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| The Leica M11 uses a Sony sensor. Image: Leica |
Leica is reportedly developing a proprietary sensor with an advanced design, according to Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG. Speaking as a guest on the Leica Enthusiast podcast, which was reported by Leica Rumors and PetaPixel, he shared a very brief (and vague) glimpse into the company’s ambitions.
The Leica Enthusiast podcast is in German, so we relied on machine learning translations. While the episode touches on a variety of topics, the most noteworthy part is that, partway through, Dr. Kaufmann unveils, “We are also developing our own sensor again.” When asked about the development time, he simply said “five years.” It isn’t clear whether that’s how long Leica has been working on the project or if it’s the expected timetable for a finished product, but to us it seems likely that it’s the former.
Dr. Kaufmann then briefly went into some of the history of the sensor in the M series to provide some context. He explained that the M10 utilized a sensor that was entirely developed in Europe. Development was conducted by AMS in Graz, Austria, with design work handled by AMS’s Dutch development office, and fabrication taking place at a French foundry in Grenoble. With the M11, though, Leica switched to using Sony sensors.
“Work began on developing a proprietary sensor again, with a more advanced design.”
That appears to be changing, however. When discussing the switch to Sony sensors in the M11, Dr. Kaufmann added that “at the same time, work began on developing a proprietary sensor again, with a more advanced design. And I think we have made considerable progress there.” Unfortunately, that brief comment is all the information that’s currently available. “At the moment, we cannot say more,” he said.
There’s a broad range of things that “developing a proprietary sensor” could mean. It could involve anything from building its own sensor from the ground up (which would be a massive undertaking, especially for a company of Leica’s size) to customizing an existing design from another manufacturer. For now, as per usual, we’ll just have to wait and see what Leica is actually up to.
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