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Leica Unleashes Unprecedented New Camera Lineup At Photokina

There's something for everyone at Leica's Photokina booth.

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After a few years of quietly refreshing its digital camera lineup (and throwing in numerous pricey special editions), Leica has let loose a veritable tidal wave of announcements today at Photokina.

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Continuing the M digital rangefinder lineage is the M Edition 60. Even though its heart and soul comes straight from the current M (Typ 240), it’s unique for what it leaves out—namely, buttons and an LCD screen.

Stripped of its sapphire glass-covered display, the M Edition 60 is a purist’s Leica, designed to break you of your urge to chimp. There are dials for ISO and shutter speed, and, other than a uniquely textured leather grip, that's it. Only 600 will be available, and they’ll come bundled with the Summilux 35mm f/1.4 and a lens hood.

Look for it in October. If had to guess, we'd say you might need to sell your beach house in Miami to pay for it.

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Leica also paid homage to its film roots with the new M-A rangefinder. You won’t find anything electrical inside—even metering is discarded in Leica's quest to give users an authentic shooting experience. The M-A is slimmer than its digital brethren and since you don’t need a battery, you’ll be able to use it just about anywhere. Like a proper film Leica, the M-A has a focal plane shutter, a sturdy brass case, and compatibility with all M-mount lenses.

Available in chrome and black, the M-A will go on sale in October. It’s available for pre-order now through major photo retailers for $4,740.00.

Leica’s S-type medium format family also gained two new members today. These SLRs are known for their rugged, weather-sealed bodies. The Leica S-E is the previous S (Typ 006), but at only $16,900, it's the new entry-end S. The S-E packs an older CCD-based, 37-megapixel sensor.

The new Leica S (Typ 007) has a license to kill... your wallet.

The star of the S family is undoubtedly the brand-new S (Typ 007), which uses a more sensitive CMOS sensor that’s also good for 37-megapixels of resolving power. Leica is confident that this new flagship medium format model is faster (burst shooting is 3.5 fps) and more sensitive, and it even can shoot 4K video. It'll bow in spring next year for a mere pittance—$25,400.00.

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Two new X-type cameras also made the scene, with the X-E (Typ 102), which is basically a rebadged version of the current X2, and a brand-new X (Typ 113), equipped with a slightly wider, 24mm f/1.7 equivalent lens.

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Both feature 16.2-megapixel APS-C sensors, and these particular models will continue to be made in Germany. The new X cameras will sell for $1,795.00 and $2,295.00 respectively.

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Leica also took the time to rebadge a couple of Panasonic’s excellent Lumix cameras. The brand-new LX100, a compact shooter based around a Micro Four Thirds sensor, will become the new Leica D-Lux (Typ 109) ($1,195.00), while the FZ1000 superzoom gets a red dot to become the Leica V-Lux (Typ 114) ($1,350.00).

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We're covering Photokina live from Cologne, Germany, all this week. Check back here for more news straight from the world's biggest photography show.

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