Nikkei published an article on the future of compact cameras. The news is that Panasonic is no longer going to produce/develop compact cameras and will soon announce a new mirrorless camera that is jointly developed with Leica:
“Panasonic Holdings has been scaling back its model offerings in Lumix compact digital cameras, which debuted in 2001 and enjoyed high spots in domestic rankings at one point. The company has not released any new product for the price range below 50,000 yen ($370 at current rates) or so since 2019 and has no plans to develop a low-priced model going forward. “We’ve halted developing any new models that can be replaced by a smartphone,” a spokesperson said.
Panasonic will continue production of current offerings. But its focus going forward will be on developing high-end mirrorless cameras for photography enthusiasts and professionals. The Japanese company looks to release a mirrorless model it is jointly developing with Germany’s Leica Camera, with which it formed a tie-up in May.” (via Nikkei)
This will be an interesting development for the future of the Leica D-Lux product line that is manufactured by Panasonic and is based on a Panasonic model.
I am also curious how the new Leica-Panasonic camera will be different from the existing Leica SL and Panasonic S products. This also explains why Leica and Panasonic recently formed a new alliance called L² Technology (Leica x Lumix):
Leica and Panasonic formed a new alliance called L² Technology (Leica x Lumix)
My personal uneducated guess is that Leica and Panasonic will start making compact full-frame cameras with a fixed lens similar to the Leica Q/Q2. What do you think?
Via PhotoRumors
