In the summer of 2006, I had the privilege to be a pre-production tester and reviewer for Leica’s then-new M8. Introduced later that fall, the M8 is thought of by many as the first digital rangefinder camera. But was it really? Not quite.

The first commercially produced digital rangefinder camera was the Epson R-D1, launched a couple of years earlier in March 2004. As it arrived well before Panasonic’s Lumix G1 of 2008, it became the world’s first interchangeable-lens mirrorless digital camera – long before that term was ever used!

[Many in the industry, myself included, don't class the R-D1 as a true mirrorless camera due to its lack of live view or electronic viewfinder. But technically speaking, it is the first! – Ed]

The R-D1 was developed in partnership with Cosina, which modified its well-made and well-respected Voigtländer R-2 Bessa body for the purpose. Epson provided the electronics, while Cosina had the task of fitting it all into the R-2 chassis. Great effort was made by both firms to preserve the film “feel” in the R-D1.

The resulting camera had a Leica M lens mount and a 6.1MP, APS-C sized Sony CCD sensor. This same sensor was used in the 2003 Pentax *ist D. Because CCDs consumed more power than modern CMOS sensors, battery life was noticeably shorter than that of newer digital cameras. But, for the era, it was pretty good.

Photos were stored on SD cards, though the FAT16 file system limited them to 2MB of storage – which works out to roughly 100 RAW and JPEG images or 200 RAW files per card. Later Japan-only versions added SDHC support, which offered higher capacities.

Use of the Leica M mount (long out of patent protection by that point) meant that hundreds of lenses could be used with the R-D1.

However, Leica's Visoflex series of reflex adapters would not fit the Bessa / Epson bodies, so without “live view” (which only arrived years later, the Lumix G1), R-D1, photographers were pretty much limited to the three main focal lengths (28mm, 35mm and 50mm) marked in the finder. For most, this was not a great problem.

The R-D1 mimicked an analog camera a closely as possible, using the rapid wind lever to cock the focal-plane shutter – although there was no film to wind.

And it featured a rather nifty “Seiko watch-inspired” analog indicator on the top plate to show the shots remaining, image quality, white balance and so on. This “inspiration” is not surprising, as the Seiko Epson Corp also makes Seiko watches!

Unlike a film camera, however, the R-D1 had a fold-out 2-inch (diagonal) reversible screen that featured 235,000 dots. Later models increased this to 2.5 inches, though the resolution remained the same.

For those who wanted the classic film experience and preferred not to “chimp”, the display could be reversed and folded inwards to protect the screen. Doing so then revealed a Leica-like ISO reminder dial, but in fact it was a small conversion table between the three focal lengths and their equivalents on the APS-C sensor.

An interesting wrinkle is that the “rewind knob” is the jog dial, for reviewing images. You simply pressed the “monitor” button and rotated the dial to move between the images. To see the information on a particular shot (EXIF data, histogram and such) you pulled it up and rotated it.

In 2006, the R-D1s arrived. Physically unchanged, it had upgraded firmware for RAW + JPEG mode, the ability to shoot in Adobe RGB as well as SRGB, and a few other perks. Owners of the original R-D1 could upgrade to the latest standard. The 12-bit RAW files could be captured at ISO200-1600.​

Production continued until 2014, with some 10,000 cameras produced. The later models, with the 2.5” fixed rear screen, were sold only in Japan.

There is one more interesting wrinkle to the R-D1 story. In November 2021, while Epson was reorganizing its warehouse, it discovered 30 brand-new, in-box R-D1 cameras that had been sitting there for 12 years! (I have seen similar situations with other suppliers, over the years.)

The company refurbished them and then offered them via lottery to verified, Japanese R-D1 owners rather than discarding them.​

The reason for limiting the lottery to previous owners was that the batteries in the “newly discovered” R-D1’s had not withstood the test of time and new ones were no longer available. So the winners needed to be able to use their existing R-D1 battery.

The winners got to purchase an otherwise-new camera for ¥2,000 (about $18 USD). It was an unusual, but wonderful way to end the series!

Read more of David Young's ongoing series on classic cameras, as well as his book A Brief History of Photography.

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Leica has never been a brand that lets an anniversary pass quietly – and for the 20th anniversary of its Ginza store in Tokyo, Japan, it has gone straight for the collector’s heart.

The company has announced a limited-edition Leica M-A Hammertone “Leica Store Ginza 20th Anniversary”, with just 100 units produced to mark two decades since the opening of Leica Ginza in April 2006.

That store was not just another boutique opening. Leica Ginza was the world’s first directly-managed Leica store and, in many ways, helped set the tone for the modern Leica retail experience we know today.

Since then, Leica has grown its direct retail presence to around 120 stores worldwide, blending physical locations, ecommerce and auctions into a model that feels very Leica: premium, controlled and carefully curated.

The camera chosen for this anniversary is the Leica M-A, arguably one of the purest expressions of Leica photography still available today.

Based on the Leica MP, the M-A strips things back even further by removing the light meter entirely, creating a fully mechanical rangefinder that needs no batteries and asks the photographer to rely on experience, instinct and a little bit of faith.

For anyone who still believes photography should be felt as much as measured, the M-A remains one of Leica’s most romantic cameras.

This limited edition model adds a few details that will no doubt make collectors reach for their gloves. The front of the body is engraved with “20 Jahre” to mark the 20th anniversary, while the top cover carries the classic Leica script logo.

But the real talking point is the grey hammertone paint finish, applied to the top cover and base plate, giving the camera a textured, industrial look that feels both vintage and wonderfully serious.

Hammertone finishes have long been associated with precision technical equipment, particularly in Germany, and Leica says that Ernst Leitz Wetzlar used it from the late 1950s on larger products such as microscopes, slide projectors, enlargers and the Leicina Super 8 cine camera.

It was far rarer on Leica cameras themselves, appearing on niche models such as the Leica MD copying camera and the Leica MS prototype for handheld aerial photography – both of which are now highly prized by collectors.

The Leica MA Hammertone “Leica Store Ginza 20th Anniversary” is now available at Leica stores throughout Japan.

Alongside the camera, Leica Gallery Tokyo will also mark the anniversary with Timeless Vision, a 20th anniversary exhibition running from April 26 to July 21.

The show features 35 works by 12 photographers from Japan and abroad, including names such as Elliott Erwitt, Sebastião Salgado, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Bruce Gilden and Marc Riboud.

It is Leica doing what Leica does best: celebrating not just the camera, but the culture, history and mythology that surrounds it.

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The charming Leica M wooden camera is back for pre-order at B&H Photo and this delightful beechwood toy re-sparks the love for photography for just $70 (approximately £50 / AU$100).

Sporting the signature Leica red dot and a removable lens with you take off via a pressable release button, the toy is made to a high standard of craftsmanship and the tan finish looks great.

It also boasts the signature Leica lettering engraved into the lens, which adds that extra touch of collector’s value, as does sth fact that Leica itself produces the toy. Coming in at just 4.5 x 1 x 3 inches, the beechwood Leica M toy camera fits snugly on any desk, and I can see it as an ornament at my editing station.

The Leica M wooden toy camera is modeled after the classic Leica M camera line. This timeless range established itself in 1954 with the 35mm Leica M3, which featured a single-window viewfinder and the legendary Leica rangefinder system for focussing.

Since then, the series has evolved constantly innovating on itself. In the latter half of the past century, the Leica M5 introduced Through-the-lens (TTL) metering and the compact M6 saw light metering integrated into the classic M design.

The 2000s brought the shift to digital with the release of the Leica M8 followed by the M9 which was the first full frame digital rangefinder camera.

And the following decade ushered in the modern digital era of Leica cameras, and the M (Typ 240) became the first Leica camera with a CMOS sensor. Later M models such as the M10 and M11 series refined the lineup’s capabilities with higher resolution and electronic viewfinders.

Coming back to the wooden Leica M toy camera, it obviously isn’t the next generation of Leica M models, but it keeps the nostalgic allure of these cameras alive.

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There’s something quietly rebellious about selling a 14-year-old Leica… only to replace it with another 14-year-old Leica. In a world obsessed with spec sheets, stacked sensors, and firmware updates that promise to change your life, I found myself doubling down on something far simpler. I swapped my beloved Leica M-E Typ 220 for the Leica M240. On paper, it sounds like a lateral move. In reality, it feels like I’ve finally found my perfect digital M.

My Leica M-E Typ 220 was, and still is, a beautiful camera. That 18-megapixel full-frame CCD sensor has a rendering that borders on mythical. The colors have a Kodachrome-like warmth that feels almost filmic straight out of the camera.

Reds glow. Blues deepen. Skin tones feel alive. It never chased dynamic range charts or high ISO bragging rights. Instead, it gave you character - that unmistakable CCD bite that made every frame feel intentional. Shooting it felt like loading a roll of slide film and trusting your instincts.

But as much as I adored the M-E, I started craving just a little more flexibility. Not more megapixels for the sake of it. Not more frames per second. Just more usability without sacrificing soul. Enter the Leica M240.

The Leica M240 keeps everything I love about the digital M formula and gently nudges it into the modern era. Its 24-megapixel CMOS sensor is, to my eye, the sweet spot. It gives you just enough resolution to crop with confidence, print large, and retain beautiful detail - without tipping into the clinical hyper-clarity of today’s 40- and 60-megapixel monsters. Files are robust but forgiving. They have depth. They breathe. And unlike the CCD, the CMOS sensor gives me better high-ISO performance when the light drops, and I refuse to.

What truly changed everything for me, though, was one feature I once dismissed entirely: Live View. For years, I was a purist. Rangefinder patch, frame lines, done. The idea of using an EVF on a Leica felt like betrayal. I even kept my distance from the dedicated Leica EVF systems in the past. But with the M240, Live View isn’t a gimmick — it’s a quiet revolution.

Live View means I can mount my glorious 1960s Nikon 50mm f/2 Non-AI lens, a piece of glass that is, frankly, a chef’s kiss, and critically focus with precision. It means my Leica 135mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M becomes not just usable, but enjoyable.

With the EVF attached via the hot shoe, I have the best of both worlds: the purity of the optical rangefinder with its bright frame lines, and the clinical accuracy of magnified focusing when I need it. It’s no longer either/or. It’s a choice.

And here’s the thing: the M240 feels right in the hand. Its design is, to me, flawless. Slightly thicker than earlier Ms, yes, but reassuringly solid. The shutter sound has that muted Leica thud. The brass top plate wears in beautifully. And the battery? It lasts a lifetime between charges. In a world where mirrorless cameras seem to chew through batteries before lunchtime, the M240 just keeps going. Day after day. Shoot after shoot.

There’s a strange irony in declaring a 14-year-old digital camera “perfect” in 2026. But perfection isn’t about being the newest. It’s about being enough. The M240 gives me 24 megapixels - the sweet spot. It gives me CMOS flexibility without losing Leica character.

It gives me Live View and EVF adaptability without taking away the magic of the rangefinder. It lets me shoot vintage Nikon glass one moment and classic Leica M lenses the next.

So yes, I replaced my 14-year-old Leica with another 14-year-old Leica. And I’ve never been happier. In a time where cameras are becoming ever more complex, the Leica M240 reminds me that photography is about feel, intuition, and connection. For my needs, it isn’t outdated. It isn’t compromised. It’s perfect.

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Few collaborations in modern photographic history feel as culturally significant as the moment that legendary Apple mastermind, Jony Ive, teamed up with fellow industrial designer Marc Newson to turn their attention to designing a Leica rangefinder camera.

In one of the latest releases from the Leica archive seen on TikTok, we’re given a rare glimpse at the prototype of the Leica M (Red): a camera designed not merely as an object of desire but as a philanthropic statement.

Created to support (Red) – the foundation established to combat AIDS in Africa – the camera represents a convergence of design, heritage and humanitarian purpose. It is a reminder that photography, at its best, does not just document the world, but can actively help change it.

You can view this camera in all its glory below:

What strikes me most watching the archival footage is how unmistakably "Ive" the camera feels.

The crisp white and off-grey two-tone colorway is both clinical and warm, futuristic, yet reverent. The hard industrial edges of the Leica M240 platform have been softened and rounded, transforming the familiar geometry of a rangefinder into something that feels sculpted rather than assembled.

It is still unmistakably a Leica, but it carries the visual language of Apple’s golden era – smooth transitions, uninterrupted surfaces and a design ethos built around restraint.

The top plate tells the real story. The shutter dial and shutter release are inset cleanly into the body, sitting flush within the surface as if carved from a single block. There is no traditional Leica engraving on the left-hand side, no overt branding to distract from the purity of the form.

This absence feels intentional, almost defiant. Ive understood something that many designers miss: true luxury does not need to announce itself; the silence of the branding speaks louder than any red dot ever could.

Yet, for all its aesthetic purity, this was never simply about design. When the Leica M (Red) went under the hammer in 2013, it achieved a staggering $1.8 million at auction. That figure alone elevates it beyond collectible status and into cultural artifact territory.

It became one of the most valuable cameras ever sold – not because of megapixels or specifications, but because of what it represented. Design leveraged for good. Heritage aligned with humanity.

For me, this prototype footage reinforces something I’ve long believed about Leica: when it dares to collaborate beyond photography’s traditional boundaries, magic happens.

The Leica M (Red) was not about incremental innovation or spec-sheet superiority. It was about reimagining a classic tool through the lens of one of the world’s most influential designers, and channeling that creativity toward a cause that matters.

In an era obsessed with upgrades and iteration, it stands as proof that sometimes the most powerful cameras are the ones built with purpose.

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Less than one year after its release, the Leica M11-P Safari now appears to be discontinued, according to the B&H Photo website.

Launched in May 2025, the special edition of the Leica M11-P Safari is the latest of the German company's self-proclaimed "coveted" Safari Edition cameras known for their distinct olive-green color.

Leica has launched Safari editions of existing models since the 1970s, gearing them towards collectors and enthusiasts who value “exclusivity, aesthetics and style”.

It’s not clear where B&H Photo got the information from, as Leica has made no official announcement about discontinuing the olive-green version of the M11-P, and the camera only appears as "unavailable” on the Leica website. Rival New York retailer Adorama, has the M-11P Safari marked as "Closeout" but is still available to buy.

However, previous Leica Safari editions, such as the M10-P, released in 2019, and the M-P (Typ 240), released in 2015, have had limited production runs of typically up to 2,000 units, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the latest Safari edition has now completely sold out in some places.

The M11-P Safari boasts some mean features, making it much more than just another pretty collector’s edition. The standout spec is the 60MP backlit CMOS sensor, which, in terms of resolution, is up there with the highest-resolution cameras out there.

The M11-P Safari has solid build quality and ergonomics too. The matte olive top plate is made of solid brass and coated in a tough, durable paint finish. And the matching leatherette body covering offers superb grip.

But, the real draw is the rangefinder design, typical of Leica M series cameras in general, not just Safari editions.

This mechanism is a hit with retro photographers who appreciate the old school way of focusing by aligning a ‘ghost’ image with the scene in the viewfinder. Leica has made this style of camera its own, and takes most of the spots on our list of the best rangefinder cameras.

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In a move that quietly reinforces its reputation for long-term commitment, Leica has rolled out a new firmware update that reaches nearly a decade into its digital M back catalog. The update allows cameras as far back as the Leica M10, first released in 2017, to fully support the newly announced Noctilux-M 35mm f/1.2 ASPH., ensuring seamless compatibility across generations.

At the heart of the update is automatic lens recognition via Leica’s six-bit lens mount coding. Once installed, the firmware enables supported M bodies to instantly identify the new Noctilux when mounted, applying the correct lens profile without any manual input. This means accurate EXIF data, optimized image corrections, and the same plug-and-play experience users expect from Leica’s latest cameras.

What makes this notable is just how broad the support is. From the original M10 through subsequent iterations and right up to the recently released M11-D, Leica is effectively collapsing the generational gap. Owners of nine-year-old digital Ms can mount Leica’s newest, most ambitious lens and shoot with full system integration, something rarely seen in the digital camera world.

The Noctilux-M 35mm f/1.2 ASPH. itself represents a significant optical statement, blending extreme speed with a classic focal length favored by reportage and street photographers. By ensuring that older bodies recognize the lens automatically, Leica avoids turning this flagship optic into an exclusive perk for only the newest hardware, keeping the M system feeling unified rather than fragmented.

This approach also underlines a broader philosophy that has long set Leica apart. While many manufacturers draw hard lines between product generations, Leica continues to treat its M system as a living ecosystem. Firmware updates like this extend the useful life of existing cameras and reward long-term users who have invested in the system over many years.

For M photographers, the message is clear. Buying into Leica is not just about today’s camera or lens, but about confidence that tomorrow’s releases won’t leave yesterday’s tools behind. In an era of rapid product cycles, Leica updating cameras from 2017 to support a brand-new Noctilux lens feels less like nostalgia and more like a deliberate, modern statement of intent.

In a German language podcast, a Leica shareholder and chairman dropped a bombshell that has sparked a frenzy of internet speculation: Leica is developing its own camera sensor.

The insight comes from a podcast interview between Leica Chairman of the Supervisory Board and shareholder Dr. Andreas Kaufmann and podcaster Michel Birnbacher. In the interview, Kaufmann revealed that around the same time the Leica M11 transitioned to using Sony-made sensors, Leica “started developing our own sensor again, in a more advanced version.”

The German language podcast translated by Google Translate leaves some room for error – for example, some have incorrectly described Kaufmann as the Leica CEO. But, the interview seems to confirm that the German camera brand is developing its own sensor, adding fuel to the Leica M12 rumors.

The internet has had a mixed reaction to the report. Some celebrate the news, as Leica developing its own sensor could indicate some unique upcoming camera features. Others wonder why Leica would go to the expense, when Sony’s sensors are so widely used across multiple brands.

