Leica R8–R9

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About 1990 Leica management decided to break away from the Minolta co-developed cameras and design a completely new replacement in house.

A new team of developers were put on the project and some of their design briefs were:

  • A completely new design with no links to previous models
  • Best possible ease of use especially in manual control
  • Maximise benefits of electronic control

The industrial designer ?? was employed and given the brief to make the camera look less like a conventional SLR and more like the flat topped M cameras.

When the camera was released in 1996 it met a very mixed reception, attracting criticism for its size and the styling was also not universally appreciated, some derisively calling it "The Hunchback of Solms".