It seems like Leica has a thing for selling limited edition cameras at prices the 99 percent will easily scoff at. Just last month, the company launched a limited edition variant of its M Monochrom that sold for $28,000. Only 35 were made and it had a few more bells and whistles than the regular edition of the M Monochrom, and it was signed by Ralph Gibson. Leica is at it again, this time with the $21,000 Leica M Monochrom Silver Anniversary Edition.
So what makes this edition of the camera different from the others? For starters, it says goodbye to the black look of the Monochrom and hello to silver metal and “Aztec beige leather.” In addition, included is a Summilux M-1.4/35 ASPH Silver Lens specifically made for this run, which will have the unit number (1/25 to 25/25) on the top plate rather than just Monochrom. Finally, it will include a matching leather strap, as well as the usual assortment of M Monochrom goodies.
The M Monochrom Silver Anniversary Edition will only be sold in Denmark and Sweden, with no apparent plans for the camera to make its way overseas. If you’re interested, you should probably act fast, since only 25 of these cameras will hit the production line. At that price tag, we can safely assume these will remain behind glass.