Hi, this is Mori.
I found a witty product recently. It’s a tumbler.
Well, yes a camera lens, surely that’s it. I’m not sure if I wanna drink with this tumbler, but I’m impressed by its clever viewpoint. You can get it on Amazon.co.jp
There are many similar mugs on market, so please have a look if you like it;)
Hello, this is ENZZO.
It’s been a little while, how are you guys doing?
I told you about the first sample last time. And this time we got a second sample based on a more elaborate wooden mold. The leather we used for the first sample was the Ulysses’s standard Italian “pueblo” leather from BADALASSI CARLO, but this time for the second sample, we tried the “MARREMMA” leather, from another renown Italian leather factory Conceria Walpier, which is like pueblo the high-quality vegetable tanned Italian leather made in Toscana.,
But on the contrary to our high expectation, it didn’t come out to be so sophisticated.
After the numerous discussions among our staff, we have come to conclusion that the indent design is not so good for the first place and we decided to change the design to the opposite; we use protrusions. We can just use the same wooden mold to press the leather from back of it.
When we tried this with “MARREMMA” leather, we can have firm protrusions but it is too much and looks like Lego block.
We also tried “pueblo” leather and this time the part of the protrusions didn’t so stand out since it didn’t turn out to be white or so steep. Instead, we found some cracks; when pressing by the wooden mold, the leather which originally has a damage processing on the surface was stretched and caused some cracks. So I decided to reconsider the shape and the size of the protrusion and the space between them for the third sample, and we will have to renew and make over a new wooden mold again.
By the way, problem of what to do with the back of the protrusions was solved by putting the hard foaming urethane in the hollow. Now we are ready to make the third sample in this direction.
See ya.
Hi, its Sato. I wrote a blog post about GRⅡ body suit and posted a few illustration of this camera case before.
Now I’m very happy to reveal those leather case images to you! It’s a still hand cut sample by a craftsman, but already looking amazing! GRⅡis dashing in the leather suit.
The clean stripe lines on the grip part appear very original. I felt comfy and could hold steady GRⅡ by them.
The back side of the case covers the camera in the same way as my illustration which was designed of laying stress on button control.
There is no tweaking process in the design anymore, so it will go into production shortly!
To LEICA fans, thanks for waiting!
This new body suit is not exactly the same as the Leica M’s of course. The camera body of Leica M-P has a modest look without that red badge, but not only the logo and design, more importantly for many people, the Leica M-P resurrects the front-deck frame selection lever which the earlier Leica M9 had. We added another opening on camera case front, so it’s hassle free for lever control.
The leather forming technique, Shibori, is again used for the case grip which greatly improves the handling of heavy LEICA. I have tiny hands, so usually get very nervous to hold these heavy (and expensive) cameras. This leather case gives me a good support and I can feel more comfortable to handle them! No worries boss, I am always careful to use these cameras anyway 😉
The back of the camera case has no change from previous one as Leica M-P and M. It covers the camera body as much as possible aiming for complete perfection.
Black and Chocolate are available in colours this time. Please go and check our new face!
【Body Suit for M-P Typ240 & Monochrome Typ246】
Hello, this is ENZZO.
The development of the leather iPhone case for the iPhone6S has been steadily going well and faster than I expected!!! The other day, I met people in the Tokyo factory and found they have finished the first prototype a lot ahead of schedule.
This is a tentative mold board, with many protrudes sticking out—looks like good to press the back of your foot. Thirteen exact the same size protrudes are placed correctly on the Bakelite board. Though this is very analog work different from the NC construction machine, we have to do this to step forward. First, we pressed the leather using this mold.
The picture shown is the one we get after the press. On the contrary to my thought that leather wouldn’t be torn since the height of protrude (this time dent) is lower than that of grip of the Leica body suit, however, there were small cracklings. I think this is because there are many protrudes, and their intervals are small, that they pull the leather between them.
Oh, well. This time we went on making prototype using Ulysses’s standard Italian “pueblo” leather.
This is the first sample!
The depth of the dent is deeper than that of paper mock I showed last time. Finger hook has greatly improved.
But, when I tested camera after putting the iPhone in the case, vignetting has occured. Since the case has thick laminated structure to make a steady dent, an opening around the lens is too thick and generates vignetting in an image corner. I have predicted this. It’s necessary to change the shape of the opening and there are still much to contend with.
So I’ll try my best
See ya.
Hi, it’s Mori.
Leather camera case 【Body Suit for SONY a7Ⅱ】 and camera strap【Classico Dritto】appeared in OLD LENS LIFE Vol.5.
It’s supervised by Toru Sawamura who is a well-known writer for the article of “Digital camera dress-up ism” in Digicame Watch.
I borrow camera from ULYSSES’ collection from time to time. It’s a good chance to become familiar with various cameras since I am a camera novice. I recently have started to use SONY NEX-5N again, to attach a black neck strap 【Classico Piccolo】to it was my summer style.
NEX-5N has 10mm wide strap mount eyelets and our popular leather strap 【Classico】 fits well. Instead of that, I chose 【Classico Piccolo】 which is a bit narrower than 【Classico】. This camera is quite small…and so am I! I adjusted the strap length as short as possible and I loved that simple and cool look.
