The Latest M special ... The Kravitz 'Drifter'.

[Rob-F]

No, Thank you, I'll pass.

 

[johannielscom]

I have a very unusual Leica III that needs a new coat and recently I bought a snake skin on a flea market that I was going to cut myself and stick to the camera. Better go for that cobalt blue that was the other option now.

:bang:No way I'm going to be associated with the current direction the 'design team' of Leica have taken, or with mr. Kravitz

 

[petronius]

Now I can understand the feelings of a canadian when it comes to Justin Bieber!
Nearly a snake skin pattern:

 

[Timmyjoe]

The interesting part of this story is the lenses: a 28mm f2 and a 75mm f2 as a travel set. There is not much commentary on the web about using this combo as a travel kit, but it is an appealing one. In the 2010s the 28mm has become the standard focal length. Apple standardized it by making it the lens on their phones, which is what everyone uses for photography now. So with 28mm being the new standard lens, what lens to compliment it? Apple has chosen a slightly longer than normal lens, which is in line with what photojournalists have been saying for decades: that they can cover almost all situations with a 28 and a 50. But for general photography with a rangefinder, why not compliment the 28 with a 75? It almost seems like a better 2 lens combo, because you get a bit higher reproduction ratio and a bit tigher cropping to isolate a subject or a scene, without having too big a gap between focal lengths. It's too bad the Leica M frame line for 75mm is not better...


But anyway, have fun trash talking online folks.

The lens choice was the only thing about the package that I thought was okay. Not exactly my choice, but I've been using a 28mm/85mm, two lens combination for years and it really works for me. Of course the brown color on those lenses is pretty off-putting.

Best,
-Tim

 

[raid]

Luxury items targeting the few who can and want such ugly luxury are not meant for every Leica user.

 

[farlymac]

I had a long winded article ready to post on this subject, but I'll boil it down to the basics.


Leica needs to knock-off this "boutique" BS, and get down to making cameras and lenses that more people can afford. Only that will drive up sales.


PF

 

[Huss]

I quite like the look of this latest boutique special ... and the fake python 'vegan friendly' skin rings all my bells being an Aussie who loves snakes! 😀


Kravitz Drifter

The snake was friendly to vegans.
Unfortunately did not seem to help it.

 

[oldwino]

The interesting part of this story is the lenses: a 28mm f2 and a 75mm f2 as a travel set. There is not much commentary on the web about using this combo as a travel kit, but it is an appealing one. In the 2010s the 28mm has become the standard focal length. Apple standardized it by making it the lens on their phones, which is what everyone uses for photography now. So with 28mm being the new standard lens, what lens to compliment it? Apple has chosen a slightly longer than normal lens, which is in line with what photojournalists have been saying for decades: that they can cover almost all situations with a 28 and a 50. But for general photography with a rangefinder, why not compliment the 28 with a 75? It almost seems like a better 2 lens combo, because you get a bit higher reproduction ratio and a bit tigher cropping to isolate a subject or a scene, without having too big a gap between focal lengths. It's too bad the Leica M frame line for 75mm is not better...


But anyway, have fun trash talking online folks.

I agree. The 75mm lens is not a “natural” one on a Leica. It always has the feel of an add-on frame.

They should have set the camera up to ONLY have a 28/75 frameline set. That would have been really “drifter”.

 

[seany65]

I'm wondering if they could do a special edition of a digital M that doesn't need the sensor replacing after 5 minutes?

 

[Huss]

I'm wondering if they could do a special edition of a digital M that doesn't need the sensor replacing after 5 minutes?

That reminds me, my Nikon Z7 has been returned for a recall and is in status 'waiting for parts'.

 

[creenus]

Fairly hideous IMO, but some may love it. I'm sure it will sell out. Personally, I would customize my own with something weird and call it the Aimless Wanderer. Then it would be truly unique!

 

[seany65]

That reminds me, my Nikon Z7 has been returned for a recall and is in status 'waiting for parts'.

Lol!

I'm so glad my Gevaert Gevabox doesn't give any trouble.