Personally, the first thing I thought of when I spotted the interview was color science. I’m drawn to cameras that require the least amount of color tweaking in post production, and I think Leica’s current monochrome color profiles are *chef’s kiss.*

The news of the in-house sensor development, coupled with brands like Nikon and Panasonic seeming to put even more emphasis on colors, has me wondering: Is color science going to be the next megapixel race?

For several years, camera brands have focused on edging out the competition in resolution. Now, pro cameras with 50+ and even 100+ MP are becoming more common. At some point, the megapixel race will need to slow because our screens and our hard drives can’t take much more, at least not until those, too, continue to develop. (And, we can thank AI for increasing the cost of digital storage for all those high-resolution files).

The megapixel race was already bound to slow down – and I suspect the next big tech push will be for color. From Nikon’s latest push for Imaging Recipes to Panasonic’s in-camera LUTs, color seems to be jumping up the list of headline-making features for new camera launches. And, of course, there’s Fujifilm’s recent success to point to as well.

Color science is part image processing algorithms, part sensor technology. A brand’s color science inside the image processing algorithm can make photos from the same Sony-made sensor look quite different. After all, when I get a Leica camera in to review, one of my favorite things to play with is the different color profiles, and Leica’s house-made sensor isn’t even here yet.

But the sensor plays a role in color processing as well. The arrangement of the tiny red, green, and blue filters that allow the sensor to see in color plays a key role. Filters placed over a sensor, like the infrared cut sensor, also play a role in color production. But, it’s possible for a brand to use a sensor made by another company and customize it with its own color filter array and sensor filters.

Still, processing plays a key role in color science as well, which is why brands that still use Sony’s sensors still have noticeable differences in color science.

The Leica M11 already uses a sensor that can record in 60, 36, or 18MP. That’s done without cropping the full-frame sensor by combining pixels for lower resolutions in order to decrease high ISO noise or reduce file sizes. The news of an in-house sensor has me immensely curious to see what Leica has in store for the rumored M12.

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In 2025, Leica Camera AG navigated one of the most eventful years in its recent history, rolling out products that both honored its century-old heritage and quietly nudged the brand into new territory.

Rather than chasing headline-grabbing revolutions, Leica focused on measured evolution, refining its core systems while responding to how photographers actually work in 2025.

It was a year defined by confidence, where Leica showed that it was willing to make bold decisions without abandoning the values that have kept the red dot relevant for generations.

One of the most talked-about announcements came with the launch of the Leica M EV1, a camera that will likely be remembered as a genuine turning point for the brand. For the first time in M-series history, Leica released an M camera without a traditional optical rangefinder, replacing it entirely with a built-in electronic viewfinder.

This wasn’t a half-step or optional accessory, but a clear statement of intent, acknowledging that many modern photographers value precision, focus aids and real-time exposure feedback over the romantic ritual of rangefinder focusing.

Unsurprisingly, the M EV1 sparked intense debate within the Leica community. For some, the removal of the rangefinder felt like sacrilege; an erosion of what makes an M camera an M camera.

For others, it was a liberating move that opened the door to using M lenses in a more flexible, accessible way, particularly for close-focus work, longer focal lengths and challenging lighting conditions. Leica, characteristically, didn’t frame the EV1 as a replacement for the classic M, but as an alternative path within the system.

Alongside this pivotal release, Leica continued to strengthen its digital lineup with the introduction of the Q3 Monochrom. Building on the already impressive Q3 platform, the Monochrom variant doubled down on Leica’s long-standing love affair with black-and-white photography.

With no color filter array and a sensor tuned purely for luminance, the camera delivered extraordinary tonal depth and low-light performance, appealing directly to photographers who see monochrome not as a limitation but as a creative language.

The SL system also saw attention in 2025, most notably with the arrival of the SL3 Reporter. Designed for photographers working in demanding environments, this ruggedised version of the Leica SL3 reinforced the company's commitment to professionals who need durability and reliability as much as image quality.

It was a reminder that, despite its luxury positioning, Leica still takes the needs of working photographers seriously.

Beyond camera bodies, Leica invested heavily in its wider ecosystem. New special-edition Leica M lenses arrived in classic finishes that blended collectability with real-world usability, while a deeper partnership with Capture One brought improved tethering and workflow integration for Leica shooters.

These developments mattered because they addressed the full photographic process, from capture to delivery, rather than treating the camera as an isolated object.

Perhaps most telling of all was Leica’s renewed embrace of analog photography with the launch of its own black-and-white 35mm film. In an era dominated by firmware updates and computational imaging, it felt like a quiet but deliberate reminder of where the brand comes from.

Taken together, 2025 wasn’t about Leica reinventing itself overnight, but about carefully expanding what it means to be a Leica photographer, whether that’s through an electronic viewfinder, a monochrome sensor, or a roll of film loaded into a mechanical camera.

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When a Leica M-A bearing serial number 5000000 sold for €6.5 million (around $7.5m /£5.7m) at Vienna's 47th Leitz Photographica Auction this weekend, the buyer wasn't paying for the mechanically controlled shutter or the accompanying Noctilux 50mm f/1.2 lens. They were paying for a story.

The camera, presented to Pope Francis in 2024 by Leica AG, features white leather covering, engravings of the Keys of Peter, and the pontiff's motto Miserando atque eligendo filled with white, gold and black paint.

Following the pontiff's death in April 2025, it came to auction as a charity lot, with all proceeds directed to the Pope's personal charity foundation and the auction house waiving its commission.

The final price exceeded its €60,000-70,000 estimate a hundredfold, placing it third on the list of most expensive Leicas ever sold. Only two cameras have ever commanded higher prices: a 1923 0-Series No. 105 that sold for €14.4 million in June 2022, and an 0-Series No. 112 from 1923 that achieved €7.2 million in June this year.

Why the high price?

Here's the remarkable part: the Leica M-A is a current production model you can purchase new from authorized dealers for around $6,300. It's a purely mechanical camera introduced in 2014, with specifications nearly identical to the Leica M4-P from 1981.

This particular example likely never exposed a frame of film. Yet it commanded more than a thousand times the retail price of a standard M-A. So what does that tell us about the state of the market for collectable Leicas?

The first thing to be aware of is that Leica has maintained a tradition of reserving round serial numbers for distinguished individuals, and these pieces consistently generate remarkable auction interest. The number 5000000 represents a significant milestone in Leica's production history, adding a layer of numerical significance that collectors prize.

There's also the obvious connection to a globally significant figure; literally the representative of God on Earth if you're one of 1.2 billion Catholics. Interestingly, the same auction saw a Leica M3 gifted to the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1958 sell for €156,000 (around $180,000). That camera exceeded estimates but remained firmly in five-figure territory, demonstrating that not all provenance is equal.

The charitable purpose added emotional weight to the bidding. And the timing, following the Pope's recent death, created a sense of historical finality.

More broadly, the Pope's camera sits within a ecosystem of collectible Leicas that has seen dramatic appreciation in recent years. The 0-Series prototypes from 1923, of which only around a dozen survive, represent the holy grail for collectors. These cameras laid the foundation for the entire 35mm revolution, transforming photography from a cumbersome medium requiring large format cameras into something portable and spontaneous.

But the market isn't limited to century-old prototypes. Modern special editions with compelling stories also command significant premiums. What they share is narrative weight: a connection to history, achievement, or cultural significance that transcends the camera's function as a picture-taking device.

Separate universe

For working photographers, of course, these auction results exist in an entirely separate universe from the tools we use daily. Yet there's something affirming about seeing a purely mechanical film camera command such extraordinary prices in 2025.

It confirms that photographers and collectors still value craftsmanship, precision engineering and the tangible connection to photographic history that Leica represents. The Leica M-A is remarkable precisely because it strips away everything unnecessary. No exposure meter. No electronics. No battery. Just the essential mechanics of photography refined over decades.

That the Pope's example sold for such an extraordinary sum says less about the camera itself than about our continued fascination with objects that connect us to significant people and moments.

Check out our guide to the best Leica cameras you can buy today

Are we about to see a new Pixii camera? A teaser from the French rangefinder camera manufacturer would seem to suggest that it is working on a new model.

Pixii first arrrived on the scene back in 2008 with a digital interchangeable lens camera that dared to be very different from the normal.

First, it used the M-mount and rangefinder focusing system that made Leica famous – at around half the cost of its German rival. But it also brought us a camera that didn't have a memory card slot, and which didn't have a built-in screen. Instead of reviewing your images on the camera itself, you beam your photos to phone.

Currently, Pixii has two different models in its range. The Pixii+ uses an APS-C sized 26MP sensor. The more recent Pixii Max has a full-frame 24.5MP sensor – which claims to be optimized for black-and-white photography, as well as color.

So what will the new model bring? The teaser tells us very little, with a tagline that simply but boldly claims "We invent the future".

However, the message that has appeared on Pixii's social media account does at least provide a semi-silhouetted computerized render of what its future might look at. The only thing we can deduce from this with any certainty is that top-plate information screen has disappeared. 

One thing is for certain is that this is an interesting time for rangefinder cameras. Leica is celebrating its 100th anniversary of its M range of cameras this year – and has just introduced the first-ever model that uses an electronic eyelevel viewfinder, rather than its signature rangefinder. The Leica M EV1 almost throws down the gauntlet to the innovative Pixii range – so it will be fascinating to see how its upstart French rival will respond.

Leica enthusiasts may want to brace themselves: it now appears unlikely that the next generation of the iconic Leica M‑series will bear the much‑anticipated “M12” name. Recent coverage from Leica Rumors reveals that the company has seemingly abandoned its efforts to register the M12 trademark in the United States.

Although the USPTO still lists the trademark status as “active,” the trail suggests that Leica simply ceased pursuing approval after encountering hurdles in the registration process.

Adding further nuance to the picture, Leica Rumors clarifies that the M12 and the upcoming M11‑V – rumored to include an electronic viewfinder (EVF) – are separate models.

The M12, if it arrives at all, is expected to be a classic digital rangefinder, preserving the timeless, analog‐style Leica experience. The EVF‑equipped model, in contrast, signals a more modern direction for the brand – but does not necessarily mark the end of the optical rangefinder era.

When it comes to timing, the M12 remains shrouded in uncertainty. According to current speculation, it won’t make an appearance in either 2025 or possibly even 2026. Meanwhile Leica continues to sell the M11, whose firmware updates have stabilized its performance, and has already released limited editions of that model toward the end of its product cycle.

On the opposite front, the Leica M11‑V – featuring the EVF - is expected to arrive sooner, with some sources pointing to a possible launch before the end of 2025. This model is believed to streamline the design, eliminating the eye‑level viewfinder window and embracing hybrid functionality that blends optical and electronic feedback.

Leica’s hesitance – or inability – to secure “M12” as a trademark in the US raises interesting questions about its naming strategy. Will the company proceed with the M12 label despite the legal ambiguity, perhaps appending an extra character or launching under a different moniker? Or will the next flagship camera take on a wholly new identity?

As always with Leica, the mystery only adds to the allure.

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There’s something oddly beautiful about combining gear that was never meant to work together.

My latest setup is what some might call a Franken-Leica – a Leica M-E paired with a 1960s Nikon Nikkor-H 50mm f/2 lens. It’s a bit of a monster, yes, but one that’s surprisingly magical.

It goes against the grain of what Leica photography is supposed to be – purist, precise, polished – but that’s exactly what makes it so interesting.

For nearly two decades, I was a Nikon shooter through and through. Nikon bodies, Nikon glass, the lot. But when I eventually made the jump to Leica, I sold every piece of Nikon gear I owned – except one. The Nikkor-H 50mm f/2 lens was just too special to let go.

It’s sharp, beautifully rendered, and produces images that have that elusive quality – a kind of glow, a 3D pop that’s hard to describe but instantly recognisable. I’ve always wondered what it might look like on a Leica, and thanks to a $20/£15 adapter, I finally found out.

From f/2 to f/2.8, the Nikkor-H has this soft, cinematic look that feels almost medium-format in its presence. It’s not sterile or clinical, just honest and expressive – the sort of rendering that makes even mundane scenes feel like something worth photographing.

Stop it down to f/4 or f/5.6 and it becomes a razor – crisp enough for serious work, yet still carrying a trace of that dreamy DNA. It’s a lens with range and personality, something that’s becoming increasingly rare.

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. My Leica M-E – a lovely thing in its own right – doesn’t have live view, so I can’t see through the lens or confirm focus in real-time. Some might ask, what’s the point? But for me, it’s just another part of the challenge. Zone focusing becomes essential, which suits my style of shooting anyway. It’s not as precise, but it keeps me present – forces me to work within the limits, which is often where the magic lives.

Then there’s the frameline issue. Leica M lenses are coupled to the rangefinder, showing clear framelines in the viewfinder. But this adapted Nikkor isn’t, and it blocks a good portion of the 50mm frameline – especially in the bottom corners.

It’s awkward, yes, but not impossible. You learn to anticipate your frame, to trust your instincts, to lean into your knowledge of space and subject. Like everything else about this setup, it demands a little more from you – but gives something back in return.

What’s most exciting is that this little adapter has opened the door to a new world of creative combinations. I’ve even mounted a hulking old Tamron SP 300mm f/2.8 onto the M-E just to see what would happen.

Spoiler alert: it works, but completely blocks the viewfinder – again, zone focus only. With live view, it would be a different beast, but even without it, there’s a strange joy in making the unusable work.

Ultimately, what this combo gives me is freedom. Freedom to use my beloved Leica CCD sensor, and freedom to hold onto a piece of my Nikon past. It doesn’t replace my Summilux 50mm f/1.4 ASPH, nor would I want it to. But it adds another option, another voice, another flavour.

In a world where most photographers feel locked into a system, there’s something liberating about creating your own – quirks, compromises, and all.

There’s a certain ritual to shooting with a Leica M. A tactile purity that connects photographer and subject in a way no other camera does. It’s not just about the image – it’s about the journey of making it.

I’ve used both a Leica M-E and a Leica M2 for my personal work, and the process is always the same: manual focus, aperture rings, shutter speed dials and that magical rangefinder window.

It’s as deliberate as it is rewarding. That’s why the thought of Leica introducing an electronic viewfinder (EVF) into an M-series camera doesn't excite me – it worries me.

Ever since the M3 launched in 1954, the Leica M-system has carved its own path, standing apart from the ever-growing tide of automation and later digital convenience. The M wasn’t built to compete with others – it was built to be different. To be better, not faster. Simpler, not easier.

It has always celebrated the fundamentals: aperture, shutter speed, ISO and focus. No frills, no gimmicks, no distractions. Just you, your camera and the moment. That’s what has made the M not just a tool, but an icon.

Of course, in recent years, a segment of the photographic community has started calling for an M-series with a built-in electronic viewfinder. They argue that it’s time for Leica to “catch up” with the likes of Fujifilm or Sony.

But Leica was never about catching up. It’s about staying true. While I can’t imagine the company entirely abandoning the rangefinder, I can see a future where an EVF version of the flagship M body appears on the market – tempting to some, perhaps, but deeply disheartening for those who understand what makes an M an M.

An EVF might seem harmless. Convenient, even. But make no mistake: it would be a fundamental shift. With an EVF comes the temptation of overlays, focus peaking, live exposure previews and a flood of assistive technologies that, while helpful, break the immersive spell of rangefinder shooting.

Suddenly, photography becomes less about feel and instinct, and more about confirmation and correction. The imperfections, the misfires, the moments you just missed – those are what teach you. Those are what make you better. An EVF sterilizes that experience.

To me, removing or even diminishing the role of the optical rangefinder strips the M of its soul. This system was never about speed or convenience. It was about craftsmanship and control.

If you misfocus, that’s on you. If you misjudge the light, that’s on you too. It’s a photographic education every time you lift the camera to your eye. No autofocus to blame, no algorithm to rely on. Just you, mastering the machine and, eventually, yourself.

I know Leica will do what Leica does: it’ll make a beautiful product that handles wonderfully and feels right in the hand. And yes, there will be photographers who swear by the new EVF model.

But for me, an M without its rangefinder is a shell. It may still wear the red dot and carry the M badge, but it won’t carry the same spirit. And once that’s gone, it’s not a Leica M anymore.

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Leica has unveiled something truly extraordinary to mark its centenary: the M11-D 100 Years of Leica set, a limited edition camera kit that doesn’t just nod to history - it becomes part of it.

One of the 100 cameras in this run carries more than just an aesthetic homage to the original Leica I of 1925. It bears the serial number 6000000, making it the millionth Leica M camera ever made!

This milestone camera, #6000000, will sit proudly at the Leica Welt in Leitz Park, displayed next to Leica I #126 - the very first series-produced Leica camera. It’s a visual timeline that captures a hundred years of design, engineering, and passion.

The M11-D 100 Years of Leica bridges past and present with true conviction. It comes paired with not one, but two historically important lenses: the Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. and the Leitz Anastigmat-M 50mm f/3.5. If that second lens might sound familiar, it’s a contemporary reimagining of the very first Leica lens from 1925.

Reborn for the modern M mount, the Anastigmat returns with the same retractable construction and distinctive proportions as the original, but now features a lightweight aluminium body with a nickel-anodised finish that gives it that vintage feel with 21st-century handling.

As for the camera itself, the M11-D pulls heavily from the look and build of the original Leica I. The top and base plates are crafted from solid brass with a rich, high-gloss black finish. Gone are the red Leica logo and strap eyelets.

Instead, you get pure heritage - a tribute to 1925. The shutter release and surrounding collar, along with the on/off switch and exposure dial, are made from aluminium with a nickel-coloured finish and that unmistakable cross knurling.

