Leica opens first concept store in Southeast Asia
The Leica Store at Raffles Hotel Arcade in Singapore is the first to open in Southeast Asia. It will function as a retail outlet for photographers to purchase Leica equipment such as cameras, telescopes and binoculars.
Other countries with a Leica Store include Germany, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Next, the German imaging company is looking to next open in Beijing, Shanghai, Moscow and Kuala Lumpur.
Photo by: Leica
Caption: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
In the store, you'll be able to see the history of Leica. There are sketches which the father of Leica cameras, Oskar Barnack, had drawn for the lenses as well as prototype units he made in the 1930s.
Leica is almost synonymous with famous photographer Henri Cartier Bresson, who used exclusively only Leica cameras. He is widely regarded as the father of photojournalism, and coined the term "the decisive moment".
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
Here's the M9 digital rangefinder (back) and one of the early Leica III series camera.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
The black Leica X1 with one of the earliest Leica models.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
On display also was this limited-edition gold Leica R6.2 SLR.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
Other than cameras, the store also shows the parts behind a Leica camera. For example, here you can see the imaging sensors as well as the famous red badge that's on every Leica shooter.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
Shown here are the parts that go into a Leica film rangefinder camera.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
The reflecting prism in the Leica S2, as well as other optical elements.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
The S2 displayed behind a glass case. Leica says demand for this camera is so high, photographers need to give the company three months' lead time to manufacture it.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
The most eye-catching camera in the store is the Titanium Leica M9, which has a whopping sticker price of S$38,800 (US$29,718). It comes with a matching lens. Production for this model is limited to 500 units worldwide.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
Here's another look at the M9.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
The Leica Store also has accessories for its cameras, such as these optical viewfinders.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
Leica lenses on display.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
Part of the store is dedicated to a photo gallery. For the opening, Leica invited China photographer Yang Yan Kang to show his "Of Legends and Beliefs" set of works.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
The gallery will also sell works of the photographers (using a Leica camera, of course) it is exhibiting. Yang's works costs 3,000 euros (US$4,190) onward and they are all silver gelatin prints he developed in the darkroom.
Photo and caption by: Leonard Goh/CNET Asia
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