 

[Keith]

The snake was friendly to vegans.
Unfortunately did not seem to help it.

He does have an Aussie connection I forgot about ... he was engaged to Nicole Kidman briefly. And I think he may be a vegan ... I remember he was pushing some raw food diet a couple of years ago.

Strangely I don't have an issue with the look of the camera but these specials they trot out one after the other are mostly pretty kitsch in my opinion!

 

[lxmike]

saving my money for the Janette Krankie limited edition😎😀

 

[icebear]

I am still waiting for a MM10.

Isn't it strange that this limited edition for people with so much money, they don't even know where to spend half of it, is based on the M240?
...maybe they are stuck with NOS of that model, which is a hard sell after the release of the M10.

Anyways, I think Lenny has captured some pretty decent shots with this ugly edition camera.

And again it's not in the equipment, it's what you see.

 

[Archiver]

First, WTH is 'premium quality vegan leather in a snake skin pattern'? Can't they just say, 'plastic' like it actually is?


Also:

The interesting part of this story is the lenses: a 28mm f2 and a 75mm f2 as a travel set. There is not much commentary on the web about using this combo as a travel kit, but it is an appealing one. In the 2010s the 28mm has become the standard focal length. Apple standardized it by making it the lens on their phones, which is what everyone uses for photography now. So with 28mm being the new standard lens, what lens to compliment it? Apple has chosen a slightly longer than normal lens, which is in line with what photojournalists have been saying for decades: that they can cover almost all situations with a 28 and a 50. But for general photography with a rangefinder, why not compliment the 28 with a 75? It almost seems like a better 2 lens combo, because you get a bit higher reproduction ratio and a bit tigher cropping to isolate a subject or a scene, without having too big a gap between focal lengths. It's too bad the Leica M frame line for 75mm is not better...

Funnily, I tried using 25 and 75 for a day of shooting, and it didn't quite work for me. Because I enjoy the artificial symmetry of multiples, I thought that a good kit would be 25, 50 and 75. 25 was fantastic for me as a walkaround lens, but 75 didn't quite work because I kept wanting to switch back to something wider, especially when faced with streetscapes etc. A 24-70 zoom doesn't quite work for me either, as it's wide enough but not quite long enough, haha.

 

[Brian Atherton]

saving my money for the Janette Krankie limited edition😎😀

😀

I have been awaiting in vain for the Peter Sellers or Graham Stark edition but yours seems eminently more appealing. 🙂

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

I wonder what Kerouac would think about this... Kravitz isn't a drifter, who by definition is unemployed, he is part of the jet set. It is cool among that set to co-opt the culture of the poor. I don't think a special edition Lenny Kravitz "Jet Set" would have much appeal among the rich though.

I think of the song Common People by Pulp. Kravitz can just call his banker....

I should add that I like Lenny Kravitz' music. And I do own a Leica.

I think this special edition set (like almost all of them, to be honest) would be better called "The Grifter."

 

[WoodallP]

😀

I have been awaiting in vain for the Peter Sellers or Graham Stark edition but yours seems eminently more appealing. 🙂

I think Mr Stark has joined that list of people of whom we shouldn't speak anymore but the Krankie one would have to be in leopard skin with glitter on.

 

[Photog9000]

The interesting part of this story is the lenses: a 28mm f2 and a 75mm f2 as a travel set. There is not much commentary on the web about using this combo as a travel kit, but it is an appealing one........... Apple has chosen a slightly longer than normal lens, which is in line with what photojournalists have been saying for decades: that they can cover almost all situations with a 28 and a 50.

I do like the two lenses that are part of the kit. After spending a decade as a newspaper shooter late in life, I decided on the Fuji X100S with the wide and tele adapters for a carry around 28mm and 50mm. I do sometimes wish I had a little bit more reach but I really fell for the capabilities of the X100S. I have both a silver and black model and the adapters are pretty much permanently mounted on them


As far as the "Drifter" Leica, all I can say is a fool and his money are soon parted. I just do not get the appeal of something like this. But, as one other poster said, most of these will never take a shot...