Leica

Founded by Ernst Leitz in 1924. The name Leica is derived from the first three letters of his surname (Leitz) and the first two of the word camera: lei-ca.

The first 35mm film Leica prototypes were built by Oskar Barnack at Ernst Leitz Optische Werke, Wetzlar, in 1913. Intended as a compact camera for landscape photography, particularly during mountain hikes, the Leica was the first practical 35 mm camera that used standard cinema 35 mm film. The Leica transports the film horizontally, extending the frame size to 24×36mm with a 2:3 aspect ratio, instead of the 18×24 mm with a 3:4 aspect ratio of cinema cameras which transport the film vertically.

The Leica had several model iterations, and in 1923 Barnack convinced his boss, Ernst Leitz II, to make a pre-production series of 31 cameras for the factory and outside photographers to test. Though the prototypes received a mixed reception, Ernst Leitz decided in 1924 to produce the camera. It was an immediate success when introduced at the 1925 Leipzig Spring Fair as the Leica I (for Leitz camera). The focal plane shutter had a range from 1/20 to 1/500 second, in addition to a Z for Zeit (time) position.

Featured

Leica II 1935

1 July 2020

Leica ll 35mm rangefinder film camera made in 1935 with Elmar 3,5/50 lens

Leica M6 chrome “Cutaway” 1995

by Kenneth Crow on 30 October 2018

Leica M6 chrome Cutaway 1995

Leica IIIf Red Dial “Cutaway” 1951

by Torsten Andersson on 29 October 2018

Leica IIIf Red Dial Cutaway shutter 1951

Leica M3 Prototype “Cutaway” 1955

by Max Bergman on 28 October 2018

Leica M3 Prototype Cutaway 1955

Leicaflex 18x24 Half-Frame Prototype 1965

by Torsten Andersson on 20 October 2018

Leica 250 GG Reporter 1941

by Steve Huffington on 22 May 2018

Leica 250GG Reporter camera 1941 front

Leica M6 Platinum 150 Years Photography 1988

by Torsten Andersson on 8 May 2018

Leica M6 Platin 150 Years Photography, 1988

Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Stemar ƒ3.5/3.3cm oufit 1953

by Torsten Andersson on 8 May 2018

Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Stemar 3.5/3.3cm oufit, 1953

Leica Prototype Halfframe Camera 1948

by Torsten Andersson on 8 May 2018

Leica Prototype Halfframe Camera, 1948

Leica Summilux M39 LTM lens 1.4/50mm 1999

by Oscar Fisher on 8 May 2018

Leitz Summilux M39 LTM lens f1.4/50mm, 1999

Leica Summicron lens M39 2/50mm 1999

by Oscar Fisher on 8 May 2018

Leica Summicron lens M39 ƒ2/50mm, 1999