Posts Tagged ‘Leica’

Leica Das Wesentliche in Singapore

Friday, May 18th, 2012

Leica showcased its slew of new products in an intimate session on the 32nd storey of Orchard Mandarin Hotel in Singapore.

This is part of Leica’s series of Das Wesentliche events in its main markets, after the inaugural event in Berlin last week. Prices in SGD below includes 7% GST.

Leica M Monochrom with the APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH lens, Leica M9-P »Edition Hermès«, and the Leica X2.

Leica M Monochrom with the APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 ASPH lens, Leica M9-P »Edition Hermès«, and the Leica X2.

“Das Wesentliche” means “The Essentials” in German.

It reflects Leica’s intent to focus on just the essentials in the design of their slew new products – to the point of being minimalistic.

The first Das Wesentliche event debuted in Berlin on 10 May.

The new products that were launched in Berlin are now being brought around the world to Leica’s main markets, including Tokyo and Singapore.

The Leica M Monochrom is an 18-megapixel full-frame digital rangefinder camera that shoots only in black-and-white.

It will be available in Singapore (S$12,260) in black chrome from August onwards.

Leica APO-Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 ASPH

Leica APO-Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 ASPH

The Leica APO-Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 ASPH lens has also been launched.

Leica describes it as its most outstanding lens. It will be available in Singapore (S$10,900) from the end of July 2012, in black finish.

Two limited editions of the Leica M9-P have been introduced to commemorate the close relationship between Leica and renowned Parisian house Hermès.

The limited edition Leica M9-P »Edition Hermès« is already available now (US$25,000) although only 300 will be available worldwide.

It comes in either single-lens or triple-lens kits. Both the camera body, lenses, camera bags and accessories have been specially designed by automotive designer Walter de’Silva.

Leica S-Adapter H for the S2

Leica S-Adapter H for the S2

An even more exclusive Leica M9-P »Edition Hermès« – Série Limitée Jean-Louis Dumas will be available (US$50,000) in June 2012. Only 100 sets will be available worldwide. Each set will come with three lenses.

The 16.2-megapixel (effective pixels) Leica X2 is a compact camera with a huge sensor. The APS-C format CMOS image sensor is as big, if not bigger than many DSLRs.

It is targeted towards semi-professional photographers and photography enthusiasts. It will be available in Singapore (S$2,980) from June 2012.

Leica V-Lux 40 with 20x optical zoom

Leica V-Lux 40 with 20x optical zoom

Another new compact camera is the 14.1-megapixel (effective pixels) Leica V-Lux 40, with a 20x optical zoom from 24 to 480 mm (35mm equivalent).

It will be available in Singapore (S$990)  from June 2012 onwards.

Finally, the new Leica S-Adapter H enables the use of Hasselblad H lenses on the Leica S2.

It is now available (S$2,725) in Singapore.

Can’t afford a Leica S2? Rent one!

Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

The Leica S2 comes with a hefty price-tag: S$32,550. Now you can rent one from the Camera Rental Centre, at S$588 per day, together with a choice of two lenses.

The medium format professional camera system - Leica S2.

The medium format professional camera system - Leica S2.

The available lenses are the Elmarit-S 30mm f/2.8, Summarit-S 35mm f/2.5, Summarit-S 70mm f/2.5 and the APO-Macro Summarit-S f/2.5.

“This rental program offers photographers a chance to test-drive the S2 under their preferred time and desired duration,” said Sunil Kaul, Managing Director of Leica Camera Asia Pacific.The retail prices for these lenses range from S$6,560 to S$9,630.

Special arrangements can be made to cater time for photographers who wish to get acquainted with the 37.5-megapixel camera before using it for a shoot.

Upon request, Leica lens adapters for the Mamiya 645, Pentax 67 and Hasselblad V system are available too, at no extra charge.

Camera Rental Centre
email: info@camerarental.biz
tel: +65 9650 4158

The medium-format Leica S2 is built with a weather-sealed body that ensures that photographers can shoot even in the most extreme conditions.

High-speed, accurate autofocus aids photographers to nail the perfect shot, frame after frame.

New Customer Care Centre for Leica Camera Asia Pacific

Monday, February 13th, 2012

Leica Camera Asia Pacific reveals newly renovated and improved Leica Customer Care Centre at the International Building, Orchard Road, in Singapore.

Staff at the new Leica Customer Care Centre

Staff at the new Leica Customer Care Centre

The Customer Care Centre is now equipped with new Leica Rangefinder and sensor calibration machine for the M digital cameras.

The new equipment carries out adjustment and calibration checks. In particular, it confirms and aligns sensor flatness.

These services were previously conducted only in the Leica Customer Care Centre back in Solms, Germany.

The arrival of the new machines in Singapore will substantially shorten the waiting period for servicing for M-camera users since basic servicing can now be conducted in Singapore.

The waiting period for servicing will now take at least 7 working days and is subjected to parts availability from the factory.

