The story
Founded by Ernst Leitz senior in 1869, in Wetzlar.1
Background and founding
In 1849, Carl Kellner founded Optical Institute (Optisches Institut) in Wetzlar, Germany. He produced glasses and telescopes which were popular amongst scientists for their quality and precision. Kellner died at the age of 29 on 13 May 1855 and his wife and apprentice, Friedrich Belthle, assumed responsibility for the company.
In 1864, Ernst Leitz, who studied mechanics, began working at Optical Institute and a year later would become a partner in the company. Belthle died in 1869 and Leitz took over the company. Leitz changed the name of the company to Ernst Leitz-Optische Werke-Wetzlar.
The company was initially involved exclusively in the manufacture of microscopes. In 1907, it began manufacturing binoculars and, in 1910, cinema projectors for film screenings.
Establishment of the camera business
In 1914, Oskar Barnack began the development of the Leica cameras. Barnack was head of development at Ernst Leitz Optische Werke in Wetzlar at that time and was also an amateur photographer. Because of his impaired health, he no longer wished to carry the heavy plate cameras then in use. The prototype developed for this purpose in 1914 is known as the Ur-Leica and marked the beginning of Leica’s camera production. 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 of cinema cameras, which transport the film vertically.
In 1920, Ernst Leitz II took over the management of the company and, in 1924, despite difficult economic times, decided to mass-produce Barnack’s 35mm 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.
Barnack conceived the Leica as a small camera that produced a small negative. To make large photos by enlargement, (the "small negative, large picture" concept) requires that the camera have high quality lenses that could create well-defined negatives. Barnack tried a Zeiss Tessar on his early prototype camera, but because the Tessar was designed for the 18×24 mm cine format, it inadequately covered the Leica's 24×36mm negative. Barnack resorted to a Leitz Mikro-Summar 1:4.5/42 mm lens for the prototype, but to achieve resolution necessary for satisfactory enlargement, the 24x36 mm format needed a lens designed specially for it. The first Leica lens was a 50 mm f/3.5 design based on the Cooke triplet of 1893, adapted by Max Berek at Leitz. The lens has five elements in three groups—the third group being three cemented elements—and was initially named the Leitz Anastigmat. Unlike other triplets, the Leitz Anastigmat has the diaphragm between the first and second elements.
Less than 150 cameras with Anastigmat were sold before the lens was renamed the ELMAX, for E Leitz and Max Berek. By 1925, Professor Berek designed an improved version of the ELMAX named the ELMAR that had four elements in three groups. The third group was simplified to two cemented elements, which was easier and cheaper to make.
By 1925, around 900 cameras had been sold, and more than 1,600 in the following year. From 1927 onwards, the camera business was profitable and sold more than 3,200 cameras. By the end of 1931, more than 68,000 Leica cameras had been sold.
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In 1930, the Leica I Schraubgewinde was first produced. It had an exchangeable lens system based on a 39mm diameter screw thread, often referred to as the Leica Thread Mount or LTM. In addition to the 50 mm normal lens, a 35 mm wide angle and a 135 mm telephoto lens were initially available.
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 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.
Early Leica cameras bear the initials D.R.P., which stands for Deutsches Reichspatent, the name for German patents before May 1945. This is probably a reference to German patent No. 384071 "Rollfilmkamera" granted to Ernst Leitz, Optische Werke in Wetzlar, on November 3, 1923.
The company had always had progressive labor policies which encouraged the retention of skilled workers, many of whom were Jewish. Ernst Leitz II, who began managing the company in 1920, responded to the election of Hitler in 1933 by helping Jews to leave Germany, by "assigning" hundreds (even if they were not actually employees) to overseas sales offices where they were helped to find jobs. The effort intensified after Kristallnacht in 1938, until the borders were closed in September 1939. The extent of what came to be known as the "Leica Freedom Train" only became public after his death, well after the war.
Leica buildings
In the last decades of the 19th century, Ernst Leitz moved its production facilities to the slopes of Kalsmunt with sufficient residential buildings and workshops on Laufdorfer Weg. At the turn of the century, the expansion of optical production in Wetzlar led to the construction of several multi-storey factory buildings.
From the year 1907 to the 1950s, the buildings that formed Leica's factory were located on Ernst Leitz Street in Wetzlar. The Wetzlar factory was located opposite of the administrative building and formed a special urban architecture; located upstream of the slope of Kalsmunt, it forms a structural graduation from the skyscrapers to the ruins of Kalsmunt Castle. Early plans by architect Jean Schmidt in 1907 were revised in favour of a simpler concrete-frame structure with a reduced façade design. Additional buildings followed in 1911, continuing similar architectural principles.
