LEiCA

LEICA

10 FACTS OF LEICA

The economy of Germany is a highly developed social market economy. It has the largest national economy in Europe, the fourth-largest by nominal GDP (Gross Domestic Product : It is the final value of all products and service in the nation ) in the world, and fifth by GDP (PPP). (Purchasing power parity is used by World Bank for comparing the currencies between the two countries).

The top brands of Germany are Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Smart Automobile, Detroit Diesel, Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses, Setra, BharatBenz, Mitsubishi Fuso) , BMW AG, Robert Bosch GmbH (BOSCH). AG is nothing but it's a company with public shares.

Leica Camera AG is a German company that manufactures cameras, lenses, binoculars, rifle scopes and ophthalmic lenses. The company was founded by Ernst Leitz in 1914. The name Leica is derived from the first three letters of his surname (Leitz) and the first two of the word camera: lei-ca.

1. Stands top in photography food chain

Leica is far and beyond our favorite camera brand for its uncompromising quality, history, and masterful design. There's a reason they're on top of the photography food chain.

This was a time when it was still common for glass plates to be used in cameras, and those that took roll film were thought of as miniatures. So imagine the culture shock when a still photography camera was produced to take 35mm movie film.

2. Under water camera

In 1952, Leica created underwater cameras for the US Navy that looked like an amazing orange GoPro. These sell for enormous amounts at auctions nowadays.

3. Grandfather of 35mm photography

Leica invented the 24x36mm film format, the 35mm camera, the film enlarger for the darkroom (1920s), the flash shoe, the length of a roll film (with 36 pictures, this was how far Barnack could stretch his arms), auto focus lenses (in the 70s), the "reporter" film back (Leica 250 with 250 pictures in 1933), and more...

4. Leica Products

Matsushita (Panasonic) started making all their cameras with Leica lenses (all lenses made in Germany but assembled in Japan).
From 2006 and onwards Leica lenses are made in Japan to Leica specifications by Panasonic with 2 main differences: Lenses made for the Leica branded camera's are made on German made imported machines using Leica lens coatings, whereas Leica lenses made for Panasonic Lumix branded camera's are made on Panasonic mass production machines to (minimum) Leica specification but use Panasonic's own Nano-coatings.

5. Sub miniature and Miniature camera

On April 1st, Leica takes over the camera division of Minox GmbH, manufacturer of sub-miniature and miniature cameras.
MINOX, The world's first miniature camera producing company.

6. Interchangeable lens

In 1930, first Leica with interchangeable screw-fit lenses was launched .
At first the lenses were made to match individual bodies and could not be interchanged with other bodies. Soon, however, the lens mount was standardized so that all lenses and bodies were interchangeable. The two types of cameras were differentiated by a small ‘0’ engraved on the lens and body mount of the Standard cameras and lenses.

7. Copies of Leica from other countries

Leica copies, Russia, were plainly marked on bodies and lenses with their true makers’ names, but were almost screw-for-screw duplicates of the German camera.
Leica fakes, Russia, were similar to the copies, but falsely marked with the Leica name on the body and the Elmar name on the lens.
Leica imitations, Japan, were not direct copies of the original camera, but still showed very obvious influences.
Later, a whole series of Leica II fakes appeared that would have fooled no one, since they were made with garish, totally un-Leica like body coverings and gold-colored fittings.

8. Leica - "Extension of eyes"

Henri Cartier-Bresson, the father of photojournalism, exclusively used Leica cameras. He famously considered them an "extension of his eye." The photo above is of his very first Leica camera. (The camera which is in At 6th fact)

9. Retro Proud one

Like Audi, BMW, Porsche, Braun, and Mercedes-Benz, Leica is a German company. The country produces almost nothing that doesn't have the most impressive attention to detail. Like a Porsche is meant to be driven or a Rolex is meant to be worn daily, Leica cameras are meant to shoot incredible photos and not be hung up on a wall, imprisoned for display.