100th Anniversary M Sets and More!

Continuing from yesterday's Leitz Park Opening Festival, Leica's been busy today as well... Something we've been hearing about for a while - has come to fruition! Many announcements, including the Leica M Edition 100 set as well as a silver M Monochrom option, a "new" Leica M-A analog film camera, a new lens (the Summilux-M 28mm f/1.4 ASPH), the new Valbray EL1 Chrono watch and more!

Update (4/23/14): Not that this is at all representative of the actual selling price, but the very first Leica M Edition 100 sold at the Westlicht Auction for €120,000 ($163,560 USD). This was the mystery item mentioned.

Two "new" cameras were announced; comprising the Leica M Edition 100 (with 28/35/50 Summiluxes plus a case and rolls of Tri-X film) and includes the M-A and M Monochrom - all finished in stainless steel. None of the items contained in the sets will be available as separate items. Special engraving on the top plate of the body commemorates the centennial, as do the unique serial numbers that end with the four digits of the years between 1914 and 2014.

The Leica M Edition 100 brings together a purely mechanical rangefinder camera for film photography – the Leica M-A – with a digital Leica M (Leica M Monochrom) in one set. Both cameras stand as symbols for the origins of Leica photography and the present day. The Leica M-A, with technical specifications based on the currently available Leica MP film camera. Alternatively, the second camera, a Leica M Monochrom, is the contemporary variation of the theme composed a century ago by Oskar Barnack. This is the first time that stainless steel has been employed for the visible metallic elements of Leica products. The set also includes three Leica Summilux-M lenses with focal lengths of 28, 35 and 50 mm and will be supplied in a black anodized aluminium case. The cameras and lenses will be available exclusively as sets from Leica Stores and Boutiques and strictly limited to 101 sets.

The M Monochrom in silver is now also available (separately and immediately). As for the M-A, it appears to be a stainless steel version of the MP for the set only and lacks a meter. So nothing truly new in the strictest sense of the word...

Announced as part of the Leica M Edition 100 is the Summilux-M 28mm f/1.4 ASPH... No details on when it will be available separately, but we suspect it will be a black anodized version and due at Photokina in September at the latest. A new lens accessory was also announced; the Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f4 with Macro-Adapter-M! Sample images are available here. See also, the "Oliver Rüther: The Shoemaker with a Macro-Elmar-M 1:4/90 mm and Macro-Adapter M" article on the Leica blog.

The Macro-Elmar-M 90 mm f/4 can be used as a compact 90mm telephoto lens or, in combination with the Leica Macro-Adapter-M, for macro shots up to a magnification of 1:2. Either way, the lens provides an incredibly high imaging performance.

Without the adapter, the Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90 mm f/4 is an extremely versatile telephoto lens – for example, for portraits with shallow depth of field and in travel photography for capturing details in landscapes. For reportage photography, the Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90 mm f/4 allows photographers to capture discreet shots at a greater distance from the subjects. The Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90 mm f/4 is a compact and lightweight alternative to existing Leica M-Lenses of this focal length. When not in use, the lens can be collapsed to save valuable space in the camera bag.

As the Macro-Adapter-M is also compatible with other M lenses, it offers Leica M photographers an even wider range of opportunities for creative composition and additional variety in reportage portfolios. With Leica lenses from 50mm and longer, it enables macro photography up to a reproduction ratio of 1:2 and, with wide-angle lenses, even larger ratios.

Finally, the new Valbray EL1 Chrono we've been telling you about is available... For €17,990 ($24,599 USD) - more details here!

There will also be a total of six new special editions celebrating the Leitz Park opening, available only in Wetzlar:

Leica Camera AG is celebrating the official opening of the new company complex in the Leitz-Park in Wetzlar with a portfolio of limited editions of cameras and binoculars. The Leitz-Park special edition products have unique design features and are specially engraved with the Leitz-Park logo.

There will be six special editions in all. Four cameras – a Leica S, a silver chrome Leica M Monochrom, a Leica X Vario and a Leica X2 à la carte. And two pairs of binoculars from the Leica Sport Optics programme – Leica Ultravid 8x42 BL and 10x42 BL models with special red leather trim.

The Leitz-Park special editions are strictly limited and vary, for example, from 20 examples of each of the Leica Ultravid 42 BL models, 25 Leica S cameras and 100 silver chrome Leica M Monochrom cameras to 200 examples of the Leica X Vario. The content of each of the special edition sets corresponds to that of the standard production models.

All Leitz-Park special editions will be available only in the Leica Store in the Leitz-Park in Wetzlar.

Leica M Edition 100 Set
The Leica M-A and M Monochrom in the M Edition 100 Set (with 28/35/50 Summiluxes)

Leica M Monochrom in silver finish
The Leica M Monochrom in Silver

Leica Summilux-M 28mm f/1.4 ASPH lens
Leica Summilux-M 28mm f/1.4 ASPH

Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4 and Macro-Adapter-M
Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90mm f/4 and Macro-Adapter M

Special Leitz-Park edition S cameraSpecial Leitz-Park edition S camera Top-down view of the Leitz-Park edition S camera
Top-down view of the Leitz-Park edition S camera

Leitz-Park edition M Monochrom camera
Leitz-Park edition M Monochrom camera

Leitz-Park edition X Vario camera
Leitz-Park edition X Vario camera

Leitz-Park edition X2 camera
Leitz-Park edition X2 camera