NEWS: Introducing the (currently in development) Esquisse Camera

New kids on the camera-block, Esquisse, have just today announced their first camera. It is going to be a premium digital camera designed to be highly pocketable and based around the micro 3/4rds system. Their goal is to create a camera that is aimed squarely at the digital stills photographer who’s looking for an every-day carry camera that looks and feels intuitive and inviting to use. This camera is not going to hit the market tomorrow – this is just an announcement around their intentions, as well as to build some buzz around the brand and hopefully gain useful insights from potential purchasers. I am one of those potential purchasers myself. I love the look and sound of this camera – hence me giving them some air time on 35mmc – but I also think this might just appeal to a few of our readers here too…

I like small cameras. I feel like I have typed that sentence a lot lately – it’s true though, and of course is a big part of the original core value of this website. I suspect that might be why Esquisse co-founder Côme Courteault got in touch with me on Tuesday to see if I might be interested in sharing some news on the website. Having read his email and the small amount of information on their one-page website, I was intrigued enough to suggest we had a video call to chat through the project, which is exactly what we did yesterday afternoon…

Is this legit?

As I am sure many of you are aware, there have been a few projects like this that have cropped up over the years with fanciful ideas but no real workable plan to bring them to reality – I have spoken to a few of them myself, and have something of a nonsense radar when it comes to this sort of thing, so was very interested to see if talking to this guy sounded any alarms. Fortunately, the opposite was true. Côme was totally transparent about the stage they are at, he didn’t show me any prototypes or try and bluff me into thinking there was anything more than a few basic cobbled together parts. What he did tell me about was burgeoning relationships with potential suppliers, as well as talking about things like compromises within their design ideas, how they knew it wasn’t going to be everyone’s perfect camera, but how he felt strongly that there is a market for the plans and designs they are building out. Essentially, all the sorts of things someone who has actually spent a lot of time researching, planning a product, thinking about target audience, how they might bring it to reality, and many of the hurdles they are going to face. That is to say, he didn’t try and sell me on a whims, rather talked to me about something he was clearly passionate about as well as working toward it in a considered and pragmatic way. Of course, all this might never get off the ground, it might turn out to be another vapour-wear project, only time will tell, but for now it gets my optimistic thumbs up and approval… especially as this isn’t a Kickstarter and he’s not asking the general public for any money… which I think is always reassuring.

What is the Esquisse

These guys are a French brand based in Paris. Like Pixii, but in no way connected. Interestingly, as well as hailing from the same part of the world, like David Barth of Pixii, Côme also comes from a software and design background. Though, aside from their location and background – and the fact they have/are bringing digital cameras to market – that’s where the similarity ends. The Pixii is a rangefinder camera. The Esquisse is not. In fact, it is probably best described as an interchangeable lens compact camera. As someone who rates the Pentax Q series very highly, and indeed carries some form of compact camera every day already, this is just as interesting as a digital rangefinder to me.

In fact, much about the Esquisse is a lot more conventional in terms of its proposed base feature set. It is going to be autofocus, have an m4/3 lens mount, a screen on the back and an eye-level digital viewfinder. It’s also going to be about the same size as a deck of cards. By all these measures, it sounds a little like a Panasonic GM5, in fact Côme told me he owned one of those cameras himself. So what’s different, what’s the unique selling point? Well, have a read of their website, and once you get past the fluffy marketing waffle about it being a “piece of art that happens to take extraordinary pictures” etc, things start to sound quite interesting.

To begin with, it is proposed that the camera is going to be milled from a single block of aluminium. This isn’t unique of course, but the cameras I have otherwise held that have been made this way (Leica TL for e.g.) all feel wonderfully well made in the hand. Côme talked a little about this on our call – he wants the camera to really look and feel the part. And then there is the fact that it is to have proper dials for shutter speed and ISO as well as a jog dial on the back for adjusting the aperture. Beyond that, the design of the camera body is pretty minimalistic with little that looks to be superfluous.

We also talked on the call about how the Esquisse camera is going to have a stripped back menu system and user interface that only offers essential features for stills photography i.e. no video modes. Côme even mentioned not including things like film simulations to keep the shooting experience minimal as well as giving it further differentiation from brands like Fuji. Personally, I love this idea – I only really shoot RAW anyway, and find the Fuji film simulation approach a little gimmicky. If you’re even remotely aware of my preferences beyond this one, I am sure you can see how a camera like this would appeal to me!

So, what’s next?

Well, patient waiting to see if thing makes it to market for us, and a lot of work for Côme and his colleagues. One thing Côme did say though is that he fully intend to listen to potential purchasers of the Esquisse. He also wants to engage too and has even said that he will try and make himself available to reply to comments here. He also asked me to mention their email subscription on the website here for anyone who is interested in monthly updates on progress. If you put your email in that box, the website also gives you the chance to submit your own ideas – I have already suggested a dedicated B&W RAW mode… I’m sure they won’t be able to include everyone’s ideas, but I certainly enjoy the idea of just sticking my oar in at this early development stage…

So yes, I like the look of all this, so I’m just crossing my fingers now – I would love to see this camera on the market! Good luck to Côme, I say!!

Share this post: