| For 100 years, Leica has stood for both photographic precision and overpriced extravagance. The company has been revered by working photographers for its rock-solid cameras that take tremendous photos in virtually any environment, yet it’s also been panned by critics for building cameras that cost far more than the sum of their parts. A prime example is the Leica M, the company’s flagship digital camera. It costs nearly $7,000, and that’s before you add a lens to the equation. Yet there are many photographers that wouldn’t shoot with anything else. The M offers an intangible emotional appeal, which is one of the reasons it’s able to sell for many thousands of dollars. |
| As a result, Leica has become a “lifestyle” brand, a status symbol for those wealthy enough to afford to pay five figures or more for a camera system. The company has fully embraced its image, expanding through partnerships with companies far removed from photography and opening up boutique stores across the world. | | Now Leica is expanding its line of cameras with the T, a brand-new, completely modern mirrorless camera system that costs far less than the flagship M line. It’s still expensive the camera and a basic zoom lens will set you back a steep $3,600 but it doesn’t carry the astronomical price commanded by the M. | | The T has all the trappings of a modern mirrorless camera: a 16-megapixel, APS-C size sensor, autofocus, built-in Wi-Fi, and the ability to record 1080p video. Where the M line is firmly fixed in the past and Leica’s tradition, the T is a notable step towards the future. | | But can you really get a true Leica experience without spending over $10,000 for a camera and lens? Leica claims that you can, so I spent a few weeks with the Leica T to see if this new, (slightly) more affordable philosophy can carry the company for another 100 years. |
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