The 2 Million Dollar Lens: Leica 1600mm

At a sum of US$ 2,064,500, Leica has the honor of manufacturing the world’s most expensive SLR Lens, the Leica APO-Telyt-R f/5.6 1600mm telephoto lens. A Howitzer among lenses, this 1600mm is also the largest and heaviest telephoto lens at 47.24 inches long, 16.5 inches diameter, and 132 lbs! This one-off lens is commissioned by Qatar’s former minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Sheikh Saud Bin Mohammed Al-Thani of Qatar.

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$31,000 Leica (Stock Color Is Only $8,000)

Leica makes some very nice cameras. They also happen to be pretty darn expensive most of the time. And then, some of the time, they’re downright outrageous. The Leica M9-P is already pretty pricey at $7,995. But that’s the regular black and chrome version. The limited edition white one you see pictured above? Yeah, that’s 2,620,000 yen (or around $31,770). You could buy a new car, a nice one, for that price. Or you could snap pictures of cats.

It does come with a fabulous (and we mean fabulous) f/0.95 50mm lens, so there’s that. But aside from the exclusivity and the colour scheme, that extra $24 doesn’t go on any actual features. And it will only be sold in one of 9 retail locations in Japan, so if you’re not there you might want to factor in the cost of that plane ride.

[Via Source]

Leica Perfection

This what ‘beautiful’ looks like. You know you’re a photographer when you can get excited about an image like this. 

The Realistic Leica iPhone Case

It’s as if Leica and Apple had a baby!

The Japanese company Adplus (gizmon.com) went a step further than the Leica iPhone stickers and designed a real Leica screw mount inspired case for iPhone 4/4s (similar to this Leica i9 concept). The Gizmon iCA has an optical viewfinder, shutter button, conversion lens mount, tripod socket and strap holes:

[Via Source]

MOST EXPENSIVE LEICA SOLD FOR $1.9 MILLION (USD)

Here’s a video showing the auction below. 

Info:

Today at Westilicht Photographica Auctions a Leica 0-Serie Nr.107 (1923) camera sold for 1.3 million EUR (1.9 million USD). The opening bid was 200,000 EUR with an estimated price of 350,000-450,000 EUR. AP reports that the camera went to a “private Asian collector after a nailbiting, 20-minute bidding process”.  This is the camera description:

This is the 7th camera of the Leica 0-series. Only approximately 25 of these cameras were produced to test the market in 1923, 2 years before the commercial introduction of the Leica A. It is the only camera known with “Germany” engraving on the top plate. The factory record indicates delivery to New York for patent applies. This means that this camera is not only one of the major existing rarities, it is also the first Leica being exported. It is the unique chance to buy the most important collectible Leica camera.

- Source

Compare Camera Sizes

A cool website that lets you compare the size of cameras side by side. 

You can even switch orientation and viewing angle.

http://camerasize.com/compare/#169,152

Thanks to Lenin Glass for the find!