Pixii, the $3,000 Leica-like with no LCD and no memory card, is finally here

It’s been a minute since we heard about Pixii, huh? It’s been right around 18 months, actually, but now the Leica M mount rangefinder that sounds suspiciously like the Leica M10-D (but without a memory card) has finally given us an update. It’s now for sale with either 4GB or 8GB internal memory, and it starts at around $3,000.

It features an 11.1-megapixel APS-C electronic global shutter CMOS sensor and yes, 4GB and even 8GB don’t sound like a lot of storage, but the whole point of this thing is not to store pictures on your camera but to send them straight to your phone where you can edit and share them instantly. And at 11.1-megapixels, how quickly are you even going to fill 4GB, really?

The only display on the camera is on top, to show you your exposure settings, and it does offer complete manual control. But the only way to review your images is by connecting it up to a smartphone. Presumably, the small amount of internal storage is simply to force you to do it more often than you otherwise might in order to unload.

On the back there are only three simple status lights, to tell you the current status, whether there’s a link to your smartphone and whether you need to worry about your battery.

The specs appear to be largely as they were when the camera was first announced last January, although a couple of have changed. The native gain is now at ISO320 instead of ISO200 and the colour options have changed slightly. It’s also now described as being powered by a dual-core ARM processor rather than two separate ARM processors and Bluetooth LE 5.0 is now standard instead of an upgrade option.

VIEWFINDER

• Optical viewfinder with coinciding rangefinder (magnification 0,67X)
• LED backlit framelines with exposure indicators
• Automatic parallax correction
• Automatic led intensity adjustment
• Framelines for standard prime lenses: 40/50mm, 28/35mm

SENSOR

• CMOS sensor with 5.5um pixels
• 12-bits sampling rate, and high dynamic range (60-90dB)
• Global electronic shutter
• Native gain: ISO 320
• RGB colour matrix, optimized with micro-lenses
• IR filter < 1.0mm, no low-pass filter

LENS

• Interchangeable lens system
• Manual focus and aperture control
• Leica M compatible lens mount, also compatible with M39/LTM lenses (with adapter)
• Dark chamber designed to fit collapsible lenses

BODY

• Dual-block Machined aluminium body
• Finish: silver anodized, matte black, space gray
• ISO accessory shoe, tripod socket A ¼, lugs for carrying strap
• Dimensions : 138x79x33mm
• Weight: approx. 460g (incl. battery)

CONTROLS

• Manual shutter speed selector
• Automatic speed mode
• 2 stage shutter button: exposure metering/lock, shutter release
• Quick ISO selection, white-balance and supplementary settings via an integrated menu
• OLED control screen

SYSTEM

• Dual-core ARM SoC with integrated FPGA accelerator
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity, Bluetooth LE 5.0
• 8GB or 32GB internal storage

POWER

• Li-ion 7.4V battery, 1000mAh capacity, model NP-FW50
• Integrated USB charger
• Programmable suspend and power off timer

Interestingly, the specs still list a 32GB storage option, although only 8GB (which is already sold out) and 4GB “Launch Edition” options are listed on the website.

It’s an interesting looking camera, for sure, although some of the language on their website definitely seems like they’re aiming more towards the “pretentious hipster” crowd with more money than sense on this one. Given that it’s only a measly 11.1-megapixels and it’s intended to be used in tandem with your smartphone, they’re certainly not targeting the professionals.

At the moment the camera is available in two capacities. There’s the 4GB “Launch Edition” at €2,700 (US$3,049) or the 8GB version at €2,900 ($3,279), which they say is plus applicable taxes, depending on your location. When it comes to colour, you can get anodized grey or matte black. No word on the “silver anodized” yet

[via DCW]