Leica is celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the M rangefinder digicam, however essentially the most treasured reward it’s giving for the event is for less than 250 wealthy folks and prices $22,995. The ludicrously costly Leica M Version 70 set features a platinum-plated Leica M-A 35mm movie digicam with Leicavit quick winder, an identical 50mm APO-Summicron-M f/2 lens, and a metallic movie container with a roll of black-and-white movie.
Sure, the movie container can also be platinum, and sure, that’s utterly ridiculous.
This anniversary version commemorates when the Leica M3 was launched in 1954 as the primary M digicam. Leica goes to nice lengths to honor the M3 and the model’s legacy nearly each time it could. Again in 2014, the Leica M Version 60 did the identical factor to have fun the sixtieth birthday of the M3, however that mannequin was a bit extra daring (and polarizing), being the primary digital M to take away the rear LCD for a quasi film-like expertise. That “characteristic” grew to become extra available in commonplace editions just like the M-D (Typ 262), M10-D, and most just lately the M11-D.
The brand new M Version 70 appears a lot safer, with its decrease manufacturing run and rehashing of the Leica M-A movie digicam that’s been round since 2014. The true satan within the particulars right here is the Leicavit, an old-timey accent from the heyday of movie rangefinders that’s been extinct for years. It’s principally an alternate backside plate for the digicam, housing a hidden lever that can be utilized to advance the movie after a shot utilizing your left hand.
I’ve by no means personally used one, however the premise was that it’s sooner and barely extra discreet than shifting your proper hand from the shutter to function the common advance lever together with your thumb. I’m certain there’s a motive this wasn’t a broadly adopted accent, however Leica followers lap this nerdy stuff up. (I’m clearly talking / confessing from expertise right here.)
So perhaps the M Version 70 is known as a check to carry again the Leicavit as a regular accent, like how the M60 was a check mattress for screenless digital cameras or how the outdated M9 Titanium experimented with LED-illuminated body traces. However one factor’s for certain: the M Version 70 is each beautiful and utterly ridiculous. It’s one other probability for Leica to take advantage of cash out of its wealthy whales for practically six million {dollars} in income to fund no matter its subsequent quirky concept is, however boy, is it exhausting to not take pleasure in taking a look at purty photos of it.
