Leica unveils a rare M-A, GoPro and AGV plan a camera helmet, and Blackmagic adds USB4 capture. Explore the features, limitations and buying details

THUNDER BAY – TECH – A hand-engraved film camera, a motorcycle helmet with integrated imaging and a new connection between older video equipment and modern computers headline the latest photography and video news. Leica’s £15,800 M-A King Nerd Edition targets collectors with a production run of just 14 sets, scheduled to go on sale at its London Mayfair flagship on November 5.

GoPro and Italian helmet manufacturer AGV are looking ahead to 2027 with a motorcycle helmet designed around built-in camera technology. The partnership could give riders a convenient way to record their journeys without attaching a separate action camera. However, camera specifications, battery life, pricing and final safety certification details remain unannounced.

For working videographers and studios, Blackmagic Design’s UltraStudio Express HD brings USB4 connectivity to professional video capture, playback and archival work. Its support for SDI and older analog equipment could make it useful for preserving recordings and connecting production systems. Buyers should check connections, local pricing and availability carefully, particularly because its HDMI port provides output only.

Leica’s £15,800 King Nerd M-A Is Limited to Just 14 Cameras

The hand-engraved mechanical rangefinder pairs British artwork with a specially finished 35mm Summicron lens and will be sold exclusively through Leica’s new London flagship.

Leica is marking the opening of its new Mayfair flagship with the M-A King Nerd Edition, a run of only 14 engraved 35mm film cameras. Each set costs £15,800 and is scheduled to go on sale at Leica Store London Mayfair on November 5.

British artist and engraver Johnny Dowell, known professionally as King Nerd, decorated the cameras with the national flowers of the United Kingdom: the English rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh daffodil and Northern Irish blue flax. The body is accompanied by a specially finished Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH. lens with red distance markings and a blacked-out front.

Underneath the artwork is Leica’s M-A Typ 127, a completely mechanical M-mount rangefinder with no battery, exposure meter or automatic exposure system. It uses a horizontal focal-plane shutter offering speeds from one second to 1/1000sec, plus Bulb and 1/50sec flash synchronization. Its 0.72x bright-line viewfinder provides frame pairs for 28/90mm, 35/135mm and 50/75mm lenses.

The edition does not add new photographic functions. Its value rests on the engraving, matching lens treatment, tiny production run and connection to the new store. For comparison, Leica currently lists the standard M-A body at £5,200 in the UK, making the special set a proposition primarily for collectors rather than photographers simply looking for a mechanical working camera.

Leica has not announced international pricing or distribution. The reported November 5 sale is tied to Leica Store London Mayfair at 14 Dover Street, which is now open Monday through Saturday. The four-floor flagship includes new and pre-owned equipment, product demonstrations and the Leica Gallery London.

For working film photographers, the standard M-A offers the same underlying camera at a substantially lower cost. The King Nerd Edition instead targets established Leica collectors who value commissioned craftsmanship and extreme scarcity.

Sources: Leica Store London Mayfair, Leica M-A technical data, Macfilos launch report.

GoPro and AGV Confirm Integrated Motorcycle Camera Helmet for 2027

The companies have moved their smart-helmet project into public product development, but imaging specifications, safety certifications, pricing and a firm release date remain undisclosed.

GoPro and Italian motorcycle-helmet manufacturer AGV confirmed on November 2 that they are developing a “fully integrated, tech-enabled” motorcycle helmet for release in 2027. GoPro has opened a registration page for product updates and potential test pilots, but the announcement is a development preview rather than a retail launch.

The teaser shows a full-face helmet with what appears to be a camera positioned centrally beneath the visor. That placement could provide a more consistent point of view than an adhesive or chin-mounted action camera while reducing the amount of equipment protruding from the helmet. GoPro has not yet confirmed the camera’s field of view, sensor, resolution, frame rates or stabilization system, however.

Other fundamental details also remain open. There is no information about recording controls, audio capture, storage, battery life, weather resistance, replaceable electronics or compatibility with GoPro’s existing cameras and accessories. The companies have not identified the underlying AGV helmet platform or published final weight, shell construction or region-specific safety certifications.

Those omissions matter because this is protective equipment as well as a camera. Riders will need to know whether the integrated electronics affect ventilation, servicing, crash replacement and the usable lifespan of the helmet. Camera technology and batteries can age faster than a helmet shell, making repairability and upgrade provisions particularly relevant.

GoPro’s announcement does establish two concrete points: AGV is the manufacturing partner, and the product is intended to reach the market in 2027. The accompanying test-pilot form asks applicants for their helmet size and social-media details, but registration is not a preorder and does not guarantee participation.

No price, launch month or regional availability has been announced. Until GoPro and AGV publish specifications, the product is best viewed as a confirmed development project for motorcyclists, action-sports creators and riders who want continuous point-of-view recording without attaching a separate camera.

Sources: GoPro’s official product announcement, Digital Camera World’s report.

Blackmagic’s UltraStudio Express HD Brings USB4 to Legacy Video Workflows

The bus-powered interface combines 3G-SDI capture and playback with analog inputs, but its lack of HDMI input makes it a specialist tool rather than a general mirrorless-camera capture box.

Blackmagic Design’s new UltraStudio Express HD is a portable capture and playback interface designed to connect broadcast decks, professional cameras and monitoring equipment to USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 computers. Announced October 30 and now appearing at resellers, it supports Mac, Windows and Linux systems.

A single 40Gbps USB-C connection carries data and powers the unit, allowing it to run from a compatible laptop without a separate adapter. It captures and plays back 10-bit YUV video in SD and HD formats up to 1080p60, while 12-bit RGB operation extends to 1080p30 and 2K DCI.

Connections include one 3G-SDI input, two 3G-SDI outputs capable of fill-and-key playback, an HDMI 1.4b monitoring output, component or composite analog video input, two quarter-inch analog audio inputs, reference input and RS-422 deck control. The interface supports common workflows involving ProRes, DNxHD and uncompressed 10-bit video, with software compatibility including DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer and OBS.

The important limitation is that its HDMI port is output-only. Photographers and small studios hoping to capture directly from an HDMI-only mirrorless camera should instead consider Blackmagic’s less expensive UltraStudio Express Recorder 3G. The Express HD is aimed more precisely at facilities digitizing legacy tapes, editors needing a clean SDI or HDMI monitor feed, and live-production operators requiring fill-and-key graphics.

Blackmagic’s pricing is currently inconsistent across its own materials. The launch release says the UltraStudio Express HD is available through resellers worldwide from US$565, while the current US technical-specifications page lists $639. B&H also lists it at $639 as a preorder, indicating that physical availability varies despite Blackmagic’s “available now” wording.

Buyers should therefore verify both local stock and the final regional price. They should also confirm that their computer provides a full USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 connection, because an ordinary USB-C socket is not sufficient.

Sources: Blackmagic Design announcement, official technical specifications, B&H availability listing.