luxury

Leica's continued focus on premium and luxury products appears to be working very well as the company has set a new sales record.

Leica has announced the ZM 11, a stylish luxury watch that channels Leica's legendary photographic reputation and builds upon Leica's other watches, including the ZM 1 and ZM2 models inspired by the Leica M11 Monochrom and the Leica L1 and L2 timepieces released last year.

It's an excellent time to be a photographer and watch enthusiast. Less than a week after Leica announced a pair of new watches inspired by the new Leica M11 Monochrom camera, Swiss watchmaker Horage has announced the Lensman 2 Exposure, a timepiece that is a "mechanical cheat sheet to manual photography."

Leica has announced the new Leica Watch ZM 1 and ZM 2, designs that it says were inspired by the M11 Monochrom that was launched earlier this month.

Leica has announced a new luxury camera wrapping cloth made from a handcrafted "Italian hair sheep napa leather" that is designed to protect the Leica M, Q, its compact cameras, and compact binoculars.

Space Perspective, the company that wants to bring photo tourism to the edge of space, has debuted the MS Voyager, a ship that it calls the world's first marine spaceport for human space flight.

Space Perspective, the company that wants to allow photo tourism high into Earth’s stratosphere via a giant balloon, has revealed the design behind the capsule that contains its luxury lounge.

Space Perspective, which calls itself a luxury spaceflight experience company, plans to send tourists into Earth's stratosphere by attaching a floating lounge to its giant SpaceBalloon to provide 360-degree views of the edge of space.

Leica has finally made its L1 and L2 luxury watches available for general purchase. Originally announced in 2018, the two models carry an expectedly high price of $10,000 and $20,000 respectively.

French photographer Romain Veillon recently had the chance to explore a famous old chateau that represented the height of luxury in 1901. Now abandoned, the chateau in Veillon's images shows how the ravages of time spare no second thought for riches, leaving the place, quite literally, in tatters.

Want to fake a luxurious lifestyle on Instagram? There's a Russian company that can help you do so. It specializes in renting out a private jet for Instagram photo shoots for people who don't have the wherewithal to actually fly around in one.

Leica, watch your back: you have a competitor in the horizon. The iconic Zenit Soviet camera brand is coming back... as a luxury camera brand.

Leica is getting serious about hip photographic fashion accessories. Earlier this month, Leica USA unveiled an $840 lighter, $840 pen, and $175 keychain. Now, Leica Russia is getting in on the action as well: the company has launched pendants and cufflinks that are faithful replicas of Leica camera shutter speed dials.

Leica today announced the 0.95 Collection, a new sub-brand for high-end accessories. No, not camera accessories... luxury lifestyle accessories.

The initial batch of products includes an $840 lighter, an $840 fountain pen, and a $175 keyring.

Earlier this year, Apple launched a global ad campaign called "Shot on iPhone 6" that featured the company's favorite iPhone 6 photos, which were captured by 77 different photographers. The iPhone 6S has since replaced the 6, but Apple hasn't forgotten about how the photographers helped the phone become yet another hit.

The company has begun shipping out fancy cloth-covered coffee table photo books to the photographers as a special "thank you" gift.

A new product just landed in the world of high-end camera straps. The new HoldFast Sightseer Sling Strap is an elegant and rugged leather camera strap that can be expanded as desired with add-on pouches.

Luxury wedding selfie sticks are a thing. Not only do they exist, but they're actually a hit with brides who want to shoot selfies on their big day with style.

The New York-based boutique Reem Acra recently unveiled a $500 selfie stick that's covered with Swarovski crystals and white blossoms. It's being sold for a whopping $500 each, and it's already out of stock.

How much would you pay to celebrate 100 years of Leica photography? The Leica Store in Miami recently asked that question and found over 100 people who were willing to pay out $55,000 for a limited edition ‘Leica M Set’. Now, Leica is asking that same question yet again, but with a pre-production camera set from an even more finite collection... and a much higher price tag.

Lowepro is known for its extensive collection of sporty and durable camera bags, but one word that probably doesn't come to mind when you think of the company is "luxury." It wants to change that. Today Lowepro unleashed a new line of photo equipment luggage that "brings trusted protection to the discerning" photographer. It's called Echelon.

