Leica M Edition 100: Leica M-A and Monochrom in Stainless Steel

During the inauguration of the new HQ Leica announced today something really special: The Leica M Edition 100 including a new film camera LEICA M-A and a LEICA M MONOCHROM, both in steel finish plus three Summilux lenses. The set is limited to 101 pieces worldwide!

Leica M Edition 100

The pure non-electronic Leica M-A is based on the LEICA MP.

All visible metal parts both of the M-A and the Monochrom are made of solid stainless steel.,

Also part of the set are three Summilux lenses with 28, 35 and 50mm focal length.

The Leica M Edition 100 is limited to 101 pieces worldwide. Cameras and lenses are not available as single products but only as set, which will be sold via Leica stores and boutiques starting June 2014. Price is unknown until now.

Here is the official press release:

Leica Camera AG is celebrating 100 years of Leica photography
Product highlight for the centennial year: the

This year, Leica Camera AG is celebrating 100 years of Leica photography. On the occasion of this special anniversary, the company has already announced two special centennial editions – the Leica S Edition 100 and the Leica D-Lux 6 Edition 100. And now, a uniquely special highlight will be presented in the course of the official opening celebration for the new Leica headquarters in the Leitz Park complex in Wetzlar on 23 May 2014: the Leica M Edition 100.

As the first Leica special edition of its kind, the Leica M Edition 100 brings together a purely mechanical rangefinder camera for film photography – the Leica M-A – with a digital  M (Leica M Monochrom) in one set. The combination of these two cameras is unique. Its symbolic character as an homage to the beginnings of Leica 35 mm photography and, in particular, to black-and-white photography makes the centennial edition truly special. This applies, above all, to its high-quality construction and finish: for the first time ever, both Leica cameras and the lenses in this set are made from solid stainless steel.

Both cameras stand as symbols for the origins of Leica photography and the present day. The Leica M-A, with technical specifications based on the currently available Leica MP film camera, is a direct descendent of the Ur-Leica. Many of the elements Oskar Barnack invented for the Ur-Leica are revisited in this new camera. These include the fabric focal-plane shutter, the accessory shoe and removable baseplate – and of course it is built for using film. Alternatively, the second camera, a Leica M Monochrom, is the contemporary variation of the theme composed a century ago by Oskar Barnack. As the world’s first camera conceived exclusively for black-and-white 35 mm digital photography, and featuring a sensor specifically designed for this purpose, it carries the traditions of black-and-white photography into the digital age and sets entirely new standards of imaging quality.

Alongside the exclusive combination of products, above all the premium finish is one of the outstanding features of the Leica M Edition 100. This is the first time that stainless steel – a material that is extremely difficult to work with – has been employed for the visible metallic elements of Leica products. A special protective coating applied by a Swiss company protects the exposed surfaces against finger marks. Resistant and durable in equal measure, this material guarantees enduring value preservation and lends the products a refined character with a silky sheen. The premium appearance of both camera bodies is further complemented by the application of a special black leather trim.

The set also includes three Leica Summilux-M lenses with focal lengths of 28, 35 and 50 mm. Renowned for their combination of extremely compact size, speed and exceptional imaging quality, they ideally reflect the characteristic performance criteria with which Leica lenses contributed to the establishment of the brand as a legend. The M centennial set will be supplied in a black anodized aluminium case constructed by Rimowa especially for Leica. Inside, the case is subdivided into compartments precisely tailored to the individual components of the set and lined with real leather in black. The set also includes Kodak TRI-X 400 black-and-white film for use with the M-A. This film is considered a classic in the genres of art photography and reportage and is still renowned and extremely popular for its unmistakable look in prints. Special engraving on the top plate of the body commemorates the centennial, as do the unique serial numbers that end with the four digits of the years between 1914 and 2014.

The Leica M Edition 100 is strictly limited to 101 sets for the entire global market. The cameras and lenses will be available exclusively as sets from Leica Stores and Boutiques from June 2014; none of the items contained in the sets will be available as separate items.

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Andreas Jürgensen