Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
Described as “one of the rarest and most unusual Leitz accessories”, a New York Leica gun rifle prototype will be auctioned by WestLicht with bids beginning at € 150,000 (~$170,000).
The Kit, including a camera and lenses, dates back to as early as 1939 and is expected to sell for for $370,000-$400,000.
The auction will take place later this month so hurry up and get your money ready.
Following in the footsteps of Sony’s RX1, Leica is about to release its own fixed-lens full frame camera.
Leica fans have been expecting the camera ever since it was registered by a Taiwanese agency back in March, and the first image and full specs have finally leaked. Those wanting official information will have to wait another week.
Boasting the red-dot logo, the Leica Q (Type 116) is expected to not only be better than the Sony, but also be considerably more expensive.
Leica’s Lisse store in the Netherlands has put 21 rare Rolleiflex cameras up for sale on eBay and every single one of them is a prototype.
The set consists of cameras from the following series: SLX, SL 66 X, SL 66 E, 6001, 6002, 6003, 6006 and 6008.
While the manufacturer might shut down soon, its heritage makes these prototypes worth big bucks.
Ever wonder what it was like to shoot with a rangefinder? In this quick little vignette produced by Leica, street photographer Craig Semetko takes us on location as he wonders the city showing viewers the benefits of using a rangefinder firsthand. Semetko also explains how to use one, which is a slightly different process than your typical SLR.
“When you look through the viewfinder of an [Leica] M, everything is in focus. Everything has clarity whether it is behind your subject or in front of your subject or your subject itself. When you look through an SLR, you’re actually looking through the lens and the lens is going to show the picture it wants you to take. Things are going to be in focus and things are going to be out of focus. The M demands more from the photographer, it demands you use your imagination, that you think about what you’re doing, understand what it is you want to achieve then change your manual controls accordingly to achieve that vision.”
Thorsten von Overgaard is a Denmark based portrait and documentary photographer a refreshingly humble approach to his craft. On a recent week long journey to Rome, Italy, Overgaard shared his insights with a team of filmmakers from Northpass Media to create this beautifully made mini-documentary about the philosophy that inspires the photographer.
The video clip is an winning exacta of inspiration and great photography. Of course, the latter probably has something to do with the fact that Northpass Media didn’t skimp on production. The team showed up in Italy with a RED Scarlet and RED Epic camera along with a set of ARRI daylight lamps to capture the footage.
You can do more gear gawking and take a behind the scenes look at some bonus photos Overgaard posted on his blog, but in the meantime take a look at his short film below…
Does the mere sight of a Leica M9 make you start yawning? Does it’s understated design make you feel bored? Don’t despair, Kai is here to show you how pimp your Leica for maximum style hilarity and, fortunately for him, he gets to do it to someone else’s camera. Have a laugh as Kai replaces the skin on his producers Leica, then takes it upon himself to add a few creative embellishments of his own.
(Leica fans be warned: it’s a little hard to bear witness to at times.)
Leica is a company that sets some high standards on the quality of their products. Maybe that’s one of the reasons they’re celebrating their 100th anniversary today. And maybe that’s one of the reasons I shouldn’t be so surprised by the Leica T; but I am. With a brand new mount of lens and a completely new direction in physical design, the camera Leica announced today in celebration of 100 years of age gave an entirely different statement: that they’re only just reaching their prime.
One of my favorite neighbors sends me photography-related emails every so often. She’ll send me a link for an upcoming museum exhibit or gallery show. Sometimes she’ll forward an article about a local photo contest. I look forward to her emails, partially because I appreciate her taking an interest in what I do, but also because it’s interesting to me to see what sort of photography stories and events are resonating with non-photographers. I received one her emails this past week and I was floored– shocked, actually, that I’d never heard the story of the Leica Freedom Train. It’s one of those rare stories that brings together so many aspects of my life, including my passions for photography and history, as well as some very deep connections to my family heritage.
While the actual numbers are lost to history, what has become known as the Leica Freedom Train was a rescue effort by Ernst Leitz II and his daughter Elsie Kuehn-Leitz to get hundreds of German Jews out of the country, starting within months of Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1933.
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