mm (70mm equiv. focal length). Unbelievable. Does anybody know of a cheap kit lens this slow? The Fuji 18-55mm is about 2 1/2 stops faster and the Panasonic 12-35mm about 3 stops. So when the Fuji or mft guy shoot at a comfortable iso 400, the Leica is already at a desperate iso 3200. The sensor in the new “M” mini seems to be the same Sony sensor as they use for the X2, not quite a high iso champ.

  24. Leica couldn’t be so stupid as to release a camera with these specs in today’s market. Please?

  25. Just posted by mirrorlessrumours: “Short update on the Leica Mini M rumor. I got feedback from trusted sources and they confirmed that the image and specs I posted yesterday are correct. One more thing: Quite many people argued that the Leica Mini M image must be fake because of the 28-70mm FF equivalent marks on the lens while the front of the lens says “18-46mm”. I just want to remind you that actually this confirms that the image is real Because the past Leica Digilux series had exactly that kind of “double” markings. See the images of the Digitlux 2 at Amazon (Click here). The camera has a 7 – 22.5 mm lens (marked on the front of the lens) and a zoom ring with the 28 – 90 mm equivalent mark. To make it easy for you I show you the image here: So have peace. That’s the camera Leica will announce on June 11! It is going to challenge the Hasselblad Lunar in the category “most non-sense camera of the year” …

  26. I think Leica should split up the M line. For the purist photographer they should make a very basic rangefinder with only a small LCD for menu settings, no video or sound, no connectors but with the 24 Mp sensor that has iso 6400 and the better battery. A Monochrom version of that camera would be nice to.
    The second line should be a big color LCD Liveview model without rangefinder. It should have a seperate EVF, videcapability with clean 4:2:2 HDMI out, mic in, headphone out and many menusettings for video.
    That body would be very popular in the filmworld, as it would be perfect to build into a “pro” filmcamera with 3rd party accescoires.
    With these two versions of the M-mount Leica would serve both the traditionalist photographer as well as the high-end buyer who wants it all but isn’t comfortable with a rangefinder. And as a bonus they get a share of the HD filmmarket. Leica also makes a line of Summilux/cron cinemalenses that could fit onto that Liveview body!

  28. This has to be a fake. I’m no expert but look at the chrome ring where the lens mounts to the camera, it looks like the camera body around the chrome ring has been dodged on my monitor, most likely as part of the process to graft the lens to the body for the mock up.

  29. I think someone had a good time with Photoshop. The body looks exactly like the X2, only difference is the topside that has a thicker section just like the M9.
    So why would Leica call it Mini-M and not X-Zoom? With that Panasonic style lens it can’t have the M mount, right?

  30. I must say that Leica has totally missed the bar set by other camera makers. I thought Leica would come out with something that would bring their fans back to the fold even if they had to pay a higher price for it (not me, of course). Slow lens, external EVF, CMOS sensor probably Bayer configuration, etc., make my decision to head down the Fuji X-System roadmap look good. The Fuji X-E1 comes with integral EVF and a 18-55 zoom that gets rave reviews for half the price of this possible Leica.

  31. Interesting… the first leica lens with the lettering written facing up. Even on fixed lenses of the Panasonic cameras it´s not written like this but in rotation… nice try 😉

    • Digilux 2, 50 Summicron AA, Leica C series, etc., all have lettering like this. It doesn’t mean this is fake.

  35. Sorry to say but this is the new leica you see in this picture. I live near solms an have informations from somebody who is working there. I know this for two month now. This is not the camera we will buy but some will do. I hoped for 28 – 90 Vario Summiron with EVF but ..

  36. To me it’s 100% clear that this is a fake. From the whole advertising campaign it’s obvious Leica comes out with something positioned in between the X2 and the M. What is presented here is basically just an X2 version with zoom lens, so it’s more like an X2b. The photoshopper took the X2 body and mounted a fake lens on it.

