It’s been seven decades since German photographic pioneer Leica Camera introduced the M series, a compact camera that quickly became the favoured tool of photojournalists the world over.
Leica is now celebrating this 70th anniversary with 250 editions of the ‘M set’, along with a new Leicavit M fast winder, and a special anniversary book celebrating the camera itself and the work of the many photographers who have favoured it over the years.
First up, the new camera itself. The centrepiece of special-edition ‘Leica M Edition 70’ set is this platinum-plated M-A camera with exterior design derived from the Leica M3 yet containing modern technology inside. It comes with the APO-Summicron-M 50 f/2 ASPH lens, a Leicavit M fast winder and a film container.
The M3 was introduced in 1954 and sold until 1966. Nearly quarter of a million of these highly collectible cameras were made during this time, with key elements like the frame counter, rear film type indicator dial and advance lever becoming visual shorthand for the SLR type camera. With the 2009 Leica M9, the company took the M system into the digital age.
Celebrating 70 years of this classic design with a traditional film camera follows the current trend towards old school analogue film. Not only that, the tactile quality of film has continued to shape the Leica image into the digital era.
‘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,’ says Leica’s Head of Design Mark Shipard.
The accompanying 250 page, ‘Leica M’, not only includes a visual overview of the entire M System from its 1950s beginnings, but also work by contemporary photographers highlighting this compact camera’s agility with low light and tightly framed subjects.
‘This book is also a huge ‘thank you’ to all the people who worked with the M and on the M: photographers, employees, customers, and friends of what we call ‘the Leica family,’’ says Dr Andreas Kaufmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG.
Leica M Edition 70 set, £19,000, Leica M anniversary book, £45, Leica-Camera.com, @Leica_Camera
