Submitted by Double Negative on October 6, 2014 - 12:53pm
It should come as no surprise to La Vida Leica regulars that Leica Camera AG has a growing (if not popular) presence in Japan. In fact, the most recent and ambitious (if not coolest) Leica Store resides in Kyoto. An article over on Wirtschafts Woche ("Business Weekly") examines the growing trend across multiple German luxury brands to establish a foothold there. Due, in part, to the falling demand in China (not because of the products, but rather the environment there). Check out the article, "German luxury manufacturers flirt with Japan" (in German). Read more below for translated excerpt!
Submitted by Double Negative on October 6, 2014 - 10:56am
Over on Esquire in the U.K. is a piece called, "The Cult Of The Leica Camera" that considers Leica's success to perhaps be attributable to something we all know and love... That red dot. The author, Simon Garfield - covers some history, his new Leica T (Type 701) and his visit to Wetzlar for the centennial celebrations - but generally muses about the cult that is Leica. Check it out!
It’s only a trick of the light, but you may also feel it’s a trick of the soul. And beyond that lies sheer joy, the feeling of holding something you know will enhance a life. When I first extracted my Leica T from its puzzle of boxes, and before pressing the shutter, I did one thing that I couldn’t control. I looked at it with awe, considered its elegance in my hands, and just laughed with pleasure.
Submitted by Double Negative on September 25, 2014 - 10:41am
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've surely noticed that "retro is in" when it comes to the latest hot cameras. Case in point, the Fujifilm X series of cameras. NBC News suggests, perhaps rightly so - that Leica is largely behind that trend. Of course, they also point out that "Leica cameras, [are seemingly] relegated to use only by the wealthy or dedicated camera aficionados." Still, it's an interesting look at this new trend. Read more in the NBC News article, "Dialing it Back: Camera Makers Prize Retro 35mm Look."
Rarely, that is, except in Leicas, which have been using this general look and feel for decades. Its rangefinders are iconic, having been used by some of the most influential photographers of the 20th century.
Other than the insanely expensive cameras the internal architecture of the Kyoto Leica store is fascinating. Just you might imagine an Apple store could be if it had lower volume. The upstairs is literally a gallery showing photography made with Leica cameras.
Submitted by Double Negative on June 13, 2014 - 6:08pm
The New York Times Lens Blog has a story about Jürgen Schadeberg (a Leica shooter) and some of his documentary work in South Africa in a piece called "A German Rebel in South Africa." Starting with coverage of the anti-apartheid movement in the 1950s, to returning in 1985 to live with his wife, Claudia, and began making documentary films about apartheid, Drum, South African jazz and the history of Robben Island. After Nelson Mandela was freed in 1990, he and his wife were invited to his house for a New Year’s Eve party. Mr. Schadeberg continued to publish photography books on social justice, and he filmed the first free elections in 1994 for a documentary he and his wife made.