Paddle me! This new Leica M-P Typ 240 comes with a ping pong paddle grip

by Jeremy Gray

posted Thursday, October 13, 2016 at 11:47 AM EDT

Ping pong paddles have just become much more versatile…and more expensive. Leica has teamed up with German artist and photographer Rolf Sachs to release a special edition Leica M-P Typ 240, aptly dubbed the Leica M-P "Grip."

On the inside the exclusive camera is the same as any other Typ 240 including special edition versions such as the M-P Titan and M-P Edition Safari cameras. It has a 24-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, Leica Maestro image processor and all of the other features found in 2012's original Typ 240 release.

On the outside, however, the new 'Grip' is very, very different. The black camera is covered with a distinct bright red grip material, which is covered with the same material -- and dot pattern -- as the rubber that is used on traditional ping pong paddles. The raised dots impart "the otherwise subtle appearance of a distinctive and extraordinary look and feel -- while also creating a completely new haptic experience."

("Haptic: adjective: Of or relating to a sense of touch" -Google)

This haptic experience is an expensive one too. The special edition 'Grip' camera comes with a Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 lens (which itself has a bit of grip on it) and will cost US$14,950. This premium ping pong paddle rangefinder will be limited to only 79 sets around the world. So if you want one, you'd better act fast. In case you're curious what a regular Typ 240 costs, it's selling for just under $7,000. Add in the 35mm lens and your grand total comes to around $12,000. The special edition also comes with a hard black outdoor case, Leica SF 40 flash unit, a premium strap and cleaning materials for the camera body and the grip, notching the ping pong premium total up an additional $2,000-2,500.

It's not new for Leica to release luxury editions of their cameras, and perhaps they do have genuine value in the camera collecting world, so let's hear from the designer himself, Rolf Sachs, on his new 'Grip' Leica M-P. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to 'undress' the camera and create a new look -- surprising, as well as functional. Applying a material that has never been used befeore as an easy-to-grip camera surface created a striking aesthetic, and a unique tactility."