The Leica Customer Care team has also been expanded into a 4-person team.

Leica Camera Asia Pacific’s chief Leica technician, Mr Andrew Chan is now joined by new technician, Mr Ser Lay Ghee.

Andrew has in-depth experience of over 30 years in photographic equipment, while Lay Ghee, brings along 20 years of experience in technical servicing.

Ms Juliana Yeo and Ms Adeline Lau will represent the Leica Customer Care Centre as main contact persons for Customer Care enquiries.

Contest: The 2012 Leica Oskar Barnack Award

Saturday, February 4th, 2012

Entries for this photography contest is open from now until 1 March 2012. Application forms, as well as terms and conditions of participation is available online.

Entries for the 2012 Oskar Barnack Award can be submitted from now till 1 March 2012.

Entries for the 2012 Oskar Barnack Award can be submitted from now till 1 March 2012.

The Leica Oskar Barnack Award will be presented for the 33rd time this year. The winner will receive a Leica M9-P camera with lens worth approximately €10,000, in addition to a cash prize of €5,000.

“This year, I will personally love to see more works from passionate photographers in Asia,” commented Sunil Kaul, Managing Director of Leica Camera Asia Pacific.A second honour in the course of the competition will be awarded in the category ‘Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award’, for (prospective) professional photographers aged 25 and under.

The winner of the first prize in this section will also be awarded a Leica M9-P complete with lens.

An international jury awards the Leica Oskar Barnack Award and Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award to photographers who capture and express the relationship between people and their environment in graphic form in a portfolio of up to 12 images.

Submissions must be a self-contained series of images in which the photographer perceives and documents the interaction between people and their environment with acute vision and contemporary visual style – creative, unobtrusive and groundbreaking.

The members of this year’s jury include:

  • Bruce Gilden, Magnum photographer
  • Stephan Erfurt, Director of C/O Berlin
  • Valérie Fougeirol, Creative Director of the Magnum Gallery in Paris
  • Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Artistic Director of the Leica Galerie in Salzburg
  • Brigitte Schaller, Art Director of Leica Fotografie International magazine.

The awards will be presented in the course of the Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie photography festival to be held in Arles, France from 2 to 8 July 2012.

Photo: Cinnamon rolls with raisins

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

Cinnamon rolls with lotsa cinnamon, brown sugar, raisins.

Cinnamon has been attributed with a number of health benefits.

Cinnamon has been attributed with a number of health benefits.

Check out some of the health benefits of cinnamon here.

Photo: Salmon cream sauce spaghetti

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

Home cooked salmon cream sauce spaghetti with chives, mixed herbs and pepper. Served with broccoli soup.

Picture taken with Leica V-Lux 3 compact digital camera in Macro mode. Handheld snapshot at f/2.8, 1/15 sec, ISO400, 25mm (35mm equiv).

Picture taken with Leica V-Lux 3 compact digital camera in Macro mode. Handheld snapshot at f/2.8, 1/15 sec, ISO400, 25mm (35mm equiv).

The Leica V-Lux 3 compact digital camera has a mean Macro mode. You can stick the lens right into the food and still get pin sharp snapshots of your favourite food.

The Leica V-Lux 3 and the gingerbread men

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

My wife hijacked the Leica V-Lux 3 review unit to snap photos of the gingerbread men she’d baked for our children’s friends. In return, I decided to hijack my wife’s X’mas project for this post.

Two happy gingerbread men posing for the camera.

Two happy gingerbread men posing for the camera.

This turned out to be a good test of how user-friendly the compact digital camera is.

These two gingerbread men aren't running anywhere.

These two gingerbread men aren't running anywhere.

My wife was making little gift bags of DIY gingerbread man decorating kits for our children’s friends when they came for a party.

In a very pretty cookie bag were a gingerbread man she’d baked, a star cookie, a packet of M&Ms, a tube of icing, with a candy cane thrown in in case gingerbread man needed some support.

Included were simple instructions on decorating the cookies, printed on my newly bought Epson printer.

Wifey claims to have technological skills stuck somewhere in the Jurassic age, so the main test of the camera would be its ease of use.

DIY decorate your own gingerbread men goodie bag.

DIY decorate your own gingerbread men goodie bag.

Actually, she’s a better photographer than I am, it’s just that she had left the snapping to me all these years and has gotten left behind in the film era.

She managed to turn it on, find the right auto dial, turn it to macro mode and snapped away.

The lighting was rather challenging because it was raining all day so she couldn’t take the photos outdoors in natural lighting.

Instead, she was restricted to our dining room, with very dim lighting, which caused a lot of shadows.

According to her, “the camera was really easy to use, it focused very quickly even though the objects were very close and not well-lit.”

The Leica V-Lux 3 preserved the ambience of the living room light but produced sharp images even though the snapshots were taken handheld without using a tripod.

The Leica V-Lux 3 preserved the ambience of the living room light but produced sharp images even though the snapshots were taken handheld without using a tripod.

