Leica
is
celebrating
the
70th
anniversary
of
the
M
rangefinder
camera,
but
the
most
precious
gift
it’s
giving
for
the
occasion
is
for
only
250
rich
people
and
costs
$22,995.
The
ludicrously
expensive
Leica
M
Edition
70
set
includes
a
platinum-plated
Leica
M-A
35mm
film
camera
with
Leicavit
fast
winder,
a
matching
50mm
APO-Summicron-M
f/2
lens,
and
a
metallic
film
container
with
a
roll
of
black-and-white
film.
Yes,
the
film
container
is
also
platinum,
and
yes,
that’s
completely
ridiculous.
This
anniversary
edition
commemorates
when
the
Leica
M3
was
released
in
1954
as
the
first
M
camera.
Leica
goes
to
great
lengths
to
honor
the
M3
and
the
brand’s
legacy
just
about
whenever
it
can.
Back
in
2014,
the
Leica
M
Edition
60
did
the
same
thing
to
celebrate
the
60th
birthday
of
the
M3,
but
that
model
was
a
bit
more
bold
(and
polarizing),
being
the
first
digital
M
to
remove
the
rear
LCD
for
a
quasi
film-like
experience.
That
“feature”
became
more
readily
available
in
standard
editions
like
the
M-D
(Typ
262),
M10-D,
and
most
recently
the
M11-D.
The
new
M
Edition
70
seems
much
safer,
with
its
lower
production
run
and
rehashing
of
the
Leica
M-A
film
camera
that’s
been
around
since
2014.
The
real
devil
in
the
details
here
is
the
Leicavit,
an
old-timey
accessory
from
the
heyday
of
film
rangefinders
that’s
been
extinct
for
years.
It’s
basically
an
alternate
bottom
plate
for
the
camera,
housing
a
hidden
lever
that
can
be
used
to
advance
the
film
after
a
shot
using
your
left
hand.
The
classic
Leicavit
allowed
users
to
drop
down
an
alternate
film
advance
lever.
Strange,
yes.
But
cool?
Also,
yes.Image:
Leica
Camera
I’ve
never
personally
used
one,
but
the
premise
was
that
it’s
faster
and
slightly
more
discreet
than
moving
your
right
hand
from
the
shutter
to
operate
the
regular
advance
lever
with
your
thumb.
I’m
sure
there’s
a
reason
this
wasn’t
a
widely
adopted
accessory,
but
Leica
fans
lap
this
nerdy
stuff
up.
(I’m
obviously
speaking
/
confessing
from
experience
here.)
So
maybe
the
M
Edition
70
is
really
a
test
to
bring
back
the
Leicavit
as
a
standard
accessory,
like
how
the
M60
was
a
test
bed
for
screenless
digital
cameras
or
how
the
old
M9
Titanium
experimented
with
LED-illuminated
frame
lines.
But
one
thing’s
for
sure:
the
M
Edition
70
is
both
lovely
and
completely
ridiculous.
It’s
another
chance
for
Leica
to
milk
money
out
of
its
rich
whales
for
nearly
six
million
dollars
in
revenue
to
fund
whatever
its
next
quirky
idea
is,
but
boy,
is
it
hard
not
to
enjoy
looking
at
purty
pictures
of
it.
(Originally posted by Antonio G. Di Benedetto)
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