    The Leica CEO Schopf made it clear in a previous interview that compact cameras have to come with compact lenses and the zoom in the photo is way too big for an f 6.4 zoom. If the Mini M comes with a zoom we can expect something like the famous tri-elmar 35-50-75 f4.0.

    Leica product management sometimes takes strange decisions but they are not stupid. They know very well the new camera must have something special to sell well at the high price point. The red dot alone won’t do it. This fake announcement has nothing at all to offer, so it’s just that: a fake.

  37. I’m going with Fake too on this one – hopefully!

    To me the text on the lens looks wrong and I may be wrong but I think it should be the other way round as it is on the X2. Don’t remember seeing lens text that orientation before. May hang onto my M8 and Digilux 2 a while longer.

  39. The idea of a none full frame and none m-mount Mini M is not surprising since I knew they wouldn’t want anything close to the M. The surprising bit is the appearance of the thing which is ugly and huge. Yet, I recall in an interview that Leica is a bit changing as they have found a growing Asian market.
    If this is real, I think they’re making a huge mistake since this looks like an entry level DSLR.

  40. ” Leica is unable to correctly intuit the market, which doesn’t bode well for their future, IMHO.”

    What market? If you mean the general market, Leica doesn’t care. Their product belongs to a niche that is, and always will be, alive and well. If you mean the “Leica aficionados” market, well, another camera that will or will not sell well. Leica surely will not lost sleep over it.

  42. I hope it’s a fake, but suspect Leica would make just this kind of boneheaded move. Some of their products work, but most seem designed without any concern about competitors, because they don’t think they have any. You can buy a Nikon V1 for $300. No, it’s not a Leica, it’s a Nikon, with a viewfinder and fast autofocus and very nice build quality. For ten times as much this needs to be very special, not an unloved X2 with a zoom. People don’t buy cameras like the X2 or this just to be practical. They want something special, and this seems very ordinary.

  44. I considered 4 possibilities:
    1. Fixed lens APS-C camera with the leaked specs. This is dead on arrival as the lens is too slow for anyone to consider. I am sure everyone in Leica can see this.
    2. An APS-C interchangeable lens camera. From Leica it makes sense only if it has an M-Mount. Then the problem is people are going to mount this lens on the other M cameras. If it is not a full-frame lens it is going to have problems. Leica is not going to invent another APS-C mount now. So, I guess, this option is not viable.
    3. Full-frame interchangeable lens camera without a rangefinder? Possible. This would be the first autofocus full-frame lens (if it is autofocus) from Leica. That would be a big announcement, not a mini M. I guess this is not true.
    4. My money is that it is an interchangeable lens m43 camera. Could mirror the GX2 from Panasonic. Then a slow lens is acceptable.

    I have always wanted Panasonic & Leica to update the LC1, which I still own. I wish they upgraded the concept with a m43 sensor.

    Mo

  46. Even if it weren’t a fake, I think it’s a pretty sound idea. A small camera with a superb zoom lens and an excellent sensor is actually remarkably useful. Even so-called “slow” lenses aren’t the drawback they used to be. I read very similar complaints when the Canon G1X came out but surprised myself by buying one, after considering everything else on the market with the specs I wanted. Those specs? Small body, great sensor, sharp zoom lens, viewfinder. A year later, I just laugh at the ignorance behind the put-downs. The G1X performs fantastically in the real world.

    If this Leica has an APS sensor, slow lens and no viewfinder, yup, it’s a missed opportunity but it still could be a great camera. Then again, a body that size with a lens that slow could well have a bigger sensor! Let’s wait and see.

    Just one thing – Manufacturers: STOP MAKING EXPENSIVE CAMERAS WITH NO VIEWFINDER!! Grr.

  48. There is photo manipulation visible. On (1) top of the popup flash, then (2) on the left towards the mike hole, then (3) next to flash mount and above the assist light, there are rather big areas of totally flat and uniform colour, no variation, like someone’s been smudging/erasing the ‘evidence’ with pure colour.

