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Leica Camera
Leica Camera AG (/ˈlaɪkə/) is a German company that manufactures cameras, optical lenses, photographic lenses, binoculars, and rifle scopes. The company was founded by Ernst Leitz in 1869 (Ernst Leitz Wetzlar), in Wetzlar, Germany. The name Leica is derived from the first three letters of the founder's surname (Leitz) and the first two of the word camera: lei-ca (LEItz CAmera).
In 1986, the Leitz company changed its name to Leica and moved its factory from Wetzlar to the nearby town of Solms.
Leica Camera AG is 55% owned by Austrian investment firm ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH and 45% owned by The Blackstone Group which licenses the Leica brand name from the Danaher Corporation-owned Leica Microsystems GmbH.
In 2014, Leica returned its headquarters and production facilities to Wetzlar, inaugurating the Leitz Park campus, which houses its manufacturing, research, and customer experience center. The company continues to focus on high-end camera systems, including the M-series rangefinder cameras, the Q-series compact full-frame cameras, and the SL-series professional mirrorless cameras.
Leica has also expanded its influence through collaborations with Panasonic, providing optical designs for Lumix cameras, and with Huawei, Xiaomi, contributing camera technology to the brand’s smartphones. The company maintains a strong presence in the luxury photography market, offering limited-edition models in partnership with brands such as Hermès and Zagato.
Despite increasing competition in the digital photography industry, Leica remains a prestigious name, known for its precision engineering, minimalist design, and legendary lenses such as the Summicron and Noctilux series. The company continues to appeal to professional photographers, collectors, and enthusiasts, preserving its legacy as a symbol of craftsmanship and innovation in photography.
In 1849, Carl Kellner founded Optical Institute (Optisches Institut) in Wetzlar, Germany. Here, 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. From the year 1907 to the 1950s, the buildings that formed Leica factory were built on Ernst Leitz Street in Wetzlar, and remained until 1986, when the factory was moved to the city of Solms. The Wetzlar factory was located on the opposite side of the administrative building of 1957 and formed a special urban architecture; it is upstream from the slope of Kalsmunt and forms a structurally attractive graduation from the skyscrapers to the ruins of Kalsmunt Castle.
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Leica Camera
Leica Camera AG (/ˈlaɪkə/) is a German company that manufactures cameras, optical lenses, photographic lenses, binoculars, and rifle scopes. The company was founded by Ernst Leitz in 1869 (Ernst Leitz Wetzlar), in Wetzlar, Germany. The name Leica is derived from the first three letters of the founder's surname (Leitz) and the first two of the word camera: lei-ca (LEItz CAmera).
In 1986, the Leitz company changed its name to Leica and moved its factory from Wetzlar to the nearby town of Solms.
Leica Camera AG is 55% owned by Austrian investment firm ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH and 45% owned by The Blackstone Group which licenses the Leica brand name from the Danaher Corporation-owned Leica Microsystems GmbH.
In 2014, Leica returned its headquarters and production facilities to Wetzlar, inaugurating the Leitz Park campus, which houses its manufacturing, research, and customer experience center. The company continues to focus on high-end camera systems, including the M-series rangefinder cameras, the Q-series compact full-frame cameras, and the SL-series professional mirrorless cameras.
Leica has also expanded its influence through collaborations with Panasonic, providing optical designs for Lumix cameras, and with Huawei, Xiaomi, contributing camera technology to the brand’s smartphones. The company maintains a strong presence in the luxury photography market, offering limited-edition models in partnership with brands such as Hermès and Zagato.
Despite increasing competition in the digital photography industry, Leica remains a prestigious name, known for its precision engineering, minimalist design, and legendary lenses such as the Summicron and Noctilux series. The company continues to appeal to professional photographers, collectors, and enthusiasts, preserving its legacy as a symbol of craftsmanship and innovation in photography.
In 1849, Carl Kellner founded Optical Institute (Optisches Institut) in Wetzlar, Germany. Here, 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. From the year 1907 to the 1950s, the buildings that formed Leica factory were built on Ernst Leitz Street in Wetzlar, and remained until 1986, when the factory was moved to the city of Solms. The Wetzlar factory was located on the opposite side of the administrative building of 1957 and formed a special urban architecture; it is upstream from the slope of Kalsmunt and forms a structurally attractive graduation from the skyscrapers to the ruins of Kalsmunt Castle.