Leica M (Typ 262)

Leica has announced the M (Type 262), a more affordable version of its M (Type 240) rangefinder camera.

As with the other digital M cameras, the Leica M (Typ 262) features a high-resolution CMOS full-frame sensor, designed exclusively for rangefinder photography, but excludes video recording and Live View.

However, Leica has cut out a few of the extraneous features to form a more straight-forward rangefinder that will no-doubt please the Leica purists no end.

The latest addition it the fourth model in the company’s digital M-Generation line-up and offers a reduced feature set that concentrates upon pure photography. This allows users to focus on the fascination of M photography and, ultimately, on capturing the decisive moment.

The Typ 262 is lighter due in part to its top plate being made from aluminum. It’s more or less the same as the M from 2012, with a 24-megapixel full-frame sensor and optical viewfinder that helps you focus manually, but it’s missing a couple of the Typ 240’s biggest features: there’s no live view and no video recording functionality. At the same time, the camera’s Maestro processor guarantees fast processing of captured images, ensuring that it is immediately ready to shoot.

The top and back of the camera can be engraved as well. You can shoot at up to 3 frames per second in continuous shooting, and the shutter speed has been made quieter compared to the M 240.

The Leica M (Typ 262) joins the Leica M, M-P (Typ 240) and the Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246), now giving photographers the choice of four models. The Leica red dot logo is also smaller on the new Typ 262. White balance is selected by a dedicated button on the back of the camera.

The coupled rangefinder and focusing ring on the lens allow rapid manual focusing and the menu has been scaled down to only two pages to make settings more readily accessible.

Though the Typ 262 is the least expensive of Leica’s M-series cameras, it still costs a whopping $5195 or £4050 (about AU$7,173) and it’s available now.