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 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.

Konica Hexanon 50mm F1.2 M Lens

Konica released a limited edition set consisting of a Konica Hexar Rangefinder Camera with the Konica Hexanon 50mm F1.2 M lens back in 2001 to celebrate the new millennium with a total limited number of 2001 sets produced. It is a rare occasion to see the lens separated from the set hence few information dedicated to the Konica 50mm F1.2 lens.

Build Quality

The Konica Hexanon 50mm F1.2 M Lens has excellent build quality. It is made from all solid metal construction with a bronze brass finish. It feels nice in the hands for a lens made in Japan but not as well as some lenses made by Leica Germany. The lens feels more compact and lighter than similar ultra fast lenses for Leica M.

Image Quality

The Konica Hexanon 50mm F1.2 M is an amazing ultra fast lens, it’s bokeh is very smooth for out of focus areas and extremely creamy when shooting wide open at its maximum aperture of f1.2. The lens sharpens up at f2.8 and beyond, which reaches maximum sharpness at f8.

The rendering has the best of Japanese lenses that produce natural and eye-pleasing images. The colour rendition and contrast are excellent, which is not too heavy with tendency to the natural side. The Konica 50mm F1.2 has the best qualities of modern lenses.

Practical Use

Konica 50mm F1.2 lens balances exceptionally well on Leica M Rangefinders. The aperture ring clicks in place nicely and the focusing ring is very smooth, even turns faster than most Leica lenses during practical use.

There is no viewfinder blockage with the lens alone. However, there is certain intrusive blockage with the large lens hood installed and quite intimidating to subjects during actual shooting.

Specifications

Lens Mount: Leica M

Production Year: 2001

Construction: 7 Elements / 6 Groups

Maximum / Minimum Aperture:  F1.2 - F16

Closet Focusing Distance: 0.9m

Filter Size: 62mm

Weight: 390g

Conclusion

The Konica Hexanon 50mm F1.2 is a modern ultra fast prime for rangefinders that provides exceptional image rendering qualities as an alternative to similar Leica lenses.

Leica MP Collection Guide

Leica MP stands for “Mechanical Perfection” which marks the pinnacle of Leica film cameras. Leica MP is a personal favourite film camera and I have had the pleasure of owning all sorts of variants Leica MP cameras including Leica MP Black Paint, Leica MP Matte Chrome a la carte, Leica MP-6, Leica MP3 LHSA, Leica MP Anthracite and other Limited Editions.

Read below for the Most well-known and Rare collectible Leica MP Editions:

Leica MP

Ongoing Production

The Leica MP with its perfection craftsmanship incorporating cosmetic features of the M3 including the advance and rewind levers combined with the modern conveniences of the M6 such as TTL metering, shutter speed dial, film loading and motor interface. This combination created the most mechanical perfected film camera ever by Leica hence named the “Leica MP.”

Leica MP-3 LHSA

Limited to 1000 Pieces (Worldwide)

Leica MP-3 was produced for LHSA (Leica Historical Society of America) back in 2005. The Leica MP-3 retains that Classic M3 look incorporating the convience of a Leics MP body, this combination is what is making it highly desirable. Leica produced 1000 sets of the MP-3 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 (classic style) 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 MP-6

Limited to 250 Pieces (Japan)

The Leica MP6 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 Hammertone LHSA

Limited to 1000 Pieces (Worldwide)

The Leica MP Grey Hammertone LHSA is the 35th Anniversary model for the establishment of the Leica Historical Society of America.

The Camera incorporating a distinctly rare and unique grey hammertone finish, appers to be struck by a hammer. The Leica MP Hammertone Kit includes a Summicron-M 2/35 ASPH lens with the retro look of the 1950s and a Leicavit-M Rapidwinder.

Leica MP Anthracite

Limited to 600 Pieces (Worldwide)

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 Edition Hermès

Limited to 500 Pieces (Worldwide)

The elegant LEICA MP Hermès Camera, known as the “Edition Hermès” is a special edition of 500 silver-chrome Leica MP cameras covered with exquisite Barenia calfskin supplied by the famed Parisian high-fashion house Hermès.

Leica MP Olive

Limited to 100 Pieces (Japan)

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.

Leica MP Blue Satin

Limited to 10 Pieces (Germany)

Leica Camera AG specifically the Leica Store Berlin will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a very special Limited edition Leica MP Camera, which limited to only 10 units worldwide.

 "The camera housing with all controls as well as the complete version of the Summilux-M 1.4 50mm ASPH. Are neither lacquered nor chromium-plated, but are treated with blue lacquer. Blue Stain (german: "Blaubeize") is an intermediate step in production and stretches as the carrier surface for a later painting. Instead of the varnish we sealed the blue stain two times. This gives the combination a unique look which, on the one hand, subtly underscores the tool character, but on the other hand it also gives a subtle elegance. Each of the 10 cameras has a slightly different "pickling" and is absolutely individual."

Finishing off the camera is a housing cover made of soft grey cowhide and the black frame counter has red engravings. Each one also comes in a special edition box with neck strap.

Leica MP Titanium 

Limited to 150 Pieces (Japan)

The Leica MP Titanium (0.72) camera was introduced in April 2007 to commemorate the 1st anniversary of the opening of Leica Store Ginza in Tokyo, Japan. It was produced exclusively for the Japanese market and limited to only 150 pieces, which was never made available for sale anywhere other than the Ginza store in Japan.

All exterior metal parts and fittings are made of titanium, similar to the Leica M7 Titanium and the Leica M9 Titan. The camera weighs approximately 90 grams less than a regular MP. Even the special body cap is made from titanium, as is the ISO selector disc on the back of the camera. Titanium is a strong and lightweight metal which is also corrosion resistant, so this camera is very well protected. Unfortunately titanium is a very difficult metal to work with, as it has a very high melting point temperature making it an expensive metal to use in mass production. The Leica MP Titanium is one of the rarest and most beautiful modern M cameras that Leica has ever produced.