World-renowned German camera manufacturer Leica Camera recently announced the release of the Leica M10 Edition Zagato, created in partnership with Dr. Andrewa Zagato, owner of the namesake Italian auto and design firm founded more than a century ago.
A passion for great design and function is shared by both brands and thus, a collaboration between the two seemed to be a no-brainer for Zagato and Leica. Since its launch, Zagato has created stunning coach-built cars, incorporating aluminum as an innovative addition to a vehicle’s body. The company still produces limited-edition cars in Milan, Italy.
“Photography plays an essential role in our work. Without the possibilities offered by photography, we would never had the invaluable pictures and the ability to reconstruct vehicle models, and would not be able to present our work from the past decades in such an impressive way,” Zagato elaborated in a release.
Zagato’s respect (and admiration in the utility) of photography led him to personally design the Leica M10 Edition Zagao. Taking inspiration from his own firm’s approach to automobiles, Zagato housed the camera in a top deck, baseplate, and outer casing all made from aluminum. Not only does this mean the Leica is extremely durable, it also makes it 70 grams lighter than the camera brand’s traditional M10 design. Rather than using the typical leather trim of Leica, the body is finished off with fine grooves, giving the camera a distinctly modern and unique look.
However, it’s not really the outside that counts when it comes to a camera. Leica and Zagato left nothing to chance when it came to the inner workings of the M10 Edition Zagato. The lens of this beast is a unique Leica Summilux-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH lens with an integrated hood that can be pulled out and locked into place all in one single motion.
All of these technical and aesthetic qualities come with a price tag: $22,000, to be exact. Now, we totally get that a $22,000 camera is a little bit on the extravagant side. Okay, it’s definitely on the extravagant size. Hell, it’s in the deep end of the extravagant pool. So, if you’re looking for something a little closer to kiddie pool status, Leica also just released the Leica C-Lux camera which features a 15x zoom, touchscreen, and great more for just $1,050.
When you get the camera, you should probably learn how to use it.
