UPDATE: It's official, and Seb was right: Pixii has announced a full-frame rangefinder camera, the Pixii Max.
The Pixii Max features a a 24.5MP full-frame Bayer image sensor, comes in silver or black, and is available with 32GB or 128GB of internal storage.
Read the full story here.
ORIGINAL STORY (July 03 2024: If you've been checking out the best rangefinder cameras on the market, and you've been looking for something that isn't a Leica, I'm sure you might have come across the name Pixii.
Well, the French camera company happens to have the most 'modern' rangefinders on the market. They work on an OTA (over the air) update schedule, which is always improving the cameras' features such as viewfinder displays and shutter timings, and of course making upgrades to Pixii's digital app.
Well, Pixii is about to launch a new camera tomorrow and the internet has gone wild speculating what this new camera could look like and what could be inside it.
But rather than telling you what could be, so late on the rumor cycle, I want to tell you what I want to see from Pixii as an existing Leica M-system user. So think of this as my dream wish list for the new Pixii camera…
Bigger sensor
I understand why Pixii Camera took the APS-C route to get the company up and running, as it is a more economical sensor to build around while you're developing a camera system from the ground up. However, I want to see a full-frame sensor inside a Pixii Camera.
While I'm not that fussed about its megapixels (24MP would be more than enough), I think it's about time that the fourth camera launched by the company is full-frame. This way it's a good alternative to Leica cameras, and a whole lot cheaper, too (if a $3,000 camera can be called "cheap"!).
Just one memory option
The current Pixii ethos is to come out with a new camera and have various options for built-in memory, from 32GB up to 128GB. I think it should just go with the 128GB option and make things simpler for the end user.
Leica has 256GB of built-in memory on the Leica M11-P, so if Pixii opted for 128GB it wouldn't "overpower" Leica but would give users a more solid and affordable option.
Built-in viewfinder magnification
While using lenses such as a 35mm, or 50mm the focusing match is quite easy to use. However, when it comes to wider lenses (from 21-28mm) or longer lenses (from 90-135mm) it becomes a more tricky ordeal.
Pixii thought of this, and added up to 1.5x magnification eyepieces to its range. But for a company that does all its updates OTA, without the need for SD cards, I would love to see built-in magnification so you can check on-the-fly that you have critical focus before pressing that shutter button.
Advertise the hardware upgrades
While this isn't really a feature, Pixii is quite advanced in some upgrade options for its users. And while I have already mentioned the company's OTA firmware updates, I haven't mentioned its hardware upgrade option – which means that any user who owns an older Pixii model has the choice to upgrade to the latest camera from Pixii.
This includes the company bringing out a new sensor, for instance. Instead of buying a brand new camera, you can just buy a new sensor and Pixii will fit in the new parts for you – saving you a heap on your initial investment. It just needs to really shout this from the rooftops, as I think it's a very neat feature!
You might be interested in the best Leica M lenses to go with your Pixii – or, indeed, one of the best Leica cameras using the M mount.
