Thanks to an unfortunate accident, the Leica T website briefly went live today. Thankfully, the guys over at La Vida Leica were able to grab all the important bits before it was taken down. From what was archived, the Leica T is looking like a pretty sweet little MFT APS-C system.
It seems like Leica has taken note of Hasselblad's failings with their premium interchangeable lens mirrorless camera, the Lunar. This system seems to provide a premium build (all aluminum), stellar image quality.
For a full list of specs and the likely release information, head on over to La Vida Leica.
Below is the content grabbed before the website's removal:
In the development of the new Leica-T system, we let ourselves be guided by values that have been strongly associated with the Leica name for more than 100 years. Dedication to innovation. Passion for technology. Love of design. Nevertheless, our steps took us down entirely new roads. We reduced everything to the essentials and never lost sight of our clearly defined objective: to create a camera that places the sheer joy of photography back in your hands.
The T-System offers dedicated photographers technical accessories to intensify the sheer joy of photography. Expand your creative horizons! The original accessories follow the same principles as the Leica T – a reduction to the essentials. We have subtracted the superfluous to concentrate on what’s essential. The perfect picture. And the sheer joy it brings.
A clear and precise focus is essential to the nature of photography. Denial is not a suitable beginning, but fusion certainly is. A fusion of style, true craftsmanship and simple handling – a symbiosis of the best. Discover the whole story – and how Leica and the Leica T break entirely new ground in the world of photography. In this film, the story is told in the very personal words of Dr Kaufmann, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG. The New Leica T-System.
The system is totally convincing. In its reduction to the essentials. Both in its design and its inner technologies. It has everything it needs and nothing more. Minimised, yet so perfect. Never before has taking pictures been this easy. And never before has it felt so good. Find inspiration in the pictures and look forward to seeing many more.
[Via La Vida Leica]
So a Leica body you can attach Panasonic lenses to?
No adapter needed... :D
BTW it's an APS-C mount, not M43.
Thanks! Fixed!
Totally right man. I was under the impression it would work with the Leica / Panasonic MFT /M43 lenses. According to the specs at *La Vida Leica* it will be APS-C. Good catch! http://lavidaleica.com/content/leica-special-event-berlin-april-24
The desing looks gorgeous, although I am not sure about the ergonomics. the screen seems not tiltable and the evf shines for its ausence, but pretty camera really, I'd love to afford one, I hope that could be an adaptor to use the lenses with my x-e1 :P
So you guys snag our images but get our name wrong and keep deleting the specs we post?
Hey @lavidaleica:disqus, sorry about the name problem. I've fixed that for you. What was that about deleting specs you post?
Thanks, Jaron! We posted a link to a story we've been updating for quite some time now, with the actual specs of the Leica T. It contained a URL, so maybe it got trashed automatically?
Ah! Yeah we almost never delete comments (unless they are truly inflammatory which yours obviously wasn't). Must have been an auto-link kill from disqus.
Ok I added a line in there to direct people to your updating post. Thanks for gathering all this information for everyone!
You guys ROCK. Thanks! :)
Specs:
http://lavidaleica.com/content/leica-special-event-berlin-april-24
Sorry about that guys! As a long time reader I'm really bummed out to have type-o'd your name. Everything should be fixed now!
Thanks, Austin - no worries! :)
Looks like a Samsung...
Looks like a Ricoh GXR. The issue will be can it focus, and can it take M series glass. Not a replacement for an M.
Definitely not a replacement for the M, not IMHO. It does look like there will be a Leica-made APS-C to M mount converter.
Agreed. http://pukeko.net.nz/photo/2014/04/a-defence-of-the-ricoh-gxr-as-the-lei...
Leica glass man, Leica glass! There will be a converter- that's the big thing for some of us...
There are lots of moments when you don't need an M quality, but still want to use all those lenses in the drawer with the adapter.
Agreed, they will not give full format results, but who cares - they will still look fantastic.
Pixels alone are not the whole story ;-0) !
Tadeyev
I don't quite get how reducing the camera to the essentials means removing the viewfinder from the body? Surely the essence of photography is in looking through a viewfinder to take a photo rather than holding the camera up like every other P&S camera in the market.
