Leica announces the Leica M (Typ 262)

Leica has announced the newest member of its rangefinder-style cameras, the Leica M (Typ 262). With this, Leica aims to bring the focus back on photography.

The Leica M (Typ 262) has a 24 megapixel CMOS sensor with a Leica M lens mount. The important thing here is that the camera lacks any kind of video recording and live mode. The display on the back is only for looking at images after shooting them and for the simplified menu, which Leica boasts is only two pages long.

The camera is also now more discreet, with a considerably quieter shutter cocking mechanism than the Typ 240 with a shutter speed of 2 frames per second. In normal continuous mode, the M (Typ 262) has the shooting speed as the M (Typ 240), which is 3 frames per second.

The Leica M (Typ 262) also has a aluminum top plate instead of brass, which makes the camera 100g lighter. On the back are dedicated buttons for white balance and ISO and on the top is a mechanical dial for setting the shutter speed. There is no built-in flash but the camera has a hotshoe for accessories.

The Leica M (Typ 262) is not your average everyday camera that can be used for any kind of situation. Those used to using a live viewfinder or recording videos will obviously need to look elsewhere. But for those who just want to take photos, the simplified interface and the lack of distraction would be a pleasant change. Of course, that does come at a cost, which in this case is $5195.

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