My Crystal Ball sees a new Leica M coming…new Olympus..Sony..Predictions!

May 28, 2016 Featured, Leica, Mirrorless, Olympus, Sony 50

PRED

My Crystal Ball sees a new Leica M coming…new Olympus..Sony..Predictions!

It has been years since I pulled out my old crystal ball to make a camera prediction (2012), and it has never failed me in the past so why not have some fun and write about what I feel is coming down the road SOON from Leica, and some others…BUT keep in mind these are predictions. I have zero inside info, so take them for what they are worth! All in good fun my friends but my old Crystal Ball predictions have all been very close or spot on! My last prediction was before the M 240, and here is what my Crystal Ball said then:

FROM 2012: “As for an M10…I saw a sad face like there have been difficulties with it..maybe it is not ready but I do not see an M10 being available until MID 2013 and maybe THIS will be the “R” solution. Imagine a CMOS – LIVEVIEW M that can take R glass as well. Hmmmmm. The M10…I wouldn’t expect a working demo unit to be unveiled in September but maybe can announcement about it.”

The M 240 ended up coming in March of 2013 and had Live View and was able to use R lenses via adapter. 😉 Was not called the M10, but M240.

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LEICA

I do see a new Leica M coming THIS YEAR..a slimmer M..a new RF/EVF experience..an M with an RF and EVF and no lag with live view. It will be slimmer to resemble the Leica film bodies of past and present and will have new design cues as well. Something not so expected from hardcore M fans, but at the same time, welcome as it will take the M into the future. Leica, I feel, has heard the complaints from many about the M 240 thickness, and I truly feel the new M will be as good as a modern day rangefinder can get. Big things will be the new sensor, the new RF/VF, the new design which will keep the iconic shape and style but will be a slimmer body than the M 240. There will be an LCD, great battery system and possibly a new way to get to your SD cards besides removing the bottom plate.

I predict this will be the ultimate digital M with capabilities not seen before (high ISO) in previous M’s. Price, I also predict a lower price. Not $8k or $7k..I will predict $5995-$6300.

Now, I have zero inside info, as always..but my crystal ball has never been 100% wrong 😉 So we shall see. I think last 1/4 of the year will see an announcement from Leica. I also see in the fog what looks like a Q but with a different lens…not sure though. 😉

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OLYMPUS

There may be a new E-M1 MKII coming by November. I predict this will be the most powerful Olympus Micro 4/3 ever devised and include some of the new features shown in their latest tough cam. Expect rock solid build, a more squared off appearance and unique to Olympus features that will once again show that Olympus innovates more than anyones else in digital imaging. I also see a large and beautiful EVF. Now, this is all a prediction, I have no inside info..if I did, I would be sued for giving it away, so let’s hope my crystal ball is still working after all of these years 🙂 The E-M1 Mark II or E-M2 should be one slick professional M 4/3 camera with a new sensor and the best low light capabilities of M 4/3 to date and it will be FAST. I think this one will be huge for Olympus as in, a HUGE release announcement and it will be a big deal in the digital imaging world. My crystal ball fogged out before I could see details but I think this one will be quite awesome!

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SONY

Again, no inside info ever but my Crystal Ball, while foggy by the time I got to Sony showed me something massive..I saw the words BIG…SPECIAL..POWERFUL…and I do not think it was the body that is large, though it may be larger than the A7 series. I saw a bit of a square-ish shape, and sharp lines. Maybe the long rumored A9? If so, I except this to be a statement piece from Sony much like the NEX-7 was when it launched. Not sure yet…but Sony never ever disappoints!

I did see something with a huge letter N as well and it was NOT a DSLR. Hmmmmm

I hope you are all having a killer weekend as Summer approaches! More on Monday my friends!

 

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50 Comments

  1. A photo only Q with 50 and / or 90 Cron, weather sealing and focus point selector/joystick (as SL) please 🙂 available to mainstream October / November this year

  2. My crystal ball says we will see finally hand-held super resolution on the EM2 from Olympus. And while it will not cover all situations with movements, it will make a reality architecture hand held shooting and portraits- and they will look absolutely stunning. After that next year the OMD EM5 MKIII will get that feature, and I can only hope- a Pen F MKII but I don’t see an update to that Pen for at least two years from now.

