Leica Cameras

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 29. Chapters: Leica Camera, Hexar RF, Leica M5, Leica CL, Leica R8, Leica M3, Leicaflex SL, Leica R9, Leica M8, List of Leica cameras, Leica M6, Leica Standard, Leicaflex SL2, Leica Digilux 3, Leica III, Leica MP, Leica M2, Leica M4, Leica X1, Leica Digilux 2, Leica M9, Leica Digilux 1, Leica M7, Leica 250 Reporter, Leica M1, Leica R3. Excerpt: Ur-Leica ("original Leica"), from 1914Leica Camera AG, a German optics company, produces Leica cameras. The predecessor of the company, formerly Ernst Leitz GmbH, is now three companies: Leica Camera AG, Leica Geosystems AG, and Leica Microsystems AG, producing cameras, geosurvey equipment, and microscopes, respectively. Leica Microsystems AG is the owner of the Leica brand, and grants licences to Leica Camera AG and Leica Geosystems. Reproduction of the Leica Prototype, 1913, 1:3,5The first 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 trips, the Leica was the first practical 35 mm camera, using standard cinema 35 mm film. The Leica transports the film horizontally, extending the frame size to 24×36 mm, with a 2:3 aspect ratio, instead of the 18×24 mm used by cinema cameras which transported the film vertically. The Leica went through several iterations, and in 1923 Barnack convinced his boss, Ernst Leitz II, to make a pre-production series of 31 cameras for testing in the factory and by outside photographers. Although the prototypes received a mixed reception, Ernst Leitz took the decision in 1924 that the camera would be manufactured for sale. The camera was an immediate success when introduced at the 1925 Leipzig Spring Fair as the Leica I (for Leitz camera). The focal plane shutter had a range from 1/20 to 1/500 second, in addition to a Z for Zeit (time) position. Because Barnack's concept for the Leica was to use a small camera, producing a small negative, to make a big picture by enlargement, ("small negative, large picture" concept) the camera needed high quality lenses to create sharp negatives. Barnack tried a Zeiss Tessar on his early protoype camera, but because the Tessar was designed for the 18x24mm cine format its coverage of the Leica's 24x36mm negative was inadequate. Barnack resorted to a Leitz Summar lens for his pr