Leica holds a very special place in the hearts of photographers all around the world. The Leica M8 and M9 are constantly touted as being among the best rangefinders on the planet, but what if you want something even more special? What if you want to stand out even further?

While companies like Apple are known to charge about a $100 premium for a new paint job, Leica is going much further with the white version of the Leica M9-P. While the regular black version sells for “just” $7,995, the white version is reportedly going to cost you $31,695. No, that’s not a typo. A swapping of the paint comes in at $23,700 extra. Aside from the paint job, the white version appears to be identical to its black cousin.

Even if you happen to have an extra thirty grand kicking around in your budget for a camera, you probably won’t be able to buy one of these. That’s because Leica is limiting production to just 50 units, meaning that the actual street price could end up being much, much more when it is officially released in July. Some Leica stores in Tokyo reportedly already have it on display, drumming up interest among the wealthiest of photography enthusiasts.

[Source]

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Leica released a video that details the meticulous manufacturing process behind their lenses. The standard Leica lens is made in Germany, and consists of 100 different parts. The beautiful thing about the video is how much of the process is done by hand. While robots are in charge of things like engraving serial numbers, the etchings are then hand-lacquered. In the video you can see humans painting, cementing and testing the lenses among other things. We’re not so useless after all.

Knowing what goes on behind the scenes should make things easier the next time you’re browsing for lenses online and see that the Leica 50 mm f2.5 is almost $2,000. You can nod your head with understanding instead of grasping your chest in shock and horror. Or do a little bit of both.

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The eBay auction of an old, tattered antique camera closed Friday for $104,000. The 55-year-old Leica MP-36 camera was once the property of famous Swedish photojournalist Leif Engberg, who’s covered (among others) the Soviet invasion in Czeckoslovakia 1968, the war in Vietnam, the civil war in Biafra, the war between India and Pakistan over East Pakistan (Bangladesh), conflicts in Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Africa, Central and South America, Balkan regions and the Middle East.

Only 138 black versions of this Leica MP were produced between 1956 – 57, and though it differed only slightly from the M3 model, was designed specifically for photojournalists. Not to mention the camera included a Summicron 2/5cm no.1474879 lens and matching Leicavit MP rapid trigger-wind.

A good deal? Depends on what you’re into, I guess. Personally, paying the cost of a starter house for a camera is absurd to me regardless of what the lens has seen. That said, it’s a hell of a conversation piece for the unnamed buyer.

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These days, companies are battling in the smartphone arena with faster processors, sleek designs, and more robust apps. Cameras sensors are also seeing a lot of upgrades, and that’s about to get a bit more competitive by the people at Panasonic. Apparently, they’ve got a 13.2MP Lumix phone in the works.

We already know about the Lumix brand when it comes to Panasonic digital cameras, but this is the first time they’re using it in the cell phone realm. It’s kind of like the whole Cyber-shot thing going on with Sony. I don’t think it’ll push more phones into the hands of consumers, but it probably won’t hurt either.

Beyond the 13.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, the upcoming Lumix camera phone is rumored to get a 3.3-inch LCD, 17.7mm profile (definitely thicker than most thin phones these days), and room for “its expanding imaging equipment.” Does that mean they’ll have additional lens, adapters, and other accessories for this thing like how they would for a real camera? Panasonic traditionally uses Leica lenses, could it be a Leica lens toting smartphone? The site also mentions a “folding mechanism” which means its going to be a clamshell.

[Engadget via Panasonic Japan, Lumix Phone]

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Panasonic Lumix LX5 Digital Camera

I’m more of a Canon guy, but cameras like the new Panasonic Lumix LX5 sound awfully attractive. It may not have the boldest of looks, but this successor to the LX3 improves on the already popular shooter in many ways.  Yes, it’s still rocking a 10-megapixel CCD sensor, but most people don’t need a resolution beyond that. Instead, Panasonic has focused on improving image quality, dynamic range, low-light performance, and image processing.  The Lumix LX5 has a shiny new F2.0, 24mm Leica lens too that offers up to 3.8x optical zoom. It won’t do video at 1080p, but it is capable of shooting 720p HD movies, showing them off on the new backlit LED screen for “better color reproduction and visibility in sunlight.”  Other improvements include more advanced image stabilization, face recognition, ergonomic changes, and a jog wheel. Choose between the white or black version this August for $500.

[Gizmodo]

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