If you wondered why Apple doesn’t make any professional camera here is the answer: because it would look like that UGLY special Leica M camera designed by Jony IVE! Anyway, if the goal was to somewhat “make a difference” than hell he achieved that goal! And it’s all for goo because as ThePhoBlographer reports “this one-of-a-kind Leica M is going to be auctioned off at Sotheby’s on November 23rd, and the money will go to The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.“
And that’s very noble!
58 Responses
An Apple camera probably won’t have an SD card slot.
You could choose between a 8GB, a 16GB and a 32GB version, each 200$ apart (because memory is so expensive these days…).
Battery probably would also be non-exchangeable.
Apart from that, I always admired the Apple design and I am sure even this Leica will look better in real life than in this rendering.
With all the respect. That is beautiful, not ugly. It’s a matter of taste, and for sure you can not assume a senior designer like Ive would make a bad job without even see the real product, just say you don’t like it.
I agree. That design is fantastic.
Admin makes A LOT of anti Leica posts…
One can not find any rumors every day from a small company like Leica. Easy to find Sony, Panasonic, Olympus, Samsung, etc and every other gadget, refrigerator, TV maker coming up with a new product every other day.
Anti Leica? Hardly! 😉
Well… at least it’s no Lunar. 😛
I like the design, functionwise not so much. Looks like it will be very fiddly to turn that time value dial.
it’s got moiré
HAHAHAHAHA!!!
LOL!
Yes, looks ideal for moiré-tests
Ivy forgot an AA filter for his chassis laser cut micro grill 🙂
Looks like a late 90s Apple design study reject.
Mhhh like the design approach … But I like the design of the Pentax K-01 in Blue and White too!
I love Leica, but that thing is fugly!
I like both Apple and Leica but this was not a marriage made in heaven.
How does one clean the hand yuck out of the 20,000 little holes?
The more I look at it the more I like it. As others mention, controls might be an issue though. I have never really liked the look of the Leica M though.
the guy dosnt know how cameras works in hands… its a ugly and crappy concept. my son can draw a better one in 1 second.. why the designers dont study handling and ergonomy?? the new nex FF will smash that sluggy apple and leicas hipsters
Maybe I’m a delusional fangirl, but I like it a lot, actually… except I know those dials will drive me nuts.
I like the look it just seems wildly impractical but then isn’t a custom Leica supposed to be? Whereas the Marc Newman K-01 was supposed to be an everyman’s camera and that was form over function in some really odd ways.
Seriously, from an Apple designer?
No soooo ugly that it should be insulted. its ok.
But they are very snoobish.
One camera for charity? And top that, its meant to fund 3 different diseases!
Insulting and indicative on how much they all overvalue themselves.
All of them. Apple, Leica, and designer.
Unfortunately, much like the Hermes M that cane before it, this camera is really just for the collector and the design did not take functionality in mind. Of course, i don’t believe this is intended to be shot with… Which is part of the allure for the collector/investor who will fund the charity/take the camera… That mesh design is sure to attract all sorts of dirt over time, unless the camera is always handled with white gloves, which I assume it will be.
It is just before our time. Give it another 6 months, all cameras would look like this.
i looks modern yet is instantly recognizable as a leica, even without the red dot. i wish they made this available to the public.
Well…I like it!!!
I like the design – clean, clear, simple. Whether it is functional and the camera handles well is another matter.
I actually think it looks great. It’s very minimalistic, just like all of Ive’s concepts and like most of the Leicas.
But the dials look really fiddly, except they are touchwheels like on the early iPods which could actually be interesting.
And I think a ‘finger strap’ like on the M9 Titanium would fit much better than those strap holes…
It’s only a collector’s item. It will be sold at Sotheby’s you won’t see it on the street doesn’t matter if it’s ugly.
This is just beyond ugliness…
It’s interesting what’s *missing* too: http://lavidaleica.com/content/leica-red-m-revealed
OMG, it lost all its edge(s)
This is not ugly at all. Wait till you got it in your hands.
Probably the original Leica M is nicer, but at least this is a brave attempt to produce something different.
The market is still dominated by DSLR’s that look like huge black puddings.
This refreshing approach looks better than any of them.
i do like it so far, not the best, but interesting.
