German manufacturer Leica has long been known for crafting impeccable yet ridiculously expensive cameras and optics. This year the company is going all out in Photokina and announcing several models throughout the event.
First one up is the M-edition 60 Leica, a commemorative model for the 60th anniversary of the company’s M-series. Basically the camera will be a Leica M-P model with a Summilux 35mm f/1.4 lens and offers an almost bare-bone feature set. However, it differs from the traditional M-P model in the sense that it doesn’t have the LCD panel at the back and instead has an ISO dial.

The camera’s body will be constructed from stainless steel with anthracite-colored leather. Leica will only manufacture 600 units of this model with each costing a jaw-dropping $19,425.
For the photography purists, there’s also the Leica M-A film rangefinder. The device is 100% mechanical and completely devoid of any electronic components (not even a battery). Users will only be able to control a few of the camera’s settings including focal length, shutter speed and aperture. The Leica M-A will be sold at a much lower price than the M-edition 60 at $4750 by October. 

Now we’re on to the good (and crazy expensive) stuff. As you may know, 4K is quite a big thing in the camera industry nowadays and if you’re a camera manufacturer, it would be crazy not to include a 4K-capable product in its line-up. 
Of course, Leica has these kinds of products on hand. Enter the Leica S-series. The series will be composed of two models, the “entry-level” Type 006 model and the high-end variant the Type 007.
The Type 006 sports a 30x45mm, 37.5MP CCD sensor capable of capturing 12-stopys of dynamic range. The camera has a 2GB buffer memory allowing the device to shoot full-size DNGs in continuous mode. It also comes with a dual shutter system featuring a conventional focal plane shutter and an electronically controlled shutter.

The Type 006 is dust and moisture resistant, plus there’s a Gorilla Glass panel at the back to protect the camera’s 3-inch 922k-dot LCD display.
Then there’s the high-end Leica S (Type 007). It has the same 30x45mm 37.5MP CMOS sensor powered by the company’s Maestro II image processor. The camera features an improved AF system, integrated GPS and Wi-Fi as well as 4K video recording at 60fps. It will also feature the same weather-sealing and gorilla glass panel for protection.
The Leica has now started selling both the Type 006 and 007 for a cool $16,900 and $25,400 respectively.
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Panasonic is going back to the smartphone arena this year with its new CM1 Lumix smartphone, which was announced recently in Germany at Photokina 2014.

Looking at the back of the handset, the CM1 looks like a slim Lumix point and shoot camera with a huge protruding lens. The back cover of the smartphone bears the textured leather finish used in most compact cameras. The phone uses a 1-inch 20MP sensor with f/2.8 Leica lens. The device is also capable of recording 4K video at 15fps and Full HD clips at 30 fps.
Flipping the device over, you’ll see a 4.7-inch 1080p display. Under the hood is a Snapdragon 801 chip with a 2.3GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. Other notable features of the CM1 include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, LTE Cat 4 connectivity and a 2600mAh battery.

Panasonic is targeting the affluent market for the CM1 by offering the handset for around €899 by November or more than $1000 at current exchange rates. There’s also no word on international availability yet.
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If you think that the Samsung NX1 is still a bit bulky for your taste, you should definitely consider Panasonic’s newly announced Lumix LX100.

The camera boasts a 12.8MP sensor with an 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 aperture lens. The LX100’s lens is composed of five aspherical lenses including two ED lens elements. It has a maximum ISO range of 25600 and is capable of recording UHD video at 30 fps in mp4 format. It is also capable of recording Full HD clips at 60fps in AVCHD Progressive or MP4 format.
At the back of the camera is a 2764-dot LCD electronic viewfinder with 0.7x equivalent magnification and a 3-inch display that is unfortunately, non-touch. The LX100 also features two dials at the top for basic modes and exposure settings. Other notable features of the LX100 include built-in Wi-Fi and NFC as well as in-camera Raw conversion.

The camera doesn’t have a built-in flash, but does have a hot shoe on which other accessories can be connected. Panasonic will start shipping the LX100 by November for $899.
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4K video recording has finally reached Samsung’s NX line of compact system cameras with the NX1. Announced at this year’s Photokina in Germany, the NX1 sports a 28.2MP BSI APS-C CMOS sensor with an ISO range of 100-51200.

The camera comes with a new AF system featuring 205 Phase detect points that cover 90% of the frame. There’s also an AF assist light that can reach up to 15 meters. However, the crowning glory of the NX1 is of course its ability to capture 4K video.  The camera is capable of shooting UHD video at 30fps or 24 fps.
At the back of the device is a 3-inch Super AMOLED display that articulates to give users flexibility when taking photos. There’s also a 720p EVF which according to Samsung promises a shorter lag time of around 5ms, Bluetooth and even Wi-Fi ac. At the top of the camera lays a mode dial for the basic photography modes and an LCD status display.

Samsung will be offering the NX1 starting next month for around $1500 with a 50-150mm f/2.8 aperture lens which features four-axis OIS and the ability to limit focus to a custom range. There will also be an optional battery grip that adds an extra 1900mAh of juice to the main camera.
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Photokina is now in full swing. So of course the biggest names in the camera industry have started taking the wraps off its newest imaging products. Canon is definitely one of them. In fact, its recently announced EOS 7D Mark II was one of the biggest announcements at the event.

And although the 7D has got a lot of people excited, it’s not a product that appeals to a broad audience. Consumers who are looking for a more compact and a more user-friendly camera without compromising performance will be excited with the announcement of the G7 X.
In the looks department, the G7 X is really simple and unassuming. It has a 1-inch 20.2MP BSI CMOS sensor which when partnered with a Digic 6 image processor and a 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 lens allows the camera to produce sharp and high-quality images.

At the back of the camera is a 1.04M-dot 3-inch touchscreen panel that flips up to 180 degrees making it perfect for selfies. The G7 X also has a 31-point AF system that gives it the ability to shoot continuously at 6.5fps. 
Other notable features of the G7 X include Full HD video recording at 60fps, a built-in ND filter, Wi-Fi, NFC and a pop-up flash. Canon will be offering the G7 X starting next month at $700. 
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