Could Leica be working on a new medium format mirrorless camera? We don’t know for sure, but a recent video from the company does suggest the company has, at the very least, been prototyping such a camera.
Earlier this year, when Leica showed off its new M11 camera in its launch video, embedded above, a few eagle-eyed viewers noticed that there were three spots in the company’s camera roadmap that suggest the company will be releasing an additional three cameras by years end. Specifically, the teaser comes at roughly 2:17 into the video as Leica’s head designer, Mark Shipard, is walking through the company’s Munich Design Center, where Leica says its cameras ‘of the future are created.’ The three blank plaques on the wall suggest new cameras for the company’s S, SL and Q lineup will be released this year.
Click to enlarge.
Now, in that same video, it’s been pointed out by Leica Rumors that a camera mock-up visible in the background of a shot appears to showcase a medium format camera, a potential hint Leica could be working on some kind of mirrorless successor to the company’s S3 single lens reflex medium format camera, which was released back in 2020. As visible in the screenshot below, the medium format prototype is mixed amongst a collection of other Leica prototypes on a table and is distinguishable by the significantly larger lens mount diameter and sensor frame within.
Full-resolution screencap from the original YouTube video file, with both 2x and 4x magnifications on the relevant area. Click to enlarge.
No other teasers of this new medium format camera appear to be in the video, but between the empty S series plaque on the company’s camera timeline and the quick glance at the prototype, it would seem Leica might have some kind of medium format competitor up its sleeves to take on the likes of Fujifilm and Hasselblad.