The Olympus Pen F has a cult following. The camera offered a balance of excellent ergonomics, retro design, and performance packed into one small compact camera. The Pen F was so successful, but alas, it was discontinued. While there is no report on the successor yet, many wonder if they will ever see the Pen F II again. Well, we are here to tell you that you may see a new Pen F soon, and it is called the Esquisse Camera.
Esquisse, in French, means “sketch, outline, preliminary drawing.” Certainly a creative name for the device, Esquisse is designed to fill the chasm of high-end compact cameras. Côme Courteault, who is the Co-founder of Esquisse Camera, reveals that the device was an idea that he and his partner had been thinking about a lot. “We believe that the best camera is the one you have with you, and we believe that when you love holding your camera, when it feels like an extension of your creative vision, you’ll use it more,” he says.
While the company has not revealed the exact price, they estimate that Esquisse will cost between $1,500 and $2,000.
What makes Esquisse so special is its weight and portability. With a Four Thirds sensor, the camera is designed to provide the feel of a Leica M, the portability of Ricoh GR, and the style of Pen F. The camera is still in the ideation stage, and the timeline reveals that it will take another year before it hits the market. However, Côme has shared with us its specification, which can shed better light on it:
- Sensor Type: 20MP+ Four Thirds CMOS
- ISO Range: 200 – 25,600
- Autofocus: Multi-point AF System
- Dynamic Range: 13 stops
- Rear Screen: 3-inch touchscreen
- Viewfinder: 3.69M-dot OLED EVF
- Control Layout: ISO and exposure compensation dials, a clickable wheel at the back, and 2 function buttons
- Dimensions: 105 × 70 × 35 mm
- Weight: 350g (body only)
- Battery Life: 300+ shots
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C
- Dust and splash-resistant body made from a solid block of aluminum
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- Storage: 256 GB Internal Storage
- Lens Mount: Micro Four Thirds
- Lens Compatibility: All MFT lenses with full AF support
Esquisse Camera will be designed using “a single block of aluminum” to create a unibody construction. This will remind some of the Leica T and the Sigma BF, both of which follow a similar ideology. However, unlike those two, Esquisse will be wrapped with “fine textured leather, inspired by classic film cameras,” and thus, making it easy to hold and shoot. As this is a no-nonsense camera, it has various buttons to help you get the best out of your photography, without any hindrance. Although we do hope they have a hidden LCD, just like the Fujifilm X Pro 3, which can help photographers to shoot more without the reliance on checking their shots.
The camera is in the engineering stage, and the pre-production run is scheduled for Q2 of 2026. However, the final device will only be shipped by Q4 of next year. While the company has not revealed the exact price, they estimate that Esquisse will cost between $1,500 and $2,000. It may seem steep for a compact camera, but Leica’s own D-Lux 8 is priced at $1900.
It remains to be seen whether the Esquisse Camera can successfully fill the shoes of other iconic compact cameras in the market. But if it does, it’s certainly in for the long haul. Côme and his partner are building a community around Esquisse, and those who are keen to support them can visit their website for more information.