The leather wrap is thick and heavily textured, another detail lifted straight from Leica’s early days. Tiny flourishes like the white “Ernst Leitz Wetzlar” engraving on the shutter release collar and a subtle “100” logo on the hot shoe cover complete a camera that feels as special as it looks.

Each of the 100 M11-D cameras has an edition number engraved in the classic Leica I style -from 001 to 100. The standout is no. 000, which is also the millionth M camera. Both lenses in the set are matched to the camera number, making every kit unique and inherently collectible.

The Anastigmat-M 50mm f/3.5 is perhaps the more romantic inclusion. It brings back the spirit of the very first Leica lens in a form that balances nostalgia with practicality. It’s compact, retractable, and looks like it just stepped out of the 1920s - but with an M mount and modern lens construction, it’s made for today’s shooters.

The other lens in the set, the Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH., is where modern performance takes centre stage. It’s fast, sharp, and delivers that signature Leica look with beautiful bokeh and impeccable clarity, even wide open. This anniversary version keeps the theme going with a nickel-coloured anodised finish on an aluminium barrel, classic cross knurling, and a grip milled from aluminium - details that separate it from the regular production version.

To wrap it all up, Leica includes a specially designed leather protector, SD card case, and a carrying strap - all made from rich cognac-coloured leather, reminiscent of Leica’s earliest cases and accessories.

Everything is housed in a glossy black wooden presentation box crafted in Germany, giving this set the finish it deserves. This isn't just a limited edition; it’s Leica’s past, present, and future in one camera bag.

The Leica M11-D 100 Years of Leica set, including the Anastigmat-M 50 f/3.5 and Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 ASPH. lenses, will be available exclusively in select Leica Stores from spring 2026.

Leica has introduced the latest addition to its iconic M11 lineup - the Leica M11-P Safari. With this launch, Leica revives its much-loved tradition of Safari editions, known since the Seventies for their distinctive olive-green finish and refined design details that speak to collectors and creatives alike.

The M11-P Safari wears its signature green proudly, with a matte olive top plate crafted from solid brass and coated in a tough, durable paint finish. This timeless tone continues through to the matching leatherette body covering, which not only complements the aesthetic but also offers superb grip.

In a nod to understated elegance, the usual red Leica dot has been replaced with a subtle silver screw, letting the clean lines and craftsmanship take center stage.

Silver dials and controls pop against the green shell, while the back of the camera features sleek black controls. The engraved Leica script and “Leica Camera AG Wetzlar Germany” lettering complete the design with a discreet flourish.

Under the hood, this special edition is identical to the standard Leica M11-P – no compromises, just exceptional performance. It features secure Content Credentials technology that can embed tamper-proof metadata in every image.

A generous 256 GB of internal memory means you can shoot endlessly in both DNG and JPG formats, while the ultra-durable sapphire crystal LCD with anti-reflective coating ensures clear viewing in any conditions.

The M11-P Safari is powered by Leica’s top-tier BSI CMOS full-frame sensor with Triple Resolution Technology, letting you choose between 60, 36 or 18MP resolution depending on your needs.

With seamless connectivity via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or cable, you can link the camera to the Leica Fotos app with ease – and Bluetooth Low Energy ensures fast and efficient image transfers even in the background.

Built on over 70 years of M-Camera excellence, the Leica M11-P Safari is a bold mix of functionality, exclusivity, and timeless style. It comes with a black Leica carrying strap, all sustainably packaged in plastic-free, German-made boxes.

The Leica M11-P Safari is available now at Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store, and authorized dealers worldwide. The recommended retail price is $ $10,495 / £8,100 (Australian pricing to be confirmed).

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Leica enthusiasts are abuzz with speculation following a recent camera rumor shared by website Leica Rumors suggesting that a Leica M11-P Safari edition may be on the horizon.

While details provided by the outlet are scant – no confirmed release date, pricing, or lens pairing – the rumor has ignited excitement among collectors and photographers alike.

Given Leica's history of releasing special editions, such as the M10-P Safari, the possibility of an M11-P Safari edition seems plausible. to me, but we will have to wait for official confirmation.

The "Safari" designation in Leica's lineup refers to cameras adorned with a distinctive olive green enamel finish, a tradition that dates back to the 1960s. Originally designed for military use, these cameras were built to withstand harsh conditions, and their unique aesthetic quickly garnered a following among civilians.

Over the years, Leica has released several Safari editions, including the M6 TTL in 2000, the M8.2 in 2008, and the M-P (Typ 240) in 2015, each limited in production and highly sought after by collectors.​

The most recent Safari edition, the Leica M10-P, was released in 2019 with a production run of 1,500 units. It featured the classic olive green finish and was accompanied by a matching Summicron-M 50mm f/2 lens - the first time Leica offered a lens in the Safari color scheme. This edition also included accessories like a full-grain cowhide leather strap and a matching leather case, emphasizing both functionality and style

Given this history, the rumored M11-P Safari edition would be a continuation of Leica's tradition of releasing special editions of their flagship M-series cameras. While the rumor remains unconfirmed, the pattern of past releases lends credibility to the possibility. Collectors and fans of the brand will undoubtedly be watching closely for any official announcements.​

As we await further information, it's worth noting that Leica's special editions often become coveted items, blending the brand's renowned craftsmanship with unique design elements.

If the M11-P Safari edition comes to fruition, it will likely be no exception, offering both aesthetic appeal and the high-quality performance Leica is known for.​

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The highly anticipated Pixii Max digital rangefinder is now back on for pre-order once again, following a confirmation email from Pixii of production schedules.

The French camera brand, known for bringing the classic rangefinder experience into the modern era, has announced that sensor shipments have been confirmed. This allows production to commence in March. Deliveries will resume in early April, meaning eager photographers can soon get their hands on this innovative full-frame camera.

Marking Pixii’s first foray into the full-frame market, the Pixii Max features a 24.5MP BSI CMOS sensor housed in the same compact, machined aluminum body as its APS-C predecessor. The camera is equipped with a 64-bit processor, 128GB of internal storage, and a Leica M-compatible mount, making it a compelling choice for photographers who appreciate the traditional rangefinder experience while benefiting from state-of-the-art digital imaging technology.

One of the standout features of the Pixii Max is its ability to produce native DNG RAW images in both color and monochrome—a first in the market. The 24 x 36mm sensor size is identical to the standard 35mm film frame, optimizing light capture and enhancing the performance of classic M-mount lenses. Coupled with its advanced processor, the camera delivers sharp, low-noise images with an improved dynamic range, making it an attractive option for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

As a true rangefinder camera, the Pixii Max provides a fully manual focus experience. The M-mount lens focus rings operate a lever inside the camera, aligning images from two viewfinder windows into a single, precisely focused image. This system is particularly effective with shorter focal lengths and in low-light environments. Aperture settings must also be adjusted manually on the lens itself, reinforcing the analog-style control that many rangefinder users cherish.

Connectivity is another strength of the Pixii Max, with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth allowing seamless integration with the Pixii App. This enables remote control, image preview, and quick transfer of images stored in the camera’s internal memory. Additionally, Pixii offers an upgrade path for both hardware and software, ensuring users can keep their cameras up to date with the latest technological advancements.

Now that production has been confirmed, the Pixii Max is once again available for pre-order through authorized retailers and Pixii’s online store.

With manufacturing set to begin in March and deliveries expected to restart in April, photographers looking to experience the fusion of classic rangefinder shooting with modern digital capabilities should act quickly to secure their spot in the first 2025 production batch.

Pre-order Pixii Max 128GB at B&H for $4,799

Pre-order Pixii Max 32GB at B&H for $4,499

The Leica M series has always been about a pure, unfiltered connection to photography. It’s a camera designed to put the photographer in direct touch with their subject, relying on the simplicity of a rangefinder and the discipline that comes with manual focus and composition.

So the camera rumors surrounding a new Leica M camera with a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) feel like a significant departure from the ethos that has defined the M line for decades. While some may welcome this change, to me, it fundamentally alters what makes an M camera unique and special.

Leica already provides an EVF solution for M users in the form of the Leica Visoflex 2, which works seamlessly with any M camera from the M240 to the latest flagship, the Leica M11. If an EVF experience is truly needed, this add-on provides the necessary functionality without altering the core design and philosophy of the M system.

Additionally, Leica has long offered an alternative in the Q-series, most recently with the Leica Q3 and Q3 43, which include a built-in EVF and autofocus. The Q-series covers key focal lengths, with the standard 28mm lens and the new 43mm covering a '50mm' equivalent.

Given that the Q cameras are already designed for those who prefer an EVF experience, adding one to the M-series feels redundant and unnecessary.

The beauty of the M camera lies in its rangefinder – a defining characteristic that encourages a different, more thoughtful approach to photography. A built-in EVF in an M camera risks diluting that essence, making it feel more like another digital camera rather than the mechanical masterpiece it has always been.

That being said, there is an argument to be made for those who would benefit from an EVF-equipped M camera. Users who frequently shoot with longer lenses, such as a 135mm, or ultra-wide lenses like a 21mm, often find themselves struggling with the limitations of the M-series' framelines.

These focal lengths either require an external viewfinder or reliance on the Visoflex to compose accurately. In such cases, an EVF could provide a practical advantage, eliminating the need for extra accessories and allowing a more streamlined shooting experience.

However, Leica has always positioned the M as a camera that embraces limitations as a means of creative discipline. Expanding its capabilities in this way could appeal to a niche audience, but it would do so at the risk of alienating purists who cherish the M’s traditional shooting experience.

If the rumors are to be believed, we may see this EVF-equipped M camera sometime later in 2025. Speculation suggests that it will feature a more compact design, potentially replacing traditional rear buttons with a large touchscreen and even doing away with the classic ISO dial in favor of a programmable alternative.

Importantly, this new model is not expected to replace the existing rangefinder or the upcoming Leica M12 but will sit alongside it as a modernized alternative. Still, one has to wonder: if Leica is committed to keeping the traditional M alive, why risk fragmenting the lineup with a version that strays so far from what has always made the M special?

While some photographers may welcome an EVF in an M camera, I remain unconvinced. The M series has always been about a direct, optical connection between the photographer and the scene, and Leica has already provided ample EVF options for those who want them.

A built-in EVF in an M camera feels like a step away from the purity that has made the M system legendary. If this rumored camera does come to market, I can only hope it remains an option rather than the future of the M series as a whole.

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In 2025, Leica celebrates the centenary of the Leica I – the groundbreaking camera that revolutionized photography as the first mass-produced 35mm Leica model, unveiled at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1925. And now it has unveiled a limited edition Leica M11 to mark its birthday.

With its compact design and exceptional versatility for the era, the Leica I set the stage for an iconic brand that has defined imaging excellence. For the past century, Leica has been instrumental in capturing some of the most unforgettable photographs from visionary storytellers and artists, establishing itself as a true leader in the world of photography.

To commemorate this special year, Leica is celebrating with the theme '100 Years of Leica: Witness to a Century' and has revealed an exclusive new camera: the Leica M11 100 Years of Leica 'New York USA'.

The 'New York USA' is one of 6 exclusive editions, released alongside 'Dubai UAE', 'Tokyo Japan', 'Milan Italy', 'Wetzler Germany' and 'Shanghai China', each limited to just 100 copies and available only in the corresponding countries.

Leica is a brand that knows how to create special edition cameras better than most – and this one is no different, with the 'New York USA' including several unique design features that make it a true collector's item.

Using the base M11 as the canvas, Leica has added an individual engraving to the top plate that spells out "New York USA" in addition to the traditional engraving. The Leica 100 anniversary logo is detailed on the hot shoe cover, a sleek black screw replaces the red Leica dot, and a numbered edition # / 100 with a certificate of authenticity further emphasizes each unique model.

A glossy black painted finish, inspired by historical M-cameras, creates a modern and sleek aesthetic, until over time, a distinctive patina emerges bespoke to the use of the camera – reflecting its own unique story.

Complementary colored silver-chromed controls offer a touch of class and refinement, with the shutter release, on/off switch, and the ISO and speed dials decorated with elaborate cross knurling.

This level of elegance continues through the camera body with stylish black cowhide armoring, its distinctive texture a throwback to the iconic vulcanite leathering of earlier Leica M models.

The exclusive M11 is one of many new anniversary editioned products to be released in Leica's anniversary year, with many more affordable items available such as a Stieff Bear, a writing set, cufflinks, plus much more – making it more accessible to purchase a piece of Leica's historic year.

The Leica M11 100 Years of Leica 'New York USA' along with the other countries' editions will be released throughout this centenary year at Leica Stores and the Leica Online Store. Some items are already available, while others will be released in February and May 2025.

As part of the 100 Years of Leica: Witness to a Century theme, the brand will also be celebrating the anniversary with a series of events in these locations over the next 12 months including exhibitions, talks, and workshops.

You can see more of Leica's 100th-anniversary collection on the official Leica website.

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Leica has unveiled the Leica M11 and the renowned Leica Noctilux-M 50 f/1.2 ASPH. lens in an elegant glossy black finish. The M-System remains synonymous with the Leica brand, embodying the timeless aesthetic and intricate craftsmanship that have defined Leica for decades.

This glossy black paint finish is regarded as the purest and strongest expression of the classic Leica look. Over time, through frequent use, the camera’s finish evolves, partially revealing the brass beneath and creating a distinctive patina that reflects each user’s journey. The first Leica M3 with this elegant finish appeared in 1962 and was met with great enthusiasm.

The new Leica M11 edition merges the series model’s cutting-edge technology with classic design elements. Its brass top plate, dials, and on/off switch feature a glossy black paint finish.

Additional elegant touches include the “Leica” engraved seamlessly on the top plate and a glossy silver-chromed shutter button that recalls the historic M-Camera. The intricate cross-knurling on the time and ISO dials demonstrates Leica’s careful attention to detail.

Notably, the iconic red Leica dot has been deliberately omitted, emphasizing the M-Camera’s understated elegance — a design choice appreciated by photographers worldwide - Including me!

Leica also introduces a glossy black paint of the Noctilux-M 50 f/1.2 ASPH. lens. Designed to perfectly complement the glossy black M-camera, this lens is a new take on a classic model celebrated for its exceptional image quality, light intensity, and signature bokeh.

The glossy black variant includes a round lens hood, front and rear lens caps in matching glossy black, and a red “feet” scale of days gone by, to add another layer of Leica history.

Additionally, Leica is releasing three premium M accessories made from high-quality cowhide leather in a new taupe color. From November 21, the adjustable carrying strap, M11 protector, and M-System case will be available in this stylish shade.

The new Leica M11 in glossy black paint has a recommended retail price of $9,195 / £7,900 / AU$15,590.

While the glossy black paint Leica Noctilux-M 50 f/1.2 ASPH. lens is priced at $9,295 / £7,200 (Australian pricing to be confirmed). Both products are now available worldwide at Leica stores, the Leica Online Store, and authorized retailers…

Preorder the Leica M11 Black Glossy Paint at:
🇬🇧 Wex Photo Video
🇺🇸 B&H Photo

Preorder the Leica Noctilux-M 50 f/1.2 Black Glossy Paint at:
🇬🇧 Wex Photo Video
🇺🇸 B&H Photo

The Leica M series of cameras is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time and has been used by many photography icons since its initial release in 1954.

70 years on, Leica is celebrating with a special edition and extremely limited platinum-plated Leica M set that includes, a platinum Leica M-A camera, a Leica APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH lens, a new Leicavit M fast winder, and an anniversary book presenting its long history as the photographers' dream camera.

Used for everything from documentary and street to portraiture and fine art, the M series enables users to capture stunning images while staying engaged in the present and prepared to capture the decisive moment.

The Leica M3 signified the first of Leica's M rangefinder cameras when released in 1954, and from that point on it has been used to capture countless culturally significant moments throughout history. The M3 represented a change for Leica introducing its then-unique rangefinder and since then, the M system has been consistently developed while keeping its signature look and purpose.

The M series of cameras has always been at the forefront of innovative camera technology. The Leica M6 introduced integrated exposure metering, the Leica M9 was the first digital full-frame rangefinder camera, and the M (Typ 240) was the first to use a CMOS sensor.

The boundaries continued to be pushed into the digital age with the Leica M Monochrom revolutionizing digital black-and-white photography, and the most recent model, the Leica M11-P is the world’s first camera with the ability to verify authentic digital images through Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI).

Head of design at Leica Mark Shipard says, "The quality and craftsmanship of the materials, the sense of precision in every movement, the soft click of the shutter release and the visual clarity of the viewfinder all combine to create an experience that goes far beyond just taking pictures".

The limited special edition is called the 'Leica M Edition 70' and includes the Leica M-A camera specially designed to replicate the aesthetic of the M3, a Leica APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH lens, a Leicavit M fast winder, and a film container – all of which are platinum-plated!

The editioned set is so limited that only 250 copies are available. The Leica M Edition 70 will be available in selected Leica Stores from early 2025, for $25,000 / £19,000  (Australian pricing to be confirmed).

The set includes a new book titled Leica M, which looks back on the last seven decades of the Leica M-System. It is more than 250 pages long and includes detailed essays, iconic photographs, and a chronological account of the system to date. The resulting book pays homage to the system's perfect balance between intricate design and creative freedom, providing it with a revered status.

"This book is also a huge ‘thank you’ to all the people who worked with the M and on the M: photographers, employees, customers, and friends of what we call ‘the Leica family," states Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG.

In addition to being included in the set, the Leica M book will be available at Leica Stores and the Leica Online Store individually from November 5 for $45 / £45.

Check out our guides to the best Leica cameras, the best Leica M lenses, and the best Leica alternatives.

Laowa launches the Laowa Ranger Compact Cine Zoom 16-30mm T2.9 lens, a new compact wide-angle cine zoom lens for full-frame cameras.

