Celebrating the Leica’s 100th Birthday: Here’s how to do it yourself!
What an EVF Leica M should look like and why it may not be made now.
By Jason Schneider
As a lifelong Leica fanatic (I bought my first Leica, a “new” store display model IIIg with 50mm f/2.8 Elmar lens, when I was 18) I fervently hoped Leica would mark the centenary of the Leica I (Model A) of 1925 by offering a special 2025 edition of that very same camera, possibly fitted with an upgraded, coated version of the collapsible 50mm f/3.5 Elmar like the one used on the 2000 or 2004 versions of the special edition Null-Series (0-series )replicas . Alas that was not to be, and neither were the “full-frame digital Leica I (Model A)” or the “new upgraded Leica M3” proffered by some as possible alternatives.
The most obvious solution: Celebrate the 100th anniversary yourself by acquiring an actual vintage rangefinder-less, scale focusing Leica of your very own. The most obvious candidate is the Leica I (Model A) itself, which, according to Leica Wiki, was manufactured from 1925 to 1936, with a total production of 58,735 units. Very early models fitted with 50mm f/3.5 Leitz Anastigmat or Elmax lenses are stratospherically priced museum pieces, examples fitted with 50mm f/2.5 Hektor lenses are ultra-rare and very pricey, and models with 3-digit, 4-digit, and even 5-digit serial numbers are coveted by collectors and priced accordingly.
Leica I (Model A) No. 22245 with 50mm f/3.5 Elmar. You can now snag a later example than this in clean working shape for $1,200 to $1,500.
Unobtanium: Here's museum piece Leica I (Model A) No.199 with super-rare 50mm f/3.5 Leitz Anastigmat lens. You could call it priceless.
However, later examples of “ordinary” Leica I (Model A) cameras in clean working condition are readily available at online auction sites or from specialist Leica dealers at prices within the range of many Leica enthusiasts. As this writing, there are 4 such Leica 1 (Model A) cameras listed on eBay at prices ranging from $1,200 to $1,500 and others with cases, caps, FODIS rangefinders etc. at prices in the $1,700-$2,500 range. Granted, that’s not cheap but IMHO these are fair prices for timeless classics that are among the nicest, most elegant, minimalist walk-around cameras ever made.
Flyer announcing the Limited Edition reissue of the Null Series Leica in 2000. Only 4000 were made, offered at a list price of $2,795.00.
If picture taking is not your priority, but you still hanker for suitable Leica for your personal celebration of the Leica’s centenary, consider the Leica Null-Series ( O-Series ) Replica of 2000 (with flip-up military style optical viewfinder) or the rare 2004 version, which sports a “tubular’ viewfinder similar to the one on the Leica I (Model A). Leica produced 4,000 of the first version, then listed at $2,795.00, complete with leather case, special packaging, and certificate of authenticity. They’re still available used in pristine condition at the leading online auction site at prices in the $2,000-$3,000 range.
The Null-Series Replica (not to be confused with the non-working Ur-Leica Replica if 1975) takes standard 35mm cartridges, but the shutter dial is calibrated in slit widths (50mm corresponds to 1/20 sec, 2mm to 1/500 sec), and the shutter is not self-capping (like the one on the Leica I (Model A), so you have to place the (included) tethered lens cap over the lens while winding the film to the next exposure and re-cocking the shutter to prevent light-struck frames. This is a major PIA, which is why so few Null-Series Replica owners take lots if pictures with their treasures. It’s really a shame because the lens, marked 50mm f/3.5 Leitz Anastigmat, is really a recomputed, upgraded, multicoated version of the 4-element, 3-group Leitz Elmar that delivers exceptional imaging performance
Another good option for commemorating the Leica’s 100th birthday is acquiring a Leica Standard, aka Model E, the last of the screw-mount bodies with a top-set optical viewfinder and without a coupled rangefinder. Basically, it’s a Leica I (Model A) with a standardized 39mm Leica screw mount, and it was officially made in black lacquer and chrome finished versions from 1932 to 1950. Leica Wiki’s production stats indicate that 13,545 units were produced in black and 13,680 in chrome, but this doesn’t jibe with the total yearly production figures showing that a total 35,706 Model E cameras were made between 1930 and 1948. Some also had a nickel-plated brass top plate (these are prized by collectors) and all had a single top-mounted shutter speed dial with speeds of 1/20 to 1/500 sec plus Z (“Zeit’ or Time).
Vintage '30s Leitz Wetzlar ad for the Leica Standard (Model E) a rangefinder-less "economy model" that's now a collector's prize.
Postwar Leica Standard (Model E) in chrome with 50mm f/3.5 Wollensak Velostigmat lens supplied by Leitz New York in the World War II era.
The Leica Standard (Model E) is an elegant minimalist camera that qualifies as a limited production Leica and the fact that it accepts screw-mount Leuca lenses makes it a more flexible shooter than the Leica I (Model A) or the Null Series Replica. Fitted with a period appropriate lens like a 35mm f/3.5 Elmar, it’s an awesome walk-around camera for street or travel photography. The bad news: 20 years ago you could snag one if these gems for 100 bucks or so—now they fetch prices in the $500 to $750 range in black or chrome, and up to $1,000 with original 50mm f/3.5 Elmar lens.