That’s saying something about the ease-of-use of this camera and its focusing ability.

The photos turned out really well. So was the reception to the gingerbread men.

Mr Postman delivers: Leica V-Lux 3

Monday, December 19th, 2011

The courier dropped off the Leica V-Lux 3 compact digital camera today for review. The new compact had just been announced last week and will be available from January 2012 at S$1,345.

The Leica V-Lux 3 was announced on 13 December 2011.

The Leica V-Lux 3 was announced on 13 December 2011.

The review unit came in a black velvet pouch. In it was the camera itself, a battery and a charger with cable.

The camera is light but muscular for a compact but it pacts a 24x optical zoom lens that goes from 25 – 600mm (35mm equivalent focal lengths).

The Leica V-Lux 3 will be available in January 2012 for S$1,345.

The Leica V-Lux 3 will be available in January 2012 for S$1,345.

The Leica DC Vario-Elmarit ASPH super telephoto zoom lens has an aperture range of f/2.8 – 5.2.

The camera has a 12.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor and records full-HD video in AVCHD format with 1920 x 1080 pixels at 60 full frames per second.

What caught my eye was the 460,000-pixel 3” LCD display that is fully articulated. It can be folded out to face any direction to allow the photographer to shoot from awkward angles.

I’ll be trying out the camera over the holiday period to see whether its performance matches its good looks.

New compact camera: Leica V-Lux 3

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

This versatile all-in-one camera for creative stills and video will be available from January 2012 at S$1,345.

Leica V-Lux 3 compact digital camera, available in January 2012

Leica V-Lux 3 compact digital camera, available in January 2012

The Leica V-Lux 3 is a new compact digital camera that  features a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 4.5 – 108 mm f/2.8 – 5.2 ASPH super-telephoto zoom lens.

“The camera is an attractive alternative to entry-level DSLR cameras with interchangeable lenses,’ says Peter Kruschewski, product manager for Digital Compact Cameras at Leica Camera AG.That’s 25-600mm (35mm equivalent) in its focal length range.

This 24x optical zoom makes the camera flexible for shooting a wide range of photographic situations, from landscape, architecture and travel, to sports, portraits and wildlife.

The newly developed 12.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor promises exceptional image quality for all applications.

The V-Lux 3 comes with an extensive range of video options and video quality comparable with that delivered by premium-range camcorders.

25-600mm focal length, 24x zoom

25-600mm focal length, 24x zoom

The camera captures full-HD video in AVCHD format with 1920 × 1080 pixels and 60 full frames per second.

This 1080p60 video format captures fast movement in detail, and is ideal for conversion to alternative resolutions and refresh rates.

The entire 24-fold zoom range is available during video recording and an integrated stereo microphone with an electronic wind noise filter promises a crystal-clear soundtrack.

The Leica V-Lux 3 is versatile for shooting the whole spectrum of photograhy, from landscapes and portraits, to travel and sports.

The Leica V-Lux 3 is versatile for shooting the whole spectrum of photograhy, from landscapes and portraits, to travel and sports.

The V-Lux 3 boasts a high-speed burst-shooting capability, with bursts of 12 frames per second at full resolution, or 60 frames per second at a resolution of 3.5 megapixels – making it one of the fastest burst-shooting cameras in its class.

“This innovative ‘all-in-one’ solution combines classic photography functions with video quality that can only normally be found on premium camcorders,” says Sunil Kaul, Managing Director of Leica Camera Asia Pacific.The 3″ LCD display has 460,000 pixels and can be twisted and turned in almost any direction, allowing composition of shots at awkward angles.

The V-Lux 3 has an integrated handgrip for a steady grasp, while its light weight allows one-handed shooting. There is a dedicated button on the top deck of the camera for instant video recording.

Bundled with the camera Adobe Photoshop Elements, a photo organizing and editing software; and Adobe Premiere Elements for processing AVCHD video and addition of audio and video effects.

The Leica V-Lux 3 will be available from authorised Leica dealers from January 2012 at S$1,345 with 7%  GST.

Leica Camera increases Asia sales by 56%

Friday, November 18th, 2011

Leica Camera sales from first half of this year (April 1 to September 30, 2011) increased by a double digit 56% compared to the corresponding period last year (April 1 to September 30, 2010).

Leica S2 Leica X1

Sales in Asia contributed to 23.7% of Leica’s global sales.

The Company’s success drivers were the Leica M9 rangefinder camera, the S2 professional system, as well as the Leica X1 compact camera.

“I am glad to witness the increase in demand for our cameras, sport optics and accessories in Asia,” said Sunil Kaul, Managing Director of Leica Camera Asia Pacific.Sunil Kaul, Managing Director of Leica Camera Asia Pacific

The Leica compact camera models V-Lux 20, V-Lux 2 and D-Lux 5 also made essential contributions to the positive overall development.

Leica M9-P Leica Silverline

Further success drivers are the Rangemaster and Televid product lines in the Leica Sport optics product group.