Leica cameras: photo, history

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

The legendary camera, which changed the idea of photography forever, is now simply called a “watering can”. It was the device created under the Leica brand that became the first unit in the world that expanded the horizons of photography. And it was this model that replaced the bulky booths with a black cape, which modern residents can only see in historical films. Oscar Barnack invented it, and if at that time he had not met Ernest Leitz, there is a high probability that the world would never have seen this brilliant invention. Many have heard about how good Leica cameras are, but the story of their creation is truly unique.

Creator biography

Oscar Barnak did not graduate from educational institutions, he did not have a higher education. He always dreamed of becoming a good artist. But at that time, the profession would not have brought him a decent income, so his parents strongly insisted that he receivemore "mundane" profession. The son listened to the advice and entered the local workshop as a mechanic. For many years after his studies, he traveled around Germany in order to gain experience and accumulate knowledge. But he could not forget the art and began to engage in landscape photography. But for this business it was necessary to have a heroic physique and good he alth. After all, in order to take photographs, you need to carry a lot of equipment: from the camera itself to the cassettes that were then used as film. So, wanting to continue doing what he loves and at the same time make it easier for himself, he began to think about building a lightweight camera. His plans were to create a unit that he could easily carry with him anywhere.

The story of the first lightweight camera

After meeting Ernest Leitz, Oscar received an offer from him to work for him in 1910. At that time, Ernest had a laboratory for optics and microscopes. Having shown his skills, the inventor immediately headed the department dealing with the study of video filming and cinematography. During this period, he was visited by the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a unit in which photographic film would be used instead of cassettes. Having created the first two cameras, Oscar presented one of them to his supervisor Ernest. Despite the fact that the boss and fellow inventor was simply in a state of euphoria from the gift he received, he was in no hurry to put the model into mass production. A significant event in history was just taking place - the First World War, in connection withthan the enterprise temporarily mothballed its work.

Resumed production only in 1924, and without delay, under the leadership of Leitz, the first Leica cameras are released. Ernest himself came up with this name, which stands for the abbreviation of Leitz and Camera. A year later, "Leica" was presented at the fair, which was held in the city of Leipzig. But people reacted to the novelty with considerable suspicion and skepticism, because in those days it was hard to imagine that such a small unit could produce a truly high-quality image, everyone was used to something completely different. But the doubts were short-lived, and by the end of the year more than one and a half thousand new cameras were sold.

First models released

The excitement cheered up the inventor, and he seriously thought about improving his invention. His imagination, experience and skills helped him design fifteen types of cameras with his own hands. The Leica Standard cameras were the first model with the ability to change lenses. After that, the Leica II, a small-format rangefinder camera, entered production. And after that, the world saw the Leica III model, on which it was possible to set any exposure time. In addition, Oscar also invented a new format of film, which was 24x36 millimeters and could be easily developed using a spiral tank.

It is worth noting that at first the cameras did not have a label, but the name of the owner of the laboratory. Although in 1936Oscar died, the popularity of his invention did not decrease at all. But the peak of popularity of this camera fell at the end of the fifties. It was then that the most perfect and wonderful model Leica M3 was released. At least that's what connoisseurs of this technique and collectors think.

Leitz's contribution to brand value

Leitz was very serious about the invention of his friend, and therefore never stinted in financing the project and always looked for the best specialists to continue this work. He himself made sure that his workers had excellent eyesight, because all the models were assembled exclusively by hand. In this regard, the company was almost always the only one of its kind, and the brand had no worthy competitors. Thanks to the skills of Ernest Leitz, conventional Leica cameras have evolved into a range of legendary reference cameras for all time. He not only produced general models, but also customized cameras specifically for the needs of each profession. So, there was one model for the military, another for reporters, and a third for astronauts. There were also exquisite cameras, which are now very much appreciated by collectors - they had a gilded body and lizard skin inserts. In 2013, a 1955 model was presented at one of the auctions, and it was bought for $ 2 million.

