Two new Leica editions for you to savour this week. One is the Bauhaus edition of the rather neglected CL, the other a rather adventurous brass M10.
Reduced and desaturated
The “Bauhaus Museum Dessau” limited edition CL commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus school of design. It comprises a black CL with matching Elmarit-TL 18mm pancake lens and a black leather carrying strap. The Leica logo, “in keeping with the Bauhaus emphasis on minimal aesthetics” (who writes this stuff?) has been “reduced and desaturated to pure black to give the entire camera an all-black look” (ditto comment).
The special edition is limited to 150 sets worldwide and is currently listed at Leica Store Miami for $3,950.
Brass Thai
If you want something more exclusive and a bit more colourful, perhaps the Leica M10-P Asset limited edition is for you. Body and the 50mm Summilux-M f/1.4 lens come in pure, sandblasted brass. Just 30 of these, although you might have to pay a visit to Bangkok to get one. No price quoted but it’s purely academic…
Interesting pricing on the CL LE. The same body and 18mm lens would cost $5,500 AUD over here and the current exchange rate puts the Bauhaus model at $5,850 (call it $6k as there’s always a premium to pay in Australia). A black Leica strap would add $140 so I’m comparing an LE at $6k against a standard model at $5,640. Not a terrible premium really.
Plus you get to tell your friends about your desaturated logo 😉
Hi Steve, That was my thought too, it’s not a huge cost jump for this one. Of course, I’m not sure that $5500 for an aps-c sensor and smallish prime is justified (for me) to start with, but that’s a different discussion altogether. If I was shopping for a CL, I’d certainly consider the limited edition. Similarly, the recent C-Lux wasn’t as overpriced relative to the Panasonic model as I may have suspected, and again I’d seriously consider the Leica badge on that one.
In any event, both of these limited editions look far more palatable than the ones from last week!
You are right Steve. The premium is modest and that has been the case with other CL special edition sets recently. I’m not sure why this is so, given the very limited production run.
I prefer my fully brassed Leica I Model A SN 1661 from 1926. Jim Lager thinks that the previous owner was going to have it re-painted and stripped it, but then decided to sell it. I am happy with it the way it is. I never have cameras re-painted. It and photographs taken with it have appeared in a previous Macfilos article.
William
William I so agree. and envy your 1926 model. I have a slightly later 1a which someone has repainted over the years, but rather crudely I am glad to say, so I do not mind it quite so much. Don
I’ll be blunt: I really dislike LE’s like the Bauhaus 100, as trinkets for the person who just wants to buy something – anything to satisfy a craving.
The opportunity was there to tell a much richer, deeper story about the Bauhaus movement and how it connects to the Leica story. Leica could have produced a small coffee table book, included original drawings, more interesting packaging and on.
Unfortunately Leica chose the path of least resistance when a bit of additional thought and effort could have produced something really special to bring in non Leica owners disenfranchised by big anonymous brands like Canon and Nikon.
I wish their marketing folks could look at companies outside of photography and see how LE’s can be used as opportunities to create real interest, deepen the appreciation of the brand story and business growth.
End of term rating: C+ Capable of much more and must try harder next term.