Leica Grabs Its Share of the 2012 New Camera and Lenses Spotlight
As one of the oldest and most-storied optics and camera manufacturers, Leica Camera AG is still a significant and valued player in today’s digital photography marketplace. It hasn’t hesitated to put its best foot (or camera) forward during the first part of 2012, especially with the release today of three new cameras and five S-Series lenses.
The Leica X2 Digital Camera reflects the classic lines of the Leica brand, but presents a modern array of digital photography capabilities in a compact size. The X2 features a 16.5-megapixel, APS-C format, professional CMOS sensor and Leica’s exceptional Elmarit 24mm f/2.8 ASPH lens. This camera has clearly been designed to appeal to those photographers who yearn to experience Leica’s rich photojournalistic history.
The Leica V-Lux 40 Digital Camera targets an entirely different audience, travelers being a significant portion of that group. This is a compact that fits in pocket or purse or bag. It’s built with the features every intrepid traveler needs: a 20x super-zoom lens, 15.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, 3-inch touchscreen LCD, GPS and 1080 Full-HD video.
The most interesting and unusual of the new Leica’s camera is the M Monochrom, an 18-megapixel rangefinder that is reportedly the first digital camera that only produces black-and-white images. This is definitely a camera for a very select audience, as the retail price is predicted to be approximately $8,000.
The five new S-Series lenses being announced by Leica are to be available during October 2012, and include the Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8 ASPH, Summarit-S 35mm f/2.5 ASPH, Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 ASPH, APO-Macro-Summarit-S 120mm f/2.5 tele-macro lens, and the APO-Tele-Elmar-S 180mm f/3.5 telephoto lens.
Photograph © Leica.com