Last year Venus Optics, the parent company of Laowa, launched the lightweight Laowa Ranger Compact Cine Zoom Series for full-frame cameras. Laowa has several cine lens ranges, however, the Ranger series pushes the boundaries of the cine zoom lens format, offering a compact and lightweight zoom alternative.

The series currently consists of 28-75mm and 75-180mm, both T2.9 lenses, so the 16-30mm becomes the widest of the series. The range now covers a focal range of 16-180mm in just 3 lenses, with more than an 11x zoom ratio.

Minimizing equipment space with cine zooms is ideal for filmmakers as often kits can be extremely large and heavy. Making the Ranger zooms as small as possible becomes a really attractive incentive, especially for those who travel often.

Once again, Laowa is pushing the boundaries of full-frame cine zoom lenses with the 16-30mm, which weighs just 800g and measures only 10.7cm in length. Lighter equipment enables improved maneuverability and versatility, making it easier to handle for smaller teams or individuals.

The lens is 16mm at its widest, providing an ultra-wide angle of view of 107°. This large angle of view enables the user to capture expansive scenes with multiple subjects, and as Laowa states, "it is able to capture landscapes and close-ups simultaneously".

The T2.9 aperture remains constant across the lens range enabling filmmakers to keep settings dialed in when zooming in and out or changing for another lens in the series. This also leads to identical optical performance and color rendition as they are specifically matched to be utilized as a set.

Other notable features of the lens include a parfocal design, a minimum focusing distance of 33cm, minimal focus breathing, and low distortion.

The lens is available in 6 interchangeable mounts, with the Arri PL as the default with an interchangeable EF mount. Additional mounts for the Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, and L mount can be purchased separately for $100 / £100.

The Ranger series comes in Standard (black lens body) and Lite versions (space-grey lens body). The Lite version also features a magnesium alloy design with a smooth and refined texture, making the lens even lighter and more durable.

Laowa Ranger Compact Cine Zoom 16-30mm T2.9 lens is available now individually priced at $2,999 / £3,189 (Standard) and $3,499 / £3,709 (Lite), or in a 3-lens set for $8,699 / £11,300 (Standard) and $10,199 / £13,250 (Lite).

Check out our guides to the best cine lenses, the best cinema cameras, and the best camera for filmmaking.

Every full frame camera that Leica has released this year has had a 60MP image sensor – but it looks like that streak is about to snap, with its next camera having 60% lower resolution.

So far in 2024 the company has added the Leica SL3, the Leica M11-D and the Leica Q3 43 to its full frame lineup, each featuring the same 60.3MP sensor.

However, its next camera – which is reported to launch in the next few months – is expected to employ a more conservative 24MP sensor. I'm talking, of course, about the Leica SL3-S – the anticipated sister model to the SL3.

Traditionally, the -S model has provided a lower price, lower resolution alternative to the main SL body; where the Leica SL2 had a 47MP sensor, the SL2-S had a 24MP version.

According to Leica Rumors, that pattern will continue when it comes to the SL3-S.

"Leica is rumored to announce a new SL3-S camera by the end of 2024 or in early 2025," writes the outlet. "The SL3-S is expected to be 'easier' to use and have a lower resolution than the SL3 (most likely 24MP)."

Aside from this report about the resolution, there haven't been any credible camera rumors about the rest of the SL3-S's specs – but I do have a pet theory.

As you might be aware, Leica and Panasonic have a partnership where they share a lot of technology. This has seen previous SL cameras being modeled after Lumix S1 cameras (such as the Leica SL2 being very similar to the Panasonic Lumix S1R).

This year, however, Leica's SL camera has arrived in the market ahead of Panasonic's corresponding S1 model. So this time round, I suspect that the Leica SL3-S may look similar to the Panasonic Lumix S5 II – a very template-fitting 24MP camera that features a phase detection-capable image sensor.

Whatever it looks like, with the SL2-S being announced in December 2020, it's very possible that the SL-3 will be revealed before the end of the year.

You might be interested in the best Leica cameras, along with the best full frame mirrorless cameras.

I’m editor of PhotoPlus: the Canon Magazine, a professional Canon photographer and keen amateur golfer, so I was very interested to test the new Canon PowerShot Golf laser rangefinder.

From a golfer's perspective, all you want is for a laser rangefinder to quickly lock focus on the flag on the green and to give you an accurate yardage, so you can choose the right golf club to get it close. If you have any doubt in how far it is, this doubt leads to bad swings, and bad results. So a good rangefinder can be a golfer’s best friend, and the gateway to better scores.

Canon’s PowerShot Golf rangefinder/camera is a pocket-sized device, yet powerful in specs; with a ⅓-inch CMOS sensor and 11-megapixel in camera, and 0.39-inch EVF (electronic viewfinder) with 2.36 million dots and refresh rate of 59.94fps, plus optical image stabilisation for a steady view.

Rangefinders have an interesting design with what might look like three lenses on the front, and Canon’s PowerShot Golf uses this same design. The top one is the actual lens which is what you see through from the viewfinder, the other two ‘lenses’ below handle the laser stuff; the middle is a ‘laser-emitting diode for distance measurement’ and at the bottom a ‘laser-receiving sensor for accurate distance readings’.

These three amigos work in unison to obtain accurate readings. I can confirm the Canon PowerShot Golf provides highly accurate yardage readings, comparing the figures to other rangefinders, my Garmin GPS watch, and my golf-playing partner’s GPS screen on his hi-tech electric golf trolley.

The Canon PowerShot Golf has a 6x optical zoom, which is equivalent to around a 400mm telephoto lens in full-frame camera terms, plus a 12x digital zoom option.

Color on the course

Compared to using the Bushnell (‘the No.1 Rangefinder in Golf’) Rangefinder Tour V4 Slope Edition I use, the Canon PowerShot Golf’s viewfinder is like 4K versus 48K!

This is thanks to its EVF - whereas most rangefinder have optical viewfinders. So instead of basic black-and-white figures and a small circle / crosshair on offer in the optical viewfinder as on Bushnell’s and other rangefinder, the Canon PowerShot Golf has a bright digital viewfinder that’s full color! A red crosshair grows from small to large once focused, plus yardage figures are in white, with the ‘Slope’ figure in yellow above (more on Slope stuff below). Plus there’s a green square when taking photos.

Non photographers may well find using the Canon PowerShot Golf tricky to begin with, as it has a shutter button like Canon cameras - rather than a button you press to switch on a rangefinder, then press again to focus on your intended target. For the Canon PowerShot Golf, you fully press the button to switch it on (a green flashing light appears at the rear to confirm), then you only ‘half press’ the button when you look through the viewfinder and focus on the flag, as you would with a camera. You get a reassuring vibration at the same time the yardage figures appear on screen, so you know you’ve achieved focus.

As a Canon photographer who uses EOS cameras, I found this shutter button felt very familiar and comfortable to use. Canon's PowerShot Golf has a 6x optical zoom, and an optional 12x digital zoom if you need it, although I rarely zoomed in any further on the flags as I could lock on to targets with the 6x optical zoom. It’s handy to have this extra digital reach for just-in-case scenarios, though; when I was struggling to focus on flags in deep shadow, for example.

Canon PowerShot Golf: Specifications

Canon PowerShot Golf: Design & Handling

Canon's PowerShot Golf is powerful and also pocket-sized and lightweight, at approx 31 × 58.9 × 91.2mm and weighing 151g. It fits in your palm and is barely bigger or heavier than a deck of playing cards. Canon also says it’s ‘water-resistant to IPX4 standards’ so you use it on rainy days – I’m a fair-weather golfer so didn’t test this out!

The Canon PowerShot Golf comes in a little case with a magnetic button to ensure you clip it closed. I used the velcro strap on the case to attach it to my golf bag for easy access to the rangefinder. You can attach it to your belt if you want, although I found it distracting having it there when swinging my club. It will also fit inside jacket pockets (fine when playing in cooler conditions and you’re wearing one) and although it could slip into my shorts and trousers pockets, again I found it distracting as it stuck out when hitting shots.

Canon menu system

A big bonus of Canon producing the PowerShot Golf is you have access to their clear and colourful menu systems to change settings and other options, via the menu button. Canon’s menus are much easier to understand, compared to other rangefinders where you have to press and hold one button and cycle through options by highlighting mono icons, and selecting Yes or No etc.

It’s fiddly to use the menu to begin with, as you have to look through the electronic viewfinder, while using two fingers on top to press the main button, menu button, cycle through options, and your thumb on the zoom and video button below the viewfinder.

You have options like to ‘play’ images, erase them, and format the card, and to change Mode from Range to Range+Photo, Slope on or off, Unit in yards or metres, and Vibration on and off. You can also adjust things like Exposure Compensation in the menu.

I did find the menu is decent when you get used to it, and it’s easy to look through the viewfinder to check images in play mode – and being relieved how images look a bit better than they did during capture via the EVF.

Slope mode explained

The Canon PowerShot Golf has the Slope mode which is useful to us golfers, as courses are often up and down hills, with fairways positioned above greens. What the heck is a ‘Slope rating’ you may well ask? It’s simply the adjusted distance when you are hitting a golf shot up to green above, or down to a green below you.

So if you have a shot that’s downhill or uphill, it gives you the ‘playing’ distance. For non golfers, this is very useful as, roughly 1 yard of elevation change equals 1 yard of distance change. So, for example, a 150 yard shot up to a green 10 yards above where you and and your ball are, will require a shot of approximately 160 yards, and that could be the difference between using a 7 iron, instead of an 8 iron you’d use for a 150-yard shot if there is no elevation.

You can switch Slope on or off in the menu - which is good, as you aren’t allowed to use a rangefinder in Slope modes in golf competitions (go figure). A blinking blue light on the front shows when Slope mode is off, also acting as an indicator so others know you’re playing fair.

The Canon PowerShot Golf also gives you a distance down to half a yard. Impressive, but unnecessary. So you have 167.5 yards to the pin? This is great that it's accurate down to half a yard, but not even Rory McIlroy can hit shots to half-yard distances!

The big difference between the Canon PowerShot Golf and other traditional golf rangefinders is it enables you to take photos and videos while on the golf course (and elsewhere I suppose if you still happen to have it in your pocket).

When you have the Canon's PowerShot Golf in Range+Photo mode you get an extra green box around the red crosshairs so you know you're in this mode. You focus as normal with a half-press, and a full-press of the button takes a photo, and the viewfinder goes black for confirmation.

It captures 11MP stills and Full HD video. But using what is basically a miniature compact camera you hold sideways, but with a fixed focal length of 400mm, means you’re restricted in what you can actually photograph, as well as tricky to try and use it to take these photos as you’re holding like a rangefinder, not side on like a camera which is easier to hold two-handed.

It's a nice bonus to be able to take photos 'with superimposed distance information on the golf course' - which I guess, could be useful when teeing off par 3 holes on your local golf course, as the distance to greens is fairly consistent, and so having it for reference again might be helpful. However, markers on the tee areas move, and pin positions move every few days, plus distances to flags from positions in the fairways will be different every time you play as it depends where your ball finishes... so while it’s cool to have a photo of a flag with the distances recorded on top, I can’t see myself referring to those images ever again.

Canon PowerShot Golf: Golf Performance

I tried out the Canon PowerShot Golf when I was out playing golf on my local course, using it over a handful of different rounds, in different lighting conditions, from bright sunshine in the middle of the day, to low light near sunset.

I found the Canon PowerShot Golf easy to use, and once I got used to pointing and aiming it at the flags in the distance, it was quick to focus and give me an accurate yardage. I could also use it to zap distances to carry a shot over a bunker or water. More than once I was able to pick the right club for the shot to the green, helping me to score better than I would have if I wasn’t using it. Seeing birdies on my scorecard instead of bogeys was a big bonus!

Although it’s small - and the smaller rangefinders are, the harder they are to hold still enough to focus - thanks to Canon’s image stabilisation it’s really easy to lock on to flags even 200+ yards away. Canon says it’s able to focus on objects from 7 yards to 800 yards. I needed to use two hands generally to hold it steady - such as on colder days with cold hands - and that’s the standard technique for using rangefinders for the best accuracy.

Comparing Canon's PowerShot Golf to a rangefinder without stabilization is like using a 400mm telephoto lens with and without IS. Shaky scenes! The PowerShot Golf was so much steadier when looking through the viewfinder - making it much easier to lock focus on the flag fluttering on the green beyond. Note that newer, more expensive golf laser rangefinders have stabilization these days, so Canon isn’t unique in this regard.

However, there’s one area where Canon’s rangefinder fell short, and this is a common problem with all rangefinders - when there’s trees and other foliage and distracting elements directly behind the thin pin or flag you’re targeting, the rangefinder will often focus on the stuff behind the flag, giving you an inaccurate yardage. It didn’t matter how much I tried to get the PowerShot to focus on the flag, when there’s a bunch of skinny trees right behind, with more contrasting bits for it to focus on, it will focus on that instead.

Canon PowerShot Golf: Camera Performance

Canon says this on taking photos with the PowerShot Golf: “Create a personal course diary, complete with voice memos to record a breakdown of every shot.

In the event of disputes or questions about rule compliance, golfers can use the camera to document their lie, the position of their ball, or any obstacles in their path. This visual evidence can help settle disagreements and maintain the integrity of the game.

The built-in camera is perfect for documenting those unforgettable moments, to remember a breathtaking course, for educational purposes, to track progress or even to share a winning swing on social media.”

They make a good point that you can capture basic course photos to use for reference, but I’d respectfully respond to that and say it’s almost impossible to photograph anything or anyone remotely near you, such as a golf ball in front of you, or a player nearby. This is due to the closest focusing distance, which I found really restrictive. For photos and video the closest focusing distance is approx 4m, which increases to approx 6.4m when in the Range+Photo mode I was usually using. I often found I was too close to focus on whatever or whoever I was trying to photograph.

I needed to be at least 50 yards away from anyone I might want to take a photo of during a round. So the Canon PowerShot Golf was useful for getting a quick pic of my golf playing partner when they were across the otherside of the fairway, but it was no use if I wanted to get a photo when we were both on the green, as I was always too close to be able to focus.

It was fun to attempt to take a few shots of my partners playing once I overcame focus distance issues, but disappointingly, the just camera wasn’t fast enough to get the shots, so action photos were mostly blurry. Sadly, while Canon PowerShot Golf was very quick to focus on flags, it’s slower to focus on golfers, and there’s also a slight lag when you take a shot - so it takes patience and practice to even try and get sharp shots.

When the lens opening is only 12mm in diameter, and camera has a 1/3-inch 11MP sensor, image quality and focusing for images is never going to be great.

Plus the camera’s shutter speeds were too slow for golfing action shots, and too slow for the effective 400m telephoto focal length as well - which equals the double trouble of motion blur and camera shake blur!

The camera for stills is all automatic so you can’t set higher ISOs or faster shutter speeds, although there is an option to adjust exposure compensation to brighten or darken exposures.

When I checked the EXIF data of JPGs I’d downloaded to my laptop, on cloudy autumn/fall days, it only offered a shutter speed of 1/100 sec, and f/3.9 and ISO800. In sunny conditions if faired better with 1/1000 sec, f/3.9 and ISO100, but even these exposures made it difficult to get usable photos of golfers mid swing.

I also found the camera can also struggle to expose for high-contrast scenes or subjects - such as a golfer in sunlight, with dark shadows behind, or vice versa.

The Canon PowerShot Golf is more than just a rangefinder. You have the option to turn off the laser using the switch on the side, so you can take photos and videos without yardage information on top. It was quite fun to head to my local countryside to use the Canon PowerShot Golf just as a camera. Having a 400mm camera/lens in my pocket was a unique proposition, but in reality it wasn’t entirely practical.

With the electronic viewfinder, I could frame up on faraway elements within landscapes, and could focus on clouds miles away in the sky, just because I could. I also tried photographing some local wildlife but the camera struggled to take sharp shots if they were moving, even slowly, like ducks on the water.

Image quality is as you might expect for a small 1/3in sensor 11MP camera, via a very small 400mm f/3.9 lens - it’s not great to be honest, compared by modern camera or smartphone camera standards. Even in sunny conditions the photo quality isn’t what you’d hope, and images are pretty noisy even at low ISOs around 250 and 320.

I found a good trick is to turn the PowerShot Golf on its side – it feels weird and fiddly to hold it and press the shutter button now on the side – but it means you can take portrait / vertical images if you like!

As the Canon PowerShot Golf records JPGs only (images are 3840 x 2880 pixels) it means there’s not much data to retrieve when looking at images in Photoshop. I did attempt to edit a landscape image in Photoshop to enhance it, and it would be fine for sharing on social media, but not for any other use.

Canon PowerShot Golf: Sample Photos

What about video? Well, trying to record a decent video handheld at 400mm on the PowerShot Golf was challenging, verging on the frustrating, as you’d rarely shoot at 400mm to shoot any video on a proper camera. Or if you did you’d be using your camera and big lens on a tripod for steady compositions.

It’s not good golfing etiquette or safe to pause mid round to take videos while on the golf course, so I’d only video myself or friends when they’re hitting balls on the driving range, usually when one of us is working on swing fixes. To do that you need to be able to focus closer, and there wasn’t enough room to stand back on the driving range to use the Canon PowerShot Golf. So we just use our iPhones to take photos or videos.

Images and videos are saved on a microSDHC card (sold separately) slotted inside the camera. You can use a cable attached to your smartphone and use the Canon Connect app to view images that way, but I simply used the microSDHC card card (in the SD card sized adapter) in a card reader and downloaded them to my laptop.

The Canon PowerShot Golf has a rechargeable battery built in. I found battery power was okay, getting a full 18 holes (about four and a half hours) and taking a handful of photos occasionally. I’m guessing it’s the EVF and taking photos that eats the power. So it’s good there’s a battery power icon in the bottom right corner.

