What makes a camera so special that it retails for nearly $20,000?
Just ask Leica.
On June 9, Leica Camera debuted its newest Leica M-A Titan set, offering film photography aficionados a camera that coalesces timelessness with a classic design. Limited to just 250 cameras for sale worldwide, this special release is priced at $19,995.
It marks the sixth time Lecia has released a limited edition camera with a titanium exterior, which the company first started in 2001 with the Leica M6 TTL Titanium.
Lucky buyers will receive the set in a special presentation box lined by black silk.
So what makes the camera so special? For starters, it embodies Leica’s leading philosophy to focus on a return to photography in its purest form.
More importantly for camera buffs, the set includes the APO-Summicron-M 50 f/2 ASPH., of which the external components are made of titanium, and the classic Ernst Leitz Wetzlar script on the top plate. Key components of the camera and lens are made from titanium in order to give both greater solidity and a distinguished appearance.
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The $19.99K price tag is impressive and honors Leica Camera AG’s legacy as an international premium manufacturer of cameras. Nevertheless, it’s not the most expensive camera ever sold, though that title still goes to the German company. As confirmed by the Guinness World Records, a private collector bought a mint condition 1923 Leica camera at a private auction in 2018 for $2.97 million.
The 0-series camera was a model for testing and was just one of 25 produced. As of 2018, the auctioned item is one of 12 Leica prototypes known to still be in circulation.
Still, despite the 1923 camera’s immense historical value, the Leica M-A Titan set is arguable more beneficial for any serious photography wiz.
The Leica M-A Titan set is available at specialist retailers.
Photography by: Leica Camera AG
