Leica Rumors

Israel in the summer

By LR admin | Published: December 30, 2016

Israel in the summer by Pierre Alivon

I went to Israel this summer and decided to visit the North of the country (Tel Aviv, Haifa, Acre, Sea of Galilee, Tiberias) in addition to Jerusalem. These cities are particularly timeless, remarkable, and full of history and spirit. To better reflect this feeling I chose to apply an Adobe Lightroom color treatment to all my pictures in Israel. With my Leica MP 240 camera and 35 Summicron lens I put a priority to work with 1/1000 shutter speed and f/5.5 most of the time (automatic ISO). Due to heavy temperatures in Israel (sometimes above 42° in Sea of Galilee area), I had some challenges with condensation as I often had to go from air-conditioned areas to the extreme hot weather outside – but I am happy with the result I got and I had a wonderful experience:

Posted in LR Guest Posts| Tagged Pierre Alivon| 19 Comments

Leica M zoom lens? (Leica Vario-Elmar-M 28-75mm f/3.4-5.6 ASPH)

By LR admin | Published: December 27, 2016

#Leica #TriElmar 28-35-50 f/4 Aspherical (MATE) lens cutout
A photo posted by LeicaRumors 🔴 (@leicarumors) on Jul 31, 2016 at 12:54am PDT

This picture posted in the dpreview Leica forum seems to be a prototype of a Leica Vario-Elmar-M 28-75mm f/3.4-5.6 ASPH lens. The poster (Dr. Ulrich Rohde) is known to be a tester for Leica equipment. I have no idea if this is an old lens prototype or a new upcoming lens. I asked on social media a week ago and did not get any results.

Update: this is an authentic prototype Leica lens based on the design of the X-Vario zoom. Only 3 lenses were produced (source).

This Leica Vario-Elmar-M 28-75mm f/3.4-5.6 ASPH lens is not to be confused with the already existing WATE (Tri Elmar 16-18-21) and MATE (Tri Elmar 28-35-50) – it is labeled as “Vario” which in Leica’s language means a real zoom lens – this is confirmed also in the dpreview comments section:

Posted in Leica Lenses| Tagged Leica M zoom lens, Leica Vario-Elmar-M 28-75mm f/3.4-5.6 ASPH lens| 36 Comments

Konost full frame digital rangefinder camera updates

By LR admin | Published: December 24, 2016

Here are the latest updates from the just launched new website for the Konost full frame digital rangefinder camera:

The camera will be released in late 2017 (check also this post and the new FAQ).
Beta versions of the rangefinder will be available in the first half of 2017.
It will have a custom 20/24MP sensor – designed and manufactured specifically for the Konost cameras.
The camera will be available in silver and black with classy aluminum or rugged carbon fiber cover.
Compatible with all M-mount lenses.
It seems that there will be two different products – a digital rangefinder and a mirrorless model.
There are also several new pictures/renderings:

Posted in Other Leica Stuff| Tagged Konost full frame digital rangefinder camera project| 13 Comments

Leica M-P Brass Edition 35

By LR admin | Published: December 23, 2016

In early 2016 Leica unveiled the world’s first ever full matte brass finish M limited edition camera kit created especially for The Hour Glass in Singapore (I missed to report that announcement here on the blog). The kit includes a brass Leica Summicron-M 1:2/35mm ASPH lens. Only 35 pieces will be produced worldwide. The price is/was $35,000 (all sold out already).

The making of Leica M-P Brass Edition 35 camera video:

Posted in Leica M-P Typ 240| Tagged brass, Leica Limited Edition, Leica M-P Brass Edition 35| 26 Comments

Leica TL camera now shipping

By LR admin | Published: December 22, 2016

The new Leica TL mirrorless camera is now shipping and was already spotted in stock at some stores. Check the current availability at:

Posted in Leica TL| 7 Comments

Expect updates on the Konost full frame digital camera before the end of the year

By LR admin | Published: December 21, 2016

Konost, the full frame digital camera project that started last year, has been operating in “stealth mode” according to a recent post on their website. We should see some updates from Konost before the end of the year, including a new website. Stay tuned for detailed coverage.