Richard Swan from Leica UK confirmed to Techradar that Leica M9 and M9-P cameras currently have increased waiting times as a result of the slow recovery of some Japanese factories after the earthquake. The current average wait time for those models is three months. The wait time for the 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux lens is one year.
The previously rumored Leica M9 to M9-P upgrade program is now official. Two options will be available: “Sapphire Glass” upgrade package for $1,295 and “Top Cover and Sapphire Glass” upgrade package for $1,995. Both packages come with a one-year warranty extension. Here is the US press release with all details:
Noktor created some online buzz last week when they announced on Twitter that they are testing a new full frame HyperPrime lens. The initial expectations were that this lens will come with Nikon/Canon mount but yesterday SLRMagic (the company that currently owns the Noktor brand) confirmed in an email that the new Noktor HyperPrime 50mm f/0.95 lens will be with a Leica M mount. Here is a picture of the actual prototype lens on a M9 body:
Colorware lets you customize the colors of your Leica D-Lux 5. A brand new colored D-Lux 5 costs $1200 (available USA and internationally). You can also send yours and get it colorized for $400 (US only). The camera parts that can be colored are front, back and top plates, lens body and lens face, port door, hot shoe and of course the lens cap.
Those are the top 10 most visited LeicaRumors posts for July 2011:
Leica & Magnum: Awakening by Dominic Nahr from leica camera on Vimeo.
In our latest photo essay created in partnership with Magnum Photos, we follow Dominic Nahr into the 20km zone surrounding the nuclear power plant at Fukushima, Japan. Nahr documents the damage that resulted from the plant’s breakdown.
We first came across the work of Dominic Nahr when he won the Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award in 2009 (http://bit.ly/OBNA09). It came as no surprise that he joined Magnum Photos as a nominee in July 2010. Nahr also spoke at our recent event in Paris with Magnum Photos to discuss “Crises and catastrophes in pictures. What justifiable role can photojournalism play in an age of camera phones, Twitter and Facebook?” His portfolio is on the Magnum Photos site: http://bit.ly/DominicNahr
