The new Leica store in Manila: What to see, what to expect

MANILA, Philippines – The first Leica camera store opened in the Philippines on Nov. 5, showcasing the brand’s classic cameras, their contemporary offerings, photographs taken with Leica cameras, and publications dedicated to contemporary photography.

Leica has been in the business of optics and camera manufacturing for the past 100 years. Founder Oskar Barnack designed and made the first the 35mm camera in 1913 after wishing for a lighter camera he could bring anywhere.

Since then, Leica has stuck with Barnack’s philosophy and produced classic cameras, most notably the Leica rangefinder which is a favorite of photojournalists who capture historical events, or street photographers.

The store is located on the lower ground floor of Greenbelt 5 in Makati.

Visitors of the store will be greeted with a the distinct red dot logo of Leica atop its doors, and directly in front of you will be the LED panels showing videos from the camera maker.

The glass counters and the glass cabinets of the store contains the brand’s products for different types of photographers. The presentation is very minimalist. No frills or signs are visible as pricing will be given upon request. You are encouraged to ask the staff to know more about Leica’s products.

Here’s a quick run-through:

There’s the signature Leica M full frame digital rangefinder and its other flavors like the olive-colored Leica M-E. There’s also the unique black and white only digital camera, the Leica Monochrome.

The cabinets also highlight the renowned high quality lenses such as the summilux, summicron, and summarit lenses for ther cameras.

There are also the compact system Leicas such as the X, C, and X-vario.

And finally, at the professional level, there’s the medium format S system camera.

The store also carries precision optics such as binoculars and telescopes.

The other side of the wall faces the counter and right beside is a magazine rack containing publications dedicated to Leica photography.

The back of the store serves as a gallery area and convertible space for talks and workshops. It currently houses different photographs made with Leica cameras.

Most notable of those photographs is the black and white image made by Magnum photographer, Jacob Aue-Sobol, from his series Arrivals and Departures.

Present at the opening was Leica’s CEO, Alfred Schopf and Managing Director of Leica Camera Asia Pacific, Sunil Kaul.

The task of growing and expanding Leica in the Philippines is in the hands of luxury retailer, the Lucerne group. Lucerne’s experience with luxury brands seems a good fit for Leica’s premium positioning in the camera market.

Lucerne has promised to have more activities such as talks, workshops, and hands-on activities using Leica products for interested folks to have a better feel for the brand. – Rappler.com