  3. Timing is critical for me as it’s so hard to wait as watching used m-p deals..
    @Steve, do you think new M will ba even available in this year?
    Many thanks in advance..

    • I think it will be announced end of year, and if the same as other M releases, will be available to most after the new year. Usually the new M’s roll out in very very small #’s and are sold to those who pre order months in advance.

  4. Hi Steve,
    Love the Leica prediction, pity they are really the only game in town for a full frame rangefinder. But anything in your crystal ball for the resurrection of 4/3rds proper, or even resurrected brands, yes, I still miss Contax! Cheers!

    • Olympus has an excellent feature set in their cameras, and a growing and impressive lens line-up. What’s beginning to hurt them, however, is their sensor specs and performance vs. the competition. They now lag significantly behind the best state-of-the-art APS-C sensors on the market (e.g. X-Pro2 / D500).

      If Oly [and Panasonic] can improve that [crucial] part of the equation, then their imaging business should survive [and perhaps even thrive as soon as there’s a breakthrough in new sensor tech].

      Without it, I foresee a struggle.

      • A 4/3 version of Sony’s BSI sensor would solve the sensor quality lag.

  6. I would like to see some accessories or upgrade for “Q”
    Geotagging…
    Add on 50mm conversion lens (like Fuji has “TCL” for X100)…

    best regards…

  7. I am hoping the Leica X line continues. The X Vario was underappreciated and both it and the X-E and Typ 113 NEED a built in EVF.

    A Q with a true 35mm would be nice.

    • I am hoping the Leica X line continues. The X Vario was underappreciated and both it and the X-E and Typ 113 NEED a built in EVF.

      A Q with a true 35mm would be nice.

      EDIT: Opps. About Sony. A full frame high quality RX1R type camera with a FIXED 24/28 – 80 zoom would be fun.

      Fun thread Steve. Enjoyed your crystal ball view.

    • I thought the same about the viewfinder at first. But having got to know my X Vario better and knowing there will never be a real Leica with a flip-out LCD, I have become very satisfied with the use of an add-on tiltable EVF, and find the camera a sheer delight to use with marvellous results. So now I leave the viewfinder on (and have found a bag that accommodates the set up diagonally!). Far more important, I think, would be if Leica (or, more cheaply,Richard Franiec for example!) would produce a small thumb pad to go above the control pad on the rear. (I made my own, and it has transformed the handling and shooting experience.)

  8. What about other camera companies? Or is this just for the brands you like/get paid from? What about Panasonic, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm? -they do have the rumored XT2 coming.

    Maybe you should change your site to being ONLY Leica Olympus and Sony topics ONLY.

    Seriously, you should think about it, instead of “trying” to be unbiased.

    Seriously.

    • Ahhh, so refreshing to see a negative troll here. First, in 8 years I have written a small # of Nikon reviews as I do not review DSLR’s. Canon and Nikon have yet to make a serious mirrorless system and for P&S, they just have nothing special or unique. Fuji? I have loads of Fuji reviews here, but not a huge fan of what they have done of late. Just not a fan of the X Trans “look” or the build of their cameras, for ME. Yet they still get TONS of exposure here (tons of Fuji reviews, posts, etc). Panasonic? I reviewed all up to the GX8, which I did a nice look at. So plenty of Panasonic here as well. The problem is, people like you, who are trolls and drum up silly conspiracy theories in your basement while sitting in your underwear waiting for your mom to bring you a PB&J. I write about the cameras that stir my passion, excite me and motivate me. I have said this for 8 years. I do what I want to do, it’s my blog and site and I answer to no one but myself. Instead of sitting in your undies in your basement complaining, do something with your life instead. I guarantee you will be MUCH happier 😉 Nothing has changed here in years. I review the cameras that are special, IMO. Leica, Sony, Olympus ARE the ones leading the pack for innovation, features and all out amazing cameras. In eight years, I have NEVER BEEN PAID to do a review. I have NEVER been “bribed”. So try getting your head out of your hole, thank you.