Today I got a tiny persimmon from a restaurant in this building. Now I feel like making a style change to add some autumn feels for NEX-5N.
The wrist strap is recently debuted 【SPUTNIK】 and the colour name is “Acero”. I find its orangish shade blends well with the dark chocolate colour of the body suit. What do you think? Isn’t it pretty?
Hello, this is ENZZO.
We have decided to make the leather case for the iPhone 6S which will be released soon.(According to some leak information, the new type 6S will be in three difference sizes and we are going to make 4.7 inch case which will be compatible for iPhone 6.)
Among so many types of iPhone cases you can find in the market, you can divide them into roughly four types at present: “back cover types” (Shell covers or Skins)”, ” Book type or Wallet type “, “the Bumper type” and “the Sleeve or Pouch type”.
The most basic type is the Shell covers or the Skins which wrap around the back and the sides of the phone. You can buy this type very cheaply from a few dollars to a luxurious one at more than a thousand dollars. Those who want something simple, bumpers, which protect only the edge of the phone by metallic frame, are ideal.
On the other hand, those who think that iPhone is the most beautiful and useful without any cases, yet want to protect the phone only when they carry around will choose the sleeve type.
Among those iPhone cases, the Book type or the Wallet type is the one which is getting more and more popular in the market. There are various reasons for it such as “like to carry the traffic system card together.” “like to protect the glass from scratching” and “like to protect the iPhone surely when dropped”. But I assume the biggest reason is that iPhone became thin and light enough not to bother the users when it is placed between the cover.
Now, the cellphone case that Ulysses is going to produce is 100% Pure Genuine Leather Book type Flip Pocket Case Cover.
Recently I frequently go to Tokyo, almost every month on business and travel around using Suica- the IC, Super Urban Intelligent Card, which you can use almost all traffic systems in and around Tokyo- subways, trains and buses. Now, it’s getting annoying me to take out the Suica out of my wallet every time I go through the ticket gate.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/suica.html
It’s a difficult question what to put in a best positioned pocket in my bag – the one most easily you can take things out, the one to put something you use frequently-, a cell phone or a wallet.
Now it is cell phone obviously for me since I frequently take a cellphone out when I have time. So it is a lot convenient for me that the Suica is with my cellphone better that in my wallet.
However I have never used a book type iPhone case, I bought and examined many different book type iPhone cases and found a common “difficulty” in using it. Compared to the Skins or the Bumpers, it is hard to hold it tight. You can’t have a firm grasp on it with one hand since there is a flap on the other side where the cellphone is fixed. So what you do is hold it with both hands or put it on one of your hand and use the other hand when you text.
I want a firm grasp on it and text with only one hand!!—What to do with it???
As Ulysses- we have been making a various kind of camera cases; we have come to an idea “to rough the surface of the leather to have a secure grip”. Honestly, I think it’s quite difficult to make it but seems not impossible. So, I made a mock made with paper.
The mechanism is very simple. The backside of the main body has dimples deep enough your finger is just caught and you can hold the case firmly since there are many dimples that your fingers are caught by one of them despite the size of users hand or how they hold it. You might think the dent is too shallow, but the mock is made with paper and when made of leather, it will be deep enough and fit to your finger tip.
One more point. We are going to make a slit like hole which does not block the speaker to talk over the cellphone so that you can talk with the flip cover closed
Well iPhone case is quite an adventure and challenge for Ulysses in a totally unknown world, but surely exciting!!!
You’ll see!!! I’ll continue to let you know what’s happening in this blog.
See ya.
Quiz: what’s the object below?
①hat
②choc mould
③leather prototype
Right answer! Of course ③. It was done by a craftsman who makes camera cases for ULYSSES. I guess some of you already know, this shape was produced by the shaping process called “shibori (wet leather moulding)”. To fix the leather into this shape, usually they wet it in water, and then add pressure and heat by machine at their factory. We want to retain the futures of Pueblo leather like rough surface and tiny scratches even after this processing. The image above is a sample sent from the craftsman who understands our intention very well and repeated many tests to achieve the best result. Leather happens to be torn if it is stretched too much and high temperature makes its colour very dark, but that sample was beautifully done.
He also made some samples in the different colours, navy and black.
These 2 colours are regular colour choices for ULYSSES products. We could check temperature of heat, colour change and many more conditions by these samples. What kind of product will it be in the end?
Well, wait and see please—-!
Hi, this is Mori.
I enjoyed festive feels of the Obon holidays and Blue Monday has passed. Thank you for your hard work (whispering to myself).
a7RII attracted a lot of attention when the announcement of release date was made. It has finally come into the market since 7th of this month. Speaking of a7RII, we haven’t officially announced the compatibility of 【Body suit for a7II】yet, but no worries. It fits a7RII as well:) Both “Open type” and “Full covered type” fit it perfectly.
…Uh-oh, the camera image I can show here is only a7II though.
*Leather Camera Case 【Body Suit for SONY a7II/a7RII】
http://www.ulysses-photo.com/product/37
http://www.ulysses-photo.com/product/26
Please check them out if you are planning to get a7RII or RX100M4!
