In pictures: Leica S

Leica has decided to omit product numbers on its Leica S and Leica M range, so its new camera, announced at Photokina 2012, is simply called the Leica S.

The medium format camera offers a 37.5 million pixel low noise CCD sensor with microlenses and microlens shift.

Leica has upgraded the camera's sensor, along with the image processor, which it says makes it a better performer in low light situations, as well as producing better colour and white balance.

A new White Balance function has been included to enable you to manually set the white balance via a neutral area in the photo, such as a grey card.

The Leica S was announced at Photokina 2012, alongside the Leica V-Lux 4, Leica D-Lux 6, Leica M and Leica M-E, and new lenses.

Upgrades

The Leica S's sensitivity ranges from ISO 100, up to ISO 1600, while a new increased buffer memory enables continuous shooting of up to 32 images in raw format, all at a full 37.5 megapixel resolution.

The number of JPEG image that can be shot continuously is only limited by the size of the memory card.

An upgraded autofocus module is also included. This not only promises faster speeds, but also greater precision. Predictive autofocus is available, which compares past movements of the subject to compute the location of the subject at the time of exposure.

GPS on a Leica

Currently, the Leica S is the only Leica camera to include an integrated GPS module, which can add the geographic positioning of the exposure location to the EXIF data of the image, while also enabling precise synchronisation of the onboard clock.

The monitor on the back of the camera is a large, 3-inch 920k pixel device, made from tough, scratch-resistant glass. A viewfinder is also included, which covers a 98 per cent field of view.

New lenses

New lenses, which include a 24mm f/3.5, 30-90mm f/3.5-5.6, 120mm f/5.6 tilt shift lens and a 180mm f/3.5 close-up lens, have also been announced.

Price and availability

This camera is not for those on a budget, whatsoever - the Leica S price will be £16,000 (around $26,000), with a release date of December 2012.