Camera collectors will likely eat up Leica’s latest release.
The German company is honouring the 70th anniversary of its M Series camera with a luxury limited-edition release, the Verge reported on Friday. The Leica M Edition 70 is a US$24,000 (HK$186,520) version of the device with platinum plating coating the camera. You’ll also get an APO-Summicron-M 50 f/2 ASPH lens, a Leicavit M fast winder, and a film container with black-and-white film.
Image courtesy of Leica
The M Series was initially created in 1954, with the release of the M3 camera. Since then, the line has expanded to include several different cameras, all featuring the top-of-the-line elements that Leica is known for. The M Edition 70 gussies up the device with high-end materials, and Leica is making just 250 versions of the set.
The most notable part of the limited-edition set may be the Leicavit M fast winder, the Verge noted. The accessory isn’t found on many cameras anymore, and it harkens back to the older days of photography. The fast winder is more or less an alternate bottom plate for the camera, with a hidden lever that can advance the film after you take a shot using your left hand. The idea here is that the motion is faster and more discreet than using your right hand to both shoot the photo and manipulate the typical advance lever.
Image courtesy of Leica
That sort of vintage feature really plays to Leica gearheads, who likely won’t mind shelling out for the modern piece of Leica history. Photography lovers seemingly don’t mind spending a pretty penny for this sort of gear: Just a couple of years ago, a collector shelled out more than US$15 million (HK$116.5 million) for an old-school Leica from the early 1900s.
“The quality and craftsmanship of the materials, the sense of precision in every movement, the soft click of the shutter release, and the visual clarity of the viewfinder all combine to create an experience that goes far beyond just taking pictures,” Mark Shipard, Leica’s head of design, said in a statement.
All these features on the M Edition 70 are exactly what one would expect from one of the most lauded camera companies in the world—along with a few surprises, too.
