Limited-Edition Leica MP Commemorates 60th Anniversary Of PRC#
If you happen to have $30,000 lying around and are looking for the perfect gift for your Chinese photographer friend, you can do no better than Leica's limited-edition, 24-carat gold-plated MP camera.
This China-only camera, which comes with its own custom wooden box, is limited to a production run of only 60 cameras, each numbered from 1949-2009. In addition to red calf leather on the camera's body, etched atop the lens and body are the words "Long Live the People's Republic of China" (中华人民共和国万岁), written in what LuxuryLaunches refers to as "Mao-style calligraphy."
While it's unlikely that many of these rare, incredibly expensive Leicas will be purchased and used by professional photographers, we wouldn't be surprised if several of them are given away as "gifts."
According to Leica (China) Chairman Bao Wuli, the gold-plated PRC Leica MP "is the perfect combination of Eastern and Western cultures." In a recent Haozhai article (Chinese), Bao is quoted as saying, "I personally feel very positive about this Leica camera. It has a unique cultural and historical significance, and definitely stands out among Leica's newest camera models." From the article (translation by Jing Daily team):
This incredible Leica camera seamlessly incorporates Eastern elements, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the PRC in its own special way. "Perfectly combining East and West, two very different types of cultures, is not easy." A German national who worked for many years in Hong Kong, Bao Wuli said the principles of this camera's unique design are imbued with feeling and emotion.
After performing extensive customer research and in-depth studies of traditional Chinese culture, the design team decided to limit the German design characteristics in the camera and put priority on Chinese people's aesthetic and design preferences. "This camera combines cultures rather than putting them in conflict with one another. Although Eastern and Western cultures retain their independent elements in this camera, this is the ultimate embodiment of 'harmony' advocated in modern Chinese society," Bao Wuli said.