This striking design for a Lego Leica M6 rangefinder camera has passed the crucial 100-vote milestone in under 60 days, meaning it is perhaps on its way to becoming a real Lego set you can buy in stores.
The significance of reaching this stage this fast is that Lego award the project a full year on the Lego Ideas site (a sort of Kickstarter for Lego set ideas), enough time to attract the necessary 1,000 supporters for the idea to become reality. Lego uses this approach to make sure there is enough interest in a design since only a few new sets are made each year, and of course, only a certain percentage are for their adult-targeted products.
The Lego Leica M6 is designed by "ChiefHilariousRaisin100" who, despite the name, seems to know their cameras. It is based on the 1984 M6, a film camera noted for using a fully mechanical shutter for reliability in an era most were turning to batteries and motors. It did still have a light meter, so it didn't entirely escape battery power.
Leica's M series in general is iconic, and the M6 had several editions, including the M6 TTL and a 'Millennium Edition' to mark the year 2000; it wasn't discontinued until 2002. Even now it is remembered as perhaps the best rangefinder camera ever made and is sought after by collectors.
The Lego design features the M6 camera, a Leica Summicron lens and two films (so you can display it with one outside and one inside).
The design already has over 300 supporters, but it'll need more. All you need to do is visit the Lego Ideas page for the M6 Leica Camera and follow the instructions.
Some say that Lego's renaissance has had a lot to do with the Lego Ideas programme, which has been responsible for helping the company connect with the many older enthusiasts.
Designers earn a royalty of up to 1% on a successfully chosen Lego Idea project, now a big part of how Lego chooses new sets but originally a Japanese operation called Cuusoo which began in 2011.
To get an idea of how useful this division has been to Lego, it is how the first Lego Minecraft set (set No. 21102) came about in 2012; there are now many, many Lego Minecraft sets. Similarly, the seventeenth project, the 1,969-brick Saturn V rocket (set no 21309) is hugely popular (my son and I built one). It's an eclectic mix too; from Dr Who, to Little Red Riding Hood, to Van Gogh, to Lego insects.
Oh, and the M6 isn't the only camera idea active at the moment. A Sony DV camcorder design is hoping to reach the 100 milestone in the next month too.
If you can't wait for Lego to make this, check out some gifts for photographers you can buy now. And check out our guide to Lego Minifigures with cameras