Leica has officially announced a new limited edition "Correspondent" version of the Leica M-P digital rangefinder, designed by Lenny Kravitz. The musician, actor, and designer came up with a styling for the camera that offers a luxury product in an artificially aged package.

Here's a common complaint: "Why is wedding photography so expensive?"

One of the most common complaints about wedding photography is that it’s too expensive. I’ve seen this sentiment uttered from all corners of the Web. I’ve also seen just as many photographers jump at the opportunity to defend their prices by writing articles that only an accountant could appreciate.

What does opulence look like in the world of selfie shooting? The Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri, that's what. It's a ridiculous $6,000 limited edition smartphone designed for people with extremely deep pockets and a yearning to snap showy selfies in style.

Want to get started in photography? A camera and a kit lens can help you do that. Want to do so while touring the world on your private yacht? Fujifilm's new X-T1 Graphite Silver Globe-Trotter Kit is designed for you. It's a limited edition luxury camera kit that has everything you need to get started with Fuji X-T1 photography... and then some.

Minutes ago, Hasselblad officially unveiled the Stellar II, another Sony rebrand that will likely draw some ridicule from the photo community -- except that Hassy has changed their approach a bit with this camera.

Right in the first line of the press release, they're making one thing clear: this camera is "not intended to be judged against other cameras," but is, "rather, conceived and crafted exclusively for Aficionados, Collectors and Connoisseurs."

Back in mid-September, we reported that luxury gadget company Brikk was planning to release a gold covered Nikon Df camera. The camera is now official with more photos and more details.

It's no secret retro and vintage cameras have made a come back in the last few years. But, this is getting a bit meta, isn't it?

In an attempt to make retro cameras look even more retro, camera accessories manufacturer Anchors and Anvils is fitting some of the 35mm film shooters they refurbish with wood paneling.

If you're planning to pick up a $6,500 Hasselblad Lunar mirrorless camera and need a matching USB flash drive to store your photos, you should definitely take a look at the Apophis. It's a high-end flash drive by Polish firm Zana Design that, like the Lunar, is crafted out of rare materials. How rare? Well, one of the ingredients is meteorite.

Hasselblad surprised the photo world last month by announcing the Lunar: a hyper-luxury mirrorless camera with an opulent exterior and a Sony NEX-7 at its core. To say it wasn't well received would be an understatement; photographers immediately mocked the camera's over-the-top design -- it's decorated with gold and precious metals -- and the fact that it will carry a price tag $5,000 more than the camera it's based on.

Hassy isn't fazed by the criticism. The latest word from the Hasselblad camp is that it has opened a new design center in Italy, where the Lunar was conceived. Regardless of what you think about the camera, at least Hasselblad's game plan is becoming more clear.

It seems that everyone has something to say about Hasselblad's new line of Lunar mirrorless cameras, with "ugly" being one of the common adjectives used. The fact is, Hasselblad is trying to pull a Leica by taking the Sony NEX-7, rebranding it, "upgrading" it with a new look and rare materials, and slapping a $6,500 price tag on the resulting camera. The Lunar's Photokina booth, brochure, and website feature concept sketches that show how the camera's design came about.

What's interesting is that not all the sketches show a modified NEX-7. Some of them appear to show a compact camera, and others a DSLR.

Hasselblad mixed things up today by announcing a new "ultra luxury" APS-C mirroress camera. Sounds like Earth-shattering news, right? Take a little closer, and you'll notice that it's not as monumental as it sounds. Basically, the company has taken a page from Leica's book by playing the rebranding game. Just as Leica -Lux compact cameras are essentially rebranded Panasonic Lumix bodies, the new Hasselblad Lunar is a dressed-up version of the Sony NEX-7.

Forget rings on your fingers or grills on your teeth: Japanese designer Jay Tsujimura thinks your camera is where bling should go. Presumably geared towards people who use pricey cameras as a fashion accessory and status symbol, Tsujimura's premium line of camera jewelry is designed to adorn hotshoes and shutter releases.

Want a wooden DSLR? If you have extremely deep pockets, nows your chance: Sigma has announced a special wood …

Now here’s a camera accessory you don’t see every day: over in Japan …