Leica and skateboarding? Not an obvious association, but the German maker has teamed up with skater, musician and photographer Ray Barbee and fashion label Vans to introduce the limited-edition Leica D-Lux 7 Vans x Ray Barbee.
According to the company, the limited edition “encapsulates the spirit and lifestyle of skateboarding culture.”
The camera is covered in Vans’ famous checkerboard pattern, while the top plate features Ray Barbee’s signature, as well as the Vault logo – a sub- brand which Vans reserves for particularly high-end products and exclusive collaborations.
The set includes a special carrier strap and matching dust bag, both in petrol blue. One side of the bag is adorned with Barbee’s quote, “The joy is in capturing the journey,” while the other is emblazoned with some bon mots from Leica founder Ernst Leitz II: “Ich entscheide hiermit: Es wird riskiert” (“I herby decide: the risk shall be taken”). This utterance marked the go-ahead for the production of the Leica I in 1924, and Leica was off to the races.
The limited-edition Leica D-Lux 7 Vans x Ray Barbee has the same technical specifications as the conventional model, featuring a large Micro Four Thirds sensor and fast zoom lens with a full-frame-equivalent range of 24 – 75 mm.
Picture credit Ray Barbee
Vans, meanwhile, is marking the collaboration with specially designed T-shirts as well as shoes (including a petrol-coloured model with red eyelets and checkerboard lining) adorned with the afore-mentioned quotes by Barbee and Ernst Leitz II.
The Leica D-Lux 7 Vans x Ray Barbee Edition is priced at £1,325.00.
Further reading
Previous Leica reviews in AP