    In addition, when you move curves of the image up into highlights, it is easier to see if the photo was composed out of different images. It is visible that someone’s erased something from the bottom right of the image by overlying a dark rectangle there.

    I mean, even if it’s a real shot, it’s been messed around with and then over compressed in JPEG.

  50. The test on the front of that lens in the picture is the wrong way up. I say its a fake mock up.

  51. Wonder if it’s made by Panasonic? I really cant fathom the logic behind these top end compacts,ie, leica x1/x2, coolpix a, Ricoh v, they’re all missing built in viewfinders, probable to force you to buy one, but the only option is those hideous, electronic add-on ones, they also set you back a small fortune. They need to take a leaf out of Fuji’s book and give the consumer what they want.

    • Yes, the only camera I want now is the Fuji X100S. Sony’s RX1 is brilliant but with no built-in viewfinder, it’s a no-go. What I want in the next couple of years is a full-frame Fuji X100S but with interchangeable Zeiss lens’. Sony? Leica? Fuji? Anyone?

      • You may get your wish in the form of a future X-Pro body. Touit lenses are already on the way in X-Mount from Zeiss.

        I have a feeling that when Fuji’s X-Pro 2 arrives it’s gonna eat almost everyone’s lunch.

        • I am confident in Fuji’s prowess with camera design. Do I think Fuji can produce interchangeable lens’ on the level of Zeiss and Leica? No. Oh, believe me, I hope you are correct, Robert. I want Fuji to eat everyone’s lunch. It is almost there but not quite. We need this site and Steve to continue to apply the pressure.

          • Fuji doesn’t need to make Zeiss-quality lenses. Zeiss is already making those. They need to make very good lenses that are at least halfway affordable. They want X-Mount to sell in volume, they have to sell lenses priced appropriately for the cheaper bodies, too.

          • “Do I think Fuji can produce interchangeable lens’ on the level of Zeiss and Leica? No.”

            Certainly they can. Most of Zeiss’ lenses these days (aside from the Cinema Series) are made by Cosina in Japan. Fuji has produced glass over the years that frequently trumps Cosina’s efforts.

            For example, Fuji has made glass for Hasselblad, and in fact, built the Hasselblad X-Pan camera.

            They also built the Hasselblad H2 medium format camera and the lenses for it.

            Fuji’s optical prowess is highly regarded.

  52. A fixed F2.8 short zoom on a full frame, that would sell. A slow F3.5(to F5.6) short zoom APC. AF or not will not sell. Now a short zoom F2.0 on a APC, fixed may sell.
    If it has a M mount, Full frame or APC will sell, with a zoom that has AF, with interchagable mount-M. Sell great. Other wise it is Fuji or Sony.

  53. Hey folks, the original creator of the “leaked” image stated it was a best-guess construction based on what he could see from the open-box image on the web site. So good on you for all those who decried the image as a fake. It’s supposed to be.There is probably no need for everyone to give themselves a self-applied wedgie over this. We still don’t know what the actual camera will be like. Frankly, on a site that prides itself on real world camera reviews, I’m surprised that there is all this foo foo over a non-real world camera. How about we all just take pictures with our real world cameras and wait to see what Leica has in store for us.

  55. I think Fuji has Leica’s lower-end cameras beat, hands down. The Sony RX1 is biting on the M’s heels and I hope Fuji will jump into the game and put Leica on notice too. No built-in viewfinder? C’mon Leica. You can do better than this.

    • … Oh, and I need to add; because of Steve Huff, not only are camera manufacturers forming an assault on Leica but on full-range DSLR’s as well. There may be a day when these large body DSLR’s will go the way of covered wagons.

      • For you and other amateurs maybe, for pros, not a chance.Large body DSLRs will remain because they are made to withstand the elements, abuse, and will accept a large range of lenses.They will also be costly as hell, but thats why you buy the best you can,because it will WORK.

