James Bond has used a lot of different cameras in the movies, usually modified by Q Branch to be wielded as a weapon. But now a weaponized Leica camera has debuted in the new Bond videogame, 007 First Light.
The British superspy is no stranger to cameras modified for field use. The Man with the Golden Gun featured a rocket-firing Nikon F2, while Licence to Kill saw a Polaroid Spectra that shoots lasers and a Hasselblad 500C that turns into a sniper rifle.
However, the last time he used a Leica was in the original 1959 Goldfinger novel (he didn't pick one up in the 1964 movie adaptation). Back then it was a Leica M3, but today it's a modified version of the Leica Q3.
This continues a longstanding collaboration between the 007 and Leica brands, with numerous cameras like the Leica D-Lux 7 007 Edition (which came with a holster) and the Leica Q2 007 Edition.
In the 007 First Light videogame, developed by IO Interactive (best known for the Hitman franchise), Q Branch can outfit Bond with a (sadly fictional) Shockwave Camera. The inventory gives the following description:
"This inconspicuous looking camera triggers a small, directed propagating disturbance that staggers opponents on impact and causes medium damage to body armour. Perfect for buying time or gaining the upper hand in a fight."
It isn't just enemies that are affected by the camera, however. It appears that the Q3's 61MP full frame sensor is so powerful that it can also blow up environmental elements:
"Use shockwave to push enemies away and provide an escape route. Environmental objects, breakable covers and some locked doors can be destroyed or pushed by the shockwave."
Which is cool and all. But I must admit, it would've been cool if this more espionage-oriented Bond game gave you ability to use a Leica camera to actually take pictures. After all, per Golfinger, 007 knows how to take a proper photo:
"Bond took the elevator up to his suite. He went to his suitcase and extracted an M3 Leica, an MC exposure meter, a K2 filter and a flash-holder. He put a bulb in the holder and checked the camera. He went to his balcony, glanced at the sun to estimate where it would be at about three-thirty and went back to the sitting room, leaving the door to the balcony open. He stood at the balcony door and aimed the exposure meter.
"The exposure was one-hundredth of a second. He set this on the Leica, put the shutter at f11, and the distance at twelve feet. He clipped on a lens hood and took one picture to see that all was working. Then he wound on the film, slipped in the flash-holder and put the camera aside."
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Curious about which other cameras Bond used? Take a look at the (00)7 real cameras used by James Bond. And if you want a red dot camera of your own, check out the best Leica cameras (which sadly don't fire rockets or lasers).
