Leica Camera AG, Solms, has expanded its product portfolio and now offers premium-quality accessories ‘Made in Germany’.
The new products include the two easy-to-use Leica 24/38 ball heads with numerous additional features. Both are ideal for use with all Leica cameras – from compacts to X- and M-System products. They guarantee that the camera is held securely and steadily in all photographic situations and are particularly useful when frequently changing the camera position and shooting from several different angles. Also new is a compact, lightweight carbon tripod with dimensions that make it perfect for travelling. These new products are further complemented by a set of three quick-change plates for use with the Leica 24 and 38 ball heads. These make it possible to switch between several cameras in rapid succession without any need to exchange the plate. All of these new products are the result of a well-thought-out design and development concept. The use of optimally harmonised materials ensures an ideal symbiosis of stability and low weight and thus guarantees many years of reliable service.
The Leica 24 and 38 ball heads are distinguished by their compact form, premium engineering and ease of use. Both versions are designed and constructed to enable photographers to bring the camera into precisely the desired shooting position and perform fine adjustments with an absolute minimum of effort. Despite its impressively light weight of only 230 grams, the version with the 24 mm ball diameter offers such enormous locking power and stability that it can securely hold a camera system with a light lens, such as the Leica M, and reliably enables images from various camera positions. The same applies to the version with the 38 mm ball diameter, which also features a range of additional functions. These include a tilt function (tilt button). When this function is activated, the ball is locked for motion only in the vertical plane and is prevented from moving in any other plane. The 360° panorama function (15° STOP button) allows the capture of multiple precisely aligned landscape, architecture and object shots from different positions that can be merged in post-processing to create impressive panoramic images. This function is aided by a selectable click-detent option that locks the rotation of the ball in 15° steps. The click informs the user each time the ball head has been rotated by a further 15°.
The new Leica carbon tripod is an ideal complement to the two ball heads. Particularly impressive features of this tripod are its low weight of only 1.2 kg and its exceptional stability. Another benefit is that it can be collapsed to such a small size – the mounted ball head actually disappears inside the collapsed tripod – that it fits in any travel camera bag. An outdoor carrying case made of Cordura with a strap and shoulder pad is available as an optional accessory.
These accessories will be available from October 2013 from authorised Leica dealers.