  56. The only thing I can possibly see being the case here, is that they figured out how to get the 240 sensor, onto a fixed body… a la RX1…wishful thinking?

  57. Sad to say, if it is a fake, it’s an impressive job. Note the bumpers above the strap lugs, that are carefully positioned in just the right places (compare them to the X2’s, which are not in the same place). It’s hard to believe that a scammer would go to that level of detail in creating a fake image. The slight changes in the profile of the top of the camera also argue for a subtle attempt to make the camera look like an M, which looks like a plausible marketing move consistent with the concept shown. I agree with earlier comments about the f-stop range, though; why would Leica put such a slow lens on this camera when physical constraints allow a faster one? I do hope it’s a fake, but only time will tell.

    Whether or not this is a fake, the saddest thing about all of this is the idiotic ad campaign that Leica has saddled themselves with. Who ever heard of anything as banal as “Nano-M, Micro-M, Mini-M, and M”? The only “M” cameras are those that take Leica interchangeable M-mount lenses. To steal the “M” label and put it on the other cameras will only dilute the appeal of the real M. They need to hire a new marketing team that won’t prostitute the value of the M’s history and appeal. This latest gaff simply makes the company look foolish.

    I’m not in the income bracket that can afford a Leica, but I have not disrespect or contempt for those who are, and who own the M. I also see nothing wrong with pride of ownership. If I did own an M, and this camera is real, I’d be a bit miffed.

  58. This image just doesn’t look correct. I don’t know if it’s fake or what but notice the lens doesn’t have the serial number on the front, as many Leica lenses do. Also, if you take a look at Panasonic’s web site, this lens looks much more like a Panasonic 4/3 lens than an actual Leica lens. Finally, f6+ for only 70mm (or even 90mm) at the tele end? That spec alone renders this alleged camera DOA.

  60. I fucked a Leica and the camera died haaa

    (maybe 11 inches is too much haaa)

  61. Two final thoughts on this:
    1) People hoping this is interchangeable lens camera, and this lens is separate… Why on earth would anyone make this lens in this day and age, other than on a compact camera?
    2)The reason I think this is a PhotoShop is the exposure compensation dial on the top. That’s off a Fuji, surely this is a m, x, digilux, Fuji hybrid.

    I hope…

  62. I think -or hope hardly- that it’s an interchangeable lens camera. When the black box opened, we could “see” that no lens was attached on the body. Otherwise it’ll be such a disappointment…

  63. Hey,

    so looks a bit strange to me. The lettering is mentioned. There is also a scale on the front of the lens: 16-46 but on top of the lens it goes to 70. Isn’t that a bit strange?

    If this is real, they also have made new buttons on the top of the camera, instead of reusing the ones from the X2. They are not the dials from the M either, as there is an off-center screw like on the X2.

    I don’t know if it is real or fake, but if it is real, could still be IC camera from what I see….

  64. Didn’t the Digulux 2 have writing just at the bottom of the lens? This is like a slow digilux 2…

  65. I think it’s a fake too. The letters around the lens look the wrong way round, I thought leica did there lettering in rotation as on the x2 next to it.

    • Agreed, this is the stand way Panasonic lay out the lettering, dont Leica put the serial number on the lens

    • Digilux 2, 50 Summicron AA, Leica C series, etc., all have lettering like this. It doesn’t mean this is fake.

  66. Is it just Panasonic GX1 that got LECIA overhaul? Would be a big disappointment in that case.

  67. Im fascinated with this more than any other “leak” ever. I can imagine this being true, and bet it will sell, at least as well as X2, which has not set the world on fire. I hope its fake though. Leica started a revolution with the X1 but by the time it hit the shelves the big electronic companies had caught up and are now leap years ahead. Maybe leica just realise they dont have the financial clout to stay ahead of the game and are making a satisfactory profit with inferior technology,with inflated price tags but with the illusive red on it.

