Leica M for (RED) by Jony Ive
Jony Ive, Senior Vice President of Design at Apple, has designed a bespoke Leica camera for the (RED) charity.
Created in conjunction with Australian designer Marc Newson, Ive’s one of a kind Leica M will be auctioned in November for HIV/AIDS charity, Product (RED).
You can expect the Ive-designed Leica camera to sell for quite a sum, especially as your average Leica model retails for £5,000 already. In fact, it is expected to go for somewhere between $500,000 (£314,000) and $750,000 (£471,000).
The camera will be auctioned off on November 23 at Sotheby’s.
“(RED) is making a difference in the lives of millions of people and we’re humbled to make this contribution to such an important and worthy cause”, said Ive of the project.
There’s only one Jony Ive Leica M camera and his influences on its design are certainly evident, especially when you compare it to various Apple products.
Described as having a “laser machined aluminium body” and “anodised aluminium outer shell”, the finish of the Leica M bares a strong resemblance to that of the Mac Pro.
Ive has also stripped back some of the features of the normal type 240 Leica M in his usual aim for simplicity. There’s no hotshoe on the Leica M for (RED) or port for an external viewfinder for example.
Despite taking 85 days and over 735 hours to manufacture, the Leica M for (RED) simply focuses on the basic functionality of the camera model. It still has a 24-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor and a 50mm f/2 aperture lens.
During the production process, more than 550 models and 1,000 prototype parts were made and tested, just showcasing Ive’s perfectionism and dedication to a product.
The Leica M for (RED) could be a glimpse at what an Apple iCamera could end up looking like, and it certainly has a rather unreal, toy-like appearance to its perfection.
Jony Ive has the mastermind behind the new iOS 7 released at the end of September, which stripped back the original skeuomorphic textures of Apple’s mobile OS in favour of flatter, more streamlined designs.
Next, read our iOS 7 tips and tricks.
Via: SlashGear
