Leica

COLOGNE, Germany -- Leica may not have the mass-manufacturing clout of Samsung or the retail footprint of Canon or the electronics know-how of Sony. But the German camera maker has got one thing in spades: a brand.

And nowhere is that brand more obvious than at Photokina, the camera show that takes place every two years here in Germany, Leica's home turf. Canon and Nikon had bigger crowds, but the Leica had the better ratio of booth visitors to customers as it introduced a new top-end rangefinder camera with new electronic abilities, a lower-end rangefinder that's not quite … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- iPhone 5: Say hello to scuffgate?

- Hacker: I've ported Google Maps to iOS 6.

- Subterranean park in Manhattan to stay sunny with fiber-optic skylights (Low Line).

- Coca-cola nails social media by releasing personalized bottles, Justin included.

- Leica cameras for some reason favored by celebrities.

Bathroom break video: iPhone 5 super-glued to ground in Amsterdam.… Read more

Leica's known for putting out limited editions of its cameras drafted by high-profile designers or for luxury retailers -- Hermes, Audi, and Neiman Marcus versions come to mind -- but the company's entering new fanboy territory by enlisting the creator of Apple's current signature looks, Sir Jony Ive, to create a single limited edition of the new Leica M.

The camera will go up for charity auction in collaboration with U2's Bono.… Read more

It's an interesting idea that only Leica could get away with: a $7,950 monochrome digital camera, the newest member of Leica's M series of interchangeable-lens rangefinders. While some might spit-take at the idea behind the Leica M Monochrom, it's not as silly as it sounds. For the small set of photographers who shoot exclusively in black and white -- or have the extra bucks for a spare black-and-white-only body -- a sensor with no color filter array (CFA) can definitely produce better monochrome results than one with a CFA.… Read more

German camera manufacturer Leica today announced a limited-edition white M9-P digital camera -- quite limited, actually; only 50 will be available. The special release coincides with the recent launch of the Leica Daimaru camera store in Tokyo.

The 18.5-megapixel Leica M9-P full-frame digital camera features an astounding feature set that normally commands a retail price around $7,995. However, this limited-edition run carries a much heftier price of 2,620,000 Japanese yen, which translates to an astounding $31,792. … Read more

Fans of vintage cameras can now dress their iPhones in Gizmon's iCA case, which makes the handset look like a Leica rangefinder camera. The iCA case also comes with some useful functions, such as the ability to capture images via the case's shutter button and frame the scene with its optical viewfinder.

Made of polycarbonate, the $65 case also has a lens mount for users to swap four lenses, a tripod socket for long exposures, and strap lugs for you to loop your handset on a neck strap like a regular camera.

An entire system of accessories is currently in the works, with the company looking into developing attachments such as special-effects filters, an external flash, and a car accessory stand, to name a few.

(Source: Crave Asia via Petapixel)… Read more

If you've always wanted a multicolored Lomo-style camera but want the convenience of high-quality digital images, the wait might just be over. Color customization company ColorWare lets you customize a Leica D-Lux 5 compact camera according to your preference, including the snapper's front, back, sides, top panel, port door, hot shoe insert, and lens cap. … Read more

Ricoh today announced the development of the GXR Lens Mount Unit for its GXR interchangeable unit camera system. The GXR Lens Mount Unit module will accept Leica M-mount lenses, allowing access to a large selection of high-quality Leica M-mount lenses that date back to 1954, as well as third-party M-mount lenses such as those from Voightlander and Carl Zeiss. These are all manual-focus lenses.

In addition to the ability to accept Leica M-mount lenses, the GXR Lens Mount Unit will feature a 12.9MP CMOS APS-C sized sensor. There will also be a newly developed focal plane shutter.

There are … Read more

Underwater casings are common for dSLRs and compacts, but this is the first time I've come across a housing made for rangefinder cameras. In this case, it is for the premium Leica M8 digital rangefinder, which costs about $4,500.

This boxy case allows users to access most of the controls and is rated to be able to dive to depths of about 148 feet. However, given the complex operation of rangefinders for focusing, we wonder how well it will perform underwater.

If you have $8,000 to spare, you can get a housing, put your M8 in it, … Read more