Skate legend Ray Barbee approved the camera.
A limited-edition variant of Leica’s compact camera called the Dub 7 has been developed with Vans and legendary skater and photographer Ray Barbee to continue skateboarding’s photographic legacy.
Historically, Vans has favored all-black or all-black and silver designs, with rare and notable exceptions. But this collaboration model celebrates one of their most iconic designs. The classic slip-on is covered in the same checkerboard pattern that the shoe company uses on its classic slip-on. You’ll also find a Van Vault logo on the top plate, as well as a skater’s signature. There’s also Leica’s familiar red dot logo, of course. In the bag and strap that comes with the camera, Barbee’s quote is featured – “the joy is in capturing the journey” – which is most famous for bringing freestyle tricks to street skating.
There are no changes to the D-Lux 7’s technical specs or features, as is the case with many of Leica’s exclusive models. While it isn’t designed specifically for skateboarding, its large 17-megapixel sensor, fast autofocus (11 frames per second), and Leica DC Vario-Summilux lens make it easy to capture just when a board starts flipping. A high-resolution, 2,760K-pixel electronic viewfinder allows you to make sure you got it and once you do, Bluetooth connectivity makes it easy to share it with the world through your smartphone. A tiny and lightweight package (12.7 ounces) makes it easy to pull out at a moment’s notice.
As of Friday, Leica’s website and retail boutiques will be selling the D-Lux 7 Vans X-Ray Barbee Edition. It costs $1,695, $400 more than the regular model. If you use it to take a photo that ends up in a Thrasher issue, that’s money well spent.
