Magazine B Issue 34 (Leica) is available now at LOREM (not Ipsum). From its origins as a microscope maker, Leica made photography a part of everyday life when they introduced the first 35 mm camera in 1914. Leica’s century-old tradition of quality cameras and lenses highlights the true essence of what a camera is and sets the company apart from the powerful Japanese DSLR brands. Discover Magazine B Issue 34 (Leica).
My parents used to keep a film camera in the wardrobe, like it was one of their most treasured possessions. I think it was a Pentax. My father was very deliberate in the photos he took with it, and I’m reminded of that unique-looking manual focus camera whenever I look at those photos. Perhaps because I wasn’t allowed to touch that camera, I really enjoyed photography class when I was in college. Every time I advanced the film, I would imagine how the shot came out, but it only existed in my mind until I developed the film. I would work on the film with great anticipation, surrounded by the sharp chemical scent of the darkroom, and I was truly delighted when the images would emerge on the paper. I still distinctly remember that feeling.
The moments when I experienced the transition from the warmth of analog to digital remain some of the most special memories of my college days. Just as word processors and printers replaced handwritten reports, the emergence of digital cameras placed film cameras firmly in the past. It’s been two decades since I graduated from college, and in that time, I’ve seen various digital cameras. I found myself, however, approaching photography more superficially as the act of taking a picture became easier. At one point, the thousands of easily accessible photo and image files stored on my smartphone and computer became an overwhelming burden.
I had become more obsessed with camera products than photography itself. And then I encountered the Leica M Monochrom. It was an opportunity to reconsider my thinking. The manual camera produced only black and white images using lenses made specifically for the Leica M series. It reignited my old passion for photography, and I’ve maintained my new interest in the field for over two years. I think an image expressed only in black and white leaves a meaningful impression because human vision tends to perceive brightness before color. The M Monochrom is a brilliantly eyeopening creation based on that principle.
Magazine B Issue 34 (Leica) is out now. This month, we talk about German camera brand Leica. It’s a special brand making expensive compact cameras sought after by all photographers, amateur and professional. With the decline of film and the rise of digital, many businesses in the photography industry, including Leica, found themselves facing significant challenges. Leica, however, adopted Panasonic’s digital technology to introduce new products, and has continually worked to strengthen its presence in the digital market. The value of the Leica brand seemed to have been proved when Leica and Panasonic launched identical cameras, differentiated only by slightly different logos and designs, and more people went for the Leica. It must have taken an extraordinary effort for the camera brand that invented the 35 mm compact and introduced photography to the general public to maintain its reputation in the digital segment. Discover Magazine B Issue 34 (Leica).
Magazine B is an ad-less monthly publication that introduces one well-balanced brand unearthed from around the globe in each issue. Between its covers, Magazine B not only shares untold stories behind the brand but also its sentiment and culture that any readers interested in brand marketing and management can leaf through with ease. Magazine B attempts to discover truly good brands from today’s market where countless brand-named products are overflowing. Magazine B pursues its quest for true value of a printed medium by becoming a magazine that would be worth possessing, not affected by advertisements since it receives no financial support from the brand, and maintains a unique and independent perspective which is increasingly disappearing due to overflowing information mingled among different media outlets.
Magazine B dedicates each issue to the story of one specific brand, which is one of the well-balanced brands that JOH. discovers from around the world based on four standards: beauty, practicality, price, and philosophy. And each issue is packed with B’s unique insights and in-depth analysis. Magazine B will continue to search brands that it pursues to introduce cover-to-cover, such as Swiss recycled bag manufacturer Freitag and Japanese camping gear maker Snow Peak.
Content: Magazine B – Issue 34 (Leica)
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
COMMENTS
Comments from Leica users across the globe and records of the moments they have shared with Leica
INTO THE SHOPS
Scenes from Leica stores around the world
OPINION
Jeffrey Hirsch, owner of the New York camera shop Foto Care
INNER SPACE
Product Scenes
Leica’s unique show window displays revealing the brand’s identity
Basic Lineup
Classic product lineups encompassing Leica’s past, present, and future
Extended Lineup
Products born out of Leica’s confidence and spirit of collaboration
VS
Function
A look at Leica’s attempts to differentiate itself in the digital market
OPINION
Film director Chan-wook Park
SHOPS
Independent Dealers
Independent dealers retailing Leica products in their own ways
USER CHOICE
Attachment
Four Leica users who each have different reasons for liking the brand
BRAND TO BRAND
Media Inspiration
Leica users talk about the media outlets that inspire them
OPINION
British conceptual artist Rolf Sachs
THE DECISIVE MOMENT
Artworks
Records of the scenes captured by 10 photographers
Tools
The value of Leicas as tools
Stories
The philosophies and attitudes of 10 photographers
The Field
Photographers capturing photos in the field
BRAND STORY
Leica’s unique philosophy and technologies helped it rise from its origins as a small microscope maker to the peak of the camera industry
PARTNERSHIP
Leica’s partners share common business or cultural experiences with the German camera company
TIMELINE
An analysis of the global camera market with a chronology of significant events
RECOGNITION
The prestige of the Leica seen in comments by public figures
QUOTES
Quotes by Leica CEO Alfred Schopf
FIGURES
Significant figures in the history of Leica
FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF
The Editor in Chief offers his observations on Leica’s core values
OUTRO
Details
240 x 170 mm, 132 pages
