Pretty As A Picture. The Stunning New Hasselblad Lunar Camera.

Combining traditional skills, the development of special techniques, and a passion for perfection, the Lunar is born from exceptional quality. Lunar is unique because each model is perfected one by one, yet different as only the hand of an artist can make them.




The collection comprises five models, each with their own form and style.  The functionality and specification of each model is identical - choosing your grip and top plate material lets you reflect your individuality.





The Lunar embraces the traditional Hasselblad state-of-the-art image capture combined with stunning Italian design features. For the first time they are using carbon fiber, titanium, wood, leather and precious metals - including gold.

Black leather:

Stylishly durable. The delicately textured, firm leather grip is in a class of its own. The grip recounts a tale of elegance that your fingers can read by covering the countless paths scored by the texture of this extraordinary material.

Brown Tuscan leather:

Centuries of tradition. The peerless class of hand-polished Tuscan leather for a classic look and feel. Designed to last you many years, leather is a natural product and it will change with time, giving each piece its own unique personality.

Carbon Fibre:

High-Tech style.The Carbon Fibre grip combines a decisively high tech look with the exceptional characteristics of resistance and lightness found in this extraordinary material. This is the right choice for those who love minimal and modern style with exclusive detail.

Mahogany:

The warmth of nature. The finest Italian wood with a waxless matt finish to optimise the grip. In addition to its high structural strength, this material retains its original warm tones, while with the passage of time it acquires an aged appearance through the patina that covers it.

Olive Wood:

A hint of opulence. The unmistakable richly-veined Olive Wood provides a tough and durable grip with a matt finish offering a comfortable, smooth hold. The wood will age subtly over time, giving the indelible stamp of the owner.

The Lens shown above:

LF 16mm:
The wide coverage on the LF 16mm f/2.8 makes for comfortable shooting in situations ranging from cramped indoor settings to sweeping landscapes, and the large maximum aperture is ideal for handheld shooting in low light.

LF 18–55mm:
The LF 18–55mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS is ideally designed for comfortable framing and capture of most subjects encountered in daily life, and a built-in Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation system makes it possible to produce sharp images even when shooting handheld in low light. The OSS system is so effective that you'll be able to capture blur-free images at shutter speeds up to four steps slower than would be possible without image stabilisation.

LF 18-200mm:
The LF 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS features an extensive 11x zoom range, from wide to telephoto with impressive image quality all the way. The advanced Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation system built-in will not only make it easier to shoot blur-free stills at long focal lengths, but it also has an automatic Active Mode that will help keep your movie images steady as you move around with the camera.

The Hasselblad Lunar launches this month. For all the specs and more information visit Hasselbald Lunar.

The $50,000 Leica M9-P Edition Hermès. How It Was Made and What Comes With It.

above composite ©It's Hip, It's Here

The collaborations between Parisian house Hermès and Leica camera keep getting more impressive - and more expensive. This is the third time the brands have teamed up to create a special edition camera.



Launched in two different sets, one of which 300 are available, the other of which only 100 are available, the cameras are wrapped in Hermes' ‘Veau Swift' calfskin in ocre and finished in silver chrome and anodized silver. Below is a look at the luxurious camera and the making of it.

Limited special edition: The Leica M9-P ‘Edition Hermès’






Following the Leica MP and the Leica M7, this is the third in a line of premium special editions of the M-System to be created in collaboration with the well-known Parisian house Hermès. The Leica M9-P ‘Edition Hermès' is being offered as a strictly limited edition. The limited numbers, unique product design and premium finishing with numerous extras make this a truly special edition in every respect.

The white-gloved unboxing of the camera:


Craftsmanship of the highest degree


The Leica M9-P ‘Edition Hermès' represents the quintessence of a long-standing tradition of master craftsmanship at both Leica and Hermès. So it is only logical that the handcrafted leather supplied by Hermès for the trim of the camera should be applied by hand. Absolute precision is the guiding principle in the construction of this masterpiece.



Luxurious leather by Hermès
The special limited edition Leica M9-P ‘Edition Hermès' is extraordinary in every respect. The highlight is its ‘Veau Swift' calfskin in ocre, supplied by Hermès for the leather finish of the Leica M9-P camera.



