Leica presents rangefinder camera without rangefinder
The M EV1 is Leica's first M camera with an electronic viewfinder. It is based on the M11, has a sensor with 60 megapixels and, like all cameras in the series, no autofocus.
«M» stands for «rangefinder» at Leica. But this is exactly what the new M EV1 lacks for the first time. Instead, the camera has an electronic viewfinder (EVF) with a resolution of 5.76 million pixels and a magnification of 0.76. It is the same one that is already in the Leica Q3. Compared to a rangefinder, it should offer more precise focus control, as well as an exact preview of exposure and white balance. However, the typical view beyond the frame is missing.
Source: Leica
This is likely to cause controversy among the fan community. After all, the analogue focus method was an essential part of the charm of the M line. Anyone who now thinks that the M EV1 is a Q3 with interchangeable lenses is mistaken. In contrast to the Q3, focusing is still manual. As with all M models, there is also no image stabiliser or video function.
Same sensor as M11 and Sony Alpha 7R V
Aside from the viewfinder, the M EV1 is based on the M11 platform with the familiar 60-megapixel sensor from Sony and the Maestro III processor. It also inherits the internal memory of the M11, which is rather small at 64 gigabytes. Wi-Fi and USB-C are on board, and the BP-SCL7 battery is the same as the M11 series.
Source: Leica
At 484 grammes, the diamond-shaped leather housing is slightly lighter than the M11-P (530 grammes). The front lever on the camera now switches between focus peaking, focus magnification and the digital zooms (1.3x and 1.8x). The latter are only applied to JPGs, RAW files remain unchanged.
The Leica M EV1 costs 7950 francs or euros and is now available directly from the manufacturer and from specialist dealers - but unfortunately not from Digitec Galaxus.
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