Owning both Q and M bodies, I can say they are very similar in size. Many assume the Q is much more compact, but it is roughly the same overall size as an M10 when paired with a lens of comparable length. The main difference is that the Q is about 9mm narrower from side to side, while all other dimensions are essentially the same.
The lack of IBIS may be a deal breaker for many. While the camera can now use long telephoto M lenses natively, there is no stabilization. In contrast, the Q series offered lens-based image stabilization.
Maestro III Image Processor
• 64GB internal memory
• Made in Germany
Price
• Expected to be cheaper than the Leica M11
• EU (including VAT): €7,950 (around $9,300)
• Hong Kong: 75,000 HKD (around $9,600)
• With new Trump-era tariffs, US pricing could exceed $10,000
Other
• Availability in silver is uncertain
• Leica M EV1 rumored official announcement: October 23, 2025 (±1 day)
• Shipping expected to start in November
• Camera is already in production
Fred Miranda wrote:
The lack of IBIS may be a deal breaker for many. While the camera can now use long telephoto M lenses natively, there is no stabilization. In contrast, the Q series offered lens-based image stabilization.
Maestro III Image Processor
• 64GB internal memory
• Made in Germany
Price
• Expected to be cheaper than the Leica M11
• EU (including VAT): €7,950 (around $9,300)
• Hong Kong: 75,000 HKD (around $9,600)
• With new Trump-era tariffs, US pricing could exceed $10,000
Other
• Availability in silver is uncertain
• Leica M EV1 rumored official announcement: October 23, 2025 (±1 day)
• Shipping expected to start in November
• Camera is already in production...Show more →
"The Leica M11 features digital live view stabilization to stabilize the preview image on the LCD screen and electronic viewfinder (EVF)"
Wondering if there will be similar for this Leica M/EVF hybrid camera. Something better than nothing for those in the "no IBIS hard-no, deal breaker" camp. OTOH, I think there could be enough of a significant initial demand, many will forgive the lack of traditional IBIS in favor of the built in EVF...we shall see very soon. My bet is a another sales success for Leica regardless.
LBJ2 wrote:
"The Leica M11 features digital live view stabilization to stabilize the preview image on the LCD screen and electronic viewfinder (EVF)"
Wondering if there will be similar for this Leica M/EVF hybrid camera. Something better than nothing for those in the "no IBIS hard-no, deal breaker" camp. OTOH, I think there could be enough of a significant initial demand, many will forgive the lack of traditional IBIS in favor of the built in EVF...we shall see very soon. My bet is a another sales success for Leica regardless.
Yes, this is just M11-style stabilization for the EVF and LCD, not for the final image. It will probably do well, but if the leaks are accurate, I am very unlikely to get one.
On a side note and once again...seems this is turning into a year over year pattern "Leica’s global expansion and new launches drive €596m revenue record!"
"Leica Camera has announced record revenues for the fourth year running, marking a milestone in its centenary year of the original Leica I. For the 2024/25 financial year, the German optics brand achieved the highest revenue in its history, with sales climbing 7.6% to around €596 million ($699m) compared with €554 million ($649m) the previous year.
Growth was led by Leica’s core Photo division, while its expanding Mobile segment, including smartphone collaborations, also made a significant contribution. Other product areas – such as high-end home cinema projectors, luxury watches, and premium spectacle lenses – all reported substantial revenue increases. Despite a challenging market, the Sports Optics segment also held firm as Leica’s second-largest business area.
Matthias Harsch, CEO of Leica Camera AG, comments: “We are meeting the global growth in demand for cameras with high-quality products ‘Made in Germany’. Over the past financial year, we have launched both new classic camera models and novel products, such as the Leica LUX app and the Leica Cine Play 1 mini-projector. Our business success is rooted in innovation and the expansion of our own global sales network.”
Leica enjoyed strong results across all regions, with Europe leading the way at 7.6% growth, driven by an 11.4% increase in Germany alone. Sales in Asia rose by 7.3%, while North America climbed to 6.2%. The company also expanded its retail footprint, opening new Leica Stores in Wuhan, Tokyo, and Seoul, while online sales jumped by a further 12.5%.
