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If there is one thing that’s been missing from the world of Leica, it’s the medium format camera entries. When they launched the S2 so many years ago, it featured one of the most magical sensors made. At the heart as a massive Kodak CCD sensor that delivered colors like no other camera around. Coupled with their lenses, the cameras shot many magazine covers throughout the years. Part of what made it so unique is that a medium format camera back wasn’t needed. Instead, it integrated the digital sensor into the camera body. Indeed, this was the first digital medium format camera system to do that along with the Pentax 645 system. But now that we’re in the mirrorless camera space, it’s hard to think about where Leica will be with medium format.
According to an article we syndicated from our TIPA brother-website ProfiFoto, Leica is indeed making a medium format camera. This information came from Dr. Kauffman himself — and so it’s indeed real. He called it an oversized camera system, however while referencing that we should stop calling things medium format. Afterall, not even the GFX system is 645 sized.
So what can we expect from the Leica Medium Format Camera? Well, here’s what I’m dreaming of:
A Leica Medium Format Camera and the Sensor
First off, the standard medium format camera these days has 100MP. Honestly, I feel like full-frame 35mm cameras could start to do that at any day or time. So what I want is more than 100 Megapixels for the possibility of more editing abilities in post-production. The color depth should be somewhere out of this world where we haven’t seen anything like this in digital medium format before. With this in mind, it should be able to make the most of terrible lighting situations to where they’re completely a thing of the past.
The alternative, of course, is that the camera tackles high ISO output but keeps the megapixels more modest at 100 MP. Instead, we’d be able to go into Sony a7s III levels of nuclear high ISO.
I Don’t Want Super Fast Autofocus, Just Good Autofocus
While Fujifilm is trying to go for faster autofocus, I want Leica to stick to their values of just getting really good autofocus instead. Leica’s autofocus is great with people of color in low light — and I want it to continue to be that way even with medium format cameras. I truly don’t see many people wanting to use these cameras for stuff like wildlife — though I wouldn’t put it past photographers to do that. However, medium format cameras have traditionally been used for slower moving subjects. I hope that the autofocus in this case can hold up.
IP Durability Rating
Obviously, I hope that Leica upholds their IP durability ratings for their cameras. The company doesn’t give their lenses the same rating — only OM System does that. But their cameras are the most durable on the market otherwise. In the case of a Leica Medium Format camera, I’d expect the lenses to be just as reliable.
More In-Camera Processing
A problem that Leica cameras have always had is in-camera processing. Now we get Leica Looks. But what about features like multiple exposure? In today’s world, we can’t just always rely on post-production because we have to empower photographers to do more in-camera and to rely on their own creativity and techniques. If everyone is using the same Photoshop actions, then they’re not being as unique as they possibly can be.
Medium Format Apochromatic Prime Lenses
Of course, Apochromatic lenses are really what I’d love. Some F2 aprochromatic primes would mean that the depth of field will be some of the smoothest and buttery we’ve ever seen.