It seems camera companies are trying to target Japanese anime fans these days. In September 2011, we wrote about how Leica had teamed up with the designer of Gundam (not to be confused with Gangnam) for a limited edition mech-themed V-LUX 30 digital camera.
Now Pentax, the king of bizarre special edition cameras, has forged an anime partnership of its own. The company has announced a limited edition line of Q10 mirrorless cameras that carry Neon Genesis Evangelion branding and colors.
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PDN has published an interview with art collector Jonathan Sobel, who’s suing photographer William Eggleston for creating and selling new prints of iconic photos that were once sold as “limited edition” prints. The new prints that recently fetched $5.9 million at auction were digital prints that were larger than the original ones.
The dispute boils down to this question: If an artist produces and sells a limited edition of a photographic work, and then re-issues the same image in a different size, or in a different print format or medium, does the re-issue qualify as a separate edition? Or do the new prints breach New York law that defines “limited edition,” and therefore defraud the buyers of those original limited edition versions of the work?
The answer could have a significant effect on the photographic print market. A number of photographers issue limited editions of their works, then later issue new editions of the same works, reprinted at different sizes or in different mediums. The reason is obvious: When an edition sells out, and scarcity drives up the price, artists want to cash in on pent up demand.
Sobel, who has spent 10 years studying and collecting Eggleston’s work, claims that eight of his prints that were previously worth $850,000 have been devalued by the recent sale.
Q&A: Art Collector Jonathan Sobel Explains His Beef with William Eggleston (via The Click)
When the X100 was announced a year ago, some people accused Fujifilm of ripping off the look of Leica’s rangefinder cameras. The retro look worked though, and retailers have had a hard time keeping the camera in stock. Now Fujifilm is making another Leica-esque move by releasing a limited edition version of the X100.
Only 200 units will be sold in Hong Kong, and it looks like the only difference is that the black covering has been replaced with light brown leather. Maybe the next special edition will be wrapped in ostrich skin…
(via Facebook via Photo Rumors)
Apparently this is what Pentax considers “legendary collaboration”: a Korejanai robot edition (Korejanairobomoderu) of the K-r DSLR. It doesn’t boast any spec upgrades from the stock version, but instead sports a wacky primary color paint job and a robot head attached to the hotshoe. You’ll also get a matching special edition 35mm ƒ/2.4 prime lens to complete the horrifying awesome look. If only these were working DSLR cameras that also transformed into robot action figures.
Only 100 will be sold at a price of ¥99,800 (~$1,190), and pre-orders start at midnight on December 24, 2010.
Legendary collaboration again! (via Engadget)
Leica may have teamed up with the Audi design team for the limited edition Titanium M9 they announced yesterday at Photokina, but Hasselblad has just announced a car partnership of their own: the limited edition Ferrari H4D digital medium format camera. Now pro photographers who are determined to flaunt opulence can shoot with a flaming red camera that matches their car. The camera is even more “limited edition” than the Titanium M9, with 499 being produced instead of 500.
Welcome to the world of cameras being status symbols. Lets hope this kind of craziness doesn’t propagate to other camera companies, or we might see Toyota Canons and Honda Nikons. Oh wait… they have Jackie Chan limited editions already…
Leica’s announcements at Photokina have been pretty dull so far compared to some of the other cameras that have been unveiled. Aside from announcing a Panasonic LX5 rebranded as a Leica D-LUX 5 and a Panasonic FZ100 rebranded as a Leica V-Lux 2, they’ve also announcement a “Titanium” version of the M9 digital rangefinder of which only 500 pieces will be made.
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Okay, so Polaroid partnered with Lady Gaga, and Sony has teamed up with Taylor Swift. How about Canon? Well, they’ve just gone a step further by releasing a Jackie Chan-branded version of the Canon Rebel T2i (AKA 550D).
The “EOS 550D Jackie Chan Eye of Dragon” special edition kit comes with an EF-S 18-135mm lens, camera case, strap, and special photo album. Everything except the lens is branded with Jackie’s logo. Only 2010 of these kits will be made, and each costs a whopping ¥10,000, or roughly $1465.
Any guesses as to which random celebrity Nikon is planning to team up with?
(via Engadget)