There are of course many other vintage Leica models that can be pressed into service as your personal “100th Anniversary commemorative.” All I-series Leica including the Ic, If, and Ig surely qualify but these “two-shoe” models all require separate viewfinders. The message: If Leica didn’t offer the 100th birthday model of your dreams, create your own—and run some film through it!
When will we see the “Leica M11-V?” Does never work for you?
In response to my recent RFF piece on the rumored “Leica M11-V,” reportedly with an all-electronic or hybrid electronic range/viewfinder, several readers opined that it would never see the light of day, that any attempt to “gild the lily” by “upgrading” the traditional optical/mechanical Leica M range/viewfinder with its multiple, auto indexing, projected, parallax-compensating frame lines was doomed to failure. Purely in terms of technology these folks are probably overstating their case, but when it comes to marketing, they may be onto something. Perhaps the right question to ask is not whether it’s possible to design a “Leica M11-V” but whether there would be a robust market for such a camera that would likely be priced in the $10k to $12k range? If Leica’s marketing mavens decide the answer is no, we may have to await the widely anticipated Leica M12, which is not expected to arrive until 2027.
How can the iconic Leica M “Messucher” (range/viewfinder) be electronically upgraded to result in a marketable new breed of Leica M? Basically, by retaining all the features Leica fans love and only improving only those things that will bring added benefits to users. Everybody loves the clear, bright optical viewfinder and the crisply defined rangefinder patch that’s so precisely aligned that it can be used either as a coincident (superimposed image) rangefinder or a more accurate split-image rangefinder, so these features should be retained.
Hard to beat: Here are the 3 frame lines of the magnificent M3 viewfinder and the frame selector lever. Crisp rangefinder patch is not shown.
Ideally, here’s what should be added, improved, or refined”
Electronically displayed and illuminated parallax compensating frame lines should show a greater percentage of the captured image, provide more accurate parallax compensation, and contract slightly as you focus closer to correct for field frame size (reduced angular coverage due to the increase in Effective Focal Length or EFL).
A focus conformation feature (e.g. with red LED arrows and a central green “focus OK” LED could be provided at the bottom of the field.
A limited amount of additional information such as ISO, exposure mode, etc. could be displayed in the finder field in a non-intrusive way.
In short, the basic identity and character of any new Leica M as a system rangefinder camera should be retained, and the user experience should be essentially the same as it has been for over 70 years.
What an EVF Leica M should look like and why it may not be made now.
By Jason Schneider
As a lifelong Leica fanatic (I bought my first Leica, a “new” store display model IIIg with 50mm f/2.8 Elmar lens, when I was 18) I fervently hoped Leica would mark the centenary of the Leica I (Model A) of 1925 by offering a special 2025 edition of that very same camera, possibly fitted with an upgraded, coated version of the collapsible 50mm f/3.5 Elmar like the one used on the 2000 or 2004 versions of the special edition Null-Series (0-series )replicas . Alas that was not to be, and neither were the “full-frame digital Leica I (Model A)” or the “new upgraded Leica M3” proffered by some as possible alternatives.
The most obvious solution: Celebrate the 100th anniversary yourself by acquiring an actual vintage rangefinder-less, scale focusing Leica of your very own. The most obvious candidate is the Leica I (Model A) itself, which, according to Leica Wiki, was manufactured from 1925 to 1936, with a total production of 58,735 units. Very early models fitted with 50mm f/3.5 Leitz Anastigmat or Elmax lenses are stratospherically priced museum pieces, examples fitted with 50mm f/2.5 Hektor lenses are ultra-rare and very pricey, and models with 3-digit, 4-digit, and even 5-digit serial numbers are coveted by collectors and priced accordingly.
Leica I (Model A) No. 22245 with 50mm f/3.5 Elmar. You can now snag a later example than this in clean working shape for $1,200 to $1,500.
Unobtanium: Here's museum piece Leica I (Model A) No.199 with super-rare 50mm f/3.5 Leitz Anastigmat lens. You could call it priceless.
However, later examples of “ordinary” Leica I (Model A) cameras in clean working condition are readily available at online auction sites or from specialist Leica dealers at prices within the range of many Leica enthusiasts. As this writing, there are 4 such Leica 1 (Model A) cameras listed on eBay at prices ranging from $1,200 to $1,500 and others with cases, caps, FODIS rangefinders etc. at prices in the $1,700-$2,500 range. Granted, that’s not cheap but IMHO these are fair prices for timeless classics that are among the nicest, most elegant, minimalist walk-around cameras ever made.
Flyer announcing the Limited Edition reissue of the Null Series Leica in 2000. Only 4000 were made, offered at a list price of $2,795.00.
