Leica Q3 43 Formula 1 Edition

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Leica around these parts and, while I’ve never seen a single race, I think there’s something – dare I say it? – sexy about Formula 1. Combining the two into a new collaboration feels very much up my alley.

The first release from the new Leica and Formula 1 partnership is a special-edition Q3 43. Carbon fiber appears on the wireless-charging handgrip, thumb rest and soft-release button, while the body uses a black Microvelour covering inspired by racing steering wheels. Red accents show up on the controls, and the F1 logo appears on both the top plate and lens cap. A co-branded rope strap is included as well.

Under the hood, it’s still the Q3 43, with its 60MP full-frame sensor and fixed 43mm f/2 lens. Leica has also created an exclusive Formula 1 Leica Look through its FOTOS app, adding more contrast and saturation for shooting around the track and paddock.

The Leica Q3 43 Formula 1 Edition is available now via Leica for the low, low price of $9,950.

Fujifilm Expands Instax Production

Oh, God, to be a teenager in the early 2000s and discovering Polaroids, 500 Days of Summer and Urban Outfitters. What a time to be ALIVE! While I’ve made a tiny little career for myself by posting photos online, I miss the tactility and charm of a proper instant photo. Well, it seems I’m not alone.

Fujifilm just announced another $19 million investment in Instax film production in Japan, with new production lines beginning to come online in spring 2027 and full operation expected by spring 2028. The company expects that to increase its Instax film capacity by about 20% over fiscal 2026 levels, with total capacity set to be roughly 70% higher than it was in fiscal 2022. Fujifilm also sold its 100 millionth Instax camera and printer last year, nearly three decades after the format first launched in 1998. 

I have to imagine at least some of that demand comes from people wanting something a little more tangible after spending all day in the hellscape of AI slop, influencer slop, and political slop that the internet has become.

The Ringer is Pushing Substack

A few of The Ringer’s biggest names are writing again…just not really for The Ringer. Sean Fennessey, Zach Lowe, Tom Pelissero and Bryan Curtis have all recently launched newsletters on Substack instead of publishing through The Ringer’s website, which has made reporters like those at Defector ask the question: why aren’t these newsletters living on The Ringer itself?

Two things I found odd about this are that each writer has set an individual price rather than publishing under one umbrella account with Fennessey, Lowe and crew contributing to it. Secondly, Lowe has already amassed more than 24,000 subscribers since launch, with paid subscriptions costing $10 a month. So there is obviously an appetite for the work, and people willing to pay for it. Why wouldn’t The Ringer want to take advantage of that traffic and subscription revenue itself?

In any case, Defector couldn’t get much of an answer out of anyone involved. But in a sense, this might be another response to the increasingly strange media landscape, with brands trying to figure out where written work fits and maybe – just maybe! – writers getting a little more of the pie, too.

In any case, I’d be remiss to not plug my own Substack, which you can follow here. It’s free and not nearly as good as any of the other writers mentioned above, I can promise you that.

The James Brand Lumen Collection

I’ll shortly be leaving the ol’ farm behind for city life (well, Pittsburgh, anyway), which means I have very little use for most of the tools I own. But there was a time when I had a flock of chickens and spent hours in the barn with them instead of sitting hunched over a desk, as you would find me now.

In any case, that doesn’t mean I don’t still look for the perfect knife for simple jobs around the farm. The James Brand’s new Lumen Collection gives five of its existing EDC designs a new set of colors, including the Helton, Palmer, Redstone, Madison and Elko, each with delicious little names like Buttermilk, Butter, Raspberry, Sherbet (also all great chicken names, if you ask me).

Prices start at $39, and the collection is available now via The James Brand’s website.

Simon G. Smart Ring Jacket

At first, I was going to file this one under “Now I’ve seen everything,” but then I thought about it and decided it’s actually quite a good idea. I don’t use an Oura Ring, partly because I find them a bit too utilitarian (and partly because it feels like a Billy Evans-adjacent accessory for anyone who has seen You Can See Everything). In any case, should my fitness journey take me further down the wearables rabbit hole, I’d at least want mine to look nice. And the best way to look nice, I find, is to disguise all my flaws by hiding away in something expensive. The same should hold true for my Oura Ring.

Simon G. Jewelry’s Smart Ring Jacket is designed to fit around an Oura Ring, adding a 14k gold and diamond exterior while leaving the tracker itself in place. The design uses .11 carats of natural diamonds and gives the Oura a much more traditional jewelry look without replacing the device – or interfering with the underlying functionality –  underneath.