You could probably get two rounds of golf out of a fully-charged battery (as long as you don’t take lots of photos or video) before you’d need to charge it up again. Canon says viewing time should last approx 200 minutes, and be able to take approx 200 JPGs.

Compared to a Bushnell rangefinder I use, I’ve had it for a few years (note I don’t use it every shot as I have a GPS watch to give me yardages) and it’s still registering full power from the Duracell CR2 battery.

Disappointingly, Canon doesn’t supply a charger, not even a lead - but most of us have a USB-C to USB lead and power pack (I used my laptop charger cable, with an iPhone power pack) to be able to charge devices like this. To be fair, the Canon PowerShot Golf was very quick to charge up again, only taking about 30-45 minutes to go from half to full charge again.

Canon PowerShot Golf: Verdict

Canon has used its wealth of camera tech and knowhow to create a unique device for golfers, a slick rangefinder that doubles as a camera. Using the Canon PowerShot Golf on the course throughout several rounds of golf, I find it to be an excellent laser rangefinder. Thanks to a bright EVF and Image Stabilization, it’s a pleasure to use on the course to zap flags to obtain accurate yardage distances and helped me pick the right club for the shot. It’s sure to help lower my scores the more I use it. Whether I'll get much use out of the basic, functional camera itself for some simple on-course photos and videos is debatable, although it is cool to be able to capture images showing the flag and distances for your records. With tiny 12mm lens diameter, and 1/3-inch 11MP sensor, image quality and focusing for images is never going to be fantastic. Overall, the Canon PowerShot Golf is an attractive proposition for all golfers, and priced competitively when compared to traditional rangefinders.

The Leica M11-D is a camera that embraces the past while embracing the cutting edge of modern photography. By removing the rear LCD screen, Leica has crafted a camera that compels photographers to focus entirely on their subject and composition, reminiscent of the analog days of film photography.

But make no mistake – the M11-D is anything but old-fashioned under the hood. The same 60 MP full-frame sensor and advanced Triple Resolution technology found in the Leica M11 offer the power and precision to capture stunning, high-quality images.

This combination of analog mindset and digital precision sets the M11-D apart from the crowd, offering a unique photographic experience that challenges the modern photographer to slow down and become more intentional with every shot. Whether you’re a street photographer looking for discretion or a purist craving a deeper connection with the craft, the M11-D stands ready as a timeless tool designed for those who value both heritage and innovation.

Leica M11-D: Specifications

Sensor: 60.3MP full-frame CMOS
Image processor: Maestro III
AF points: N/A
ISO range: 64 to 50,000
Max image size: 9,528 x 6,328
Metering modes: Spot, Center-Weighted, Multi-Field
Video: N/A
Viewfinder: Direct vision rangefinder type, 0.73x magnification, parallax compensation
Memory cards: SD/SDHC/SDXC, UHS-II
Max burst: 4.5fps
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Size: 5.8 x 3.2 x 1.51" / 147.2 x 80.3 x 38.45 mm
Weight: 1.2 lb / 539 g (With Battery)

Leica M11-D: Design & Handling

The design philosophy from Leica with the M11-D is nothing short of brilliant in its simplicity. The removal of the rear LCD screen might seem like a bold or even regressive move at first, but for those who understand Leica’s design ethos, it’s a calculated step toward immersive photography.

By eliminating the display, the M11-D encourages the photographer to engage with their surroundings and subject matter, rather than the camera itself. The result? A camera that is unassuming yet powerful, stripping away the distractions of digital previews in favor of a more mindful photographic process.

The compact size and lack of a screen give the M11-D a classic look reminiscent of Leica’s iconic film cameras. The black finish gives it an elegant yet durable exterior. While it doesn’t come with the convenience of modern ergonomics, this is in line with Leica’s traditional design approach, prioritizing minimalism over added bulk.

The decision to remove Leica’s signature red dot logo only enhances the camera’s discretion, making it an ideal choice for street photographers or those who prefer not to draw attention. The quietness and compactness of the M11-D, combined with the manual control scheme, offer a tactile and intuitive handling experience. In an era dominated by autofocus and instant image review, this camera offers a refreshing departure into a more considered, intentional style of shooting.

Leica M11-D: Performance

Beneath the classic design, the M11-D houses some of the most advanced imaging technology available. Its 60MP full-frame CMOS sensor with Triple Resolution technology is shared with the Leica M11 and M11-P, it offers three distinct resolutions – 60MP, 36MP, and 18MP – each with its advantages. The higher resolution allows for impeccable detail and large prints, while the lower resolutions provide better dynamic range and lower noise levels, especially useful in challenging lighting conditions.

One of the key aspects of using the M11-D is how it pushes you to focus on your photographic technique. Without a screen, you are forced to trust your skills in composition, lighting, and exposure. This brings an analog-like experience to the digital realm.

Much like shooting with film, the M11-D makes you pause, think, and then press the shutter only when you are confident in your frame. This thoughtful process results in more intentional images, where every shot counts.

Leica’s M-series lenses further enhance the camera’s performance. These lenses, known for their compactness and exquisite optical quality, work harmoniously with the M11-D to produce images with rich, vibrant colors and the characteristic "Leica look." The out-of-focus areas, or bokeh, are smooth and pleasing to the eye, lending a unique depth to portraits and street photography.

Focusing is manual, as with all Leica rangefinders, which can present a learning curve for some users. However, the optical viewfinder is bright and precise, allowing for accurate focusing once you get the hang of it. While this camera may not be ideal for action photography, it excels in more deliberate scenarios where you have the time to carefully compose and focus.

Leica M11-D: Sample Images

All these sample images in this review were taken across a cold but sunny week I spent with the camera. Leica also provided the excellent Leica Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH lens, which is a great length for street scenes.

Leica M11-D: Final Verdict

The Leica M11-D is more than just another variant of the M11 series—it’s a statement piece. In an era where digital cameras are loaded with features that cater to instant gratification, the M11-D takes a step back and invites photographers to slow down.

By removing the rear LCD screen, Leica forces you to rely on your instincts and trust in your abilities as a photographer. It’s a liberating experience, one that places you fully in the moment, just as film cameras did in the past.

Additionally, Leica’s forward-thinking inclusion of content credentials under the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) highlights the brand’s commitment to addressing the challenges of digital image manipulation. While this technology is still in its early stages, it has the potential to become a valuable tool in safeguarding the authenticity of images in an increasingly AI-driven world.

It’s not a camera for everyone, especially not for those who prioritize convenience. speed, and of course image review. However, for purists who crave a more mindful approach to photography, the M11-D is a dream.

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You'd be hard-pressed to find a better-looking camera than this forgotten beauty from Kodak. Okay, so the Kodak Medalist II isn’t exactly a forgotten gem. Film camera enthusiasts are well aware of this medium-format rangefinder's fine features and looks. But a couple of recent Instagram posts from @bluemooncamera showcase this 1940s time capsule in all its Art Deco-inspired glory. 

Unsurprisingly, it's piqued the Internet's interest. If you’re thinking of picking one up on the used market, you might want to get in there quickly, lest prices hike… 

The most recent video shows the Kodak Medalist II in action. Its gorgeous Ektar 100mm f/3.5 optic being retracted, its fully removable back being set aside as a new roll of 620 film is placed inside and that chunky rewind knob being used to roll the film on. But the eagle-eyed will notice that the film in question is Kodak Portra 160, a 120 roll of film. So what gives? 

The Medalist series – Kodak's golden boys

The Kodak Medalist II was launched in 1947 as the successor to the – nearly as attractive – Kodak Medalist, released in 1941. It was built for use by Allied forces during the Second World War, while the Medalist II's peacetime launch was aimed at the civilian market. Upgrades from the original Medalist included a Kodak Flash Supermatic shutter and lumenized lens coating.

Indeed, both cameras were extremely well received in their day. They both featured a retractable Ektar 100mm f/3.5 optic and shot gorgeous stills via 620 film. But despite Kodak's best efforts, 620 film never really took off. This is why @bluemooncamera is loading Kodak 160 into its Medalist II.

You see, 620 and 120 film share the same dimensions – it's the different spool sizes that cause compatibility issues. Given the greater availability of 120 film (traditionally), it's not uncommon to find 620 cameras – including the Kodak Medalist II – that have been converted to house 120 film. Worth remembering, if you're hunting on the used market. However, you can also find 120 film that’s been loaded onto a 620 spool, which is what @bluemooncamera has done in the video and has available for purchase on its website. 

The modern film camera boom has also seen greater availability of new 620 film rolls, meaning there's plenty of life in these resplendent medium-format-relics yet. But even if you come across a Medalist II that's no longer working, I can think of fewer cameras that would make a more fitting showpiece. Just check out that stunning top-down view in @bluemooncamera's Instagram post below. 

In my mind, its distinctively chunky aesthetic, gorgeous lens housing, and art deco dials make the Kodak Medalist II the best-looking camera ever made. And a true testament to its famed designer Walter Dorwin Teague.

Interested in your own slice of camera history? Check out the best film cameras and best film.

We've been fans of the Leica Q3, or in fact the Q-series of full-frame compact cameras, for a while. But what could be next? Lots of users online have said they  wish Leica would produce a 50mm lens equivalent of the very popular 28mm f/1.7 Summilux found on the Leica Q3, Q2, and the original Q.

The rumors mills started churning a few weeks ago saying that Leica could launch a Q3 with a 40mm lens. Then Leica Rumors and others on the social media platform Threads late last week were hinting that this Leica Q3 43 is real, sharing what looked like official marketing material.

Now there has been no official word from Leica, nor should we expect one until the company is ready to announce this apparent camera, but I must admit these "official" looking slides do showcase the camera off rather well, which does suggest that this new Q3 variant could soon be announced to the word.

Included in these slides is a list of the anticipated specs for this new Leica marvel which as we expected, are just the same as the Leica Q3 - but of course, there is one key factor that sets this camera apart.

This new Leica Q3 43 (if that's going to be its official name) is a 43mm APO-Summicron f/2 ASPH fixed lens incorporating the handy macro mode as seen in all Q-Seires cameras.

Another feature that is said to be "new" is that this Q3 43 will be a new color and feature a grey leatherette panel – a textured grip that would be a new feature to the Q range.

Taking a look at this new camera, the new 43mm lens does look a little bulky when you compare it to the 28mm equivalent, and while it might seem front-heavy in the images, the 43mm focal length is said to be the rough equivalent of what your eyes see. At least that's what the marketing angle Leica is going with on this Leica Q3 43 - although we have all be told for years this is what a standard 50mm is designed to give us.

What I will say though is I have used the Leica Q, and the Leica Q2, while also really enjoying the Leica Q2 Reporter I always wanted the 28mm lens to be longer, rather than having to either crop in later or use the 50mm built-in "zoom" on the Q2, so I openly welcome a higher Q-series camera to the Leica family.

While we have no official stats from Leica it has been reported via Leica Rumors that we could have an announcement as early as September 26. Until then we will have to take these rumors with a big pinch of salt!

Check out our guide to the best full-frame compact cameras

Underwater photography has been a thing of pure beauty for many years and while some of us might be used to using underwater housings for the likes of the best mirrorless cameras on the market, or you used one for your best DSLR back in the day – but have you ever thought of popping your best Leica camera into one and hitting the open waves?

I thought not, but now thanks to the masterminds at SUB13 the company has announced is it developing 26 underwater housings, divided into 13 housings for the Leica M6 and another 13 housings for the Leica M6 TTL.

This sounds bonkers to me as a Leica user, and I'm sure there are many better solutions for 35mm analog users to capture everything under the sea than plunging in with your prized Leica M6 – but each to their own! 

Each unit will feature a fully functional film advance lever crafted from titanium. This intricate internal actuator is positioned behind a curved viewing window made of sapphire glass, allowing owners to observe the complete motion of their film advance. The housing’s lever is precisely designed to mirror the radius of the viewing window below, seamlessly blending form and function.

The units are rated to a depth of 313 feet (95m) and include a fully functional frame counter viewing window, manual aperture control, and an aperture viewing window with 2x magnification sapphire glass cyclops, as well as manual focus control.

One port accommodates seven different Leica M lenses, while each unit is machined from a single piece of 6061 aluminum, with all hardware made of solid titanium that is sandblasted, hand-polished, and PVD-coated.

This is a limited production run of just 26 housings designed for 13 M6 Classics and 13 M6 TTL units available, while as a special feature, the Leica M7 can also fit into the M6 TTL housing – costings are yet to be confirmed and I have reached out to SUB13 for comment.

Prototype One is currently in testing, with an expected release in October 2024.

eBay can often be a great source for finding older retro cameras and second-hand equipment, and sometimes it can offer you a rare opportunity to collect a part of photography history.

Leica Store Lisse is a retailer in the Netherlands that specializes in Leica cameras and lenses, and they often have specialty pieces for sale in their physical and eBay stores. Its most recent rare offering is a collection of custom prototype cameras developed for iconic Leica photographer Ralph Gibson. 

Included in the collection are seven of Leica's best cameras and would be a dream purchase for any fan of the brand or Ralph Gibson – you'll just need $250,000 to do so! 

Ralph Gibson has been a long-time Leica user and last year was given the prestigious honor of being inducted into the Leica Hall of Fame. He is one of the greatest still-life photographers of a generation and has produced quite possibly the most amount of photography books by any one photographer.

His relationship with Leica Store Lisse saw them collaborate on numerous occasions over the years, including working on the project 'Mono' which was published and exhibited all over the world. 

The collection is quite a substantial haul and includes a Leica M6 Titanium, Leica MP, Leica M7, Leica M9 Monochrom camera “prototype” with signed Leica Summilux-M 1:1.4/50mm ASPH, Leica M9 Monochrom (Silver), Leica M9 M Monochrom set “Ralph Gibson”, Leica M246 Monochrom body, and a Leica “Mono” portfolio of prints. 

This is no doubt a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase such a rare and extensive collection of specialty Leica cameras. In addition to the value of the camera bodies themselves, there is more than meets the eye, with many of them signed, engraved, or personalized by Ralph Gibson himself. 

The collection is listed for $250,000 but as is the nature of eBay, is open to offers. Even if you don't want to part with that kind of money, I recommend checking out the eBay listing as more information can be found about the story behind each camera. 

You may also be interested in our guides to the best Leica cameras, the best Leica lenses, and the best Leica alternatives. 

We're still awaiting the full specs of the new Pixii Max rangefinder camera, though it sounds like I hit the nail on the head when I wrote what I wanted to see from it. 

However, one confirmed spec got me thinking more about the system – and how it could be the one and only camera for photographers who want a true monochrome camera (a Monochrom, if you're a Leica user) that can also shoot color.

I'm not a very technical person, but getting a genuine monochrome image from a camera that also shoots color with a Bayer filter sensor hasn't been 'truly' possible before – until Pixii did so with its Monochrome camera, which can also shoot color.

Well, now this technology has been further developed and integrated into its latest offering, with its new 24MP full-frame sensor. And it got me thinking: could this be the best all-in-one for those who want authentic monochrome images while also having the opportunity to shoot color?

As a photographer who has been shooting exclusively in black-and-white for over a year, and someone who only shoots black-and-white film with my Leica M2, I can say there are times that I just want to shoot color and times when I want a true black-and-white experience – like shooting on the Leica M11 Monochrom.

But thanks to some clever tech, Pixii Camera has managed to merge the two in an exciting and possibly industry-leading way. Basically, Pixii explains that all camera sensors are born monochrome, and at the silicon level each sensor pixel-counts the intensity of light – basically "seeing" in shades of grey, before the Bayer filter is added to record color.

Because of this, Pixii managed to engineer the quantity of light that can hit a defined pixel on the sensor through the Bayer filter – enabling Pixii to recreate the response of the underlying monochrome sensor, which then produces a true 16-bit monochrome RAW DNG image. 

It all  sounds like complete wizardry to me, but it would enable many photographers like myself that want true monochrome images, while also having the benefit of shooting color by simply sliding a slider within the camera app on your phone towards either Mono or Bayer (for color images)

Pixii also acknowledged that there is a slight trade-off for this magical sensor when you look at the FAQs on its website, and I've included the full Q&A below to help offer clarity: 

Q: "But I shall only be able to attain the ultimate performance with a monochrome-only sensor, right?!"

Pixii: "Sure. All other things being equal, a non-Bayer sensor gives you that extra stop of sensitivity at the same gain level and a tad more resolution as well. Please consider also that the camera itself is only part of the equation and that, without equally performant lenses, this little bit of extra performance can easily be lost. You just need to decide whether the marginal performance increase justifies buying another dedicated B&W-only camera."

Maybe this is a bit of a marketing spin to make you invest your hard-earned cash into the Pixii system rather than blowing it all on a new Leica M11 Monochrom. But the Pixii Max does something that Leicas currently can't: it takes true 16-bit RAW DNG monochrome images, while also shooting true color images at a moment's notice.

I'd love to get my hands on one to fully test this theory of mine out, as I see it would mean I'm only carrying one camera round, rather than two if I want to shoot a day full of color and black-and-white. Yes, I can just change the color profile to Black and White on my Leica – but that's not true monochrome!

So if anyone at Pixii Camera is reading this, or anyone who knows people at Pixii, then send them this article – I want to get my hands on a Max and see this awesome feature in the flesh!

You might be interested in the best cameras for black and white photography, or perhaps the best film cameras, or maybe even the best rangefinder cameras.

UPDATE: It's official, and Seb was right: Pixii has announced a full-frame rangefinder camera, the Pixii Max. 

The Pixii Max features a a 24.5MP full-frame Bayer image sensor, comes in silver or black, and is available with 32GB or 128GB of internal storage.

