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. The LEICA camera premiere at the 1925 Leipzig Spring Fair was an instant success...more about Leica

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SilvergrainClassics Print Journal issue 17 Winter 2022

SilvergrainClassics – issue 17

Winter 2022

Leica M3 “Luxus” 1955 top

Leica M3 “Luxus”

1955, Wetzlar

SilvergrainClassics – issue 15 – Summer-2022

SilvergrainClassics – issue 15

Summer 2022

Leica 0-series №116

1923

Erwin

7 May 2015

Leica 0-series 116 camera, 1923 € 2.160.000

Leica I Mod. A “Luxus”

1929

Oscar

1 Jun 2014

Leica I Mod. A Elmar “Luxus” 1929

Leica M4-P “Everest 82”

1982

Oscar

8 May 2014

Special Edition Leica M4-P camera for Canadian Everest Expedition 1982

Derriere la Gare Saint-Lazare

Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paris 1932

Jordan

7 May 2014

“Derriere la Gare Saint-Lazare” by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paris 1932

Blind girl by Christer Strömholm

Hiroshima, Japan 1963

Erwin

6 May 2014

Blind girl by Christer Strömholm, Hiroshima, Japan 1963

Leica IIIc “Hanna Ulzenheimer”

1946

Steve

5 May 2014

Leica IIIc Hanna Ulzenheimer, 1946

Leica 0-series №107

1923

Erwin

7 Mar 2014

Leica 0-series 107 camera, 1923

Black & White Landscapes: AGFA Superpan 35mm, Jupiter 3 1.5/50mm

Leica lllc rangefinder camera

George

28 Nov 2012

AGFA Superpan200 loaded in Leica IIIc Jupiter 3

Black & White infrared landscapes: Efke IR820 35mm, Summar 2/50mm

Leica ll rangefinder camera

George

20 Aug 2012

Efke IR820 AURA Summar Leica ll

Black & White infrared nature: Efke IR820 35mm, Summitar 2/50mm

Leica lllc rangefinder camera

George

7 Jul 2011

Efke IR820 AURA Summitar Leica lllc