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Do you expect me to gawk? No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to buy! Image: Leica |
In our pop culture obsessed world, few things get the hype train rolling in a frenzy than the anniversary of a beloved brand. For better or worse, brands have become a key way to express our identity. What we wear, use, watch and buy are all choices that reinforce what we believe and what we want to signal to others about us.
Brands, and by extension fandom, have become shorthand visible signs that we belong to something bigger than ‘I,’ and some use them to celebrate a shared ‘uniqueness’ and belief in a lifestyle the brand projects. And if you don’t believe that, then I have some rectangle red stickers with a Futura font to show you.
We’ve already seen corporate anniversaries for Disney (100 years) and Nike (50 years) in recent months. Joining them is another pop culture powerhouse: Bond, James Bond.
Bond is a sexagenarian (in the cinema; in novel form he’s 70), and to mark the occasion Leica is releasing a limited run D-Lux 7 007 Edition. It’s also hosting a photography exhibition from James Bond films spanning 60 years.
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| Sean Connery in Goldfinger (1964), one of the images on display at the James Bond Archive exhibition. Photograph by Bert Cann/Danjaq, LLC and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. |
The D-Lux 7 007 has several design nods to the fictional spy, from a 007 logo engraved on the top plate to a lens cap with the classic ‘gun barrel’ design, which opens automatically as soon as the camera is switched on. The camera also comes packaged with handgrip, wrist strap and a camera shoulder holster.
Leica says only 1,962 units of the special-edition set will be available worldwide, in honor of the 1962 release of Dr. No, the first James Bond film to hit cinemas. (*Readers with a golden eye may have noticed that it’s 2023, making it Bond’s 61st anniversary since the first film. Perhaps 60 was so nice, Bond chose to only live it twice?)
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| Image: Leica |
The camera differs in no functional way from a normal D-Lux 7, which itself, by the way, is essentially a Leica-branded version of the Panasonic DC-LX100 II – a camera we reviewed favorably for its excellent image quality in both Raw and JPEG modes and its large sensor in a small body. But we didn’t just live and let die, and we found a few shortcomings in the viewfinder, video and odd UX quirks that made it awkward at times. Be sure to click the link above to see our full review.
The D-Lux 7 007 Edition is priced at $1,995 and is available now direct from Leica or through authorized dealers.
Press Release:
Leica D-Lux 7 007 Edition
A photography exhibition from James Bond films spanning 60 years accompanies the launch of an elegant, limited special edition of Leica’s high-end compact camera.
TEANECK, NJ – Feb. 23, 2023 – Ever since the world’s most famous secret agent made his on-screen debut in Dr. No (1962), photography has occupied a central role within the James Bond universe. Film producer Michael G. Wilson – who is a keen photographer and passionate collector – has opened EON’s photographic archive for an exhibition of legendary Bond images. The ‘Photographs from the James Bond Archive’ exhibition is on display at Leica Gallery London until 21st March 2023.
Refined, discreet, and always ready for action: the classic James Bond values also perfectly describe the Leica D-Lux 7. The limited special edition offers a particularly elegant exterior and comes with a range of exclusive accessories.
In the opening scene of Dr. No, we encounter the protagonist in Le Cercle Casino at London’s Les Ambassadeurs Club, seated at a Baccarat table. Suave and reserved, Bond has just played his winning hand when his opponent, Miss Sylvia Trench, questioningly addresses him as “Mister…?” Since then his reply has become synonymous with the franchise including the most recent film, No Time to Die (2021): “Bond, James Bond.”
The same air of timeless sophistication characterizes the Leica D-Lux 7 007 Edition. The camera trim is made of a high-performance, rhombus-textured material that is unprecedented on a D-Lux 7. Its subtle rhombus pattern is repeated on the hand grip, which – together with its wrist strap – ensures the safe handling of the camera. The top plate is adorned with the famous 007 logo; the set also includes an automatic lens cap with the classic ‘gun barrel’ design, made famous by the opening sequence of James Bond films.
Another distinctive element of this special-edition set is the leather case in the style of a holster – allowing the camera to be transported comfortably while being instantly ready for action.
With its large image sensor and fast lens – the Leica DC Vario-Summilux 10.9-34 F1.7-2.8 ASPH. (35mm equivalent: 24–75mm) – the Leica D-Lux 7 combines outstanding image quality with conveniently compact dimensions.
To celebrate the James Bond film franchise – which began with the release of Dr. No in 1962 – the special-edition set is limited to exactly 1,962 units. The set is priced at $1,995, comes in a specially designed presentation box and will be available globally at Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store and authorized dealers starting 23rd February 2023.
Author:
Shaminder Dulai
Source: Dpreview
