Formula 1 had a busy few days. The championship finalised licensing partnership agreement with Leica Camera, resulting in a carbon-accented model priced at an eye-watering $9,950. It's a luxury toy for people who like F1 and photography enough to warrant an almost-five-figure purchase.
The model is a limited production variant of the Q3 43 line, pairing a 60-megapixel full-frame imaging sensor with a permanently mounted 43mm APO-Summicron f/2 optic. Leica says it "enables exceptionally authentic photography".
The model is on sale now, with purchases available through Leica retail locations, its e-commerce platform and authorised dealers. The US price is the aforementioned $9,950, and the unveiling happened at Leica's Los Angeles store and gallery with presenter Ariana Bravo and 2009 world champion Jenson Button.
The motorsport touches are fairly obvious, even to non-camera nerds like me. The grip features a non-slip Microvelour texture inspired by a racing steering wheel, the Formula 1 marking appears on both the upper housing and lens cover, and a fabric strap boasts the logos of both organisations.
It is built from genuine carbon fibre, a material Leica traditionally doesn't use, and the carbon parts are manufactured and tested in Germany. The package features a carbon-shell grip with wireless charging, a soft-release button incorporating carbon detailing and a thumb support.
The software angle is a dedicated Formula 1 image look with higher contrast and richer saturation, meant to capture the atmosphere of the paddock and the colours of the 11 teams racing on the circuit. It works through the Leica FOTOS app, which also allows for quick edits and transfers photos and videos to a phone. Leica says more limited and special editions will follow this one.
A camera worth almost 10 grand is not something I would personally take to an F1 race as a fan, but several drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, have been spotted wielding them to take their own snaps of the action. With Leica being an industry leader, this is a really exciting moment for those who love automotive and motorsport photography.