Leica MP6

This camera was the Prototype Leica MP made exclusive for the Japan Market and only 250 units made out of the factory, making it extremely rare and collectible.

The MP-6 was basically the same as a regular MP, but it comes with the classic vulcanite leather found on the older Leica cameras, a Leica Camera AG Germany engraving on the top plate and on some of the later models an M6 iso selector. These simple cosmetic differences may not sounds like much, but they really make a difference and are instantly noticeable. They set the camera apart from the regular MP.

Leica MP Anthracite

This Limited Edition Leica MP was designed exclusively for the Japanese market and limited to 600 units with only 400 actually made out of Leica factory.

Its lacquering is entirely hand-applied with Anthracite, and is resistant to abrasion. Anthracite came from Greek word, literally means "a type of coal", from Anthrax. It is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high lustre. It has the highest carbon count and contains the fewest impurities of all coals, despite its lower calorific content. It is one of my favourite Leica MP Editions.

Leica MP Olive

Leica MP Olive Set which was released to commemorating the opening of the Leica Kyoto store.

Leica MP olive set combines a Leica MP analog film camera with a 35mm f1.4 Summilux-M in silver finish and a cognac color strap. The body and the top and blase plate are made with a olive-colored finish. All operating parts are finished in silver chrome. The set is limited to 100 sets worldwide. It is one of the rarest Leica film cameras.

Leica MP Classic

​Leica MP Classic Limited Edition

Leica has produced a limited run of 500 units as the Leica MP Classic Set with Leica 50mm Summicron Anniversary Black Paint Edition Lens. The difference is mainly cosmetic with a Cassic Leica look, Black frame counter and a different ISO dial. 

Leica MP3

​LEICA MP-3 LHSA

Leica MP-3 was produced for LHSA back in 2005. The Leica MP3 retains that Classic M3 look whilst incorporating the convenience of a Leica MP body, this combination is what is making it highly desirable. Leica produced 1000 sets of the MP3 including 500 in chrome and 500 in black paint. All of the sets came in a very nice presentation box, with the camera, Leicavit winder and a Special edition 50mm Summilux APSH Lens.

The Leica MP3s are a close reproduction of the original Leica MP from the 1950s and 1960s. Only the front battery cover and the back adjusting dial for film speed indicate that the MP3 body is based upon the M6. The MP3 has the raised viewfinder window frame, extended eye bolts for attaching the strap and an external frame counter.

Leica M6 Green Paint

Leica M6 TTL Green Paint

Only 300 pieces were made comparing to the 2,000 pieces of the M6 TTL Black Paint Millennium.

Special features included:

* Green paint finish, Top and base plate are brass

* Leica Script top plate engraving

* M3 style rewind and advance lever

* Besides the usual serial number, there is also set number marked on the hot shoe "xxx-300"

Leica Camera Collectors Guide

This Collector’s Guide is a reflection of personal preferences. It contains rare and collectible limited edition Leica Cameras. The guide will be continuously updated with Leica collectibles.  

Leica Cameras

Leica KE-7A

Leica M3 Olive

Leica M6J 

Leica M6 LHSA

Leica M6 Millennium

Leica M6 Green Paint

Leica MP3

Leica MP6

Leica MP Olive

Leica MP Classic

Leica MP Titanium  

Leica MP Anthracite

Leica MP Hammertone  

Leica M3 Olive Bundeseigentum

​Leica M3 Olive Bundeseigentum Camera

The Bundeseigentum cameras produced by Leica are actually some of the rarest and most sought after of all. They were made during the period from 1957 through to 1968 and only made in very small batches for the military. This is one of the early batch with the obvoius sign of what we call "Buddha Ear" strap lugs.

According to records there were around 214 pieces made, although that is only the shipping record and it is inaccurate as there may have been a couple more that were not put on file. According to the current Leica list there are only 144 of these cameras left now.

Leica KE-7A

​Leica KE-7A with 50mm F2 Elcan Lens

The Leica KE-7A was manufactured in Canada for US Army in the 1970s and this M4 special model can withstand temperatures down to -20 degrees with dust sealed. Only 505 units were produced and 460 were acquired by the US military, identifiable as Army issue due to engravings and the rest were sold to the civilian market.

To make the military KE-7A, the company took their standard M4 beefed it up with weather sealing and a burlier shutter that could function in subzero temperatures, finished it in black chrome and removed the red dot from the front.

