Camera rumors in 2025: what cameras are coming, officially and otherwise!

Leica rumors 2025

Last year was a busy one for the Red Dot specialist, between the launch of the Leica SL3 (the latest model in its mirrorless system), the Leica Q3 43 (a sister model to the Leica Q3) and even a "new" (well, its newest upcycle of the Panasonic LX100 II) compact camera, the Leica D-Lux 8.

And the company hit the ground running this year with the launch of the Leica SL3-S, the first new camera of 2025, along with commemorative cameras to celebrate its 100th birthday (along with 100th anniversary teddy bears and other collectibles). But what does it have in store next?

Leica M11-V

Rumors have been rife for years that Leica will introduce an M camera with an electronic viewfinder, but the latest Leica rumors suggest that it might make its debut in a special edition version of the M11 – something that could be a canny move.

With plenty of resistance among rangefinder purists (including my colleague Seb!), making an EVF standard with the Leica M12 could do damage to the brand's most loyal fanbase. However, by releasing a Leica M11-V, the company would have a specific edition that those who want an EVF can opt into if they want – preserving the purity of the M line at large.

While Leica head honcho Dr Kauffman artfully deflected questions about an M camera with an EVF in a recent interview, the company has registered a new camera that is widely speculated to be exactly that.

Leica M12

Could this finally be the year that the M series goes all-electronic – and gets in-body image stabilization (IBIS), to boot? Leica has previously lamented that the M bodies are too small to implement IBIS, but later noted that omitting the mechanical shutter would free up the necessary space.

We've been hearing noise forever that an electronic viewfinder might be on the way to M cameras, too, so perhaps the Leica M12 could be the launchpad for a sweeping suite of changes.

There are also rumors that the M12 will be some 3mm smaller than the Leica M11, and that the screen could be almost an inch bigger – with chatter that this could be done to replace some or all of the physical buttons, as was the case with cameras like the Leica TL2.

According to FCC certification documents, the camera (or at least, a camera) was set to be announced on May 16. That obviously hasn't happened, though – and Leica's next camera is believed to be among those delayed by mysterious external circumstances.

Leica S4

After teasing us with Easter eggs and coy comments for what feels like an eternity, Leica has confirmed that a new medium format camera is on the way.

Leica chief Andreas Kauffman is shy about specifics, saying only that the camera exists and is being developed, because its development has proven difficult – perhaps due to the growing pains, moving from the DSLR technology of the Leica S3 to match the mirrorless medium format of the GFXes and Hasselblads of the world.

Cyril Thomas, CEO of Leica France, has noted that he doesn't think we will see the camera in 2025, which underlines just how challenging the product seems to be.

No more APS-C cameras

Leica's last APS-C camera was, in fact, Leica's last APS-C camera. Dr Kauffman recently stated that the company "wants to move away" from APS-C, as the company's strategy is built almost entirely around full-frame sensor technology.

In short, there will be no successor to the Leica CL or the Leica TL2 (unless you count, as Kauffman does with a twist of lemon, the Sigma BF as the modern update of the TL).

However, Leica obviously makes cameras using non-full-frame sensors – the medium format Leica S4 is in development, for starters (see above), and the long-running D-Lux line continues to see sales success with Micro Four Thirds sensors. Just don't go expecting any L-Mount APS-C bodies.

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