      • While I agree that Sony and Olympus are doing a lot of innovation, I find it a bit disingenous to not include Fuji in this pack. Fuji has done quite a bit of their share too. And Fuji lenses are great. On average definitively better than the average Olympus/Panasonic m43rds lens. (disclosure: I shoot mainly with a GM5/OMD EM5 MKII).

        As for biases Steve, it’s a bit hard not to consider them given you get flown around by Olympus to their press conferences, etc. and you seem to have seriously problems getting any decent DR out of Fuji cameras in a way that quite frankly, either suggests you didn’t read the manual or something else. Sorry, I don’t know how else to put it.

        I like your stuff, so don’t get me wrong, but I do think you throw Fuji under a bus a bit much.

  10. I predict that the new M will have the super fast and silent shutter of the SL, but it will not have video at all. Let the SL do video. The M is for photography. I think Leica is going to make it easier for photojournalists and press photographers to once again use a RF camera for part of – or most of – their work.

    I also predict something about flash, that will make the M the best camera for flash photography (although I admit I dislike flash and never use it). 🙂

  11. CCD is a relic of the past. You can forget about that. Perhaps even CMOS as we know it may change drastically; think pixel-shifting.
    I recently pulled out an M6 and reminded myself what compact is. If they can somehow either incorporate a hybrid VF like Fuji, or an EVF of the likes of that in the SL (preferably better) AND come up with a basic M262 equivalent (I could give a rat’s ass about video), they’ll sell more than they can churn out.

  12. A proper weather sealed FF M body with an hybrid EVF would be amazing.
    No lag is an unreasonable request as we would use the faster than light transmission speed to colonize planets before using it on luxury camera equipment.

  13. Great fun, Steve, doing this kind of thing! Could it be that Leica actually take their instructions from you and then work faster than anyone believed possible?! 🙂

  14. The M240 remains my favorite camera however the diminutive size and quality of Leica lenses is the biggest attraction for me. I was recently considering a medium format camera system such as Phase One or Hasselblad for landscape work, but questioned my interest in hiking with a heavy body and 2-3 lenses. A new M with the features you describe would open my wallet however what I really lust for is a new M-like body tailored for landscape photography. Hiking with my M240 and 4 lenses is a breeze compared to the typical pro DSLR or MF kit. My wish is for Leica to design a new body specific for landscape photographers who want to use M glass. In the new body, my wish list is a sensor that delivers more megapixels for better print quality, wider dynamic range performance and a built-in electronic viewfinder for my aging eyes. I hope your crystal ball proves true this year and in the future I also hope Leica opens their eyes to camera designs for M lenses that move beyond the rangefinder.

    • Dana, what lenses do you use for landscape with M240?

      I am also into landscape photography but new comer to the Leica M system, currently using the Summilux 35 f1.4 FLE (a great lens) but I need wider angles that can be easily used for Landscape, while taking into consideration the limitation of rangefinder coverage at 24mm and liveview lags!

  15. Steve

    Would you please take another look into your crystal ball? Is there anything about an update to the S camera with an improved sensor for higher resolution and dynamic range? What about incorporating the EVF from the SL into the S?

    Shirley Leica won’t overlook the top of the line for improvement?
    Thanks
    PaulB

  16. Steve,

    I wonder which additional versions of the Q? I would love to see 2 more versions of the Q – in 50mm and 90 mm (especially, as I shoot primarily portraits). Does your crystal ball show any more native lenses for the SL?

    Hien

    • a Q with 50 1.4 , one kidney for sale , please make it 1.4 😐
      Q is one of the most joyful series ever…

  17. My crystal ball says it is a Photokina year and as Photokina is the most important photography show in the world it is a no brainer that almost every manufacturer will have a significant new product release in the September/October 2016 period.

