If the rumors are right, this new Leica ultra-wide MFT lens will offer a stellar maximum aperture and an equally stellar price!
We just made this picture up – but the rumors about a new Leica MFT 9mm f/1.7 lens do look pretty firm.(Image credit: Digital Camera World)
Rumor site 43rumors.com has the scoop on a new Leica badged ultra-wide prime for Olympus MFT cameras and Panasonic Lumix G models. This would be an exciting lens for MFT systems because so far only Laowa has ventured into this market with lenses like its 10mm f/2.
The LEICA DG SUMMILUX 9mm / F1.7 ASPH. will have an equivalent focal length of 18mm in full frame terms, and that will go with a maximum aperture of f/1.7, which is very fast for a lens this wide. With a weight of just 130g, it should also be a lot lighter than current ultra-wide zooms from Olympus and Panasonic.
Perhaps the most surprising feature is the price. According to 43rumors.com, the Summilux 9mm f/1.7 ASPH. will sell for $497.99 (about £403/AU$498). That seems extremely cheap for a Leica-badged Summilux lens.
Other rumored specs include an optical configuration of 12 elements in 9 groups, including 2 aspherical lenses, 2 ED lenses and 1 UHR lens, a 7-bladed aperture, and dustproof/splashproof design.
It will also have a 55mm filter thread, which is modest by APS-C and full-frame standards, but suggests a medium-sized lens in MFT terms. It does sound as if you can fit filters directly to the front, then, which is good news.
This does rather put the Laowa 10mm f/2 lens in the shade, one of our past favourites. This lens is manual focus only, whereas we assume the new SUMMILUX 9mm / F1.7 ASPH. will have autofocus – and with a faster aperture and similar price to the Laowa.
There’s no definite news on an announcement or availability of the new Leica lens yet, but 43rumors.com expects it to be announced in 1-2 months. Let’s hope so, and that all the leaked details are correct. We can’t wait!
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Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing Digital Camera World contributor, having previously worked as DCW's Group Reviews editor. Before that he has been technique editor on N-Photo, Head of Testing for the photography division and Camera Channel editor on TechRadar, as well as contributing to many other publications. He has been writing about photography technique, photo editing and digital cameras since they first appeared, and before that began his career writing about film photography. He has used and reviewed practically every interchangeable lens camera launched in the past 20 years, from entry-level DSLRs to medium format cameras, together with lenses, tripods, gimbals, light meters, camera bags and more. Rod has his own camera gear blog at fotovolo.com but also writes about photo-editing applications and techniques at lifeafterphotoshop.com