If picture taking is not your priority, but you still hanker for suitable Leica for your personal celebration of the Leica’s centenary, consider the Leica Null-Series ( O-Series ) Replica of 2000 (with flip-up military style optical viewfinder) or the rare 2004 version, which sports a “tubular’ viewfinder similar to the one on the Leica I (Model A). Leica produced 4,000 of the first version, then listed at $2,795.00, complete with leather case, special packaging, and certificate of authenticity. They’re still available used in pristine condition at the leading online auction site at prices in the $2,000-$3,000 range.
The Null-Series Replica (not to be confused with the non-working Ur-Leica Replica if 1975) takes standard 35mm cartridges, but the shutter dial is calibrated in slit widths (50mm corresponds to 1/20 sec, 2mm to 1/500 sec), and the shutter is not self-capping (like the one on the Leica I (Model A), so you have to place the (included) tethered lens cap over the lens while winding the film to the next exposure and re-cocking the shutter to prevent light-struck frames. This is a major PIA, which is why so few Null-Series Replica owners take lots if pictures with their treasures. It’s really a shame because the lens, marked 50mm f/3.5 Leitz Anastigmat, is really a recomputed, upgraded, multicoated version of the 4-element, 3-group Leitz Elmar that delivers exceptional imaging performance
Another good option for commemorating the Leica’s 100th birthday is acquiring a Leica Standard, aka Model E, the last of the screw-mount bodies with a top-set optical viewfinder and without a coupled rangefinder. Basically, it’s a Leica I (Model A) with a standardized 39mm Leica screw mount, and it was officially made in black lacquer and chrome finished versions from 1932 to 1950. Leica Wiki’s production stats indicate that 13,545 units were produced in black and 13,680 in chrome, but this doesn’t jibe with the total yearly production figures showing that a total 35,706 Model E cameras were made between 1930 and 1948. Some also had a nickel-plated brass top plate (these are prized by collectors) and all had a single top-mounted shutter speed dial with speeds of 1/20 to 1/500 sec plus Z (“Zeit’ or Time).
Vintage '30s Leitz Wetzlar ad for the Leica Standard (Model E) a rangefinder-less "economy model" that's now a collector's prize.
Postwar Leica Standard (Model E) in chrome with 50mm f/3.5 Wollensak Velostigmat lens supplied by Leitz New York in the World War II era.
The Leica Standard (Model E) is an elegant minimalist camera that qualifies as a limited production Leica and the fact that it accepts screw-mount Leuca lenses makes it a more flexible shooter than the Leica I (Model A) or the Null Series Replica. Fitted with a period appropriate lens like a 35mm f/3.5 Elmar, it’s an awesome walk-around camera for street or travel photography. The bad news: 20 years ago you could snag one if these gems for 100 bucks or so—now they fetch prices in the $500 to $750 range in black or chrome, and up to $1,000 with original 50mm f/3.5 Elmar lens.
There are of course many other vintage Leica models that can be pressed into service as your personal “100th Anniversary commemorative.” All I-series Leica including the Ic, If, and Ig surely qualify but these “two-shoe” models all require separate viewfinders. The message: If Leica didn’t offer the 100th birthday model of your dreams, create your own—and run some film through it!
When will we see the “Leica M11-V?” Does never work for you?
In response to my recent RFF piece on the rumored “Leica M11-V,” reportedly with an all-electronic or hybrid electronic range/viewfinder, several readers opined that it would never see the light of day, that any attempt to “gild the lily” by “upgrading” the traditional optical/mechanical Leica M range/viewfinder with its multiple, auto indexing, projected, parallax-compensating frame lines was doomed to failure. Purely in terms of technology these folks are probably overstating their case, but when it comes to marketing, they may be onto something. Perhaps the right question to ask is not whether it’s possible to design a “Leica M11-V” but whether there would be a robust market for such a camera that would likely be priced in the $10k to $12k range? If Leica’s marketing mavens decide the answer is no, we may have to await the widely anticipated Leica M12, which is not expected to arrive until 2027.
How can the iconic Leica M “Messucher” (range/viewfinder) be electronically upgraded to result in a marketable new breed of Leica M? Basically, by retaining all the features Leica fans love and only improving only those things that will bring added benefits to users. Everybody loves the clear, bright optical viewfinder and the crisply defined rangefinder patch that’s so precisely aligned that it can be used either as a coincident (superimposed image) rangefinder or a more accurate split-image rangefinder, so these features should be retained.
Hard to beat: Here are the 3 frame lines of the magnificent M3 viewfinder and the frame selector lever. Crisp rangefinder patch is not shown.
Ideally, here’s what should be added, improved, or refined”
Electronically displayed and illuminated parallax compensating frame lines should show a greater percentage of the captured image, provide more accurate parallax compensation, and contract slightly as you focus closer to correct for field frame size (reduced angular coverage due to the increase in Effective Focal Length or EFL).
A focus conformation feature (e.g. with red LED arrows and a central green “focus OK” LED could be provided at the bottom of the field.
A limited amount of additional information such as ISO, exposure mode, etc. could be displayed in the finder field in a non-intrusive way.
In short, the basic identity and character of any new Leica M as a system rangefinder camera should be retained, and the user experience should be essentially the same as it has been for over 70 years.
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