Leica is celebrating its 100th year by launching its hotly anticipated T-System mirrorless camera. The fourth line of cameras, the Leica T is a sexy, minimalistic mid-range shooter that goes on sale May 26. You can pre-order it today for $1,850 for the body only.
Created in collaboration with the AUDI Design team, the Leica T-System camera features a gorgeous unibody crafted from a single block of aluminum. It comes in a set of attractive colors such as orange-red, yellow, silver and black.
Specs-wise, the Leica-T is equivalent to just an entry or midrange DSLR or mirrorless camera, with an APS-C format (370.52 mm square) 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, a stated ISO light sensitivity range of 100 to 12,500 (odd ,since most do 12,800) and shutter speedsfrom 30 seconds to 1/4,000 second. It features a brand-new lens mount, and Leica will sell an adapter that makes the body compatible with all Leica rangefinder M-lenses produced after 1954.
Leica is also launching two new lenses alongside the camera that will be compatible with it — a Vario-Elmar-T 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom and a Summicron-T 23mm f/2 prime (non-zoom) lens. Both lenses will cost $1,750 each.
The company also launched a new Leica-T app for iOS devices today that lets you manage photos sent wirelessly from the Wi-Fi-enabled camera or control the Leica-T remotely (a common feature on many cameras nowadays). Android owners can use the system’s default Gallery app.
This Leica stands out primarily for its sexy design and some innovative features. An easy-click system lets you connect straps just by snapping them on so you won’t need to buckle anything. The 3.7-inch touchscreen LCD on the back is a great canvas for the camera’s clean-looking MyCamera menu and for editing, composing and reviewing your pictures.
The Leica T also packs 16GB of internal memory (an unusual feature) in addition to a slot for SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards. It captures 1080p or 720p video at 30 frames per second, and shoots stills at up to 5 frames per second. Leica also bundles Adobe Photoshop Lightroom image-editing software.
