Pixii announces new 26MP digital rangefinder camera with M-mount
posted Monday, September 27, 2021 at 1:00 PM EDT
In 2018, French startup Pixii announced a digital rangefinder camera, the Pixii camera. The machined aluminum camera includes an M-mount, 12MP APS-C image sensor and no back display. Although first announced in 2018, the Pixii camera didn't go on sale until mid-2020. Pixii has announced a new version of its camera featuring the same overall design but a new 26MP image sensor and a few other improvements.
The Pixii camera features a relatively simple design. The back of the camera includes a select wheel, menu button and USB port to the right of the camera's 0.67x magnification viewfinder. The top of the Pixii is also quite straightforward, including a hot shoe, command dial, OLED info display and shutter release.
The USB port has been changed, and it now features USB-C connectivity. The Pixii doesn't include a card slot, so images are stored on internal storage and then transferred to connected devices wirelessly via Bluetooth/Wi-Fi or the USB-C port. The camera's internal battery is also charged via this port.
The optical viewfinder has the same magnification as the original Pixii camera. However, it now features a miniature integrated digital display that projects key information onto the optical viewfinder, including shutter speed, exposure compensation and white balance. Users can change which settings appear on the viewfinder using the rear selection wheel. Users can now interact with and change camera settings without needing to look away from the viewfinder.
While these changes are notable, the biggest change comes in the form of the new 26-megapixel BSI CMOS image sensor. The APS-C image sensor offers 2.5 times more pixels than the original Pixii camera and an expanded native ISO range of 160-12,800. Pixii states that the sensor delivers 14 stops of dynamic range. You can record DNG files, and the camera includes GPR compression support, reducing RAW file sizes by up to 10 times while maintaining file flexibility during editing.
Additional features include LUT-based color profile support for natural or film-oriented color renditions, a monochrome mode, 28/35/40/50mm focal length frame lines in the optical viewfinder, a fast electronic shutter with speeds up to 1/32,000s, and native iOS and Android support for connected devices.
The new Pixii camera will be available to order on September 30 for $2,999 for an 8GB version. The camera will also be available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB versions, although US pricing has yet to be confirmed. Orders will begin shipping on October 11. While details are not yet available, Pixii will offer an upgrade path for original Pixii camera owners to get the new image sensor. For more information, visit Pixii.
(Via Leica Rumors)