@ appleorange, well, your son is going to be the futur apple designer if he draws better. 🙂
looks like every body can do better, but nobody does it.
For sure, the controls look strange, but i am sure the pop up to be turned 🙂
It’s important to realize that neither Mark Newson nor Sir Jony Ive were trying to design a camera.
They were taking a camera and stylizing it for the purpose of a one-off charity auction.
There’s a difference.
It’s also interesting what’s *missing* from this version:
http://lavidaleica.com/content/leica-red-m-revealed
i wish i would get money for such a fuking bad job…..
once you have a name you can make money with sh*t.
Way better looking than any Micro Four Turds abomination
What’s so ugly? It looks like a modern version of a Leica M series. It may be lacking “features” but most of them I wouldn’t use so bring it on.
I’d buy it.
don´t find it that terrible..
I saw today the latest laptop from google with Chrome OS, it’s funny because it’s a copy of the white macbook, whit just an addition line of color. Actually all the computer industry is copying what John did for Apple. If you look at the phones, you can see the same trend. So, don’t speak about ugly design, it will most probably be the next generation of all cameras… : )
Cheers!
Admin. Not wise of you publishing an article and judging it yourself right in the title. How can we see things, read things without your perspective which is quiet judge mental today?
I love your work otherwise. But take it easy.
Let us. Do not lead us.
Looks beautiful mysterious and modern all at the same time.
Admin is an idiot for adding the word “Ugly” to the title.
Looks awesome to me – shame so many people have such bad taste that beautiful minimalist design like this can’t be appreciated but that’s the world we live in I guess.
I would LOVE to see redesigns done by the people moaning about this everywhere online – now that I’d pay to see.
No doubt Samsung will have something out looking very similar to this within a few months 🙂
I actually like it even though I’m not a big fan of Apple’s designs. It’s what I expect a modern, contemporary Leica M to look like. The regular Leica M looks just like the same camera Leica has been making for years without anything new. Of course that’s part of the whole Leica appeal, but something different once in awhile is nice.
I don’t know why people keep judging this as if it’s a production model camera. It’s meant to be a one of a kind art collectible piece, auctioned off for charity. That’s it.
This is not what Jony Ive or Apple would release if they decided to make a dedicated camera; this isn’t even necessarily what Leica would choose if they were going to produce quantities of this for the market.
It’s Jony Ive taking an existing Leica model and intentionally giving it some of his signature look, again, I’ll say it…for an auction to the very very wealthy as a collectible.
It’s meant to be auctioned at a huge price for charity. Also, I bet that if one saw and held it, that it looks very nice.
I hope it sells for a fortune, because it’s for a very good cause.
I think both these designers owe a debt to Dieter Rams (of Braun fame).
The minimalist design and rounded features look like Nizo super-8 cameras of the 70’s.
(If you’re old enough to remember such things…)
Why do they have to make charity so darn painful?
Okay, sure if I have enough money to buy the damn thing and the proceeds go to charity… do I really have to take the camera with me?
What the hell? I think it’s pretty cool. Modern and minimalistic, and suitably different from the production models. In my humble opinion this fits its purpose great, at least I would have no problem bidding for this if money would not be an issue!
Anyway, opinions are like assholes – everyone has one and they all smell bad. 🙂
The return of the M5 ! Finally !
Shouldn’t news be neutral, with out an opinion? I mean, who fucking cars how it looks, in my opinion it doesnt look that bad.
Just a thought. -.-
Nope. I prefer to share my opinion. It’s more transparent.
There’s this strange attitude that anything changed from M6 is “ugly”.
As a film range finder and M9P user, I find this design quite OK. It’s a strong “Ivy” and quite form-follows-function. At least it’s no way “uglier ” than the “classic” Leica M s.
First the cause is a good one! Second it looks like a Nikon V1. It shows what “good marketing” does,
I hardly think you’re in any position to compare your aesthetic to that of Johnny Ives. Keep your “transparent” opinion to yourself. We can do without it. That is until the Queen knights you for something…
The fact that mirrorlessrumors can call this UGLY and then a few weeks later headline the Sony A7 “IN ALL ITS BEAUTY”, shows extreme lack of judgement.