Don't disagree... But the target market is used to looking at the LCD, and for us diehards there's the "optional" EVF (which sports GPS). There's also a possibility that the EVF will be supported on the X (and more importantly) the M cameras. A firmware update is set to drop on the latter Any Day Now(TM).
Cool toy. I'm sure it'll be successful by Leica standards. Precious few reasons for Fuji X, Sony E, M4/3 or Samsung NX owners to consider switching, however.
If there is anything at all Hasselblad and similar companies fail at, it's focusing on making it look fancy to justify an unjustifiable price tag for median performance.
In concept, etc. we like the camera. It's a Leica, and it's high-end (in terms of machining, optics, etc.) and a lot like Apple products (whom they strive to imitate)... There's a price premium. But we all know that. And seriously, products from both companies are very well designed and executed (well, most of the time). That makes them desirable enough to some. I know we like those aspects in our purchases.
So, price aside... Will it be a big seller? Probably not, but I suspect it will be popular enough. And while the camera isn't for the likes of us, I dare say - it sure is neat. C'mon? Let's not think like photographers for a minute and put ourselves in the target demographic. Touchscreen? WiFi? iOS/Android control? Best of both worlds on lenses; prime and zoom - rather than being forced into a decision like the X cameras. "Only" 16.5MP? Again, for the target demographic - they want pictures to share on social media and to send to relatives. They don't know or care that it's APS-C either. It's better than most compacts that utilize tiny sensors. And it's got a ton of cool, colorful accessories. It matches your svelte MacBook and iPad (grin). Come to think it, they might just sell a buttload... ;)
A bit of a tougher sell than the X2, I have to admit, due to the highish price point ($4,000 with a lens). But once it comes down below $3000, I know a handful of people who would grab it straightaway. I wouldn't buy one just as I wouldn't buy the Leica C which is also designed by Audi, but I sure can't stop staring at the C in the Leica Store window display.
I disagree with the current Apple design language -- I think the pinnacle of their design was the 2000 Powerbook, the Pismo. (That was functional design at its best. And with its organic form, it was a beautiful design language.) So having been a past owner of the D-Lux, and having handled a C in store, I can imagine this T will be a similar ergonomic nightmare.
Extending the Mac connection: I recall Leica making that link even when that Korean-American CEO who was booted out, was still around. That was perhaps 3 years ago? I guess it's just as what they say: Leica makes haste very slowly.
I may not buy one, but I hope Leica will sell enough of these to fund further development of the M line. I hope they will also have learned enough in the process of making these T bodies to make unibody M the size of a film M one of these days (soon!), too. Looking forward to that new Leica M then!
As you said, does not make sense to Leica purists. But Leica does not need to make entry level faux retro anachronisms because they have a real anachronistic design in the M already (unlike Fuji, who needs their X "rangefinder wannabes" for marketing). But it would make a tonne of sense to the iGen and keep Leica financially secure. Viva Leica!
Agreed. If it were cheaper, I'd probably give it a whirl. I'm a Leica and Apple user, so it kind of fits into the mold, as it were. Though I'd go for the M-Adapter T and just use my M lenses.
I bet most of this camera is made by Panasonic,installed into a Leica case,assembled by Leica,at a crazy inflated price.Just a overpriced tweaked Panasonic Camera.
Unexpected route for Leica with the very minimal and modern design (actually similar to the nex-7 when you get down to it). It's a complete departure from the spirit of the M. For that reason, I doubt it will attract the Leica loyals. - Fuji is doing a fine job in that niche (affordable, small APS-C mirrorless with retro manual controls) .
Seems to me like Leica is just milking its brand further with a sleek camera that doesn't seem very practical or even relevant when compared to the competition.
Leica's version of the Nikon 1...
Check out a hands on video and article here. We have RAW images! http://www.camerawest.com/cwblog/2014/04/24/leica-taifun-my-first-few-da...
So essentially it's a Fuji X-M1 but for $3K?
Not even slightly.
What are the actual differences apart the brand?
FWIW, we have a MEGA page up on the new Leica T system; specs, photos, videos, reviews, press release, etc.
http://lavidaleica.com/content/new-leica-t-announced-details
We're sorry to have stolen Leica's thunder... But we did it with love. :p
As always, its a marketing ploy to create hype, to release it by accident and then remove it. They all do it. I don't like company's playing us like idiots. Yes it annoys me. It's never released by ACCIDENT. But yes, it's a nice camera.