The most famous Leica models

Many famous personalities have a model of this legendary camera in their collection. Leica compact cameras are simply indispensable for connoisseurs of true photo masterpieces. For example, Henri CartierBresson has "Leica" number 750,000. "Leica" number 980,000 is in the possession of US President Eisenhower. And Queen Elizabeth II has a model with her initials in her collection. The most famous photographs such as "Kiss in Times Square", "Portrait of Che Guevara", "Banner over the Reichstag" and much more were filmed with the help of cameras released by Leitz.

Most Wanted Contemporary Model

At the moment, the number of products created under the Leica label is practically uncountable. Despite almost a century of history, the company has not only not reduced production, but continues to delight its fans with interesting models. Leica cameras continue to expand the list of released models.

As, in principle, everything else, the company smoothly switched from film to digital photography. And this is not surprising. Modern people have ceased to appreciate film cameras. Plus, no one is interested in paper photography anymore, everything is now spinning on the Internet. And with conventional film, uploading a photo to a hard drive is not so easy. Therefore, Leica film cameras have lost their former popularity.

"Digital" or film

"Digital" provides many advantages and greatly simplifies the use of photography. In addition, with its help, you can instantly see the final result, and not wait for the development of the film and not worry that the image will lose its quality during scanning. But all the same, digital photography offers, rather, a conveyortaking pictures, no one cares about the beauty of one frame anymore, moreover, no one is interested.

After all, you can take a dozen pictures at once with a digital camera, and at least one of them will definitely be of high quality. At the same time, the legendary company is still trying to do everything so that the beauty and genius of the shots matter to photographers. That is why the most sought-after Leica M Monochrom was created.

Leica M Monochrom

Now no one remembers that before cameras could only take black and white photos. The modern market is simply filled with color units, so it was a shock for everyone when Leica's new masterpiece came out - the M Monochrom SLR camera. This is a modern digital camera that takes exclusively black and white pictures. Why make a model that does not have standard color functions?

It's very simple: the company is still the most legendary and most revered among amateur photographers. For many years, her priority was not only the quality of the images, but also the importance of each individual frame. And by making a unique black and white model, they only emphasize the importance of the beauty of the captured frame. But that is why Leica cameras are gaining not only positive, but also negative reviews, because many modern consumers do not understand the meaning of this masterpiece of photographic equipment.

Appearance

In appearance, Leica digital cameras of this model are not much different from their ownpredecessors. Except now the frame rewind coil has disappeared, and a digital memory card is being installed instead of the film. In addition, this model is still compact and convenient. And, as in the old days, many believe that in such a small body it is impossible to fit truly high-quality components that allow you to take excellent large-scale shots. But as always, Leica is amazing and makes the impossible possible.

Functionality

The Leica M Monochrom does not include anything that the modern consumer is used to seeing. It does not have a built-in flash, you can’t shoot a video on it, you can’t set autofocus during shooting, and you can’t even do high-speed burst shooting. On this Leica camera, you can only take photos in black and white and only with manual sharpening. This full-frame rangefinder camera is not for everyone, because it needs to be felt, creative and ingenious masterpieces need to be created with it. It is not at all suitable for ordinary clicking frames just like that. This camera does not systematically turn pictures into black and white, its matrix is in principle not capable of perceiving color, therefore, even after placing a photo in common photo editors, working with color will be impossible.

Externally, the model has no identification marks, no series, no logo, but at the same time it is immediately recognized by connoisseurs. After all, it is made of black metal, black plastic and black volcanic leather. Everything is simple, elegant, excellent. The viewfinder, which is located on the front, does not havemodern bells and whistles, it is standard, optical. The only change is the display of the shutter speed value on it.

Using the Leica M Monochrom

The shooting principle remains the same. To catch a frame, you need to look into the lens, manually focus and press the button. It is worth noting that the sharpness ring moves very smoothly and without problems. A pleasant element is the sound emitted by the camera during shooting, it is still unique and no different from other Leica models. This camera is perfect for street, non-staged photography, just like the old days.

After all, this company produced equipment that was so loved by war correspondents and newspaper photographers. It is also worth paying attention to the lack of noise even at high ISO values. In short, this camera is designed to please real photographers who can appreciate every frame. Therefore, when wondering which Leica camera to choose, think about why you need it at all and what you will do with it.