New Gear: Leica M9-P Digital Rangefinder Ditches The Iconic Red Dot

Leica’s iconic red dot logo is arguably the most instantly recognisable branding in all of photography, but the venerable German camera powerhouse has decided to create a camera without it. The new Leica M9-P is a variant of the M9, tweaked to be the “essence of discretion.” Leica has created this variant with photojournalists in mind, and crafted it to be as subtle and unobtrusive as possible, labelling it “ultra-discreet”. To this end, they’ve removed the large red dot that we know and love, and instead have engraved the name on the roof of the camera. In addition to the traditional chrome, there will also be a black version for added stealth.

The M9-P is also designed to be slightly more hardwearing than its sibling model — the LCD now has a hardwearing sapphire crystal cover to prevent scratching, and the body is finished with vulcanite leatherette for better grip and protection. Internally, it’s identical to the existing M9, with the same 18 megapixel 24 x 36mm sensor. The camera will be available in July from Leica dealers for an undisclosed price.

At the same time, Leica has announced a companion wide-angle lens. The Leica Super-Elmar-M 21 mm f/3.4 ASPH, a lens pegged for use in photojournalism, landscape or architectural photography thanks to its extremely wide angle packed into a small and light form factor. Its design and range are direct nods to the classic the Leica Super-Angulon-M 21 mm f/3.4 which Leica produced from 1963-1980. The new lens will also be available from July for an unknown price.