Leica could be announcing a rival to the Fujifilm X100VI soon

Note: This new was first published on 18 March 2024.

According to Leica Rumors, Leica could be announcing a new premium compact point-and-shoot camera soon – one that would compete directly against the Fujifilm X100VI.

Evidence of this comes from China, where Leica has registered a new device with the model name 3952A. This is significant because the current D-Lux 7 camera has the model name 3952.

This suggests the new camera would only be a minor upgrade over the current D-Lux 7, or maybe even just a new limited edition version. This makes sense because the D-Lux 7 is based heavily on Panasonic's LX100 and Panasonic doesn't have a new LX100 camera.

That said, others believe that model 3952A could be an entirely new camera. Andrea Pizzini of SonyAlphaRumors believes that this new Leica camera could use a new APS-C sensor and feature a fast fixed lens prime lens.

According to Pizzini, Leica typically takes about one to three months to announce the camera after it gets registered, so it won't be long before we find out what this new camera is.

The market for compact high-end point-and-shoot cameras is incredibly hot now. Fujifilm's new X100VI is sold out and Ricoh recently announced that it would stop taking new orders for its GR III series of cameras. 

Although Leica already has a high-end point-and-shoot camera called the Q3 that is reportedly selling very well. However, at nearly S$9,000, it's terribly expensive. A more affordable alternative is needed if it's to stay competitive against offerings from other brands.

The D-Lux 7 currently retails for S$2,260 and it's reasonable to expect this new camera to be priced under or at around S$3,000.

Source: LeicaRumors, Andrea Pizzini

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