TTartisan releases a 24K gold version of its 35mm f/1.4 lens – and OF COURSE it's for Leica cameras
(Image credit: Leica Rumors)
If you're anything like us, you don't feel conspicuous enough when you go out waving your camera gear around. Indeed, you've probably had the very same thoughts that we have.
"Hmm, I'm not sure that thieves think I'm a big enough target… If only there was some way to draw more attention to the thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment I'm carrying around."
Well, TTartisan has come to the rescue with a 24K gold camera lens – and, yes, obviously it's made for Leica bodies. We imagine that it will look particularly tasteful with the snakeskin Leica M Monochrom Drifter Lenny Kravitz camera. Or perhaps the gold-plated Leica M6 Sultan of Brunei that sold at auction earlier this year.
The TTartisan 35mm f/1.4 24K Gold Skin is a gold-plated version of its existing 35mm f/1.4 lens (which is over 60% cheaper at $450). Like its peasant brother, it measures 73 x 49mm and weighs 450.4g. It features the same fully manual optical design with 8 elements in 7 groups, a 10-blade aperture, and it stops down to f/16 and can close focus to 0.7m.
(Image credit: Leica Rumors)
Unlike its peasant brother, it carries a $1,149 (£878 / AU$1,598) price tag – which, given the camera brand that this is being release for, isn't as outrageous as it probably should be.
It's nonetheless a very peculiar release from Chinese manufacturer TTartisan, which traditionally specializes in budget third-party optics. Whether this is a one-off release specifically to tempt luxury loving Leica users, or whether it signifies a new direction (or, at least, a new line) for the company, remains to be seen.
You can order the TTartisan 35mm f/1.4 24K Gold Skin now from Amazon US for $1,149, or from Leica Rumors for $1,200 (£917 / AU$1,668) including customized engraving on the lens cap. It will be limited to just 200 pieces worldwide.
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Now, if only someone would release a gold-plated tripod and gold-plated light meter to bling the rest of our kit bag…
TTartisan 35mm f/1.4 24K Gold Skin: $1,149 If you don't think your Leica is stealable enough on its own, or that the Big Red Dot™ doesn't draw enough attention, add a shiny 24K gold lens to the front of it!
The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, Digital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.
