I thought cool peaked when Lenny Kravitz and Slash collaborated on Always On the Run, until I was reminded that Lenny Kravitz helped to design a faux-snakeskin Leica: the Leica M Monochrom ‘Drifter’ by Kravitz Design.
The ‘Drifter’ is a limited-edition Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) that the legendary musician designed in collaboration with the legendary camera manufacturer in 2019. Only 125 of a limited edition set with matching lenses were made, hence the rockstar-worthy price tag of $23,950 / £20,500.
But what I love most about this collaboration is that Lenny has a real connection with the Leica brand. So much so that he collaborated with Leica on another device, released in 2015, the Leica M-P ‘Correspondent’ by Kravitz Design, which is a Leica M-P digital rangefinder camera and was also limited to 125 sets.
According to Leica, the ‘Correspondent’ is an homage to Lenny’s father’s Leicaflex, which accompanied the elder Kravitz while he worked as a reporter in the Vietnam War. Sy Kravitz then gifted the camera to Lenny when he was 21.
The ‘Correspondent’ is packaged in a beautiful set with a Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH and the Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 Asph and is similarly priced to the 'Drifter'. What's more, Leica revealed that the 50mm was "constructed in the classic design of its ancestor from 1959".
But far away from the ‘Correspondent’s’ worn look, the ‘Drifter’ is everything you’d expect from the flamboyant Fly Away singer. For starters, the full-frame camera comes in a faux-leather holdall, dubbed the ‘The Drifter Traveler’, with two faux-leather lens cases and a pair of pouches to hold the camera and accessories.
The rangefinder camera itself is wrapped in a faux-snakeskin leatherette and features a matching camera strap. But what I really love about this camera is that it’s a gorgeous brown color.
And Leica hasn’t skimped on the two lenses, either. Both the Summicron-M 28mm f/2 Asph and Apo-Summicron-M 75mm f/2 Asph match the brown of the camera. Both the lenses and camera have gold accents, which only adds to the set’s unapologetically ostentatious nature.
And finally, the camera is black-and-white only. After all, what’s more rock ‘n’ roll than a timeless black-and-white photo? So there you have it, two pieces of photography and rock ‘n’ roll history. I’m a bit of a Lenny Kravitz fan, so I might be slightly biased, but I just can’t get these cameras off my mind…
You might also like...
Want more Leica content? Why I think Leica is a good investment: an owner and user perspective. Also, have you ever wondered why perfectly imperfect images are practically perfect in every way? And if you're a fan of music: "It's about evoking feelings in people," says rock photographer Scarlet Page.
