Rumors of the next Leica with no built-in screen are out... this is what we know so far
Leica seems to be about to announce a digital camera that goes right back to basics, and doesn't even have a built-in rangefinder. And just like traditional film cameras, it also even has a crank lever for recocking the shutter.
The Leica M10-D is rumored to be launched on October 24 at the annual PhotoPlus Expo in New York. Pictures of the new camera were first leaked by Japanese rumor site Nokishita.
Rear of rumored Leica M10-D – no LCD buit-in, but it does show it is compatible to with Visoflex hotshoe-mounted electronic viewfinder. Picture as originally published by Nokishita Camera
A digital camera without a built-in LCD to review your images may seem crazy – but is something that Leica has sold successfully twice in the past. The first was the Leica Edition M 60 was unveiled in 2014 to celebrate the German manufacturer's 60th birthday; just 600 of these was produced in this limited edition release. This was followed up by the full production Leica M-D in 2016, which is no longer available.
The rumored Leica M10-D takes the concept to a new level. The images published by Nokishita clearly show the addition of what looks like a film advance lever – which the twitterverse has deduced can only be there to manually set the shutter of this rangefinder camera.
Digital camera with a film advance crank! The rumored Leica M10-D. Picture as originally published by Nokishita Camera
Further modifications to the concept allow you to see your images when on the move – and without loading the images onto a computer – making it much easier to use. First the camera appears to be compatible with the optional electronic Visoflex (Typ 020) viewfinder, which is already sold as an accessory for other Leica rangefinder models. Secondly, the M10-D appears to be offer wifi compatibility – so you will be able to beam your shots to your mobile or tablet using the Leica FOTOS app which was released recently at Photokina.
Leica has a reputation for making unusual cameras... it already makes a digital camera that just shoots black and white images (the Leica Monochrom), and recently revealed a khaki version of the Leica Q.
Leica Edition M 60 - released in 2014
We would guess that this camera will be sold at a similar price to the recently-released Leica M10-P , which sells for £6,500/$7,995 – the M-mount lens, of course, is extra.
Get the Digital Camera World Newsletter
The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!
Chris George has worked on Digital Camera World since its launch in 2017. He has been writing about photography, mobile phones, video making and technology for over 30 years – and has edited numerous magazines including PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Digital Camera, Video Camera, and Professional Photography.
His first serious camera was the iconic Olympus OM10, with which he won the title of Young Photographer of the Year - long before the advent of autofocus and memory cards. Today he uses a Nikon D800, a Fujifilm X-T1, a Sony A7, and his iPhone 15 Pro Max.
He has written about technology for countless publications and websites including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Dorling Kindersley, What Cellphone, T3 and Techradar.