The Photo segment has remained at the heart of Leica’s success. The Leica Q3 was the standout bestseller, while the Leica SL3 and Leica SL3-S full-frame system cameras also proved highly popular..." *Special highlight for @retrofocus
LBJ2 wrote:
The Photo segment has remained at the heart of Leica’s success. The Leica Q3 was the standout bestseller, while the Leica SL3 and Leica SL3-S full-frame system cameras also proved highly popular..." *Special highlight for @retrofocus@
I think this is a white lie from the marketing department, with the truth being closer to: M sales continue to be a cash cow; if only the same was true for the SL line.
FrozenInTime wrote:
I think this is a white lie from the marketing department, with the truth being closer to: M sales continue to be a cash cow; if only the same was true for the SL line.
FWIW. If transcribed correctly, the sentence describes the SL line proved highly popular. Not a cash cow. Not a best seller.
From Wetzlar:
"Over the past financial year, Leica Camera introduced several new cameras, which have contributed to the growth in sales. Leica Camera is one of the few companies still producing analogue cameras. The Leica Q3 was the biggest seller among the company’s digital cameras. This compact full-frame camera has been available with 43 mm fixed focal length since September 2024. The full-frame system cameras, Leica SL3 and SL3-,S were also in high demand. A small compact camera was added to the range in the form of the Leica D-Lux 8. For the M-System, Leica launched the M11-D, a variant of the iconic full-frame digital camera that dispenses with a digital display."
Fred Miranda wrote:
The lack of IBIS may be a deal breaker for many. While the camera can now use long telephoto M lenses natively, there is no stabilization. In contrast, the Q series offered lens-based image stabilization.
Maestro III Image Processor
• 64GB internal memory
• Made in Germany
Price
• Expected to be cheaper than the Leica M11
• EU (including VAT): €7,950 (around $9,300)
• Hong Kong: 75,000 HKD (around $9,600)
• With new Trump-era tariffs, US pricing could exceed $10,000
Other
• Availability in silver is uncertain
• Leica M EV1 rumored official announcement: October 23, 2025 (±1 day)
• Shipping expected to start in November
• Camera is already in production...Show more →
I understand it’s Leica and their prices are always quite sky high, it feels almost legitimate with the M series, kind of, and with the Q series, maybe the most, they are quite packed and on the used market they can be a bargain, for the SL series I think it’s debatable.
But regarding the specs here, it feels pricey for the offering, it’s quite bare. A M11 looks like a bargain almost in comparison.
retrofocus wrote:
Nicely worded but it means: the Leica Q3 sales were excellent and the SL system finding usage but to a much lesser amount.
Yeah probably means „SL3 sales are more or less in line with plan“. Doesn’t mean much in terms of uptake in absolute terms.
Regarding lack of IBIS in the M EV1: wondering how much of a challenge it is to build IBIS for M mount. It is quite a narrow mount and with many lenses the light already hits the sensor at steep angles.. we‘ve seen some vignetting based on lens rear baffle design on the Nikon Zf and that’s with the massive Z mount. I imagine there would be a lot of compatibility issues with M mount lenses, where IBIS works well for some, but hard-vignettes with others.
I don’t use my M11 much in situations where IBIS would make a difference.
I would like to have a relatively small and light camera that allows precise MF wide open, gets the most out of the small M-mount lenses and doesn’t cost an absurd amount of money.
I’m already pretty close with the Z6 III. I don’t know yet how good Leica’s MF implementation will be, so that’s a critical element. I assume the Leica will be smaller and lighter, those are two positives. The IQ will be better, but I don’t really care about pure resolution. I fear for the price.
The fact that the SL series does well makes it likely Leica will charge a lot for this new camera, because the SL is a sub-par camera in terms of pure specs compared to its much cheaper competitors.
johnvanr wrote:
The fact that the SL series does well makes it likely Leica will charge a lot for this new camera, because the SL is a sub-par camera in terms of pure specs compared to its much cheaper competitors.
