Leica M EV1: First Leica M camera with built-in EVF rumoured to launch in October
The mystery of the Leica M-series camera with an electronic viewfinder might be coming to a close in the coming weeks. Leaks gathered over the past month have gone through a series of phases: from considering the possibility of a hybrid viewfinder like in the Fujifilm X100, to speculations about the fate of the rangefinder. Current rumours have it that Leica is including neither an optical viewfinder nor a rangefinder in its new EVF camera which is set for launch by October 23rd, with shipping to begin in November.
Late last month, a Chinese retailer was accepting reservations for a certain Leica M11-V with the same release date. The camera was reported to be a compact variant of the Leica M11 with a Maestro III processor, a 60MP full-frame sensor, 64GB of storage and a built-in 0.5-inch electronic viewfinder. LeicaRumours asserts that this camera is in fact the Leica M EV1, and will be closer in design to a Q-series camera with an M-mount than a typical Leica M. This makes sense, given the absence of the classic M-series rangefinder.
Consequently, the Leica M EV1 should be somewhat cheaper than the regular M11, although pricier than Leica Q3 (curr. $6625.85 on Amazon). Speculated pricing for the Leica M EV1 is €7950 ($9,300) in the UK, including VAT, while US tariffs might tip this over $10,000. For comparison, the M11 is sold at $9899.95 on Amazon, although you can get good deals on used models.
Meanwhile, another report from LeicaRumours claims that an official announcement for the Leica Q3 Monochrom is expected by October 16th, just before the purpoted release date for Leica's M-series EVF camera.
