Leica M2 becomes a digital camera with Raspberry Pi: Improved Leica MPi gets 64 MP OwlSight sensor
The first variant of the Leica MPi was released by Michael Suguitan as an open source project back in May 2023. Over the past few months, the project has received a number of significant upgrades. The fundamental idea remains the same: the Leica M2 is combined with a Raspberry Pi and a compatible camera sensor to transform the 1957 rangefinder camera into a digital camera.
In the new model, the 12 MP Sony IMX477 sensor in 1/2.3 inch format is replaced by a much larger Arducam OwlSight, a 64 MP sensor in 1/1.32 inch format. The larger sensor results in a magnification factor of 3.7, which means that the Laowa 9 mm f/5.6 lens acts like a 33 mm lens on a full-frame camera, while a 90 mm lens effectively becomes a 333 mm telephoto lens. This new sensor also makes it possible to take color photos during the day, which led to distorted colors in the old model due to the lack of an infrared filter.
Support for flash and the integrated battery, which is charged via USB-C, are also new. As the video (embedded below) shows, the digital module makes the middle section of the Leica M2 considerably thicker, meaning that the viewfinder can only be used with the right eye. Those wanting to replicate the project themselves should consider the cost of the camera, as a used Leica M2 is currently hard to find for less than $2,220.
Price and availability
The Leica MPi is distributed as an open-source project via Github, so if you want to modify a Leica M2, you have to do it yourself. The most expensive components required to build it are the Arducam OwlSight camera sensor, which costs around $60, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2, which costs $21, and the Waveshare LCD, which costs around $14. If you would like to support the developer behind the project, Michael Suguitan, you can order a photo book in A5 format with at least 30 pages for $20, plus shipping and import sales tax via Kickstarter.
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