The Leica KE-7A was most often paired with the high performance resolving 50mm f/2 Elcan Lens. The 50mm Elcan f/2 lens uses infrared-absorbing glass made with lanthanum, a radioactive element that helps achieve an exceptionally high refractive index for heat control in making the optics. Also the 50mm Elcan lens was designed and manufactured to withstand a blast using special gaskets, which helped absorb the shock of an explosion.

Leica M6J

Leica M6J with Elmar 50mm f/2.8

The M6J is a rare special edition Leica M released in 1994 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Leica M series. The "J" stands for "Jubilee" and was manufactured to celebrate the 40 years passing since the M3 was first released. The M6J was a homage to the M3, the first model of the M series. The special edition was produced with total number of only 1640 units with 40 cameras for each year of the 40 years of M production.

They are a hybrid of the M3 and the M6 and new M6J was built into the camera body of the M3. It has the heft and solid feel of the M3 as mainly due to the fact that the M6J was actually built with a lot of the original M3 components. The M6J's viewfinder magnification was increased to 0.85x – bringing it very close to the 0.91x magnification of the popular viewfinder of the M3. Its illuminated framelines were borrowed from the M4, with the viewfinder being adapted to the focal lengths of 35, 50, 90 and 135 mm.

Camera Gear Customisation - The Dream Lens

Japancamerahunter ©

 

 

Canon 50mm F0.95

 "The Dream Lens"

 

Recently I have acquired this mint condition Canon 50mm F0.95 lens and decided to customise it to match my Leica Monochrome. The Monochrome is a special paint camera with Matte Black colour coating and my personal preference has always been stealthy and low-key. Since decided to paint the Canon 50mm F0.95 "Dream Lens" in Matte Black to match with the Monochrome camera body then I reached towards the help from Bellamy Hunt known as the "Japancamerahunter", who is an expert in camera gear customisation and see the result that we have produced.

Japancamerahunter ©

Japancamerahunter ©

The Mijonju Show Demostrates The "Stealth Mode" Canon 50mm F0.95 Dream Lens in The Video Below:

In the Past, I have obtained several of my unique collections from the Japancamerahunter and strongly recommends everyone to check out his customisation service in the link below:

Camera Gear Customisation - Japan Camera Hunter

My Collection - HASSELBLAD & ROLLEIFLEX

Below is my collection of the "Holy Trinity" Royal Gold and Blue Cameras that realised the Collector's Ultimate Dream.

Hasselblad 503CX CF "Golden Blue"

This is Hasselblad's 1941-1991 50th Anniversary model and the camera is particularly distinctive with Dark Blue vinyl leather covering on the 24K Gold-Plated body. This is a highly collective camera and only 700 units ever made worldwide.

Rollei 35 Royal Urushi Gold

Photo courtesy and Copyright 2000 of Duncan Meeder, Foto Henny Hoogeveen, Holland.

This is the most exclusive Rollei 35 ever made. The Top and bottom plate is finished with Japanese hand painted blue shimmering Japanese "Urushi" lacquer, with the rest of the metal part coated with 24 Carat Gold. Each camera came with a Wooden casket, Real leather case, Gold-tipped strap and a 20REB Rollei Flash. Only 1,000 units built in Braunschweig of Germany in part runs of just 200 units a year.

 

Rolleiflex 2.8GX Royal Urushi Gold

This is the most exclusive Special Edition with Gold plated surfaces covered with Brown African Lizard and Hand-finished Japanese Urushi high gloss lacquer in Royal Blue. It is the most exotic Rolleiflex produced and is limited to just 150 pieces in the world.

My Collection - LEICA

Below are a selection of my Leica camera collections and this post will be updated once I acquire further unique camera gears. 

Leica MP Anthracite

The highly exclusive special-edition model was designed especially for the Japanese market and only limited to 600 pieces. Its lacquering is entirely hand-applied with Anthracite, and is resistant to abrasion. Anthracite came from Greek word, literally means "a type of coal", from Anthrax. It is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high lustre. It has the highest carbon count and contains the fewest impurities of all coals, despite its lower calorific content. 

Leica MP-6

The Leica MP-6 was the prototype Leica MP made exclusive for Japan and only 250 pieces made out to the entire market. It distinguishes from a regular MP with classic vulcanite leather, Leica Logo engraving on the top plate and ISO selection dial at back of the camera. 

Leica MP-6 with matching Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux in Black Paint.

Leica 0 Series

Leica 0 Series with 35 Anastigmat 1:3,5 F=50mm

Originally produced in only small quantities in 1923/24, this series can be regarded as the basis of modern 35mm photography and the precursor of the first commercially marketed photographic camera, the Leica I, launched in 1925 by the Optical Works of Ernst Leitz, Wetzlar. 

