Aside from the brass, or “Laiton,” finish, the camera is inscribed with Marshall’s autograph on the top plate, but is otherwise a standard Typ 246 M Monochrom. Unsurprisingly, Leica has drawn special attention to the lens (which also features a brass finish to match the body), noting that while its optical design is modern, its look and feel resemble the classic M rangefinder lenses of the past.
The M Monochrom was a natural choice for this special edition as the camera only shoots in black and white. It uses a 24-megapixel full-frame sensor with no color filter and no optical low pass filter, resulting in significant boosts to sharpness over a traditional RGB sensor. It has been described as being like shooting a film camera; not too unlike the rangefinders that Marshall used.
In addition to the camera, the Jim Marshall Set also contains a limited edition print of Marshall’s Thelonious Monk at the Monterey Jazz Festival 1964 and a numbered copy of the photo book Jazz Festival: Jim Marshall. Just 50 units of the set will be produced worldwide.
The set is a collaboration between Leica and the Jim Marshall Estate, who are also working together to display a collection of Marshall’s photos at the Leica Gallery Los Angeles in an exhibit titled “Jazz Festival” opening June 15.
Update June 5, 2017: Pricing on the Jim Marshall Set was not immediately available, but Leica has confirmed that it will go for $12,950. Leica fans hoping to get their hands on this highly limited special edition can preorder it through their local Leica store.
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