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Leica Camera AG is a German company that manufactures cameras, lenses, binocular s, rifle scopes, microscopes and ophthalmic lenses.The company was founded by Ernst Leitz in 1914.The name Leica is derived from the fir st three letter s of his surname (Leitz) and the fir st two of the word camera: lei-ca
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From the year 1907 to the 1950s, the buildings that formed Leica factory were built on Ernst Leitz Street (Wetzlar) and remained until 1986, when the factory was moved to the city of Solms. The Wetzlar factory was located on the opposite side of the administrative building of 1957 and formed a special urban architecture; it is upstream from the slope of Kalsmunt and forms a structurally attractive graduation from the skyscrapers to the ruins of Kalsmunt Castle. Already in the last decades of the 19th century, Ernst Leitz and its production facilities had moved to the slopes of Kalsmunt. In the first years, residential buildings and workshops on the Laufdorfer Weg were still sufficient. It was in the turn of the century, when the production of optical devices expanded so much that it originated the first
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skyscrapers in the city of Wetzlar. The oldest part of this row of tall buildings is now hidden by a new building at the Schützenstraße. The first plans of the architect Jean Schmidt in 1907 show a brick building on a stone base, which was covered by a sloping roof and a slate roof. However, in the same year, it was decided to use the new construction of concrete skeletons and a simpler façade design. The four-story building is divided into six groups of windows, each of which has three windows. Narrow wall patterns and lightly embedded parapets summarize the three lowest floors. The fourth floor is visually separated from the lower part of the building by a very distant cornice. On either side of the central building there was a hip roof that had high ceilings. The mansard’s floor expanded as production and workers also increased. Only a few years later, Leitz again demanded the construction of a tall building. After the planning of Jean Schmidt, contractor Robert Schneider built a four-story building in 1911. The basement building was made of reinforced concrete with brick stairs. Again, the original plan, which provided a horizontal structure of the building through the cornucopia, was abandoned in favor of a simpler façade design. In the ten-axis building, similar to the oldest skyscraper, the lower levels are grouped by pilasters. The space between the two skyscrapers had to
be closed by another building in the early thirties. Once again, it was Jean Schmidt, who prepared the plans for a first sevenstory skyscraper. The still existing façade drawings show the columns with arches on the ground floor and that are fitted between a long strip of windows with excessive pilasters. The general design shows a mixture of very graphic elements and remains of curved Modernist forms that recall the buildings by Joseph Maria Olbrich at Mathildenhöhe of Darmstadt. In 1936, the architect presented a completely revised plan. The plan was now made up of eight floors for Leica production. The building was built with a concrete construction modeled from the production halls of Opel in Rüsselsheim, Zeiss to Jena and Wernerwerk in Berlin. It was possible to access all the floors through two stairs. The government of the city and the district finally approved a construction of eight floors with a loggia like ninth floor, that later was closed. Due to the urban landscape that characterized the size of the building, the planning of the district government was initially rejected because of a simple and unsatisfactory exterior design. Even so, the building was built in 1938 between the two oldest skyscrapers. In 1950, west of the skyscraper of 1911, a skyscraper of similar construction with nine floors was added.
HISTORY 7
THE UR LEICA 8
The first 35 mm 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 24Ă—36mm with a 2:3 aspect ratio, instead of the 18Ă—24 mm 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 preproduction series of 31 cameras for the factory and outside photographers to test. Though the prototypes received 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 has a range from 1/20 to 1/500 second, in addition to a Z for Zeit (time) position.The Leica II was first produced in 1932, with a built in rangefinder coupled to the lens focusing mechanism. This model has a separate viewfinder (showing a reduced image) and rangefinder. In 1932 the flange to filmplane was standardised to 28.8mm, first implemented on Leica model C, and the Leica Standard the next year.
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The Leica II was first produced in 1932, with a built in rangefinder coupled to the lens focusing mechanism. This model has a separate viewfinder (showing a reduced image) and rangefinder. In 1932 the flange to filmplane was standardised to 28.8mm, first implemented on Leica model C, and the Leica Standard the next year.
