Can't afford a Leica? The latest craze in China is just engraving the name into Panasonic cameras instead

If owning a Leica camera is a mere pipe dream for you, you wouldn't be alone. It'll cost you an arm and a leg to bag a camera with the famed red dot, so it comes as no surprise that social media is showing us another way (besides selling a kidney): faking it.

L-mount Rumors has reported a craze in China — which is one of the fastest growing markets for genuine Leica cameras — of customizing Lumix cameras with Leica branding.

One model of choice appearing on Rednote and Weibo feeds, such as those in the images above by Photographer Lifestyle at Xiaohongshu, is the Panasonic Lumix S9, which is a full-frame mirrorless camera available in multiple colors.

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