    Is it wrong that on some level I actually want one of these 🙂

  68. If it’s a fixed lens camera, then it might be an X2 killer.
    If it’s an IC camera with FF sensor then it’s an M killer.
    If it’s an IC camera and has APS-C sensor then it might be a suicide camera.
    We will see what it is when Leica reveal the spec.

  69. The metal between lens and body looks a bit like a mount. The dot on the barrel is also a little bit like a mount alignment assist. Also, the lens release could be on the other side of the lens?

    Im all for bashing Leica for this if its true, but its almost too bad to be true.

  70. It’s a fake, compare shadows at the lens basement. On X2 there is, on mini M there isn’t….

  71. I believe this is VERY real. Elements like the Stereo Mic on the top plate make it too well conceived and executed to be a photoshop fake.

    A piece of shit, yes. But fake, no.

    The kind of people who buy this won’t even be concerned with the slow lens. Combined with high ISO it will be all they need.

  72. The biggest tell tale sign to me that this may be fake is the f-stop range. I cannot see Leica making a lens this slow, and there is NO need for such a slow variable aperture in the 21st century in a lens with such a modest zoom range.

  74. I can see a market for it, e.g. the growing upper middle class in China, Korea. They need status symbols and conveniences. The f-stop range sounds off.

    • If this rumor is true…I agree with you 100 percent. It’s a product for wealthy people who demand a easy to use, auto-focus, APS-C zoom which has a red Leica dot on it. My guess is that Leica figured out that a lot of prospective customers (who were not avid photographers) avoided the X-1 and X-2 because it did not have a zoom.

      Also I suspect they designed a slow zoom because they wanted the lens to be very small, so that is was not too big when it is on a body roughly the same size as the X-2. I’m I think it might possibly be able to use the attachable Leica EVF? Don’t you think?

      Anyhow IF I wanted a slow zoom on a 16mp APS-C sensor, I would purchase the Ricoh GXR and the 24mm-85mm f/3.5-5.6 lensor package. Sure the Ricoh is probably a bit larger and heavier and has no red dot. But the Ricoh can be had for under $700 for the body and camera! The $3000 price point of the mini M seems like it’s designed to travel in the glove compartment of a Rolls Royce.

  76. 3.5? Ouch. One can only hope that it’s IC and thats the lens it come with but I do not see a lens release which would normally be on the right side. It’s like they made this camera in order to keep the “Vario-Elmar” name alive, unfortunately it’s a whole stop slower wide open then the Digilux 3 version.

  77. f 6.4 at the 70mm equiv. focal length. This can`t be true. Fuji`s excellent 18-55mm f2.8-4 zoom is probably around f 3.5 at this focal length.

  78. I think its a fake, look at the writing around the lens, i thought the base of the letters are always nearest to the glass, as in the X2 behind.

    • And the letters should be upside down, like on the x2 or any leica lens. It is a Fake !

    • Several Leica cameras and lenses, like the Digilux 2, old C series, new 50 Summicron AA, etc., have lettering like this. This isn’t a sign that it is fake.

  79. well… it does have a small white dot on the barrel just before the distance scale starts… this could be a line-me-up dot just like the red dots on the m lenses…
    i think this is either going to be a hit or a bad failure… and i think after leica brought out the m240 and apparently listened to their customers when it comes to features they want (evf, high iso etc etc) a hit is more plausible!
    my guess: a good aps c sensor (probably not as good as the fujis so people can happily bash leica again for being overpriced) with a new lens system… along the road they will throw in a new-mount to m-mount adapter and an evf and there you go… focus peaking aps c sensor with leica m lenses… isn’t that what a lot of people wanted?
    steve… are you taking bets yet? 😉

  80. Utterly unsellable, IMHO.
    Just a question from someone who doesn’t know how this business works: is st possible tha Leica leaked its new camera with specs just to” feel de temperature of the water” before jumping in. I mean, all this disappointment you see on every blog page within minutes of the news, must mean something to them, and maybe they want this feed-back. Or is it too dumb what I’m thinking?

