Sometimes the most amazing collaborations come from two people who just want to make the world a better place. Case in point: German optics technology maker Leica teamed up with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s lead designer Sir Johnny Ive to build a limited edition Leica M camera that’s exclusively for charity.
Sir Johnny Ive is the brains behind the designs for the iPod, iPhone, as well as the sunflower iMac. He even designed the recently unveiled iPhone 5 and Apple EarPods. He worked with Leica’s Andreas Kaufmann to create this unique camera.
The Leica M camera was the first camera in the M rangefinder series that features 1080p HD video recording, CMOS sensor and Live View. All of this is a big change of direction for the company. The camera will also come with a 24-megapixel frame censor, three inch LCD screen made from Gorilla Glass with 920,000 pixels.
So far no word on what Koffmann’s and Ive’s collaboration will look like. The one thing we do know is that it’s going to be very expensive. The Leica M camera mentioned which is set to debut sometime next year will retail for $6,950.
Leica is also releasing a slightly more affordable version called the Leica M-E which will reportedly retail for $4,450. It features 18-megapixel CCD full-frame sensor, 230,000-pixel 2.5 inch screen, and an ISO range of 160-25000.
This sounds like a wonderful camera and I’m happy to know that they’re collaborating their efforts for a charity. Hopefully it’s only a matter of time until we hear more about the actual camera. Kauffman hasn’t given any details as to when the special edition camera will be released nor did he disclosed the charity.
I wish we knew a little more about the charity and project, but I’m sure that it’s only a matter of time until the information is released.