This P486,000 Camera Is Worth Every Centavo

German camera brand Leica unveiled the newest member of its M family, the new Leica M10-R, the high resolution variant of the company’s legendary rangefinder camera. On Thursday, July 16, the chairman of the supervisory board of Leica Camera AG and main man behind the legendary camera and lens brand led the virtual launch. Kaufmann welcomed actor Christoph Waltz, who won an Oscar for his role of SS office Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds. Waltz said he uses highly prized cameras to study film and cinematography and was in Leitz-Park for the last few days to hone his craft both as an actor and a director.

The M10-R’s newly developed sensor offers a resolution of over 40 megapixels, which represents a considerable increase compared to the M10. With a much higher resolution, the camera promises a significantly enhanced rendition of details thanks to its new sensor which opens up a host of possibilities that are unprecedented within M photography.

Photo by Leica.

So what makes it so special? The cameras will capture an image with the clear visibility of even the finest details using its sensor that provides extensive performance reserves for cropping and larger formats. In addition, the contrast-rich rendition of subtle structures leads to an even lower risk of moire patterns. A moire pattern is a visual perception that occurs when viewing a set of lines or dots that is superimposed on another set of lines or dots, something like when you see through a window with a mosquito screen overlapping another screen.

Priced at P486,300, the M10-R is well suited for landscape and architectural photography. When a camera has a high resolution rating, it sometimes suffers image noise, but not with the M 10-R which also has a wider dynamic range.

Photo by Leica.

The M10-R’s base sensitivity of ISO 100 and goes up to ISO 50000. And the maximum exposure time has been increased to 16 minutes, enabling extraordinary night-time shots with the use of a tripod. The Leica M10-R is equipped with the same shutter as the Leica M10-P. It is not only exceptionally quiet (allowing for an unobtrusive way of working), but also operates with minimal vibration. This reduces the risk of camera shake.

The M10-R completes the Leica M10 family, which also includes the M10, M10-P, M10-D and M10 Monochrom models. In keeping with tradition of all of Leica’s rangefinder cameras, the construction of the M10-R involves a large proportion of manual assembly by highly trained specialists, carried out at the company’s production plant in Wetzlar. The assembly is carried out with the strictest standards to ensure that the large number of mechanical components--such as the complex rangefinder--not only perform with the utmost precision, but are also particularly robust. 

I visited their Wetlzar compound a couple of years back and aside from its production facilities, the Leitz-Park was created as a very unique place for Leica and camera enthusiasts, where lovers of photography around the world can converge and experience Leica’s brand universe and enjoy visiting its galleries, have guided tours around its facilities, and immerse in the brand’s rich history of preserving historical images.

Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt/Leica.

While it is the production hub for making some of the best and most expensive lens and cameras in the world, it is also a repository of some of the most important photos in history were captured by a Leica camera and lens. Leica’s rich 100-year history captured by various famous photographers allow us to view a snapshot of history frozen in time to allow us to view in every detail as if we were watching a film and tapped the pause switch. Some of these images include the famous August 14, 1945 of the day Japan surrendered in WWII, when Alfred Eisenstaedt took a photo that represented America’s feelings all captured in one shot. Then there’s the famous photo of Alberto Korda who took a picture of Che Guevara with his Leica M2 during a memorial service in 1960.

Photo by Albert Korda/Leica.

When you buy a Leica M10-R, it is best able to reach its full potential when paired with Leica M lenses so that the camera has the capacity to fully utilize the outstanding imaging performance that distinguishes this legendary lens range. Its newest generation APO-Summicron-M 50 f/2 ASPH lens allows the M10-R to deliver photographs of a truly exceptional quality. Only a like M Camera emphasizes the distinctive characteristics of its older M lenses cherished by photography enthusiasts all over the world.

For more information about the Leica M10-R and other models, visit the Leica Store at Greenbelt 5, Makati or call +632-77295567.