The Camera Bag: GoldBug tastefully plates cameras in 18 carat gold

Usually when you hear the the term "gold plated camera", your mind instantly turns to some sort of gaudy monstrosity like the Pentax LX Gold. That's not the case with GoldBug, a new site that offers gold plated classic cameras, but manage to retain the feeling and beauty of the originals.

A collaboration between photographer Oliver Blackwell and his jewelry designer wife Catherine Zoraida, they offer an array of classic cameras on the site, as well as the option to get your own camera plated through the service. And rather than just dunk an entire camera in extremely shiny gold, instead they seem to primarily coat the areas that were already exposed metal, making for a far more natural looking modification. Not only that, but the 18 carat gold plating is comparatively matte and muted, so it's not a blindingly garish.

While not obscenely priced, the cameras are not cheap either — which shouldn't come as a surprise, given the amount of work that must go into making them. Prices range from as little as £390.00 (around $630) for this Pentax K1000, to £1,230.00 ($1987) for a Nikon F2. They even modified a Nizo 8mm video camera.

If you want something a bit more custom, you can send your own camera off for plating. There aren't any prices on the website (drop them an email for more info), but again, it probably won't be cheap. But if you're looking for a truly one-of-a-kind gift for a photographer in your life — why not take their favorite 35mm film camera and get it gold plated? You can be sure that there won't be anything else like it around.

(via PetaPixel)