In the early 1930s, the space between the existing buildings was filled as production continued to grow. Initial designs by Schmidt proposed a taller structure with more decorative elements, but these plans were revised. The city and the district government 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. In 1936, designs for an eight-storey production building were completed, constructed in reinforced concrete and influenced by contemporary industrial architecture. The building was built in 1938 between the two oldest skyscrapers. In 1950, a skyscraper of similar construction with nine floors was added.
The building remained in use until 1986, when production was moved to the city of Solms. As of today, the buildings are used by Leica Microsystems GmbH.
From 1986 to 1988, the camera division became independent and Leica Camera AG moved from Wetzlar to Solms, where headquarters and camera production were located in a new facility. In 2014, Leica Camera returned to Wetzlar by building the so called Leitz Park. The main building of Leitz Park was designed by Gruber + Kleine-Kranenburg Architekten and uses architectural forms associated with camera lenses, including a curved façade and cylindrical structures at the entrance. Leitz Park was later expanded into a wider campus. In 2018, four additional building were completed, including a hotel, museum, a production building and an office tower. Leica Welt and the Ernst Leitz Museum are located here since.
Expansion and development
In 1954, the company introduced the Leica M3, featuring the Leica M mount (a bayonet-like lens mount) and a combined rangefinder and viewfinder system. The M series remained in production in updated forms, including later models such as the MP and MA.
In 1952, Günther Leitz decided to establish Ernst Leitz Canada in Midland, Ontario. 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.
In addition to cameras, Leica produced slide projectors, including the Prado series, and later collaborated with Kindermann on projector technology and accessories. In 1982, Kindermann and Leitz launched the Leitz-Kindermann magazine for unglazed slides.
Post-war models bear the initials DBP for Deutsches Bundespatent (Federal German Patent), instead of the DRP (Deutsches Reich patent) found on pre-war models. The Leica rangefinder design was widely adopted by other manufacturers, including the Leotax, Nicca and early Canon models in Japan, the Kardon in USA, the Reid in England and the FED and Zorki in the USSR.
The company expanded, and in 1973, opened a site in Portugal (Vila Nova de Famalicão). Initially, 100 employees worked there in rented premises; following the completion of the factory at the end of 1975, this number increased to 175. In 1976, Leica also opened its first gallery in Wetzlar.
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 R series from R3 to R7 in collaboration with the Minolta. The R system remained in production until 2009, when it was discontinued.
Leica Visoflex System system formed an intermediate solution between rangefinder and single-lens reflex cameras. It consisted of a mirror reflex housing attached to Leica rangefinder cameras (in both screw-mount and M versions), allowing focusing via a ground-glass screen instead of the rangefinder. This design enabled the use of longer focal-length lenses, which were difficult to focus accurately with rangefinders. Leitz also introduced different optical developments during this period, including improved lens technologies.
The system originated with the PLOOT reflex housing introduced in 1935, and was further developed as the Visoflex I (1951), Visoflex II (1960) and Visoflex III (1964). It supported different long-focus lenses and adapted optics. The Visoflex system remained in use until it was discontinued in 1984.
Leica also offered accessories and adapters, including applications that enabled the use of different lens mounts across camera systems and facilitated specialised applications such as telephoto photography.
Restructuring 'Leitz' to 'Leica'
In the 1980s, Ernst Leitz Wetzlar GmbH underwent several restructurings. In 1986, the company split its business divisions and founded three new companies: Leica GmbH (cameras and binoculars), Leica Microsystems GmbH (microscopes), and Leica Geosystems AG (surveying technology).
In 1987, Wild Heerbrugg AG (founded in 1921) took over Ernst Leitz Wetzlar GmbH, the parent company of the Leica companies, and formed Wild Leitz Holding AG. In 1990, this merged with The Cambridge Instrument Company plc to create Leica Holding B.V., thereby adding microscopes, surveying and photogrammetry systems, as well as optical scientific instruments. In 1988, Leica GmbH moved from Wetzlar to Solms and was later renamed Leica Camera GmbH.
In 1996, Leica presented the R8 single-lens reflex camera and the digital scanner camera S1. In the same year, Leica Camera GmbH was spun off from Leica Holding B.V. and floated on the stock exchange. In addition, Leica Camera AG acquired Minox GmbH, Wetzlar.
In 1998, as part of a cooperation with Fujifilm, Leica offered its first digital camera, the Digilux. In 2006, the Leica M8 was introduced as the first digital rangefinder camera in the M system. Prior to this, digitisation of the M system had not been possible due to technological limitations, in particular the short flange focal distance. Only with the microlens array developed around 2004 by Kodak were the technical prerequisites created. The Leica M9 with full-frame sensor followed in 2009.
In December 2000, the French luxury goods group Hermès acquired an initial stake of 31.5% through a public takeover offer. Subsequently, Hermès increased its shareholding to over 36% and acquired a majority of a convertible bond issued in 2004. After Leica had generated profits in 1999 and 2000, this was no longer the case in 2001. In 2001, Minox became an independent company again through a management buy-out.