This exclusive leather trim by Hermès determines the colour concept of the special edition and ensures a perfect tactile sensation. The fine and supple leather is applied not only to the camera body, but is also used for the shoulder strap included in the set.

Unmistakeable design
In collaboration with automotive designer Walter de'Silva, selected features of the camera body were restyled, including the top and base plates, the shutter speed dial, the multifunction wheel and the shutter release. In addition, the frame selector lever, the accessory shoe and the Leica script on the upper face of the top plate have also been omitted to further emphasize the unique status of this limited edition.



The camera is finished in silver chrome and its lens in anodised silver. In another true master stroke of the Leica factory, the two finishes are absolutely indistinguishable. All protective caps are also manufactured completely in metal.



A video of the making of the Leica M9-P ‘Edition Hermès:



AVAILABLE IN TWO SETS:

The Leica M9-P ‘Edition Hermès' - Set 1

This first of the two Leica M9-P ‘Edition Hermès' sets comes in a worldwide limited edition of 300. In addition to the camera, the set includes a silver anodised Leica Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens.


The Leica M9-P ‘Edition Hermès' - Set 2


The Leica M9-P ‘Edition Hermès' - Série Limitée Jean-Louis Dumas, in a strictly limited edition of only 100 sets worldwide, is a memorial to the friendship between the former president of Hermès, Jean-Louis Dumas, and Leica.

The camera in this set is accompanied by three lenses: a Leica Summicron-M 28 mm f/2 ASPH., a Leica Noctilux-M 50 mm f/0.95 ASPH. and a Leica APO-Summicron-M 90 mm f/2 ASPH., all featuring a stunning silver-anodized finish.



This unique collection of photographic equipment finds a fitting home in a hand-crafted Hermès camera bag that is available exclusively as part of this second set.



As an homage to Jean-Louis Dumas, the second set also includes a book with a selection of his pictures.


This photographic work in two volumes shows an entertainingly diverse portfolio of 200 black-and-white images captured by Jean-Louis Dumas with his Leica M-camera.


all images and information courtesy of Leica.

New Leica M9 Titanium Is Designed By Automobile Designer Walter de'Silva.

The exclusive special edition Leica M9 "Titanium" is the result of a collaboration with Walter de'Silva (shown above), a prominent automobile designer responsible for groundbreaking models from the Volkswagen Group.




The chief designer and his Audi Design Team have re-interpreted the LEICA M9 and the outcome is a special edition LEICA M9 ‘Titanium', strictly limited to 500 cameras worldwide. It is offered as a set together with a LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens, whose exterior metal components are also manufactured from solid titanium.



Design & Function



Walter de'Silva has given the Leica M camera an ergonomic, precise and logical "look and feel" without changing the intrinsic character of the rangefinder camera. Thus, the compact construction and technical features of the LEICA M9 ‘Titanium' retain the distinctive style of a true Leica M camera.




The LEICA M9 "Titanium" is constructed exclusively with premium quality materials. For instance, all visible metal elements of the camera body are made from solid titanium, a particularly light but extremely strong and durable metal that can only be manufactured with special tools.



In addition, the exposed surfaces are also treated with a hard coating applied by a specialist company in Switzerland. Scratch-resistant, sapphire-crystal glass is employed as a protective cover for the camera monitor and further enhances the exclusive and rugged character of the camera.



The camera's trim, which uses leather typically reserved for the interiors of Audi's premium automobiles, fits perfectly with the body's titanium surface and provides outstanding grip. The grip characteristics are additionally enhanced by a specially designed and embossed diamond pattern.



Walter de'Silva addressed not only the design of the camera, but also focused on its handling and technical specifications. New features include the LED illumination of the bright-line frames in the viewfinder, removing the necessity for a standard illuminating window and making the front aspect of the camera even more balanced.



Furthermore, the Leica logo has been restyled and is elaborately hand-engraved in pure resin, inlaid with white enamel, sealed with clear varnish and then polished and positioned centrally - directly above the lens.

Lens with a new, focused design concept

The LEICA SUMMILUX-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. lens supplied with this special edition, also features a new, focussed design concept, in which the essential elements harmonise perfectly with the style of the camera.