My Gear

-Leica-
Leica M Typ240 (Chrome)  
Leica M Monochrom Typ246 (Matte Black)  
Leica M9 Sliver (Custom Carbon) 
Leica M9-P (Black Paint)
Leica Monochrom (Chrome)
Leica MP à la carte (Matte Black)
Leica MP Anthracite (Limited Edition)
Leica M-A (Chrome)
Leica MP-6 (Japan Edition)
Leica M6 Black
Leica M3 Olive Bundeseigentum
Leica M3 Black Paint
Leica M2
Leica 0 Series

Lenses:
Leica 50mm F0.95 Noctilux (Brass Chrome)
Schneider Xenon 50mm F0.95
Canon 50mm F0.95 "Dream Lens"
Canon 50mm F1.2 LTM
MS Optical 50mm F1.1 Sonnetar M
Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux ASPH (Black & Chrome)
Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux Type 2 (Black)
Leica 50mm F1.4 Summilux Black Paint
Zeiss 50mm F1.5 Sonnar ZM
Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1.1 VM
Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1.5 Aspherical VM
Leica 50 F2.0 Summicron

Leica 75mm F1.4 Summilux V2

Leica 35mm F2.5 Summarit
Leica 35mm F2.4 ASPH Summarit (Chrome)
Voigtlander 35mm F2.5 Colour-Skopar Pancake VM

Leica 21mm F1.4 Summilux ASPH
Leica 21mm F3.4 Super-Elmar ASPH
Zeiss 25mm F2.8 Biogon T* ZM
Leica WATE 16-18-21mm f/4 Tri-Elmar
Zeiss 15mm F2.8 Distagon T* ZM

-Hasselblad-
Hasselblad 2000FC/M
Hasselblad 201F
Hasselblad 503CX CF "Golden Blue" 50th Anniversary Edition
Hasselblad SWC
Hasselblad X-PAN

Lenses:
Carl Zeiss 150mm F4.0 Sonnar CF T* lens
Carl Zeiss 100mm F3.5 Planar C T* lens
Carl Zeiss 38mm F4.5 Biogon C T* lens
Carl Zeiss 110mm F2 Planar F T* lens


-Rolleiflex-
Rolleiflex 3.5E with Schneider Xenotar 75mm F3.5
Rolleiflex 2.8 GX Royal Urushi Gold Edition
Rollei 35 Royal Urushi Gold Collection

-Sony-
Sony Alpha NEX-7 Camera
Sony A7 Camera

Lenses:
Sony 16mm F2.8 Pancake
Sony 18-200mm F3.5-5.6 lens
Leica Lenses Adapter

-Ricoh-
Ricoh GR1v
Ricoh 28mm F2.8 lens
Ricoh GR Digital

-Polaroid-
Polaroid 110B
Polaroid SX-70 Customised

-Canon-
Canon 60D
Canon 5D Mark II

Lenses:
35L
50L
85L
70-200 F2.8 II
100L Macro
17-55mm F2.8
24-70L
24-105L
17-40L

Street Portraits

​Do you ever have that feeling there isn't much happening around where you live? That you are just taking the same boring shots after another? Most photographers do get that feeling at some stage of their photography journey, they feel that there isn't too many interesting things in the city where you live day-by-day. Well, this is not true, THERE IS ALWAYS INTERESTING PEOPLE OR SUBJECTS AROUND YOU EVERYDAY! If you have or are having this feeling, then It is time for you to re-think about your photographic subjects or starting a new project that will open a new dimension for your photographs.

​Next time when you want to go out your home and hit the streets, you should try walking a different route, taking photos of different subjects or keep an eye open for interesting people that captures your attention. I personally believe that EVERY single person has their own story and it is a street photographer's duty to capture that in the best of his/her abilities. If you are afraid of approaching to strangers then you can try all those street photography techniques such as shoot-from-hip, low angle shots, pretending you are shooting something else, etc. However, it is best if a photographer can eventually engage with his subject by approaching them personally and communicate with them, trying to get a glimpse of their moment or their story is the best way to get a natural photograph of the person.

​Just remember, there are ALWAYS interesting subjects around you and it is your obligation as a photographer to find them, be open about your photographs, get creative as this will open a new realm of interesting moments. 

More of my "Street Portraits" work at:​

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jerrybay/sets/72157633113750711/​