Leica has never been a brand that lets an anniversary pass quietly – and for the 20th anniversary of its Ginza store in Tokyo, Japan, it has gone straight for the collector’s heart.
The company has announced a limited-edition Leica M-A Hammertone “Leica Store Ginza 20th Anniversary”, with just 100 units produced to mark two decades since the opening of Leica Ginza in April 2006.
That store was not just another boutique opening. Leica Ginza was the world’s first directly-managed Leica store and, in many ways, helped set the tone for the modern Leica retail experience we know today.
Since then, Leica has grown its direct retail presence to around 120 stores worldwide, blending physical locations, ecommerce and auctions into a model that feels very Leica: premium, controlled and carefully curated.
The camera chosen for this anniversary is the Leica M-A, arguably one of the purest expressions of Leica photography still available today.
Based on the Leica MP, the M-A strips things back even further by removing the light meter entirely, creating a fully mechanical rangefinder that needs no batteries and asks the photographer to rely on experience, instinct and a little bit of faith.
For anyone who still believes photography should be felt as much as measured, the M-A remains one of Leica’s most romantic cameras.
This limited edition model adds a few details that will no doubt make collectors reach for their gloves. The front of the body is engraved with “20 Jahre” to mark the 20th anniversary, while the top cover carries the classic Leica script logo.
But the real talking point is the grey hammertone paint finish, applied to the top cover and base plate, giving the camera a textured, industrial look that feels both vintage and wonderfully serious.
Hammertone finishes have long been associated with precision technical equipment, particularly in Germany, and Leica says that Ernst Leitz Wetzlar used it from the late 1950s on larger products such as microscopes, slide projectors, enlargers and the Leicina Super 8 cine camera.
It was far rarer on Leica cameras themselves, appearing on niche models such as the Leica MD copying camera and the Leica MS prototype for handheld aerial photography – both of which are now highly prized by collectors.
The Leica MA Hammertone “Leica Store Ginza 20th Anniversary” is now available at Leica stores throughout Japan.
Alongside the camera, Leica Gallery Tokyo will also mark the anniversary with Timeless Vision, a 20th anniversary exhibition running from April 26 to July 21.
The show features 35 works by 12 photographers from Japan and abroad, including names such as Elliott Erwitt, Sebastião Salgado, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Bruce Gilden and Marc Riboud.
It is Leica doing what Leica does best: celebrating not just the camera, but the culture, history and mythology that surrounds it.
You might also like...
Make sure to check out the best film cameras on the market today. Or, if you want the classic looking filled with modern mirrorless camera technology, take a look at the best retro cameras.
