Hasta La Gadget!

When it comes to cameras, Leica is usually the brand name associated with high-end cameras that supposedly deliver amazing quality photographs. When it comes to audio, Bang & Olufsen could be thought of to be on the same level as Leica – high-end audio products that supposedly deliver superb sound quality. Both of course are subject to opinion and personal preference, but they are both undeniably the top of the range when it comes to their respective products. So what would it be like if both products merged together and became a luxury smartphone? That’s what Hugo André Costa Vieira Fernandes came up with in his concept, the BeoSmart.

It is a smartphone powered by Android and the front of the phone has been designed to look like B&O’s products, while the back of the phone is reminiscent of Leica’s cameras. According to the designer, the camera will be a 12MP Leica CMOS camera with Full HD video capture and feature a specially crafted lens. The audio will be powered by B&O’s technology and will even feature a 24k gold audio output! Now we’ve seen a couple of luxury smartphones in the past and as far as design is concerned, they have been pretty gaudy and the BeoSmart is no different, although in this case the audio and camera aspects might actually be pretty good if it was made a reality. Safe to say the BeoSmart would cost a small fortune if ever released, but what do you guys think?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Leica X2 Edition Paul Smith camera is limited at 1,500 units, Leica’s Gorgeous New Rangefinder Cameras Are Impressive, Expensive,

Apple design chief Jonathan Ive will apparently cook up a custom Leica M rangefinder for a charity auction, it’s been announced, making the expensive new camera even more pricey in the process. Leica announced the M – set to hit shelves in early 2013 – this week, and company owner Dr. Andreas Kaufmann revealed the one-off collaboration during the press event, Petapixel reports.

Exactly what Ive will be doing with the Leica M hasn’t been discussed, though the camera itself is an alluring starting point to work from.  Its retro-styled metal casing hides a 24-megapixel full-frame Leica Max sensor, with ISO 200 to 6,400 support, and Full HD 1080p (24/25) video recording.

Somewhat bizarrely, Ive was meant to be at Leica’s presentation to help announce the special edition, but was forced to cancel at the last moment. Leica intended to slice the news from the announcement, but Dr. Kaufmann kept it in his speech anyway.

Designing the camera is apparently yet to begin, but we already know that the auction process will be carried out in collaboration with U2 lead singer Bono. Exactly how much it will reach is hard to predict, but with the “basic” Leica M expected to come in at around $7,000, we’d expect a healthy premium on top for the promise of an Ive-exclusive.

Apple’s Jony Ive to create one-off Leica M for Bono charity auction is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Yep, one more Leica camera to tell you about from this year’s Photokina show floor. It’s the V-Lux 4 — a big new superzoom addition to the company’s line. Though its got a similar name to the V-Lux 40, the camera’s body is a good deal larger — closer in size and shape to a small DSLR, but still reasonably lightweight. As with the smaller model, the V-Lux 4 features an all black design, with a bright red Leica logo on the front — in this case, just next to the curving textured handle. Also on top is a pop-out flash that you trigger with a devoted button.

The V-Lux 4 is capable of continuous f2.8 zoom, accessible via two buttons — one on top and the other next to the lens. Also on the rear, you get two viewfinders — optical on top and a swiveling electronic three-inch display. The camera is available now in Europe for a pricey €699.

Continue reading Leica V-Lux 4 superzoom hands-on (video)

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Leica V-Lux 4 superzoom hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 09:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s going to have to temporarily share its design wizard Sir Jonathan Ive, with high-end camera maker Leica, as Ive will be creating a special, super limited edition of one version of the new Leica M announced by the company yesterday according to PetaPixel. That’s bound to be a drool-worthy camera, and this might represent the perfect storm of tech design fanboyism.

No details about what the new Leica will look like or whether it’ll differ considerably from its stock base model, but only one will ever exist, and that’s likely enough to get the kind of people who can afford this sort of thing salivating. The single edition will be auctioned off, with all proceeds going to charity.

The new Leica M, unveiled yesterday, offers a 24MP full 35mm format CMOS sensor, and introduces 1080p full HD video capability to the M line. Presumably the specs will remain unchanged on the Ive-designed version, but that’s not really what one lucky rich person’s going to be paying for here. For those of us stuck looking at even the Leica M not designed by a British knight as little more than a fantasy, there’s always another, much more affordable way to mash up your love for Apple with your love for Leica: This sticker, which hopefully gets an upgrade for the iPhone 5 soon.

The Leica deluge continues here at Photokina in Cologne. We played around with two new point-and-shoots from the company, starting with the D-Lux 6, the larger and pricier of the pair. The camera features an all black body, with a red Leica logo on the front. It’s got a 1.7-inch CMOS image sensor, a processor capable of ISO 80 to 12800 and adjustable aperture on the lens that can be changed with a twist. It’s also got a large three-inch display on the rear and is capable of full HD video.

The cheaper V-Lux 40 features a similar all-black build with red logo in a smaller form, with a 1/2.33-inch CMOS sensor. On the rear of the camera, you’ll find a three-inch touch display with the same bright resolution as the D-Lux 6. The camera, which bears a striking resemblance to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20, can also do 1080p video. The V-Lux is available now here in Europe for €590 and the D-Lux is coming soon, priced at €699.

Continue reading Leica D-Lux 6 and V-Lux 40 hands-on (video)

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Leica D-Lux 6 and V-Lux 40 hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 07:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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