Read the full story here.

ORIGINAL STORY (July 03 2024: If you've been checking out the best rangefinder cameras on the market, and you've been looking for something that isn't a Leica, I'm sure you might have come across the name Pixii.

Well, the French camera company happens to have the most 'modern' rangefinders on the market. They work on an OTA (over the air) update schedule, which is always improving the cameras' features such as viewfinder displays and shutter timings, and of course making upgrades to Pixii's digital app.

Well, Pixii is about to launch a new camera tomorrow and the internet has gone wild speculating what this new camera could look like and what could be inside it.

But rather than telling you what could be, so late on the rumor cycle, I want to tell you what I want to see from Pixii as an existing Leica M-system user. So think of this as my dream wish list for the new Pixii camera…

Bigger sensor

I understand why Pixii Camera took the APS-C route to get the company up and running, as it is a more economical sensor to build around while you're developing a camera system from the ground up. However, I want to see a full-frame sensor inside a Pixii Camera. 

While I'm not that fussed about its megapixels (24MP would be more than enough), I think it's about time that the fourth camera launched by the company is full-frame. This way it's a good alternative to Leica cameras, and a whole lot cheaper, too (if a $3,000 camera can be called "cheap"!).

Just one memory option

The current Pixii ethos is to come out with a new camera and have various options for built-in memory, from 32GB up to 128GB. I think it should just go with the 128GB option and make things simpler for the end user. 

Leica has 256GB of built-in memory on the Leica M11-P, so if Pixii opted for 128GB it wouldn't "overpower" Leica but would give users a more solid and affordable option.

Built-in viewfinder magnification

While using lenses such as a 35mm, or 50mm the focusing match is quite easy to use. However, when it comes to wider lenses (from 21-28mm) or longer lenses (from 90-135mm) it becomes a more tricky ordeal. 

Pixii thought of this, and added up to 1.5x magnification eyepieces to its range. But for a company that does all its updates OTA, without the need for SD cards, I would love to see built-in magnification so you can check on-the-fly that you have critical focus before pressing that shutter button. 

Advertise the hardware upgrades

While this isn't really a feature, Pixii is quite advanced in some upgrade options for its users. And while I have already mentioned the company's OTA firmware updates, I haven't mentioned its hardware upgrade option – which means that any user who owns an older Pixii model has the choice to upgrade to the latest camera from Pixii.

This includes the company bringing out a new sensor, for instance. Instead of buying a brand new camera, you can just buy a new sensor and Pixii will fit in the new parts for you – saving you a heap on your initial investment. It just needs to really shout this from the rooftops, as I think it's a very neat feature!

You might be interested in the best Leica M lenses to go with your Pixii – or, indeed, one of the best Leica cameras using the M mount.  

If you have been following my journey from being a pro sports photographer to finding my way in the big wide world of street photography, you will also know that sold pretty much all my Nikon equipment and reinvested in the Leica M system. Which I think was the best move I've ever made – but has it also been a good financial investment?

I thought long and hard about what Leica M camera I wanted to choose for my main shooter, and while I really wanted the Leica M10-R (as that was the first Leica I ever held and used, which also made me fall in love with the brand in the first place) it just wasn't in the budget!

So I looked elsewhere and ended up choosing the Leica M-E Typ 220, which was basically the entry-level Leica M9 back in the day – but this CCD full-frame camera has now become a collector's item. Even when I've been using it day-in, day-out, it's still worth more now than I paid for it. So maybe Leica could be a good investment?

I originally bought my Leica M-E for just £1,300 (about $1,645 / AU$2,470) back in 2022. It was like new, came with all its original box and accessories, and still to this day even has the original film protector on the bottom plate of the camera. Which is big deal to Leica users, apparently – something I had no idea about until pointed out to me by other Leica users, when I was out and about getting used to the camera.

A couple of years went by of me really enjoying shooting with my Leica M-E, and the wonderful colors it produces from its fantastic CCD sensor and rich blacks and crisp whites from its mono files. I got talking to other Leica users and they said the M9 is back in demand due to its CCD sensor, and I should look up how much mine is worth. Yes it's the "entry model", but not many where made – and to my surprise, the price has skyrocketed to  £2,500 in the UK and $2,600 in the US for one in the same condition as mine.

I couldn't believe it, my camera purchase had actually appreciated in value – and this camera was launched in 2012, so it's now 12 years old, which is practically obsolete compared to the best mirrorless cameras of 2024. 

Obviously I was thrilled to find this out, but it didn't tempt me to sell it right away – but it was nice to know that, if I ever wanted to, I'd get more than my money back!

However, this wasn't the only time this happened. While really enjoying the colors of the Leica M-E, I was also looking at betting back into film photography – and was naturally looking into the Leica M system again for a suitable film camera. I mostly shoot with a 50mm so I was recommended the Leica M3, but having used and reviewed the Leica M-A I fell in love with the aesthetics of the Leica M2.

Fast-forward and I found an M2 from 1965 without the self-timer – just what I wanted, and what was even better is I picked it up for a steal at just £800 ($1,000 / AU$1,500). Now, I never intended this to be another "investment". I just wanted a nice camera to shoot film on, and quite frankly I think it's the best camera I've ever owned, but again after a year of using it I did a bit of research on eBay and KEH – and saw that the prices had soared again!

This time a like-for-like Leica M2 was now going for £1,600 / $1,900. Like before this didn't make me want to sell it and reinvest in other Leica gear, but it got me thinking: is Leica really the only camera brand that you can buy second-hand and then sell on at a profit? Maybe.

It just goes to show that you can still buy second-hand equipment, enjoy it, and sometimes make money on it if you ever want to sell it again. 

This isn't financial advice, and nor am I recommending that everyone invest in Leica cameras to sit on them and resell, but it does go to show that Leicas are a good investment if you can buy them at the right price. And who knows; maybe in the future I will find that Leica M10-R at a good price, and it might also be worth a little extra down the road.

I guess the old adage is true, it's all about "knowing your onions". Maybe I know my Leicas!

You might be interested in the best Leica cameras, along with the best Leica M lenses for rangefinders and the best Leica SL lenses for mirrorless cameras. 

If you’ve ever yearned for the authentic “shooting film” experience on a digital camera, you might have tried every trick in the book. Perhaps you’ve limited your shots to a mere 24 or 36, used a low-capacity SD card, or even opted to shoot exclusively in black-and-white to capture that nostalgic essence. 

But there’s one camera that has consistently stood out to me as the epitome of this hybrid experience—a camera that balances a digital workflow with the soul of an old film camera: the Leica M10-D. Now the rumor mills have been turning and it looks like the Leica M11-D will be coming – but we have now read that the launch is delayed yet again.

In a world where screens dominate every digital device, Leica dared to remove it entirely, with the M-D series of cameras,  leaving behind a beautifully minimalist design that mirrors the classic film cameras of yesteryear. When it was first released, this screenless marvel cost a whopping $7,000, and I have always longed to own one. For me, it represents the pinnacle of analog shooting in the digital age.

Yet, my dreams of owning the Leica M-D have remained just that—dreams. The camera is either too elusive on the second-hand market or far too expensive for my current budget. 

But hope springs eternal, and rumors are swirling that Leica will launch the Leica M11-D later this year. The Leica M11-D promises to be another step forward in blending digital technology with the tactile joy of analog photography, and if it does see the light of day, I’ll be the first in line to get my hands on one.

The -D series in the M-camera lineup has a fascinating history, beginning with the Leica M-D (Typ 262), which made its debut in 2016. This was the first time Leica removed the rear LCD screen and buttons, replacing them with a back ISO panel reminiscent of Leica’s iconic M film cameras. 

In place of the screen, the M-D featured an ASA dial, now updated with ISO markings linked to the camera’s electronics, and it shot exclusively in RAW DNG. This innovative design was a game-changer for photographers who craved a digital camera that felt like an analog one. It also allowed users to change camera settings and preview images directly on their phones—an early precursor to the connectivity features we love in today’s Leica M11, M11 Monochrom, and the newly announced Leica M11-P.

Now, I know some of you might think I’m a bit mad for desiring a camera without a screen in this day and age, and some might even say Leica is crazy for producing such a device. But honestly, when Leica releases the M11-D, it will be the perfect digital companion to my cherished Leica M2 and my CCD-sensor-based Leica M-E.

There’s something irresistibly quirky and wonderfully unconventional about the -D series that draws me in. The idea of owning and using one daily fills me with excitement and anticipation. At this point, I don’t just want one—I need one!

Adding to the suspense and excitement is the recent leak of the entire manual for the yet-to-be-officially-announced Leica M11-D. According to LeicaRumors, this significant piece of news slipped onto the internet, offering a tantalizing glimpse of what’s to come. 

While this might be a blow to Leica’s meticulously planned launch, for me and countless other Leica enthusiasts, it’s a beacon of hope that the camera we’ve been dreaming of is indeed on its way.

So, to all fellow Leica aficionados and those who share my passion for the unique and the exceptional, let’s keep our fingers crossed. The Leica M11-D, with its perfect blend of digital precision and analog charm, might soon be a reality. And when it is, I’ll be ready to welcome it into my collection with open arms.

The Fujifilm GFX 50R was the first mirrorless medium format camera I ever used, way back in 2017. And even today, it's a very capable camera (if a bit creaky, compared to its 2024 contemporaries). 

So I'm left wondering, why haven't we had a new Fujifilm GFX 50R? 

When it comes to medium format, Fujifilm has instead focused on its SLR-styled cameras, giving us half a dozen iterations of the GFX 50S, GFX 100S and GFX100. 

And I think that tells a huge part of the story: Fujifilm is focusing on SLR cameras.

Because it's not just the Fujifilm GFX 50R; rangefinder-style X Series bodies like the X-Pro3 and X-E4 seem to have fallen by the wayside. The only rangefinder-style camera in its current lineup is the X100VI. 

So it certainly feels that these two points are related. Are cameras styled after rangefinders simply not as popular as those that look like SLRs? I guess so, because I can't think of any other reason why the Fujifilm GFX 50R has been put out to pasture.

(Ditto the X-Pro and X-E lines, for that matter.) 

The 50R is smaller, lighter and crucially cheaper than the 50S and 50S II, thanks in part to its lack of in-body image stabilization (IBIS). Now, I happen to think that IBIS is essential in this day and age, but I'm aware that not everyone feels that way. 

A Fujifilm GFX 50R II, as a budget option without IBIS, could be a very compelling option – and a key weapon in Fujifilm's goal of encouraging more full frame and even APS-C photographers to graduate to medium format. 

Admittedly, the GFX lineup feels a bit crowded and confusing at the moment, but I genuinely think there's a home for a new medium format rangefinder. Come on, Fujifilm – give me back my rectangular cameras! 

The best Fujifilm cameras include some of the best medium format cameras, the best compact cameras and the best instant cameras you can buy!

Ricoh has released two new cameras into its line-up of waterproof digital compact cameras with two new models: the entry level Pentax WG-1000 and the more advanced Pentax WG-8. 

While some might think this is an exciting expansion of the adventure camera market, to some eagle-eyed followers of Ricoh, including our less than impressed Imaging Labs manager Ben Andrews, it may be hard to spot the updates. Ricoh bought Pentax back in 2011, and looks like it is now starting to use the Pentax brand more widely - using it for compact cameras once again

A quick comparison would suggest that our initial fears were correct, and there is no difference between the Pentax WG-8 and its predecessor the Ricoh WG-6 – other than the change of brand and model number.

Both can withstand temperatures of minus 10° C, remain waterproof down to depths of up to 20 meters, and are shockproof against falls from a height of 2.1 meters. 

They’re even the same price at $399.95 / £479. 

The 20-megapixel camera has a 5x zoom range, with an equivalent focal lens range of 28-140mm f/3.5-4.5. The camera has built-in GPS for geolocation, and has an microscope-like macro mode that is aided by a built-in ringlight.

A key difference is that the WG-8 will be available in green, as well as black (the Ricoh WG-6 was offered in orange or black). It will go on sale from July.

With the WG-1000 joins the Pentax range as the baby brother to the WG-8 and the the previously released Pentax WG-90, that was launched in January.

The budget model can  manage depths of 15 meters for up to one hour of continuous use. It's shockproof against a fall from a height of 6.5 meters, but is not designed for sub-zero temperatures

The WG-1000 features a back-illuminated 16.35-megapixel CMOS image sensor with approximately 16.35 effective megapixels, and has a 4x zoom lens.

The key attraction here is the price - which at $229.99 / £249 makes it an attractive low-cost option for use on the beach or for water sport activities. It will be sold in a choice of grey or olive colorways when it goes on sale at the end of June.

Despite these slightly confusing ‘updates’ on the new releases, we applaud Ricoh for continuing to make compact digital cameras when many other brands have abandoned these pocket cameras entirely - following continuing improvement to camera phones.

If you don't want a Pentax, check out our guides to the best travel cameras, the best action cameras, and the top waterproof cameras around. 

The 44th edition of the legendary Leitz Photographica Auction, held on June 8 at Leitz Park in Wetzlar, Germany, was a captivating event, brimming with a rich tapestry of historical treasures. 

With over 400 lots, the auction showcased an eclectic mix of vintage cameras, lenses, and historical photographic accessories, drawing collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. Among the remarkable items was a Leica MP2 Black Paint from 1958, a piece originally crafted for the demanding world of professional photojournalism.

This camera, one of only six ever made in its black paint version, stole the show by achieving the auction’s highest price, fetching an astonishing 1,560,000 euros (approx $1.6m / £1.3m / AU$2.5m).

A special highlight of this year's auction was the charity lot—a Leica Summilux 1.4/35mm lens prototype. This unique piece sold for 33,600 euros (approximately $36,000 / £28,300 / AU$55,000) with all proceeds benefiting the charitable organization “Licht ins Dunkel.” This addition underscores the auction's commitment not only to preserving photographic history but also to supporting noble causes through its charitable contributions.

Leitz Photographica Auction has long been synonymous with rare and historic rangefinder cameras, particularly those from Leica. These black paint versions are especially prized by collectors, and the Leica MP2 black paint stands as a prime example. 

Leica’s production of the MP2 was a limited test series from the late 1950s, with only 27 units ever made. The rarity of the black paint variant, with just six in existence, ensured that this camera drew significant attention and competition from bidders, solidifying its status as a coveted gem in the world of vintage photography.

Alexander Sedlak, Managing Director of Leitz Photographica Auction. had this to say after the sale:

"We are particularly pleased that our auction house was able to achieve a result of 1,560,000 euros for the Leica MP2 on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the legendary Leica M. The result emphasises the exceptional popularity that the Leica M system still enjoys today, both among collectors and professional photographers. It also speaks for the high level of trust in our auction house”.

Early 35mm cameras are highly sought after by collectors, and the Leica I Mod. A. Luxus, auctioned at Leitz Photographica Auction 44, is a prime example. This camera, dating back to 1931, features a gold-plated body and a distinctive leather covering, making it a standout piece. 

With the serial number 48438, this "Luxus" model is one of the few that remains in its original, unrestored condition. Estimated to sell for between 240,000 and 300,000 euros, the camera ultimately fetched an impressive 288,000 euros ($309k/£242k/AU$469k), including the premium.

In keeping with its tradition of supporting charitable causes, Leitz Photographica Auction dedicated a special lot to charity. This time, it was a prototype of the classic Leica Steel-Rim Summilux 1.4/35 mm lens. 

Originally introduced in 1961 and produced in various versions for over three decades, the prototype up for auction was part of a limited test batch. With a unique serial number of 0000030 and four distinctive screws on the front rim.

These features are not found on the production models, this rare lens sold for 33,600 euros (roughly US$36k). The entire proceeds were donated to the Austrian charity organization Licht ins Dunkel.

The Leica MP has earned its place among the best Leica cameras, and the best film cameras available today, despite its luxury price tag. Renowned for delivering a fully mechanical photography experience, the Leica MP continues to uphold the brand's legacy, offering modern photographers a connection to the golden age of film.

So, how does this 35mm film camera, rooted in a 60+ year-old design, fare in today's world? 

Leica MP: Specifications

Leica MP: Price

Leica MP: Design & Handling

Handling the Leica MP is a joy, thanks to its balanced weight and tactile controls. The camera's solid brass construction offers a satisfying heft, reminiscent of Leica's long-standing tradition of quality. One noteworthy aspect is the front battery door compartment, which some users could find slightly awkward in the hand, and does require a bit of adjustment.

Loading film into the MP is straightforward, leveraging Leica's rapid loading system from the M4. However, touching the film is unnecessary, as the camera's leveling wheel ensures proper alignment, so please everyone stop touching the film, you're loading your Leica's wrong!

The manual film rewind process, though not as quick as modern systems, is smooth and satisfying, adding to the camera's charm, and bringing the rewind screw-knob back into fashion, once seen on the Leica M3 and Leica M2. It's a nice touch, but be prepared to turn it in for a while before being able to change films, which is again something I enjoy a lot - others might not.

The built-in light meter can be a significant advantage, simplifying exposure calculations compared to the Leica M-A. However,  on testing I found that the light meter was underexposing by at least one stop, this could be due to a spot-metering preference - but I couldn't find anything in the Leica literature to confirm these thoughts. Furthermore, the Leica MP's manual nature still requires a good understanding of exposure settings, encouraging photographers to master their craft.

The Leica MP is crafted from solid brass, giving it a substantial weight that feels both robust and reassuring in the hand. This heft contributes to its stability during shooting, which is particularly beneficial for handheld photography in various conditions. 

Despite its weight, the camera is well-balanced. When paired with lenses like the 35mm Summicron f/2 or 50mm Summilux f/1.4, the camera-lens combination feels harmonious, aiding in steady handling and precise control.