THE LEICA
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II
THE LEICA
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The Leica III added slow shutter speeds down to 1 second, and the model IIIa added the 1/1000 second shutter speed. The IIIa is the last model made before Barnack’s death, and therefore the last model for which he was wholly responsible. Leitz continued to refine the original design through to 1957. The final version, the IIIg, includes a large viewfinder with several framelines. These models all have a functional combination of circular dials and square windows.
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fter the war, Leitz continued to produce the late versions of the Leica II and the Leica III through the 1950s. However, in 1954, Leitz introduced the Leica M3, with the new Leica M mount, a bayonet-like lens mount. The new camera also combined the rangefinder and viewfinder into one large, bright viewfinder with a brighter double image in the center. This system also introduced a system of parallax compensation and a new rubberized, reliable, focal-plane shutter. Leica continues to refine this model (the latest versions being the MP and MA, both of which have frames for 28, 35, 50, 75, 90, and 135 mm lenses, which show automatically upon mounting). Factory upgrade Until at least the mid-1950s, Leitz offered factory upgrades of earlier Leica cameras to the current model’s specifications. The upgraded cameras retained their original serial number.Single-lens reflex cameras From 1964, Leica produced a series of single-lens reflex cameras, beginning with the Leicaflex, followed by the Leicaflex SL, the Leicaflex SL2, and then the Leica R series from R3 to R7, made in collaboration with the Minolta Corporation.The Leica R8
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was entirely designed and manufactured by Leica. The final model was the Leica R9, which could be fitted with the Digital Module back. Leica was slow to produce an auto-exposure model, and never made a Leica R model that included auto-focusing. Leica’s U.S. official website announced (March 25, 2009) that the R-series has been discontinued. The reason given was that “new camera developments have significantly affected the sales of Leica R cameras and lenses resulting in a dramatic decrease in the number sold. Sadly, therefore, there is no longer an economic basis on which to keep the Leica R-System in the Leica production programme.” Factory upgrade Until at least the mid1950s, Leitz offered factory upgrades of earlier Leica cameras to the current model’s specifications. The upgraded cameras retained their original serial number. Single-lens reflex cameras From 1964, Leica produced a series of single-lens reflex cameras, beginning with the Leicaflex, followed by the Leicaflex SL, the Leicaflex SL2, and then the Leica R series from R3 to R7, made in collaboration with the Minolta Corporation. The Leica R8 was entirely designed and manufactured by Leica. The final model was the Leica R9, which could be fitted with the Digital Module back. Leica was slow to produce an
auto-exposure model, and never made a Leica R model that included auto-focusing. Leica’s U.S. official website announced (March 25, 2009) that the R-series has been discontinued. The reason given was that “new camera developments have significantly affected the sales of Leica R cameras and lenses resulting in a dramatic decrease in the number sold. Sadly, therefore, there is no longer an economic basis on which to keep the Leica R-System in the Leica production programme.” Conceptually intermediate between the Rangefinder Leicas and the SLR Leicas was the Leica Visoflex System, a mirror reflex box that attached to the lens mount of Leica rangefinders (separate versions were made for the screwmount and M series bodies) and accepted lenses made especially for the Visoflex System. Rather than using the camera’s rangefinder, focusing was accomplished via a groundglass screen. A coupling released both mirror and shutter to make the exposure. Camera rangefinders are inherently limited in their ability to accurately focus long focal-length lenses and the mirror reflex box permitted much longer length lenses. Throughout its history, Leitz has been responsible for numerous optical innovations, such as aspherical production lenses, multicoated lenses, and rare earth lenses.
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L E I T Z
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In 1986, the Leitz company changed its name to Leica (LEItz CAmera), due to the fame of the Leica trade-name.At this time, Leica relocated its factory from Wetzlar (Germany) to the nearby town of Solms (Germany). In 1996 Leica Camera separated from the Leica Group and became a publicly owned company. In 1998 the Leica group was divided into two independent units: Leica Microsystems and Leica Geosystems. On October 1, 2012, Leica Camera AG was delisted from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange after Lisa Germany Holding GmbH acquired the remaining minority shares stock resulting in the company being owned privately. On November 26, 2013 Leica Camera AG announced the purchase of Sinar Photography AG, Zurich, the Swiss manufacturer of view cameras. In May 2014 Leica Camera AG finished building a new factory at Leitz Park 1 in the new industrial part of Wetzlar and relocated back to the city where it started.
