Who didn’t wonder why that Leica X Vario, to be announced on June 11, 2013, has this big and slow of a lens. Maybe, but only maybe good news. The latest Leica teaser suggests a smaller, lighter and — as I would assume — faster lens. Based on my source I stick to my guns that the camera is APS-C CMOS with fixed zoom lens, but I just checked with the source again and he confirms: nah, that fixed zoom on the X Vario will be big and relatively slow.
Right, in this latest teaser the lens looks smaller than on the French leak — well is it really fake. My source confirms the cumbersome lens size, its slow speed and noise appearing at ISO 1,600 already.
(…) the newest Leica family member (with) its larger than usual sensor for its relatively small body.
Why expect a 1.5 crop. The M8 has a 1.3x factor. Enough food for speculation.
From another side I heard that camera and lens are made in Germany, but were developed by a subsidiary of Panasonic — that’s maybe why they get the colors right. If you like postcard colors, then you’ll like the X Vario.
Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if Solms leaked “fake rumors” by themselves to let the upcoming product go viral and gauge the market’s initial reaction to fine-tune marketing for launch day.
As it says on the teaser:
Heard the rumors? Get the truth.
These two sentences give them away.
A trap. Well done Leica! They wanted the negative rumors.
Even though, if this is true, I’d rather be suspicious of a company that bets on negative marketing to highlight the own not so perfect product.
Just don’t set your hopes too high.