Innovative carrying and holding concept


Instead of the traditional strap lugs of standard cameras, the chief designer and Leica engineers developed an innovative camera carrying concept that is reduced to just one single mounting point on the camera body.



Exclusive Equipment


In addition to the camera and lens, the LEICA M9 "Titanium" special-edition set includes a distinctive shoulder holster, a carrying strap and finger loops in two different sizes that are also in the same Audi premium leather as used on the camera body. Also part of the set is a book devoted to the design process leading to the creation of this high quality, special titanium edition and which also includes an interview with designer Walter de'Silva. The unique set is presented in an elaborately handcrafted black presentation case with recesses for the camera and lens lined with Alcantara microsuede in Leica red.

Price is $26,500 USD
Pre-order it here. Or here.

The LEICA M9 'Titanium' will be available starting November 2010. The UK suggested retail price of the LEICA M9 Titanium set is £19,800 including VAT.

Leica

Limited Edition Hermes Leica M7 In 2 Colors & A Little Less Pricey Than You've Heard

UPDATE: Apparently some of the images in my original post belonged exclusively to another site, who kicks this blog's ass in popularity and readership. I had found the images on a different site (which I had credited), but they had removed the original watermark, unbeknownst to me. That said, I received an email today from the site to whom the images belonged, asking me to please remove all their images or to include them with their watermark. I certainly understand their frustration at my innocent error. So, some of the images you now see differ from those in the original post.



Once again, luxury brand Hermes teams up with Leica to bring us a very stylish, very expensive (but not as expensive as previously reported by Wired and Engaget) camera. Limited to only 200, the camera is embellished with either the original Hermes Veau Swift calf leather in their classic Orange or a khaki Brown. The luxury camera comes with a matching strap, an anodized silver 35mm lens, and of course, stunning packaging. And it'll cost you just under $11,000 (tax not included)





There are only be 200 units (100 of the orange and 100 of the brown) made of the Leica M7 Hermes Limited Edition camera worldwide. Each is signed and numbered.


above image from wirefresh

The Leica M7 Hermes Limited Editions have a serial chrome finish and show many differences in comparison to the serial camera. The top plate has the typical classical style with engraved Leica lettering. The normal red Leica logo is eliminated in favor of the body color. All control buttons are made of metal. The camera back cover has the silver chrome finish. The engravings "Auto" and which are normally filled in with the color red are filled with the color of the leather covering. The leather itself is the original Hermes calf leather Veau Swift and has a decorative seam. Aside from the normal serial number, each unit of the edition has an individual number, 001/200 to 200/200.

Leica Summilux-M 35mm/f1.4 ASPH silver anodized finish
The Leica 35 mm lenses are the basic equipment for M-cameras and are very popular. The Summilux 35mm/f1.4 ASPH is one of the references in the fast wide angle field. The silver anodized version with the limited edition cameras is the same weight as the black version as the silver anodized surface is based on aluminium. The lens is completed by the classic round lens hood made of metal with silver anodized finish which is manufactured exclusively for the limited edition cameras. Front and rear caps are made of silver anodized metal.




above images courtesy of ebay, where this brown one was for sale by Photo Arsenal Of Hong Kong, but has already been sold.

But there's another for sale on ebay here.

The Leicavit-M i s mounted instead of the camera bottom plate. It gives the limited edition Hermes cameras not only a special appearance but a fast shooting option with aperture priority of the M7.

Carrying strap:


above photo courtesy of Leica Rumors

The carrying strap of the limited edition cameras are made by the Hermes ateliers in Paris and are of the same quality as the body of the camera. The strap will be delivered in an original Hermes cotton pouch with the Hermes logo.

Packaging:

above image courtesy of breuget camera on ebay

The camera, lens, lens hood and Leicavit are arranged in a high quality robust decorative case which is linen lined outside and lined with silk inside.

Some sites and blogs such as Wired and Engadget reported in November that the camera was going to cost $14,000, but that is not the case.



The best price I found was actually from the Leica Shop at $10,943.16 (VAT not included)
Or for $2,000 more, you can buy them at Adorama for $12,950.00 USD...

And no, this is not the first time Hermes and Leica have collaborated on a camera, in 2003, 500 Hermes edition Leica M3 cameras were made.

•unless otherwise noted, all images are courtesy of Leica