Leica debuts Leica M11-P, with built-in content credentials

Leica Camera AG has introduced Leica M11-P, a digital rangefinder that the company claims is the world’s first to store metadata by attaching Content Credentials at the point of capture to protect the authenticity of digital images. Content Credentials are a widely adopted industry standard for content of all kinds, and the foundation for increased trust and transparency online. The $9,995 M11-P pioneers the use of secure metadata in compliance with the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) open-source standard, allowing information such as names, dates, changes made, and tools used to be securely attached, creating awareness of the file’s origin. Each Leica M11-P image captured receives a digital signature backed by a CAI-compliant certificate. The authenticity of images can be easily verified at any time using a freely available, open-source CAI tool. When the “Leica Content Credentials” function is activated in the camera menu, the Content Credential logo is visible in the display and every image taken by the Leica M11-P is reliably signed using a special algorithm. The image thus receives an unalterable and verifiable proof of camera model, manufacturer, and image attributes.

Leica´s Content Credentials technology ensures the picture’s authenticity by means of special hardware in the camera. It includes a special chipset for storing digital certificates of the German Federal Printing Office. The state-of-the-art integration guarantees complete verifiability of a picture’s origin. Thus, Leica is setting a new standard for the protection of digital content in cooperation with Adobe and the global community of nearly 2,000 members, including media and tech companies, NGOs, academics, and more to promote the adoption and implementation of Content Credentials.

“Leica cameras have always stood witness to iconic moments in world history,” said Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG. “However, determining the authenticity of visual content has become increasingly difficult and important in the age of digital photography. Now with the ability to provide this proof, we are once again strengthening trust in digital content and re-establishing Leica cameras as authoritative tools in the documentation of world events.”

Leica also debuted the $5,295 Leica Summicron-M 28 f/2 ASPH. lens., featuring 9 lenses in 6 groups. The focus ring can be adjusted in a remarkably quiet and smooth way. Focusing up to 70 centimeters still works via the range finder of all digital and analog M-Cameras. After a slightly perceptible resistance, the extended close-up range between 70 and 40 centimeters can be precisely focused via Live-View on the screen, the Visoflex 2 viewfinder, or with the Leica FOTOS app.