Leica, camera makers for the pros, sharp street-shooters and the inordinately well heeled have announced their first compact superzoom, the V-Lux 20.
The camera – basically the Panasonic ZS7/ TZ10 with a sprinkle of Leica fairydust - features built-in GPS tagging, integrated image stabilisation and 720p HD video support.
Like the sight of a luxury liner steaming out of a dock, or a private jet drawing white trails across a perfect blue sky, Leica cameras are something we’re only likely to experience from a substantial distance.
With their stratospheric price tags, Leica cameras remain the playthings of the well-heeled and deep pocketed professionals, and their latest M9 digital rangefinder camera continues the trend.
There’s something about Leica cameras that create such involuntarily and illogical feelings of desire you may find yourself pondering over how much your granny might fetch on eBay.
Perhaps it’s the rock solid construction, the old school analogue dials or the sheer engineering quality on display that creates such a moistening of photographers’ gussets, or perhaps it’s the impeccable lineage of world famous photographers who have made Leica cameras their weapon of choice.
We hate the illogical feelings that Leica cameras stir in us.
We could never, ever justify their enormous expense and common sense tell us that we’d be able to get exactly the same quality pictures from cameras costing a whole load less – yet we still suffer involuntary drooling and vast urges of sheer, undistilled ‘want’ whenever we catch a glimpse of new Leica lusciousness.
The latest camera to cause mass moistening of our unmentionables is a “very special limited edition” of Leica’s classic 35mm rangefinder system camera, the Leica M7 “Hermes” kit coming with a Leica SUMMILUX-M 35 mm f/1.4 ASPH. wide-angle lens, a matching classic round lens hood and a LEICAVIT M rapid winder.
Our favourite photography site DPreview has posted an early hands-on preview of Leica’s new ‘entry level’ compact camera.
Of course, Leica’s notion of ‘entry level’ equates to most people’s idea of ‘ruddy expensive,’ (we’re talking £1,320 here) but there’s no denying the seductive lines of the new camera, or the drooling brought on by that little red logo.
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