I C A
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The earliest Leica prototypes were developed by the company Ernst Leitz during the first years of the 20th century, but marketing did not commence until the mid 1920s. The Leicas were innovative, by orienting the image frame sideways for the 35 mm film as opposed to the cine-camera tradition of across the film-strip. The cameras were compact with collapsible lenses, for hiking and biking. The rangefinder feature was added with the Leica II during 1932, and that year both rangefinder and viewfinder cameras became available with interchangeable lenses. In 1933 the Leica III offered slow-speed shutter controls and a fast 1/1000 s
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shutter speed, and various iterations of the III (a,b,c,d,f,&g) series became the flagship models and best sellers into the late 1950s. Further iterations of the models I and II were offered, but did not sell well. Prior to WWII Leica and competing Contax cameras from Zeiss Ikon were considered to be the finest 35 mm cameras, but postWWII the companies had competition from Soviet and Japanese copies. During the 1950s Japanese quality and innovation, along with low pricing, devastated the European camera industry. Leica became an expensive type of camera bought largely by professional or serious photographers. However, the advent of reflex camera technology made rangefinders somewhat
obsolete, leaving Leica the main product of a diminishing market segment. Leica has remained a notable trade-name into the 21st Century. Cameras became available with interchangeable lenses. In 1933 the Leica III offered slow-speed shutter controls and a fast 1/1000 s shutter speed, and various iterations of the III (a,b,c,d,f,&g) series became the flagship models and best sellers into the late 1950s. Leica became an expensive type of camera bought largely by professional or serious photographers. However, the advent of reflex camera technology made rangefinders somewhat obsolete, leaving Leica the main product of a diminishing market
M AS IN SIZE DOES MESSSUCHER MATTER
LEICA M-LENSES
In the ‘Messsucher’, a combined Compact dimensions, minimalist viewfinder and rangefinder, the design and an almost silent shutter viewfinder is coupled to frames that make the camera extremely quiet. show not only the subject, but also what is going on around it. This lets you observe how a scene develops, compose your shot and interact directly with your subject.
Leica lenses are among the best in the world. They were developed with the aim of fulfilling the most stringent quality demands for analogue and digital photography. Their performance is unrivalled when it comes to contrast, resolution, structure and tonal depth.
Eyes wide open
The world’s most compact full-frame camera system
Unrivalled. Even in low light.
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Leica Camera, Panasonic and Sigma are set to offer a user-friendly solution that will allow photographers to ‘mix and match’ any of the three manufacturers’ APS-C and fullframe cameras with any lens from each other’s product portfolios.
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Regardless of which combination you might choose: virtually all functional and qualitative characteristics of each respective system will be fully retained. The L-Mount thereby opens up an almost limitless spectrum of new creative possibilities.
The Leica S-System was conceived from the ground up as a purely digital camera system and was built with the precise needs of professional photographers in mind. the medium-format camera offers impressively easy handling, extreme robustness, excellent imaging quality and components that are perfectly matched.
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-series large sensor
In addition to the black and titanium grey editions, the compact camera with the fast prime lens - the Leica Q - is now available in silver. While its technical specifications are identical to those of its black and titanium grey counterparts, the design of the new version impresses with classic combination of black and silver. The top plate and the baseplate are silver anodised and the rear shell has the refined look of classic black paint. The characteristic, high-grip pattern of the black leather trim has been maintained. The control elements on the top plate are finished in silver. The engraved model name is filled in black. The focal length figure on the lens and parts of the distance scale are in red.
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Cheap and Leica are not often seen in the same sentence. When thinking about the red dot, we usually imagine how many months or even years it would take to get one of those iconic rangefinders. But there’s also another way to enter the Leica world without robbing a bank or selling your partner’s car! With the first point and shoot cameras
showing up in 1977, it took them a few years to get into the 35mm compact game but eventually Leica released a total of 14 point and shoot film cameras from 1989 to 2006. All these cameras share the essential features you can expect from a 35mm point and shoot. Just press the shutter and the camera does the rest for you. focusing and exposure.
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