The Latest Leica And Pentax Rumours

credits: Leica

At the moment, two big rumours are swirling around the photography world, one from Leica and one from Pentax. On the Leica side, the talk centers on a new SL-series body said to sit between the 60MP SL3 and the 24MP SL2-S, giving Leica a middle-resolution option that the lineup currently lacks. The camera will reportedly use a 44.3MP sensor, allegedly related to the one in the Panasonic S1R II, which would make sense given prior sensor-sharing across the L-mount alliance.

Autofocus is also rumoured to be noticeably improved, supposedly even ahead of the upcoming SL3-S, though video features may end up slightly trimmed compared to the other SL3 variations. In terms of timing, most rumours are pointing toward an announcement around May 2026.

On the Pentax side, the story is pretty much the opposite, instead of refining a mirrorless camera, they are continuing their foray back into analog. The latest tip suggests the next film model could be a new Pentax ESPIO 140, a compact point-and-shoot revival that lines up well with Ricoh/Pentax’s 2022 roadmap for three new film cameras. They have already checked the first box with the Pentax 17, and the ESPIO-style camera would fill the slot of a higher-end compact before they move on to the third target, a brand-new film SLR.