Thin body, wide ISO range: Leica introduces slimmest, highest-sensitivity digital M camera, the M10
posted Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at 4:46 PM EDT
Leica's M line has simultaneously beefed up and slimmed down. The newly-announced Leica M10 features the slimmest body of any Leica digital M camera, while including a physical ISO dial, higher-magnification (0.73x) optical viewfinder and redeveloped 24-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor and Maestro II image processor. Its dimensions are 5.5 x 3.1 x 1.5 inches (139.0 x 80.0 x 38.5 millimeters) with a weight of 1.45 pounds (660 grams) with battery. Compared to the Leica M, the M10 is 0.2 inches thinner.
The Leica M10 eschews video recording to shift the focus solely on still photography. Don’t think the omission means the price will be as trimmed down as the camera body was, as the Leica M10 will still cost around US$6,600. To accompany the premium price is a premium camera body built from magnesium alloy with brass top and bottom plates. The 3-inch 1.04M-dot rear display also includes a Corning Gorilla Glass cover to help make the display as durable as the rest of the camera. Further, the camera includes rubber seals for protection against the elements.
Thanks to the Leica M10's Maestro II image processor and large 2GB buffer, the company claims images can be captured at 5 frames per second in bursts of up to 100 JPEGs or 30 RAW frames. Leica states that the M10 offers "high-resolution imagery with an extended dynamic range." The ISO range of 100 to 50,000 is considerably wider than that of the Leica M, which topped out at ISO 6400. You'll be able to instantly share these images as the Leica M10 has also added built-in Wi-Fi connectivity.
See our Leica M10 preview for more details, and if you would like to preorder the Leica M10, we encourage you to help support our site and continued coverage by doing so through our trusted affiliate B&H below.