This action camera with a Leica lens just leaked. Is Leica challenging GoPro, or teaming up with another manufacturer?
(Image credit: Camera Beta)
Is Leica about to enter the action camera business? If the latest leaked images are to be believed, it looks like the answer might be yes.
An action camera with a Leica lens has just appeared online, raising all manner of questions. Is Leica about to announce its first action cam? Entirely possible – it has, after all, just launched its first instant camera in 7 years (the Leica Sofort 2). And it has been taking aim at the best camera phones with the Leitz Camera 2 in Japan, too.
Of course, given its history of licensing out its camera expertise, this could be a collaboration with another action cam maker to challenge the GoPro Hero 12. The obvious candidate would be Insta360, given that the pair have collaborated on action cams previously with the likes of the Insta360 One R modular system.
However, Leica cameras also appear on phones like the Xiaomi 13 Pro, so it's entirely possible that it could be working with an entirely new manufacturer.
The leaked images were shared by Chinese outlet Camera Beta, via Weibo (Image credit: Camera Beta)
The images surfaced from respected leak and rumor outlet Camera Beta, on the Chinese social network Weibo. While they should obviously be taken with a suitable pinch of salt, the outlet has a good track record when it comes to early information.
"Leica action camera?" reads the post (via machine translation). I just got an action camera that looks like it has a Leica lens on it. Is Leica about to release an action camera? Or maybe a brand has jointly developed an action camera with Leica?Equipped with a 1/1.3-inch bottom, Leica Summarit lens, equivalent to a 16mm focal length… whose lens will it be?"
The previous team-up with Insta360 produced great product, but did little to loosen GoPro's stranglehold on the action camera segment. Whether this is another collaboration or a standalone Leica product, it's certainly going to have an uphill battle – but given how many disgruntled GoPro users there are, a kick up the butt would be more than welcome right now!
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The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, Digital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.
