Leica History Timeline

  • 1849 Karl Kellner founds the Optical Institute in Wetzlar Germany to make Telescopes.

  • 1855  Manufacture of Telescopes ceases in favor of the highly successful line of microscopes created a few years earlier.

  • 1855 Karl Kellner dies and his partner Friedrich Christian Belthle takes over the business and marries Karl's widow.  Company renamed to Optical Institute Kellner and Belthle.

  • 1865 Kellner hires a new engineer, Ernst Leitz.  Ernst leitz soon becomes Bethles partner.

  • 1869 Bethle dies and Ernst Leitz takes over the company.  Company renamed to Optical Institute of Ernst leitz.

  • 1887 Carl Metz, a mathematician, joins Ernst Leitz to design lenses.

  • 1889 The 50,000th Microscope was produced.  In the time between 1889 and 1911, several new products were added to the line including, still & cine projectors, binoculars and a variety of specialist optical equipment.

  • 1903 Henri Damur, Ernst's Great Nephew,  joins the company and later becomes Sales Manager.

  • 1911 Oscar Barnack arrives at the Leitz Wetzlar Factory with the idea of manufacturing an easily portable camera.  The first 35mm Camera was born.

  • 1912 Prof. Max Berek joins Ernst Leitz Company and later computes and invents the first Leica lens.

  • 1913 Oscar Barnack invents the UR-Leica Prototype

  • 1920 Ernst Leitz dies and Ernst Leitz II becomes sole owner of the business.

  • 1923 More advanced hand made copies of the Prototype 35mm camera were made.  These were the Leica Nullserie cameras.  Qty# 31.

  • 1924 Ernst Leitz II decides to produce the 35mm camera that Oscar Barnack invented.  The name 'Leica' is derived from (Lei)tz & (Ca)mera.  The Leica brand name was born.  Ernst Leitz III joins the company.

  • 1925 The first Leica cameras are marketed.  The Leica I, Luxus and Compur models were produced and marketed until 1932.  Total units produced approx. 60,586.  Ludwig Leitz joins the company.  Ludwig is credited with the ergonomics of the M3.

  • 1930 Leica introduces the first 35mm camera with interchangeable lenses and the companies are amalgamated and renamed to Ernst Leitz G.m.b.h.

  • 1932 Leica incorporates a Rangefinder into the Leica II model camera.

  • 1933 Leica incorporates slow speeds to the shutter design introducing the Leica III.

  • 1935 Leica incorporates fast shutter speeds to the shutter design introducing the Leica IIIa.

  • 1949 Leica creates the Leica Optical Research Laboratory to investigate the creation of special glasses and lens formulations.

  • 1950 Leica incorporates flash syncronization and a self timer into the 35mm camera.  The Leica IIIf was born.

  • 1952 Gunther Leitz founds the Canadian Factory.

  • 1954 Leica introduces the Leica M3, the first interchangeable lens bayonet style Leica body.

  • 1957 Leica introduces a more affordable version of the M3 known as the Leica M2.

  • 1959 Leica introduces a scaled down M2 for scientific/technical use, known as the Leica M1.

  • 1960 The last Leica screwmount body was made.  the Leica IIIg, SN#988350.  Total quantity of Leica screwmount cameras is approx. 798,200.

  • 1964 Leica introduces its first Single Lens Reflex camera, the Leicaflex.  The first production Leica SLR is born.

  • 1967 Leica introduces the M4 with added rangefinder framelines for 35 & 135mm lenses.

  • 1968 Leica introduces the Leicaflex SL with TTL Metering.

  • 1971 Leica introduces the M5 with added integral TTL lightmeter.  First Leica with a light meter.

  • 1973 Leica collaborates with Minolta in the introduction of a more modern, smaller and affordable rangefinder camera.  The Leica CL, Minolta CL, Leitz-Minolta CL and later the Minolta CLE are born.  This begins Leica's involvement with Minolta.  Leitz Portugal is founded.

  • 1974 Leica introduces the Leicaflex SL2.  Wild Heerburg takes over majority ownership of the company.

  • 1976 Leica and Minolta begin production of the Leica R3 and the 'R' series Leica camera's are born.  Minolta will produce the R3, R4 & R5 models with production switching back to Leica for the continued run of R6, R6.2, R7 and R8.  The R6.2 (all mechanical) and R8 (electronic) are currently in production.

  • 1977 Leica introduces the M4-2.  An M4 with stronger gears needed for the adaptation of a motor drive.  The M4-2 also had the first Hotshoe for electronic flash of any M series, following in the footsteps of the CL model.

  • 1980 Leica introduces the M4-P.  Added rangefinder framelines for the 28mm and 75mm lenses.

  • 1984 Leica introduces the now famous classic, the Leica M6.  Incorporating all of the advanced features of the previous 'M' models, including a newly improved and more robust light meter.  The M6 is produced in Chrome, Black and much rarer Titanium finishes.

  • 1986 The lst remaining member of the Leitz family retires from the board of directors.

  • 1988 Company is fragmented into smaller companies and Leica Camera G.m.b.h is born.

  • 1991 Canadian Plant is sold to Hughes aircraft, and Leica Camera Group becomes independent and goes public with a stock offering.  Production is moved to the new plant in Solms, only 5 miles from Wetzlar.

  • 1997 Leica introduces the M6 with .85 magnification viewfinder for easier focusing with long lenses and more accurate focusing with fast lenses.  However, the 28mm rangefinder framelines are dropped.

  • 1998 Leica introduces the M6 TTL in both .72 and .85 viewfinder versions.  The Leica M6 TTL is still currently in production.

  • 2000 Leica introduces the new M6 .58 viewfinder camera for eyeglass wearers.  The 28mm Summicron F2 is introduced.

Many special models were also introduced for Military and Scientific use.  Special models were also introduced in limited numbers for special occasions, people, places and partnerships.  See camera specifications.