Leica Rumors

The Lidong Spring 2026 Auction will take place on 27 June 2026 in Shanghai

By LR admin | Published: June 17, 2026

The highly anticipated Lidong Spring 2026 Auction (see previous coverage) will take place on 27 June 2026 (Saturday) in Shanghai and will showcase a collection of over 200 items (203 historic cameras and 166 photographic masterpieces). The full auction catalog is now available on the official website.

Date: 27 June, 2026 (Saturday)
Photo Auction: 13:00 (Beijing Time) / 07:00 (CEST)
Camera Auction: 17:00 (Beijing Time) / 11:00 (CEST)
Venue: Hengfu Art Center, 178 South Wulumuqi Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China
A public preview exhibition will be held at the Hengfu Art Center: June 25-26, 2026, 10:30-20:00 and June 27, 2026: 10:30–13:00

Additional information:

Posted in Leica Auction Madness| Tagged Lidong Camera & Photo Auction| 4 Comments

New: Brightin Star MF 14mm f/2.8 wide-angle full-frame lens for L-mount

By LR admin | Published: June 17, 2026

Brightin Star officially announced the previously reported 14mm f/2.8 wide-angle full-frame manual-focus lens for L-mount. Pre-orders are now open at:

US: BH Photo
Worldwide: Brightinstar store introductory price: $239.99, regular price: $279.99, introductory period: June 17 – June 27, use code RUMORS for a discount)

Additional information:

Leitz Photographica Auction 48 results

By LR admin | Published: June 17, 2026

The 48th Leitz Photographica Auction was held on June 13, 2026, at Leica Welt in Wetzlar, Germany. The top lot was a 1957 Leica MP-33 in black paint (one of only 141 produced) with a matching Leicavit rapid winder and a Summicron lens, which sold for €600,000 including premium. Close behind was an experimental Leica Ig prototype (serial 750000, ca. 1955) at €540,000, while an ultra-rare 1938 Leica IIIb black paint, one of just five made. realized €312,000 (nearly ten times its low estimate). Other standouts included a 2017 Leica MP “Meister Edition Berlin” outfit at €132,000 and several recent limited-edition M cameras that also exceeded expectations. The sale underscored robust collector demand for both early rarities with strong provenance and modern special editions, with a Leica M10-P Safari prototype charity lot raising €16,000 for “Licht ins Dunkel.”

Posted in Leica Auction Madness| Tagged Leitz Photographica Auction| 1 Comment

The Leica LS3-P camera is rumored to be announced on June 25

By LR admin | Published: June 16, 2026

The Leica LS3-P camera is rumored to be announced on June 25, and it is expected to look like this mockup (not a real leaked picture, just for illustration purposes):

For comparison, here is the Leica SL3:

And the Leica SL3 Reporter (also without a red dot, like the SL3-P):

Here are the rumored Leica SL3-P camera specifications:

44.3MP sensor (based on the Panasonic S1RII that was announced in February 2025 – see the coverage at PhotoRumors)
Improved AF (better than the SL3-S)
Video capabilities could be lower than those of other SL3 models
Rumored to be announced around May-June 2026 (update: the Leica SL3-P camera is rumored to be announced at the end of June, around June 22-25th)
The new Leica SL3-P model will be positioned between the current Leica SL3 (60MP) and the Leica SL2-S (24MP)
Approximately 800 autofocus points
The body and operating concept are very similar to the new Panasonic generation
Expected retail price around €5,900-€6,000
Announcement: June 25th

Two new SL lenses are also rumored, but I am not sure whether they will be announced at the same time as the SL3-P:

Posted in Leica SL3-P| Tagged Leica SL3-P| 3 Comments

Viltrox launches AF 28mm f/4.5 “Chip” pancake L-mount lens

By LR admin | Published: June 16, 2026

The previously rumored Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 “Chip” pancake L-mount lens is now officially announced and currently in stock at:

B&H Photo
Amazon US
Amazon DE
Viltrox Store (use code NIKONRUMORS for a discount)

Lens features:

Autofocus pancake lens designed for full-frame L-Mount cameras
Ultra-compact, ultra-light pancake lens in a popular 28mm focal length
Innovative built-in slide-lever lens cover makes carry-to-capture readiness almost instantaneous
0.32m minimum focal length
Fixed F4.5 aperture with fast VCM autofocus
Backlit point light sources create a distinctive starburst visual effect]

Reminder – Viltrox is now part of the L-Mount Alliance:

Viltrox joins the L-Mount Alliance

Additional information:

Posted in L-Mount Alliance, Leica Lenses| Tagged Chinese lenses for L-mount, L-Mount, L-Mount Alliance, Leica L-mount, Viltrox, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5| 1 Comment

Meyer Optik Gorlitz is back: they are developing a new 42mm f/1.2 lens for Leica M-mount with red aperture blades

By LR admin | Published: June 16, 2026

After almost a one-and-a-half-year break, Meyer Optik Gorlitz (based in Hamburg, Germany) is currently developing a new 42mm f/1.2 lens for Leica M-mount. Here is what we know so far:

42mm f/1.2
10 elements total, 2 asph elements, 2 floating elements
15 red aperture blades
The lens will be available for Sony E, Canon RF, and Leica M Mount
Handmade in Hamburg, Germany

Here is a close-up of the red aperture blades:

Meyer Optik Gorlitz lenses are sold at B&H Photo (see M-mount selection).

Previous coverage of Meyer Optik Gorlitz lenses can be found here and here.

The official Meyer Optik Gorlitz website can be found here.

Posted in Leica Lenses| Tagged Meyer Optik Gorlitz 42mm f/1.2, Meyer-Optik-Görlitz, third party lenses for M-mount| 16 Comments

The latest discounts on photo editing software (DxO, Aftershoot, Luminar, ON1)

By LR admin | Published: June 15, 2026

DxO started a new summer sale where you can get 20% off any DxO software with the discount code SummerRumors2026 (valid for new customers only). This offer is valid from June 15th to July 10th, 2026. See the latest DxO releases here.

Use coupon code RUMORS for a 15% discount at Aftershoot. See the details on their latest major release here.

Skylum has launched a new Luminar Summer Sale with discounts of up to 70%. The campaign runs June 5-28, 2026. See the previous Skylum releases here.