Mirrorless Camera Reviews

The Leica M is a large and robust rangefinder camera with a magnesium-alloy chassis with top and bottom covers cut from brass blocks. All elements are carefully sealed against dust and moisture and overall offers the handling, feel, and touch one has come to associate with Leica M cameras of the past.

Leica recently announced the latest M-Series camera, a stunning anthracite gray full-frame digital rangefinder based on the Leica M which launched in September of 2012. The new Leica M-E (Typ 240) has a few welcomed upgrades and a nice surprise—a lower price. In fact, the new Leica M-E, priced at $3995 (body only), is the lowest-price full-frame Leica camera on the market.

Leica just unveiled a new M-series digital camera, the M10-D. It’s an exciting blend of Leica’s oldest, most basic technology combined with today’s most modern, most advanced capabilities. It’s a camera with a dual personality, and although that’s not the meaning behind the “D” in its name, it very well could be. Shutterbug spent some time using an early sample before its release. Here’s the rundown on the new M10-D and a hands-on user report.

Is This the Best Leica Digital Yet?

Having owned a (used) Leica M3 since the late 1970’s I can attest to the charms of working with a Leica camera. There is a certain heft and solidity of construction that speaks to its obvious longevity, which is juxtaposed with a deftness of operation, characteristics on display in the M3 in the stroke of the film advance lever and the sound and feel of the shutter release. For those who have experienced a Leica, that “aha that’s why” moment is quite unmatched by other cameras and it spoils you, in a way. Yet, working with a Leica for me has always had a certain awkwardness—witness the film loading in the M3, at least when compared with a sleek Nikon or Canon of the day, and the rangefinder focusing system, almost arcane in the world of autofocusing speed and accuracy. Yet, that awkwardness is not a true impediment and almost becomes part of the charm.

The new Leica SL (Typ 601) is a brand new mirrorless system camera with a full frame sensor and a resolution of 24MP. The SL can't be described as a Compact System Camera because it has a very heavy and robust body built by a milling machine out of a massive aluminum block and is comparable to the size of a standard SLR system.

The Leica TL2 is a mirrorless camera with an APS-C size 24-megapixel CMOS sensor, 3.7-inch touchscreen LCD, 49-point contrast-detect autofocus system and 32GB of onboard storage. Features include advanced, integrated Wi-Fi (with potent smartphone app), UHD 4K and Full HD video, and a variety of other attractions.