  81. Camera on image demonstrates the dot behind body, usually dots like that define lens position in mount (only interchangeable cameras need then) that’s my note on this image, and thank you Steve for news!

    • Looks like the Minilux mistake being repeated. The fixed, 40mm lens Minilux , despite flaws took excellent picture, and focusing was fast and accurate. Then came the Minilux zoom – dog slow to focus, often got it wrong, slow lens, and despite the high build quality it was a dog!

  82. As I remarked over on Thorsten’s Facebook page, comments around the web are almost universally negative about this alleged camera from Leica. I won’t reiterate them all here — its shortcomings are obvious — but suffice to say I agree with all the gripes, and hope, as a few have suggested, that this early leaked info is actually fake.

    If not, it means that Leica is unable to correctly intuit the market, which doesn’t bode well for their future, IMHO.

    This should have definitely been an M mount camera; something with a built in EVF, manual focus assist & peaking; something more akin to Fuji’s XE-1 that takes interchangeable Leica M lenses.

    And to those who say: but that would eat into M sales, what does that tell you? If I were Leica it would tell me that the traditional M rangefinder is not REALLY what buyers want after all.

    Otherwise, it should not eat into M sales at all.

    Leica needs to enter the 21st century more quickly than they are doing. The 240 is a great camera that deftly blends old and new. What they need now is a bit more of strictly “new” in their interchangeable lens cameras to complement the traditional rangefinder.

      • Sure. It might.

        But if this “X-Zoom” model really is Leica’s latest offering, then given how lackluster it appears to be, I wouldn’t hold out hope for the company being capable of pulling off a truly worthwhile offering anytime soon.

        I think Leica has a very limited R&D budget, particularly when it comes to innovating a product that requires greater electronic/computing sophistication.

  83. No IC camera, Steve. There’s no apparent mount and no lens release button.

    It’s a dud.

    • Yup…same thing I was thinking, no lens release button. I wouldn’t pay $1k for this thing, let alone $3k.

  85. Camera behind looks like the same body with different lens… about the size of the mft 20mm f1.7?

  88. I really hope this is some kind of joke, I can’t belive that’s the Mini M. Maybe I’m just in denial…

    • Right on. I’ve been in the market for an M8 for a few months now. When I saw the announcement for the Mini M, I put the search on hold HOPING that the Mini M would be a bare bones M body for a decent price. Looks like my search for an M8 continues.

      • The M8 was my first digital Leica and i LOVED it. I use the M9-P today and just love that the ergonomics haven’t changed. Once you get hold of your M8, you will be in for a great journey!

    • Well, there are about 100 sources right now as I am late to the game. My source was the 70 emails about it in my inbox, with images.

        • Not yet. Hence “a leak”. Otherwise it would’ve been known as “official announcement”.

      • It’s not a fake and you can even read the name on the top of the camera :

        “LEICA X VARIO”

      • Steve, I think the Leica X Vario exists, that the leaked spec is correct and that the camera will be on sale after the launch on June 11. I did a piece on this yesterday (see below) and now believe the French “guess” is likely to be spot on.

        Reading between the lines, I imagine the Facebook teaser could have caused consternation in Solms because many, including some Leica dealers, would have assumed the Mini M could be just that, a scaled down M-mount camera. It is easy to understand that this could have led to the cancellation of some M240 orders. Just a thought.

        It is pure speculation, but the leak might have dampened expectations and brought back a degree of stability to the M240 order book. Whatever you do, though, don’t rush to order an X Vario on my say so until the announcement is made. I know you want one; such a nice, fast little camera. I am holding on to my credit card until I’ve read your review.

        Mike

        http://macfilos.com/home/2013/5/29/leica-mini-m-a-bad-joke-or-midsummer-madness

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