The Leica Digilux 1 was launched in early 2002. The design by Achim Heine was intended to continue the tradition of earlier Leicas.
Takeover by Andreas Kaufmann
In 2004, the Salzburg-based entrepreneur Andreas Kaufmann entered the company. At that time, the company was struggling with a decline in turnover of 17% and made international headlines in spring 2005 because of its uncertain financial situation. In September 2006, Hermès sold its stake in Leica Camera AG to Kaufmann. By the end of 2007, he had increased his shareholding to around 96.5%, invested a double-digit million Euro amount in the development of new products, and led the company back into profitability by 2010. In October 2011, the US investment firm Blackstone acquired a 44% stake in Leica Camera AG from Andreas Kaufmann. Turnover amounted to €245 million.
In September 2008, Leica introduced a newly developed digital SLR camera system with the S series. The series featured a robust magnesium body and was sealed against splash water and dust.
On 1 October 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. A majority stake remains with Kaufmann, who continues to chair the supervisory board.
In March 2013, the expanded factory in Portugal was opened; sports optics products and compact binoculars are manufactured there, as well as parts and assemblies for Leica lenses and system cameras. On 26 November 2013, Leica Camera AG announced the purchase of Sinar Photography AG, Zurich, a Swiss manufacturer of view cameras.
Also in 2013, the British designer Jonathan Ive, long-time chief designer at Apple, together with Marc Newson, designed a Leica camera that was auctioned for charitable purposes. The one-off camera achieved proceeds of USD 1.8 million at auction.
In 2014, the new L mount was introduced, and 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. The same year, to commemorate Leica camera's 100th anniversary, they partnered with Swiss watch manufacture Valbray to develop a limited edition chronograph wristwatch with Valbray's signature Leica aperture inspired dial.
In 2015, the mirrorless full-frame systems Leica Q and Leica SL were presented in the Leitz-Park. The same year, Leica introduced the special edition Leica M-P Correspondent by Lenny Kravitz. The edition consisted of a Leica M-P (Type 240) and the two lenses Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH and Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH. Production was limited to 125 sets.
In the following years, under the leadership of Andreas Kaufmann, Leica further expanded its business areas. In 2017, Leica became active in the spectacle lens market and founded the brand Leica Eyecare. Initially, spectacle lenses were manufactured in France in cooperation with the company Novacel. In 2021, the independent Leica Eyecare GmbH was founded, and in 2023 an in-house spectacle lens production facility was established in Germany. In 2018, Leica also entered the watch segment with the L1 and L2 models.
After Leica had established stores with galleries in several cities worldwide, for example in Tokyo (since 2006) and Vienna (since 2012), a store with a gallery opened in Stuttgart in autumn 2019, followed by a store in Munich featuring a gallery in November 2020.
In April 2019, a television commercial for Leica titled "The Hunt" was released online. The commercial depicts photojournalists in war-torn and politically unstable environments; one of whom takes a photograph of the Tank Man during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. Following censorship of the Leica brand on Sina Weibo, Leica revoked the commercial and sought to distance themselves from it, claiming the company did not sanction its production.
In March 2020, the final camera in the S-series, the Leica S3, was released, featuring a newly developed image sensor with a resolution of 64 megapixels. The sensor had a dynamic range of 15 f-stops and a light sensitivity of up to ISO 50,000. Video recording was possible at resolutions of up to 4096 × 2160 pixels.
Developments since 2022
In August 2022, Leica agreed on a technological cooperation with the Chinese company Hisense. In November 2022 the Leitz Phone 2, based on Sharp technology, was released exclusively for the Japanese market. The same year, Leica entered the home cinema segment and presented the laser TV Leica Cine 1 at the IFA.
In September 2022, Leica released the special edition Leica Q2 Dawn by Seal in collaboration with the musician Seal. The model, limited to 500 units, is technically based on the Leica Q2.
In February 2023, Leica introduced the Leica D-Lux 7 007 Edition to mark 60 years of the James Bond film series. The special edition is based on the standard D-Lux 7 and features 007 branding, a textured black covering, a lens cap in the "gun barrel" design and matching leather accessories.
In October 2023, Leica became the world’s first camera manufacturer to introduce a camera model with integrated support for so-called content credentials of the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) with the Leica M11-P. This function enables the cryptographic capture and storage of metadata at the time of image capture, including information on authorship, date and place of capture, and any editing steps. The content credentials increase transparency and traceability of digital content and ensure the authenticity of image material.
The same month, Leica released the wristwatch models ZM1 and ZM2, manufactured by Lehmann Präzision GmbH in the Black Forest.
In June 2024, Leica released the Leica LUX app for mobile photography and image editing, followed in February 2025 by the LUX Grip, a smartphone grip with compatible control elements.
On 20 April 2026, a partnership with Gpixel to develop digital camera sensors was announced.
From Wikipedia’s article on Leica Camera, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5