Actually I think a case can be made for Leica SL.
Leica refers to the SL as a system camera. For me, just as the Leica M camera bodies don't make sense without the M mount lenses, the SL cameras do not make sense without the SL lenses. In particular the APO-SL prime lenses. I enjoy the SL build quality, and work flow. It likely has the best weather sealing in the industry. The sensor is superb IQ wise. I acknowledge that the SL is relatively slow and less accurate in AF. The frame rates of the SL3 and SL3-S are are in line with other non action orientated bodies. Yes, at retail it is a high priced solution like all Leica products. But, on the used market both bodies and lenses are competitively priced for IQ and my intended use case. Still, I would never choose SL3 without the APO-SL lenses. I feel I get the highest possible IQ for printing large available in FF sensors on the market today with that combination. IQ is also a specification. It is just not easly listed on a camera box. I would like to see a better performing FF sensor, or any MTF chats that exceed or even match the SL systems in their respective resolutions. The only step up is to go Medium Format or larger. But then neither price or operational performance are better.
Fred Miranda wrote:
The lack of IBIS may be a deal breaker for many. While the camera can now use long telephoto M lenses natively, there is no stabilization. In contrast, the Q series offered lens-based image stabilization.
Maestro III Image Processor
• 64GB internal memory
• Made in Germany
Price
• Expected to be cheaper than the Leica M11
• EU (including VAT): €7,950 (around $9,300)
• Hong Kong: 75,000 HKD (around $9,600)
• With new Trump-era tariffs, US pricing could exceed $10,000
Other
• Availability in silver is uncertain
• Leica M EV1 rumored official announcement: October 23, 2025 (±1 day)
• Shipping expected to start in November
• Camera is already in production...Show more →
It seems to me that sensor development as far as IQ has slowed down considerably in recent years. It is likely that the development of IBIS in M and Q bodies is the low hanging fruit for increasing IQ. For a given Aperture and Shutter Speed a reduction of 4 or 5 stops of ISO will provide meaningful gains in IQ. Development of IBIS is in the realm of camera brand engineering teams. It doesn't depend on a sensor supplier like Sony. This should be a priority at Leica. I am well satisfied with Leica M workflow, and glass. IBIS has the potential to meangfully improve IQ and EVF shooting experience through a more stable EVF. I can't think of a more compelling reason to upgrade my M11 than a high performing IBIS integration.
fjablo wrote:
Yeah probably means „SL3 sales are more or less in line with plan“. Doesn’t mean much in terms of uptake in absolute terms.
Regarding lack of IBIS in the M EV1: wondering how much of a challenge it is to build IBIS for M mount. It is quite a narrow mount and with many lenses the light already hits the sensor at steep angles.. we‘ve seen some vignetting based on lens rear baffle design on the Nikon Zf and that’s with the massive Z mount. I imagine there would be a lot of compatibility issues with M mount lenses, where IBIS works well for some, but hard-vignettes with others. ...Show more →
There was a statement some time ago from Leica something along the lines of... if Leica were able to remove the mechanical shutter in the current M camera form factor there could be room for an IBIS mechanism.
After the hybrid M EV1 camera is released, I think a mechanical shutterless M camera with IBIS could be the next big change/update coming to perhaps to one of the next-gen M12 camera models.
1bwana1 wrote:
It seems to me that sensor development as far as IQ has slowed down considerably in recent years. It is likely that the development of IBIS in M and Q bodies is the low hanging fruit for increasing IQ. For a given Aperture and Shutter Speed a reduction of 4 or 5 stops of ISO will provide meaningful gains in IQ. Development of IBIS is in the realm of camera brand engineering teams. It doesn't depend on a sensor supplier like Sony. This should be a priority at Leica. I am well satisfied with Leica M workflow, and glass. IBIS has the potential to meangfully improve IQ and EVF shooting experience through a more stable EVF. I can't think of a more compelling reason to upgrade my M11 than a high performing IBIS integration. ...Show more →
I can understand the absence of IBIS in the Leica M. The framelines work best for 35mm and 50mm shooting, where stabilization is not critical. Even though it can be used with longer focal lengths like 90mm or 135mm, it has always been part of the traditional Leica shooting experience that goes back to film. So the lack of IBIS is understandable, whether due to technical limitations or Leica's desire to preserve that heritage..