  19. There is no crystal ball needed for this. It’s about 4 years ago for the last M release. There surely will be a new one at Photokina this year. Also a Leica Manager already talked about their focus on extending the Q platform with contrentation on other focal lengths in an interview. He also mentioned this is because of the huge success of the Q.

    • Did they say it will be slimmer, with a hybrid VF? No. Did they say it will be less expensive? No. Did they say it will have features not expected on an M? No. 🙂 Also, It’s been 3 years since the 240 not 4.

        • Wasn’t available to own until 2013. I was one of the 1st to get one, my review was in March 2013. Most did not get one until June. I had it in Feb. So about 3 years and 3 months.

          • To complete the chain:

            On Photokina this year it will be presented and available in 2017. So we have the 4 years…

  22. Dear, Steve. I only have a very small chrystal ball, still I love looking in it every now and then.
    Reading that you used yours inspired me to take mine from under the dust. You can never guess, what I saw!
    First I saw that your ball predicted all the right things. Then I saw you making the new M your camera of the year. Further, I saw the new M offering the same IQ level as the SL, and so many people being delighted indeed of the much slimmer format. And finally, I saw you being so very happy and relieved to finally get rid of the big SL and replace it by the Leica body that will indeed herald the future of the M and will bring back to you the feeling of the real Leica experience. The RF hardliners will eventually come around and be so glad having a modern compact body to continue using all their great M-mount lenses, yet being able to profit from modern technology next to tradition.
    The only thing I’m not seeing clear is the price… It looks to be “a tad” more though than what your ball is showing. 🙂

    My ball tells me nothing about Olympus, and just a little bit of Sony: an improved, state-of-the-art EVF, though I don’t see anything about the body.

  23. Please say yes…will the the new EM1 be able to still shoot my 4/3 lenses and maybe even better than the present EM1…I hope you are correct on the better ISO capabilities however with that small sensor Olympus will have to deliver some real Magic…..

  25. My cristal ball sees an even better SL such as A7r II or canon EOS 5ds r but with faster and crispy focus, touch screen display, better wifi connectivity, 2 XQD cards with an easier access and a longer battery life. The M should remain the same size and caracter with just a little bit bigger CMOS sensor. I think Leica do not have to emproe the Q because it does not the Leica spirit. Yes, I love leica!

    • I wholeheartedly disagree with your statement that the Leica Q does not have the Leica spirit. Before the SL came out it was simply their best camera since the M9…

  26. Hi Steve,

    Because of you and Ken Hansen, I have both an MP (film) and a Typ 262. Thanks to both of you. It’s interesting you should note the thickness of the M as a concern and something that might / should change. I was thinking the same thing a couple of weeks ago and was hoping the M-D Typ 262 would solve this, but the M-D is the same thickness as the Typ 262. The MP feels perfect in thickness, and the 3mm additional for the Typ 262 is noticeable. With this is mind, I did some measurements:

    The thickness of the MP in the areas we hold the camera (and the thickness of the base) is 33mm. For the Typ 262, 36mm. One of the things that drives the thickness of the camera is the for-aft position of the image plane. For the MP, this is the path of the film; for the Typ 262 it is the front face of the focal plane array (FPA). Given the fact that at a minimum the rest of the FPA and the LCD screen must be behind the image plane, Leica did well in only adding 3mm to the thickness of the camera. Actually Leica cheated slightly (something I was already thinking of before I did the measurements) in that the lens mount is flush mounted on the MP while it is 3mm out from the case for the Typ 262. So all Leica really has to do is gain back an additional 3mm. This can be done through a thinner FPA, thinner LCD, extend the LCD out the back a tad, move the lens a tad forward, etc. Would I sell my Typ 262 for a new 33mm thick M? Most definitely!!

    Thank you for your crystal ball, it gives us hope.

    Jerry

    • Well, I think it will be CMOS. I’d say a 99.9% chance of this. If CCD it would be too limiting in low light and the majority would trash it. The SL sensor is better than the CCD sensor of the M9, has pop and is crisp. I think it will have a sensor similar but newer tech.

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