Leica unveiled a new unprecedented special edition version of its black-and-white sensor camera. Leica M Monochrom special “Stealth Edition” was designed by Marcus Wainwright, founder and owner of the acclaimed fashion label “rag & bone.” Wainwright is also a dedicated Leica photographer who shoots with various Leica cameras, often in black and white using his M6. The word “Stealth” describes the extremely discreet appearance of the camera, which is essentially characterized by its matte black paint finish, black leather trim, and the omission of color for all “unnecessary” details.
A special scratch-resistant, matte paint is used to make the surface finish as black as possible. Accompanying it in matching jet-black, the leather trim of the camera is made from an extremely smooth full-grain cowhide that also offers excellent grip.
As a striking visual counterpoint, the most important engravings on the camera and lens are intentionally highlighted with a special fluorescent paint that glows in the dark. This enables faster setting of the aperture or focusing of the lens in low-light situations.The set includes a comfortable black fabric carrying strap, a metal front cap for the lens, and a certificate of authenticity.
The lens included in the set has the classic street photographer’s focal length of 35 mm and is finished with the same special paint as the camera body – a striking-yet-subtle matte black. The lens impresses with high imaging performance and uniquely pleasing bokeh. Despite its high speed and exceptional image quality, its dimensions are astoundingly compact. Paired with this lens, the Leica M cameras become extremely compact, versatile and elegant photographic tools. The Summicron-M features a rectangular, full-metal lens hood with a screw mount. A screw-on protector ring is provided to protect the filter threads of the lens when the hood is not in use.
As the refined successor to the world’s first digital black-and-white full-frame camera, it offers the latest technologies for the greatest possible quality and user experience in the black-and-white photographic world.
The sensor of the Leica M Monochrom captures light with unparalleled sharpness and integrity. The sensor of the Leica M Monochrom features no color filter array, allowing it to capture only luminance levels and yielding an image that is sharper than what is possible from a conventional CMOS and devoid of color noise for a more film-like grain.
Moreover, with its low susceptibility to image noise, bright viewfinder/rangefinder, ultra-quiet shutter release, and fast lenses, the Leica M Monochrom broadens horizons for available-light photography and the creation of dynamic atmospheric images.
The edition is strictly limited to only 125 camera sets for the worldwide market, each of which bears a special serial number.