The layout of the Leica MP’s controls is designed with simplicity and efficiency in mind. The shutter speed dial, located on the top plate, is easily accessible and allows for quick adjustments. The film advance lever is smooth and satisfying to operate, contributing to the camera’s tactile pleasure. Each frame is advanced with a crisp, mechanical feel that enhances the shooting experience. 

The Leica MP’s rangefinder is renowned for its precision. The bright, high-contrast viewfinder provides clear frame lines for multiple focal lengths from 28mm all the way up to 135mm allowing photographers to compose their shots accurately. 

The standard 0.72x magnification is versatile, but other magnifications (0.58x and 0.85x) are available for different shooting styles and preferences, but these are custom orders from Leica. 

Leica MP: Performance

While the Leica MP does need a battery for its built-in light meter, it is fully mechanical, meaning it operates independently of the batteries. This ensures that the camera is always ready to shoot, without the worry of electronic malfunctions or battery depletion. 

The mechanical shutter is highly reliable and offers speeds from 1 second to 1/1000 sec, plus Bulb mode for long exposures. This range is sufficient for most lighting conditions and creative needs.

The inclusion of a built-in light meter is one of the MP’s significant advantages over its sibling, the Leica M-A. The light meter uses a traditional arrow and dot display in the viewfinder, providing real-time exposure feedback. This feature simplifies exposure settings, allowing photographers to quickly and hopefully accurately adjust their aperture and shutter speed to match the scene's lighting conditions - once you are used to it!

The frame counter on the Leica MP automatically advances with each frame and resets when the bottom plate is removed. However, some users might find the frame counter markings (only indicating 0, 5, 10, etc.) slightly hard to read precisely.

A small drawback is the lack of a shutter lock. If the shutter is cocked and the camera is placed in a bag, there’s a risk of accidentally firing a frame. This necessitates mindful handling, especially with expensive or limited-availability film stocks. 

Leica MP: Sample Images

Leica MP: Verdict

The Leica MP’s shooting experience is immersive and rewarding. The manual controls and mechanical feedback provide a tactile and engaging process, allowing photographers to feel deeply connected to their craft. 

The Leica MP offers an unparalleled handling and performance experience that appeals to both analog enthusiasts and professional photographers. Its robust construction, intuitive controls, precise rangefinder, and reliable mechanical operation combine to create a camera that is both a joy to use and capable of producing outstanding photographic results. 

While there are minor quirks, such as the front battery door and the absence of a shutter lock, these are easily overshadowed by the camera's overall excellence. For those committed to the art of film photography, the Leica MP is a timeless investment that promises a lifetime of exceptional performance.

Alternatives

So let's address the elephant in the Leica room... the whole manual for the no officially confirmed Leica M11-D has just been dropped online via LeicaRumors 

While I think it might be a blow for Leica's launch plans – a new major updated and specialist camera being dropped into the world wide web before launch – it's a joy to me and many other users of the Leica brand to hear this novel camera seems destined to be on the way to market with an official manual! 

Suppose you're aiming to replicate the "shooting film" experience with digital cameras. In that case, you've probably tried various methods: limiting your shots to 24 or 36, using a low-capacity SD card, or shooting exclusively in black-and-white to evoke that timeless nostalgia. The Leica M11-D combines all of this into the digital age, with an analog vision, and yes I want one.

Now, I know many of you might think I'm crazy for wanting one, and Leica is crazy for making them but, honestly, when Leica releases the M11-D, it could be the ideal digital companion to my Leica M2 and my CCD sensor-based Leica M-E.

Maybe I’m drawn to it because of its quirkiness and its defiance of convention, but either way, I believe owning and using one day in and day out would be a total joy. At this point, I don't just want one, I NEED one!

So what does this manual 'confirm' (assuming it's not an elaborate hoax)?

1. The rear dial on the back is the ISO dial as we saw on the original Leica M-D, which I and many others will be thrilled about!

2. It will have the popular frame lines of 35mm/135 mm, 50mm/75 mm, and 28mm/90mm lenses.

3. The externals and dimensions of the M11-D will be identical to that of the Leica M11 – except that the rear screen is gone, of course!

I think this camera will be a very exciting development for Leica. However, I do wish they implemented a few extra things to make it a 'true' analog experience. 

One thing I really wish Leica implemented was a tactile shutter-cocking film advance like we have seen on the Epson R-1D  – that would be a true masterpiece!

Another thing I saw floating around the internet, which I think would have been a neat idea would be either to restrict the device to 36 images before you have to dump them onto your phone or laptop to continue, or just have jpeg-only.

I know this is a VERY far-out option that would normally never make any sense in any universe, but we are talking about a digital camera without an LCD screen and no in-body means to review your images – very old school (though admittedly a phone changes that).

Does the above image look familiar to you? Chances are, if you've ever picked up a camera, you've experienced focus hunting – the phenomenon whereby the camera and lens are unable to identify the plan of focus inhabited by your subject, and endlessly drives forwards and backwards through a set range of focus "hunting" for it.

Well, Canon has just designed a new focus technology that sets out to solve this issue – something that would make millions of photographers, especially me, jump for joy. 

The patent (2024-073200) (originally spotted by Canon Rumors) describes the solution as follows: "The focus control device includes a focus detection means for performing focus detection by a phase difference detection system, and a control means for controlling the drive of a focus lens included in an optical system based on a focus detection result obtained by the focus detection. 

"In a search operation of acquiring a focus detection result while driving the focus lens in a search direction, the controller sets a drivable range of the focus lens based on the search direction and a position of the focus lens, and when a focus detection result for a position within the drivable range is obtained, the focus lens is driven based on the focus detection result, and when a focus detection result for a position outside the drivable range is obtained, the focus lens is driven in the search direction without using the focus detection result."

As with most patents, deciphering the technical jargon is pretty tricky. In short, the system comprehensively determines the search direction and autofocus direction, and calculates the difference between the search start position and the current position. 

The system then continuously determines the search and defocus direction based on the current and previous frame, until it ultimately establishes the correct focus drive amount and search direction to find the correct plane of focus. 

There's obviously much more to it than that – including plenty of diagrams and flow charts – but I think that's the gist of it. 

The caveat, as always, is that this technology may never find its way into a final product. After all, Canon has been a prolific patenter for almost 40 years and secured nearly 3,000 patents in 2023 – so there's no guarantee that this will go anywhere.

But if it does… boy, will my hat be off to the designers behind it.   

You might be interested in the best Canon cameras, as well as the best Canon lenses for DSLRs and best Canon RF lenses for mirrorless. 

If you love the iconic Leica and you have been thinking of taking the plunge, the Leica Q3 might have already have caught your eye. Now there are 24 more reasons for it to, in the form of a range of vivid leather colors.

There is, however, something of a restriction. For now, anyway, it is only Leica Singapore who are allowing new Q3 buyers to ditch that stealthy black Leica Q3 and their personality with these tones. 

In that tried and tested tone, though, some less brand-loyal shoppers might even be looking at the Fujifilm X100VI as a possible choice for best rangefinder camera, but style can change that for some and – in Singapore at least – color is a choice now! Admittedly some of the colors look rather similar to those now available on the new Panasonic S9. Coincidence? I don't think so. (Panasonic have cooperated with Leica since 2000.)

But I will give Leica its due, as Leica is known to offer an "à la carte" to special customers, and the company has offered this 'menu' with the likes of the Leica M10, Leica M10-R, and older models, and I can imagine it will be open to the Leica M11 too if you have enough to pay for it!

With these 24 vivid colors you can choose from outrageous Zinco yellow to a more mellow Passion burgundy, and everything else in between. Some of these colors I would love to have on my Leica M-system, like the Aquatic blue – I think that would look amazing on one of my Leica M's, much like the Blue navy M2's. (If you know, you know!)

Sadly, these new colorway options, which only cost you an extra S$250 (Singapore dollars), roughly US$185, are currently only available to purchase from Leica Singapore, but that's not to say these might not be available in the US, UK, or elsewhere.

I have reached out to both Leica Camera USA and Leica UK for comments to see if this customization to the Leica Q3 will come to these regions. I will update this article with their response.

I think this would be an amazing option to extend the hype over the Leica Q3 and allow users to personalize it. It offers each owner the chance to affect their mood and feel; I know I'd certainly like to see an Amaranto red Leica Q3 in the flesh!

For street photography and general shooting, a classic 35mm focal length is one of my favorites, at least with a full-frame camera. The medium format Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 R WR is as close as makes no difference, having an ‘effective’ focal length of 36mm due to the larger image sensors in Fujifilm GFX bodies, which are among the all-time best Fujifilm cameras. I’ve tested and reviewed nearly all of Fujifilm’s GF lenses and have been universally impressed. This 45mm prime is pretty mid-range in terms of size, weight and price but is a definite contender for taking up residence in the best Fujifilm GF lenses hall of fame.

Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 R WR: Specifications

Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 R WR: Price & Availability

In terms of size, weight, aperture rating, and purchase price, the GF 45mm sits between the slimline Fujifilm GF 50mm F3.5 R LM WR ($999 / £949 / AU$1,649) and the epic bokehlicious Fujifilm GF 55mm F1.7 R WR ($2,299 / £2,249 / AU$3,899).

Naturally, the GF 45mm has a slightly shorter focal length than both of these lenses so gives a little extra viewing width. It’s priced at $1,699 / £1,579 / AU$1,999. If you want to go wider still, prime options include the ultra-wide Fujifilm GF 23mm F4 R LM WR ($2,599 / £2,389 / AU$3,999).

Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 R WR: Design & Handling

There’s no getting away from the fact that medium format lenses tend to be quite bulky. It’s only natural, as they need to deliver a significantly larger image circle than lenses for full-frame cameras. Even so, I like that the GF 45mm is reasonably compact and lightweight for its class, measuring 84x88mm and weighing an easily manageable 490g. It’s certainly no burden, even when pounding city streets for hours on end, looking for photo opportunities. And the effective 36m focal length (in full-frame terms) is perfect for street photography.

I’m a sucker for the usual Fujifilm GF trappings. Typical of the breed, the lens features the usual aperture control ring, which enables hands-on adjustment in one-third f/stop clicks from f/2.8 right down to f/32. It’s often easy to nudge the aperture ring out of place accidentally, so I also like the inclusion of a ring lock release button, which operates in A or C settings. Auto enables the aperture value to be set automatically by the camera body, whereas Command allows aperture adjustment from the camera’s command dial. 

There’s no de-click option for the aperture ring, which would be useful for shooting video. Even so, Fujifilm’s GFX cameras haven’t historically been particularly well suited to video capture, although the Fujifilm GFX 100 II has changed that with strong video performance.

The optical path is based on 11 elements in 8 groups, with a well-rounded 9-blade aperture diaphragm. There’s an aspherical element and two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements in the line-up, aiming to enhance clarity and reduce unwanted aberrations. 

Although fairly lightweight for a medium format lens, the GF 45mm feels sturdy and very well-engineered. Like other GF lenses, it’s extensively weather-sealed and has an ambient temperature rating that extends down to -10 degrees Celsius (14F).

Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 R WR: Photo Performance

I enjoyed testing the GF 45mm with a Fujifilm GFX 100 II camera body. The 102 megapixel image sensor of this camera certainly places great demands on the resolving power of lenses. The GF 45mm came through with flying colors, delivering exceptional sharpness and clarity even when shooting wide-open at f/2.8. Color quality is similarly impressive, and there’s good resistance to ghosting and flare.

There’s virtually nothing to see in terms of color fringing and distortion so, all things considered, the lens is stellar performer. Autofocus is very snappy and quick to lock on, making it hard to miss a shot even in rapidly changing street photography scenarios. The GF 45mm is simply a superb lens.

Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 R WR: Sample Images

The example images in the following gallery were taken in sunny conditions at Bristol Docks in the UK, using the lens with a Fujifilm GFX 100 II camera body.

Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 R WR: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Levels of sharpness are spectacular across the whole image frame when shooting wide-open at f/2.8, and become even better when stopping down a little to f/4.

Fringing:

Color fringing is very negligible and generally impossible to spot even out at the edges and corners of the image frame.

Distortion: -1.49

There’s a little barrel distortion but it’s not generally noticeable and is of a very uniform nature, making it easy to correct.

Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 R WR: Verdict

The Fujifilm GF 45mm F2.8 R WR is one of my outright favorite GF lenses, and that’s really saying something because I’ve been highly impressed with all of them. I find the ‘effective’ 36mm focal length in full-frame terms makes the lens very versatile for street photography and walkabout shooting, the lens is relatively compact and lightweight, and image quality is superb. It’s a definite keeper.

Alternatives

The Leica M6 is cemented as one of the greatest cameras in history and was used by some of the most notable photographers of all time. The 35mm analog camera was incredibly popular in documentary, photojournalism, and what is now considered street photography, and was a particular favorite of one of its founding fathers, Henri Cartier-Breeson. 

Bonhams, an auction house in London, has an exceptional piece of photography history going up for auction. Not only is it one of the best Leica cameras of all time, it belonged to a legend of the medium - Richard Avedon. 

This one-of-a-kind camera is an apple green Leica M6 that was specially commissioned by Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Al-Thani and gifted to Richard Avedon in 2001. Renowned as a huge photography enthusiast, Al-Thani commissioned six M6 cameras from Leica and gifted them to Irving Penn, Helmut Newton, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Khalifa Al-Obaidly, Richard Avedon, and Sebastião Salgado – 6 of the most eminent photographers of the time.

Avedon's apple green leather-bodied camera was number 4 of 6 and was presented to him while working in his New York studio in 2001. The camera is inscribed 'As a gift to Richard Avedon', and features the signature of Al-Thani. The M6 also comes with a Summilux-M f/1.4 50mm lens, a classic combination.

It is stated that Avedon never in fact used this camera for taking photographs. A lot of Avedon's work was created with either large or medium format cameras, such as an 8x10 or a Rolleiflex, and with the uniqueness of the piece, this camera was likely kept as a keepsake and most likely has never been exposed to a roll of film (or exposed one!)

Avedon's Leica M6 with lens is lot number 65 in an upcoming auction at Bonhams on April 24, 2024, and the estimated cost of taking home a piece of photographic history is between £30,000 - £50,000 / $37,000 – $62,000.

See our guides for more information on the best Leica cameras, the best Leica M lenses, and the best Leica alternatives. 

Canon’s big white telephoto lenses are widely respected for their quality and performance, I can’t argue with many of the world’s most demanding professional sports and wildlife photographers. The EF-mount range includes some of the best Canon lenses for DSLRs, while the growing range of RF-mount options widens the remit for the best Canon telephoto lenses for both DSLRs and EOS R-series mirrorless cameras.

The RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM is the fastest of Canon’s big guns, coupling a generous super-telephoto focal length with a fast f/2.8 aperture. This gives the double bonus of delivering a tight depth of field when you want it, and fast shutter speeds for freezing movement when you need to, even under dull lighting conditions. But we’ve been here before, as I’ll come to next.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: What's changed?

The short answer to ‘what’s changed’ is very little. Back in 2018, Canon announced new versions of its EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM and EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM super-telephoto primes, with a weight loss of about 25% and 20% respectively, plus some performance enhancements. The ‘new’ RF editions of the lenses are essentially the same as the EF versions with a few tweaks. Most notably, an RF mount is built into the back of the lenses, saving the use of a separate EF-EOS R mount adapter, and the RF versions are rewired for EOS R electronics, which have a much faster data transfer rate and can enhance the performance of autofocus and optical image stabilization. The focus distance scales of the EF lenses have been stripped but, apart from these changes, the new RF lenses are fundamentally the same as their EF forebears.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Specifications

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Price & Availability

There’s no getting away from the fact that this is a very expensive lens, tagged at $11,999 / £13,119 / AU$19,999. Even so, that’s what I’d expect to pay for a lens of this type, quality, and performance and the pricing is actually identical to the older EF-mount version of the lens. Due to the price, it’s not the sort of lens you can expect to buy over the counter at small photographic retailers but is widely available from larger online stores.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Design & Handling

The design and handling are everything I could hope for in a top-flight, super-telephoto prime lens. The optical path features two fluorite glass elements which reduce the overall weight and enhance optical quality. By way of comparison, the F-mount Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR which also includes two fluorite elements is about a kilogram heavier. However, the newer Z-mount Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S is about the same weight as the Canon, despite also featuring a built-in 1.4x teleconverter which can be engaged or disengaged instantly.

The optical design also includes an SUD (Super Ultra-low Dispersion) element to enhance clarity and minimize color fringing. High-tech Air Sphere Coating and Canon’s more conventional Super Spectra Coating are both utilized to minimize ghosting and flare. Fluorine coatings are applied to the front and rear elements to repel moisture and grease.

Electronic enhancements over the older EF lens include faster RF processing power. There’s a dual ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system for super-speedy AF, and the effectiveness of the optical image stabilizer is boosted from 5 stops to 5.5-stops. Further bonuses include variable speed manual focus and two focus presets.

Onboard controls are identical to those of the EF lens. There’s a triple-mode image stabilizer switch for static and panning shots, as well as a third option which only applied stabilization during exposures. This makes it easier to track erratically moving subjects. Focus preset comes with an optional beep.

You can set two preset focus distances and swap between them using the ‘Playback ring’ You can also use this ring for the motorized ‘Power focus’ mode, with the option of three different speeds available via a switch, which is handy when shooting video. Focus mode and focus range limiter switches are fitted at the rear. Towards the front is a rank of customizable function buttons positioned around the circumference of the lens, typically used for AF-hold.