The Q series, on the other hand, doesn't really need IBIS since its lens (28/43) already have built-in stabilization, even if it's not as effective as modern IBIS systems. The situation is different with the rumored Leica M EV1. It won't have a stabilized lens and will support all M-mount lenses, which makes in-body stabilization far more relevant. I can see why many people might not be enthusiastic about that omission.
In my case, whenever I want EVF or a smaller body, I shoot with the Sony A7CR that has been Kolari-modded to work optimally with my M lenses, and I depend heavily on its 7-stop stabilization. As cool as the Leica M EV1 may look, I would not want to switch to a larger and heavier camera that lacks IBIS and doesn't deliver better image quality in return. That said, I understand that most shooters don't have a setup like mine and prefer staying within the Leica system, so I'm sure this new camera will be a strong success for Leica as another appealing option, much like a variation of the Q series.
LBJ2 wrote:
There was a statement some time ago from Leica something along the lines of... if Leica were able to remove the mechanical shutter in the current M camera form factor there could be room for an IBIS mechanism.
After the hybrid M EV1 camera is released, I think a mechanical shutterless M camera with IBIS could be the next big change/update coming to perhaps to one of the next-gen M12 camera models.
Removing the mechanical shutter would require a complete change of camera architecture from sensor up. The orientation of such an architecture would change from IQ to speed. I think that is an unlikely path for Leica to take. Leica has absolutely no experience/history in high speed cameras like such a change would require.
1bwana1 wrote:
Removing the mechanical shutter would require a complete change of camera architecture from sensor up. The orientation of such an architecture would change from IQ to speed. I think that is an unlikely path for Leica to take. Leica has absolutely no experience/history in high speed cameras like such a change would require.
Here's the statement I was referring to:
"One wish is the image stabilizer. Why doesn't the M11 have this?
I would like to have that as well, but space is the limit here, because one of the specifications, even with the M10, was that the housing depth of the analogue M cameras should be retained. Because that's what makes the camera so handy. But it isn't ruled out that the image stabilizer could be integrated into the M at some point, for example, if we would do without the mechanical shutter and so the necessary space would be available again. "–conversation with Stefan Daniel
LBJ2 wrote:
Here's the statement I was referring to:
"One wish is the image stabilizer. Why doesn't the M11 have this?
I would like to have that as well, but space is the limit here, because one of the specifications, even with the M10, was that the housing depth of the analogue M cameras should be retained. Because that's what makes the camera so handy. But it isn't ruled out that the image stabilizer could be integrated into the M at some point, for example, if we would do without the mechanical shutter and so the necessary space would be available again. "–conversation with Stefan Daniel
He's talking about the depth of the camera which is certainly one issue. But all those recent IBIS units with 6-8 stops of compensation also shift the sensor around significantly to achieve that, so I'm still not convinced that there wouldn't be compatibility issues with the lenses in many cases. Of course they might implement a less effective IBIS unit (like 2-3 stops maybe?) but not sure if those who demand IBIS right now would be happy with that either..
Fred Miranda wrote:
I would say it is about 50/50 at this point. It is doable and Fuji figured out a version years ago. It is obviously not exactly like shooting with a rangefinder, but it provides an OVF and focusing aid. Leica could very well have been working on something like this for a while, so I would not be surprised if that is the case. Right now, though, nobody knows for sure except those very close to Leica and the project.
Leicarumors is now reporting that it looks like a Leica Q but with M mount. No hybrid / optical viewfinder to be found.
