By high, we're referring to resolution here. The Leica M10-R rocks the highest resolution color image sensor of the M10 series to date, at 40-megapixels, and takes its rightful place as the M10 family flagship.
A 40-MP sensor on a Leica M10 might seem familiar, and you'd be right to think so. The M10 Monochrom announced in January also boasted the same pixel count, but as its name suggests, that model shoots in black and white only. The M10-R sports a newly-developed 40-MP full frame (24 x 36 mm) CMOS color sensor, with no low-pass filter, and given it's a Leica, quality images are pretty much a given.
Another notable difference between the Monochrom and the M10-R is the return of Leica's iconic red dot, now proudly displayed front and center.
The rangefinder is capable of around 4.5 frames per second continuous shooting, with a 2-GB buffer, has light sensitivity of ISO100 to 50,000, with long exposure possible at the latter end thanks to a 16-minute maximum shutter time, and comes with "super quiet" shutter operation for stealth shooting.
Its die-cast magnesium alloy body is covered in synthetic leather, with a brass top and bottom and a chrome-plated finish completing the retro aesthetic. Elsewhere, the line frame viewfinder has auto parallax compensation, you'll find a 3-inch, 1,036,800-dot LCD display panel around back, there's built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi, and it works with Leica M lenses, including legacy glass.
The Leica M10-R goes on sale later this month for a body-only price of US$8,295, and comes in black chrome and silver chrome finishes.
Product page: M10-R
