Pixii Unveils a New 26MP APS-C Digital Rangefinder Camera
In October 2018, French startup Pixii announced its first product, the Pixii camera. The original Pixii camera was a digital rangefinder with an M-mount. The aluminum body eschewed a back display and included an electronic viewfinder. The camera included a small OLED info display on top and a small number of buttons. The 12MP digital rangefinder eventually went on sale in July 2020 for just over $3,000.
Today the company has unveiled an upgraded version of the APS-C M-mount rangefinder that boasts a new 26-megapixel sensor, USB-C support, and a new interactive viewfinder.
“We listened to photographers using the camera and we addressed their feedback with this new model,” says David Barth, founder of Pixii. “Crucially, we also engineered the upgrade path to let A1112 model owners upgrade their camera to the new sensor.”
The new Pixii camera uses a new backside-illuminated CMOS sensor with increased resolution that the company says will allow it to capture finer details. The design also supposedly enhances the angular response to perform with wider focal lengths and modern optical designs. The 26-megapixel sensor offers photos at 6,244 x 4,168 pixels and has 14-stops of dynamic range.
On that note, Pixii says that the new sensor has extended dynamic range over its predecessor and an ultra-low noise floor that will allow it to work more reliably in difficult lighting situations. The new ISO range starts at 160 and extends up to 12,800 natively, with higher sensitivities available in software post-processing.
Pixii writes, “The new pixel design features an ultra-low noise floor, for a cleaner signal in underexposed areas. Its extended full-well capacity pushes dynamic range to a whole new level.”
The new interactive viewfinder integrates a miniature display that projects key information directly into its optical viewfinder. Unlike other rangefinder cameras, the new Pixii lets photographers view and interact with all camera settings like exposure speed, compensation, or white balance without needing to look away from the viewfinder. You can change which settings indicator to display by rotating the menu wheel on the camera. The rangefinder assembly incorporates four distinct optical paths, and the wide view includes frame lines and a traditional rangefinder patch in the center. The viewfinder has 0.67x magnification, like the original Pixii camera. There are selectable frame lines for 28, 35, 40, and 50mm focal lengths.
The new Pixii Rangefinder camera also has upgraded USB-C connectivity, a better battery meter, and faster-charging speeds. As was the case with the original Pixii, the new rangefinder doesn’t support removable media storage. This new model comes standard with 8GB of internal storage that can be increased up to 128GB. Looking at additional features, the Pixii camera has LUT-based color profiles, a monochrome mode for 16-bit single-plane monochrome DNG files, an electronic shutter with speeds up to 1/32,000s, native iOS and Android support and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connectivity, and more.
The new Pixii camera will be available for preorder starting on September 30. The camera starts at $2,999 (2999 euros). The 32GB version will be available for around 3240 euros, 64GB for 3380 euros and the 128GB version for 3540 euros. US pricing for the models with upgraded storage has not been announced. Orders are expected to begin shipping on October 11.
More info on Pixii’s website.