The most obvious difference in the RF lens compared with the EF model is that it adds a native EOS R mount. About an inch long and finished in brushed metal, it sticks out rather like a saw thumb, as the rest of the lens is coated with a white ‘heat shield’ finish. Just forward of the RF mount section is a 52mm drop-in filter holder, as in the EF lens. As I’d expect, the lens is extensively weather-sealed, and it’s supplied with exactly the same ET-155 (WIII) lens hood and LS400 lens case as the EF version.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Photo Performance

Although the two fluorite elements save weight and enable a better center of gravity, the lens is still a hefty beast, at just under 2,890g (6.37lbs). Even so, I found short periods of handheld shooting perfectly viable, for which the 5.5-stop image stabilizer lives up to its billing. Autofocus is very fast, snapping onto subjects almost instantly and making the most of the advanced tracking facilities in recent EOS R-series cameras. I tested this taking photos of my grandkids and cat at play in the garden.

Naturally, if you’re going to spend the big bucks on a super-telephoto lens with a fast aperture of f/2.8, image quality is paramount when shooting wide-open. I found the lens was really impressive at f/2.8, delivering superb sharpness and contrast, along with really smooth bokeh. Performance remained excellent when I tested the lens with Canon’s Extender RF 1.4x and Extender RF 2x teleconverters, adding yet more telephoto power and versatility.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Sample Images

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Lab Results

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Levels of sharpness are very good, and remarkably consistent across the whole image frame, even when shooting wide-open at f/2.8. They only drop off a little even at f/16, a little more noticeably at f/22, due to the usual problem of diffraction at very narrow apertures.

Fringing:

There’s barely any lateral chromatic aberration to be seen even at the extreme edges and corners of the image frame, throughout the entire aperture range. And that’s with automatic in-camera correction disabled.

Distortion: 0.42

There’s very little pincushion distortion which will generally go unnoticed in ‘real-world’ shooting. As with color fringing, that’s with automatic in-camera correction disabled.

Canon RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM: Verdict

The only thing wrong with this lens is that I can’t afford it. And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. Sure, it’s a weighty beast but the handling, image quality and all-round performance are epic. And yes, it tips the scales at just under 3kg but, considering the combination of 400mm super-telephoto length and fast f/2.8 aperture, that’s actually pretty good. I found fairly short stints of handheld shooting entirely viable, for which the 5.5-stop image stabilizer really earns its keep. Bear in mind that the directly competing Nikon F-mount rival to this lens is about a kilogram heavier. So while I can’t afford to buy one, I’d certainly earmark it for hiring when special occasions crop up.

Alternatives

Nikon’s newly-announced Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens and its incredible 14.2x zoom offers a one-stop solution to one of the biggest mistakes that new or keen-to-upgrade photographers make: throwing their entire budget into a camera body, and overlooking the lenses. 

Sure, there’s nothing quite like picking up a state-of-the-art mirrorless body, but while faster and more accurate AF, a better sensor and eye-watering burst speeds might change the way you shoot, these specs are unlikely to change what you can shoot.

You could spend thousands and thousands on a flagship Nikon Z9, arguably the best camera for sports photography in existence. But if all you’ve got to go with it is a Z 24-70mm f/4 S, you’ve got yourself an F1 car and a set of slicks in the pouring rain. 

Give me a first-gen Nikon Z6 and a Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR, or a D500 and 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR to photograph sports or wildlife over that Z9 and standard-zoom setup every day of the week. You need only look back at the jaw-dropping photographs captured by analog photographers over the years for proof that modern cameras are a luxury, not a necessity. 

Optics are infinitely more important than cameras, and that’s precisely why Nikon’s new super-duper superzoom is such a big deal for Z-series users. If you’re an enthusiast photographer who simply cannot justify the expenditure of a kit bag bristling with top-quality glass, or a frequent flier who values portability over all else, then the Z 28-400mm is a complete game-changer – not to mention the only lens you could feasibly ever need! And I don’t say that lightly. 

With the exception of a few specialist applications such as ultra-wide or low-light photography, there’s literally nothing this veritable multi-tool of a zoom range won’t cover. Landscapes? Check. Wildlife? Check. Sports, portraits, architecture, street, close-ups… check, check, check, check and check.

We’ve yet to put it through our lab but, on paper, the only big compromise is that narrow f/8 aperture at the telephoto end. When you add together the zoom range, portability and bang for your buck, something had to give, right? And realistically, even if the aperture range matched the F-mount equivalent Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD, would it really make that much difference? 

Don’t get me wrong, faster glass is always better. But If you care that much about wider apertures and image quality, you’re probably better off picking up more specialist lenses anyway. 

Looping back around to my previous analogy; if you’re intent on investing your hard-earned cash in a new camera and don’t currently have a versatile collection of lenses, then the Z 28-400mm could be the most affordable answer to your optical needs. After all, you’ve got three zoom lenses in one – enclosed in a 142mm-long cylinder that weighs just 725g. 

Not too shabby Nikon, not too shabby at all. 

You might be interested in the best Nikon lenses, including the best Nikon Z lenses for its mirrorless system. 

While the Leica M11 is now two years old, having launched in January 2022, we have seen its monochrome equivariant, Leica M11 Monochrom, as well as the recently released Leica M11-P. 

Now the reports reports are swirling, via Leica Rumors, that another M11 variant could be on the way: the Leica M11 Black Paint.

The Black Paint version of the best Leica cameras is often the "last hurrah" for a particular model. We've seen them before, quite often made from brass, with a very high gloss lacquer paint that shines and gives a vintage vibe. This paint is more susceptible to wear, so brass damage (patina) will typically shine through the black paint.

However, the black chrome or standard black body of the Leica M11 is made of aluminum – and therefore the lighter option between that and the silver colorway that features a brass top and bottom plate, so I'm curious to see if Leica just goes with the brass body or if it has come up with a strategy to keep the weight down and use aluminum. I know a lot of loyalists would insist on the brass body on the Black Paint version, but could Leica surprise us here?

If these rumors are to be believed, then we have to ask the question: will this also be a limited-in-number edition? With the Leica M10-R Black Paint only 2,000 units were released worldwide, making them an incredibly rare item. They boast a wonderful Leica engraving on the top plate, which just adds to the special camera's appeal.

I'm sure that any Leica M11 Black Paint would also follow suit and be a limited-edition item, with a set number of units worldwide. I'd also expect a silver chrome shutter button – just like all the Black Paint models. 

It's not known when this Black Paint model might come to the market, not even a suggestion of a year, but if and when it launches I can see a lot of photographers wanting to get their hands on it. 

For me, though, it is always a bittersweet experience knowing a Black Paint has been released. As in the modern-day of digital Leica-M cameras, the Black Paint marks a right of passage – and opens the door to the new Leica-M camera of the future.

Take a look at the best Leica cameras, along with the best Leica M lenses for M system bodies and the best Leica SL lenses for mirrorless cameras. 

For those of you who are trying to achieve the "shooting film" experience on digital cameras, you might have tried all sorts of things. Limiting your images to 24 or 36, using a low-capacity SD card, heck, even shooting in black-and-white only to give you that timeless nostalgia.

But there is one camera that I have always wanted, but could never afford or find on the second-hand market – and when I do, again it's a fortune – and I feel that it is the perfect balance between a digital workflow and shooting an old film camera: the Leica M10-D.

The -D is a Leica M10, but it is missing one key feature that had many photographers and Leica users question the Red Dot giant's choices: it doesn't have a screen! Yes, you read that right, there is no screen at all on this digital camera that originally cost over $7,000 – and I have always wanted to own one as, to me, it's the pinnacle of analog shooting in a digital world.

Well, according to Leica Rumors, the luxury brand could launch a Leica M11-D later in 2024 – which will again be a Leica M11 but without the screen. And if it does, I will be first in line to buy one!

The -D series of cameras was first introduced with the Leica M262 series, which saw the first incarnation of this wonderful design, simply referred to as the Leica M-D (Typ 262) and launched in 2016.

This was the first time that the rear LCD screen and rear buttons were removed and replaced with a Leica -M film camera-style rear back – which saw the return of the ASA dial, this time with ISO marking and linked to the camera's electronics, and it only shot in RAW DNG.

In fact, this is the first time that you could change your Leica camera setting and preview images on your phone – just like a lot of users love today when shooting with the M11, M11 Monochrom or the newly announced M11-P.

Two years later in 2018, Leica announced the Leica M10-D, the successor to the original Leica M-D, also foregoing the LCD screen and rear buttons, but this time the old-style ASA dial was used for exposure compensation and retailed for around $8,000.

Now I know a lot of you are going to think I'm crazy for wanting one, and Leica is crazy for making them, but honestly – if Leica did make an M11-D, it could be the perfect digital companion to my Leica M2, and to my CCD sensor Leica M-E.

Maybe I like it because of its quirkiness, and because it goes against the grain, but either way, I think owning and using one day in and out would be a total joy – and at this point, I don't just want one, I need one!

Leica fans will be interested in the best Leica cameras, including the new Leica SL3, and you might like to check out the best Leica alternatives.

A keen ornithologist and amateur photographer, Victor Hasselblad tried many camera systems in his quest to find the ideal tool for taking pictures of birds. He liked the image quality of 4x5- and 5x7-inch sheet film, but even ‘portable’ cameras like the Speed Graphic were still too unwieldy. He liked the size of Leica’s 35mm rangefinder cameras, but really wanted reflex viewfinding… and, ideally, a bigger negative with more cropping fl exibility. The solution? Victor came up with his own design, based on the box-form aerial cameras that his family company had built for the Swedish Air Force during the second World War.

The prototype was a 6x6cm format SLR with interchangeable lenses badged ‘Rossex’ and designed by Sixten Sason who, incidentally, also penned the first Saab passenger car, the 92. The visual similarity between the two products is obvious even though they were obviously very different.

Problems with registering the Rossex name in a number of countries resulted in it being dropped in favor of simply ‘Hasselblad’, and the first production camera, designated the 1600F, was unveiled in New York on 6 October 1948. It wasn’t quite the world’s first 6x6cm SLR, but it was the first with interchangeable film magazines and the first serious medium format reflex system camera. It was accompanied by four Kodak Ektar lenses, but by the time its next model arrived in 1952, Hasselblad had switched to Zeiss as its lens supplier.

Problems with obtaining a top speed of 1/1600 second from the 1600F’s big focal plane shutter (now you know what ‘1600F’ stood for), meant the second ’Blad’s shutter ran to 1/1000 second. This was the 1000F, and around 10,000 examples were made, but some problems with shutter reliability persisted, so in 1953, Hasselblad started work on a camera that used a leaf-type shutter in each lens. In addition to better reliability, the leaf-shutter could be synchronized with electronic fl ash (just introduced) at all speeds up to the fastest of 1/500 second. Linking the mechanics of the camera to those of the lens presented a number of problems and Hasselblad experimented with external linkages before perfecting a coupling system built into a new lens mount.

The 500C was launched in 1957 (the ‘C’ stood for Compur, the shutter made by Compurwerk of Munich). It established Hasselblad’s reputation for reliability and top-end performance. The 500C also resigned the comparatively cumbersome TLR to history and brought a new level of convenience and fl flexibility to medium-format photography.

Arguably, the best of the breed was the 500C’s successor, the 500C/M, which also had interchangeable focusing screens and could be fitted with a metering prism finder. Introduced in 1970, the 500C/M remained in production for nearly 19 years. Examples built from 1984 onward had a fold-away crank handle for the film advance instead of the knob Hasselblad had used since the beginning.

While they looked brick-like, Hasselblad’s 500-series reflexes actually handled very comfortably... everything was just where it should be and they operated very intuitively. The square format meant the camera never needed to be held vertically. The modularity extended to lenses, viewfinders, and film holders, so the system was immensely flexible, and it was widely used in many areas of professional photography.

In 1961, Hasselblad started work on a second stream of 500-series cameras which had a built-in battery-powered motordrive. The impetus for this was that the military wanted a high-speed camera for aerial reconnaissance, but a more likely reason was that Victor Hasselblad hankered after a camera for bird photography that could be remotely triggered. 

The prototype 500EL (‘EL’ being short for ‘electronic’) was completed in 1963, and the camera was launched in 1965 to a fairly skeptical audience. Users of the fully-mechanical cameras were suspicious of anything electronic, but the EL cameras did eventually start to sell and were adopted by NASA for its space cameras from 1968 until now (the space agency has since ordered a special version of the 203FE). A modified 500EL, called the EDC or Electronic Data Camera, was used on the historic first landing on the moon... possibly the most significant photo opportunity ever. 

The next major development was the addition of TTL off-the-film (OTF) fl ash metering, which was introduced with the motorized 500ELX in 1984 and the 503CX in 1988, which subsequently evolved into the 503CXi in 1994. This model had LED indicators in the viewfinder and, in 1997, was replaced by the 503CW which could be fitted with an accessory autowinder. 

The motorized 500 family tree progressed to the 553ELX in 1988, which had the brighter Acute-Matte focusing screen, and then the 555ELD (‘D’ for digital), introduced in 1998. Notably, it featured connections for fitting and syncing digital capture backs. By now though, Hasselblad was working on its all-new autofocus 6x4.5cm format H System (launched in 2002), as the mechanical cameras had reached the end of the road. Nevertheless, production of the last-of-the-line 501CM – essentially a revival of the 500C/M – didn’t end until 2013. What’s more, they’re all back in demand, especially the later models, as unique camera experiences take on a whole new life.

See the best Hasselblad cameras today, and the best medium format cameras

Over the past year, there's been quite a buzz surrounding retro cameras. Everyone's been talking about the Nikon Z f, and it's not just talk—the sales speak for themselves, proving there's a real demand for these nostalgic shooters. Another camera making waves is the Fujifilm X100 VI, which is flying off the shelves.

In an interview with Camera Beta (translated by Asobinet), the director of optical development at the company's R&D center, Junichi Murakami, was asked directly, "Canon has a lot of historic bodies, but do you have any plans or ideas to release a retro camera?"

While the answer might seem a bit evasive, it's clear that Canon has given this question a lot of serious consideration.

"In conclusion, I can't give a definitive yes or no, but as you pointed out, many consumers have a special fondness for some of our past best-selling models, both in terms of their design and appearance."

Canon Rumors have also put their 2 cents in and have suggested from a source that an ongoing "active, even if just exploratory" project at Canon, focusing on developing a fixed-lens APS-C camera with a "retro" style. The buzz came from an internal slideshow mentioning this potential camera.

Now, while we're all for more cameras like the Leica Q-series and Fujifilm X100IV hitting the shelves, I'm a tad skeptical if Canon sees it the same way. They've always been seen as the giants in the industry, and niche markets haven't exactly been their forte, and when tried they have sometimes been left on the shelf to be forgotten. But hey, this is probably not now a niche market?

You know, as much as I'd love to see Canon roll out a full-frame fixed-lens retro camera, let's be real—it'd probably come with a hefty price tag. Plus, it might not align with Canon's big plans for mirrorless domination. Once folks snag a fixed-lens camera, there's not a whole lot more you can sell, right?

Now, when it comes to full-frame, we're betting Canon will stick to the interchangeable lens camera route. But hey, an APS-C camera? That could totally find its way into the camera bags of many RF mount system owners, but count us in for snagging a digital Canonet QL17 as soon as it becomes available!

Fujifilm has announced a significant boost in revenue and operating income in its Q3 financial report, thanks to the release of a beastly medium format camera and a palm-sized instant. 

The manufacturer has been growing in popularity over recent years with the release of some of the best hybrid, compact, instant, and medium format cameras, and has cemented its place among the leading camera manufacturers on the market – and its brand continues to grow. This has been reflected in Fujifilm's financial report for Q3 2023, which analyses revenue from April to December 2023 (as the Japanese fiscal year ends in March). 

Revenue for Fujifilm's imaging segment increased by 13.8% year-over-year (YoY) to ¥368.6 billion (approximately $3.8 billion) and operating income rose by 41.7% YoY to ¥88.9 billion ($913 million). Fujifilm puts this down to the "brisk sales of instant photo systems and digital cameras". The report further shows an increase in revenue of 11.5% YoY for consumer imaging and an increase of 18.4% YoY for professional imaging. 

Commenting on the financial breakdown of consumer imaging, Fujifilm lists the "brisk sales" of Instax cameras to have driven revenue higher, with the Instax Mini Evo and Instax Pal listed as the main contributors. A combination of the Pal's release in October 2023 and the deals from Black Friday and the Christmas holidays would have no doubt helped the sales of these cameras, as well as a growing trend of instant cameras in the rapidly expanding Chinese market.

In professional imaging, revenue rose with the launch of the Fujifilm X-S20 in June 2023, and the release of the Fujifilm GFX 100 II in September 2023, in which Fujifilm reported "strong sales". We have reported on numerous occasions that the demand for new Fujifilm releases exceeds expectations, especially in Japan, which was the case with GFX 100 II last year. The previous fiscal year also saw the release of the Fujifilm X-H2, X-H2S, and X-T5, which due to highly rated reviews continued to contribute substantial sales to the most recent report.

Fujifilm has a rather unique business model, opting to focus on APS-C and medium format, foregoing the heavily contested arena of full-frame cameras. This has enabled it to establish itself among the leaders in these segments. 

I feel that Fujifilm's success comes from responding and adapting directly to the market. On one hand, providing a more affordable and versatile medium format option has seen a lot of professional photographers transition to the GFX system, and on the other hand, the focus on APS-C has seen Fujifilm produce some of the best cameras for street photography, and the best hybrid cameras like the X-T5.

This year we are expected to see a lot more offerings from across Fujifilm's imaging departments, with a teaser of its next camera already whetting appetites for the upcoming X Summit in later this month.

Check out the best Fujifilm cameras, along with the best Fujifilm lenses for X-series and the best Fujifilm GF lenses for medium format. Don't forget that it makes some of the best instant cameras, too!