LEICA M Thefreedomtocapturethedecisivemoment. CONTENTS EDITORIAL 05 LEICACAMERAAG 06 LEICAHISTORY 08 LEICAREPORTAGE 10 LEICAM-SYSTEM 16 LEICAM9/M9-P 30 LEICAM7/MP 48 LEICAÀLACARTE 56 LEICAM-LENSES 58 LEICAM-ACCESSORIES 76 LEICAMTECHNICALDATA 84 LEICACAMERASANDSPORTOPTICS 92 DearfriendsofLeica, Unlikeanyothercamera,theLeicaMembodiesauniquelyindividualapproachtophotography.Itisandalwayshas beenanexquisiteinstrumentforenablingauniquevisualexperience,aninstrumentthatgivesphotographers freedomtocreate,whilealsomaximizingtheiroptionsforrealizingtheirownvisionoftheperfectpicture.The LeicaMistheidealcameraforcapturingphotographsthathavethecapacitytocapturetheinconspicuous, unnoticedaspectsoflife. SincetheintroductionoftheLeicaMrangefinderprinciplein1954,photojournalistsandphotographicartists haveinfluencedourimageoftheworldwiththeirdiscreet,fastLeicaMcameras.Rangefindercamerasareidealfor takingvibrant,authenticimagesofeventsastheyhappen,andtheseadvantageshavebeenexploitedbythemany photographersoftheworld’sfirstindependentphotoagency,Magnum,foundedin1947bylegendaryphotographer HenriCartier-Bressonandothers.Thenasnow,membersofMagnumbelievedthatphotographersmusthavea perspectiveintheirimagerythattranscendsasimple,clichédrecordingofreality. SoweareparticularlydelightedthattherelationshipbetweenMagnumPhotosInternationalInc.andLeicaCamera istodaystrongerthanever.Buildingonoursharedhistory,MagnumandLeicaarecollaboratingtoproduceaseries ofprojectsthatcontinueourlong-standingdedicationtoindependentdocumentaryphotography.Todaywe’revery pleasedtopresentoneofthefirstresultsofthiscollaboration,onthesepages. MagnumphotographerAlexMajolitraveledwiththenewestmemberoftheLeicaMcamerafamilytoVenice.There, hecapturedforusaremarkableportraitofayounggondolierandhiscity.Hisphotographstransformmomentsof timeintolivinghistory.Vibrant,authenticimagesoflifeasithappens,capturedwiththenewLeicaM9-P. Yours, LeicaCameraAG LEICAAPO-SUMMICRON-M75mmf/2ASPH.,ISO160,f/16,1/250s LEICAEDITORIAL I 05 LEICACAMERAAG Passionatephotography. OskarBarnack(1879–1936),inventor AdvertisementfortheLeipzig ofthefirstLeicacamera. SpringExhibition,1925. Left:TheLeitzOptics Belowleft:Theworld’smostlight-sensitiveasphericallens-theLEICA building,Wetzlar,Germany. NOCTILUX-M50mmf/0.95ASPH.Below:Leicaoptical-componentqualitycontrol. LEICAS2,themedium-formatprofessional digitalcamerathatsetsnewbenchmarks. AlexWebb,Nicaragua,PuertoCabezas,1992. TheoriginalprototypeLeica,of1913/1914. AnoriginaldraftbyOskarBarnack. LEICAM9,themostcompactdigitalsystem camerawithafull-framesensor. LeicaCamerasharessomethingwithcountlesspeoplearoundtheworld:aloveof,andapassionfor,photogra- sheerjoyofdocumentinglife,onethingbindsallLeicacamerastogether:theyallhelpthephotographertocon- phy.It’sthefascinationofcapturingamomentintime;shapingit,transformingitintosomethingtimeless,and centrateontheessentialsthatcompriseagreatphotograph.Eachoneisasmallmasterpiece.Leicacamerasare experiencingitagainandagainasauniquephotograph.ThisiswhathasdrivenLeicaforalmost100years:we compact,ageless,elegant,easytouse,andyetuncompromisingintheiroptical,mechanical,andtechnicalquality. createcamerasusingthebestpossiblematerialsandassemblethemmeticulouslybyhand,sothateveryLeica Theyaretheperfecttoolsforeveryonewhounderstandsthefascinationofphotographyandwholovesaunique deliversunwaveringreliabilityandqualityoveralifetime.Whetherit’susedprofessionally,artistically,orforthe photograph. 06 I LEICACAMERAAG LEICACAMERAAG I 07 INTHEBEGINNING,THEREWASLEICA Fromanideatoalegend. ShotinSantaMonica,California,in1955withaLeicaM3,“CaliforniaKiss”isoneofMagnumphotographer ElliottErwitt’smostfamousimages.CopyrightElliottErwitt1955,MagnumPhotos. 1849 CarlKellnerfoundstheOptischeInstitutWetzlar(WetzlarOpticalInstitute). 1865 ErnstLeitzjoinsthecompanyasapartner. 1913/1914 LeicaengineerOskarBarnackconstructsthefirstLeica. 1924 ErnstLeitzIImakesthedecisiontoproducethe35mmcamerainseriesproduction. ThenameLeicaforLeitzCameraisregistered. 1925 TheLeicaIwithanon-interchangeablelensisexhibitedattheLeipzigSpringFair. 1930 ThefirstLeicawithinterchangeablethread-mountlensesappearsonthemarket. 1934 TheLeica250Reportercanbeloadedwith10moffilmfor250exposures. Photographycannotstopthecourseoftime,butitcancapture,document,andinterpretitsfleetingmoments, preservingmemoriesofthosepoignantinstantsforeternity.Indeed,thetransformationofthetransitoryinto 1954 TheLeicaM3withbayonetmountandcombinedbright-lineviewfinderandrangefinderushersinawholenewera. theeternalisoneofthemainreasonswetakepictures.AndthanksinparttothepioneeringspiritofLeica,it 1965 TheLeicaflexisthefirstLeicaSLRtogointoproduction. isnowpossibleforeveryonetorecordtheirmemoriesconvenientlyastheyhappen.Itallbeganaboutacentury 1966 Aquantumleap:theLeicaNoctilux-M50mmf/1.2ispresentedatPhotokina. ago,whenOskarBarnackchangedphotographywithastrokeofgenius–designingthefirstLeica,asmall,robust, 1967 IntroductionoftheLeicaM4withasimplifiedfilm-loadingmechanismandnewrewindknob. easy-to-use24x36mmformatcamerathatpavedthewayforphotographyasweknowittoday. 1971 TheLeicaM5istheworld’sfirstrangefindercamerawithselectivethrough-the-lensmetering. 1975 NewglassesenabletheconstructionoftheextremelyfastLeicaNoctilux50mmf/1lens. In1954,thelaunchoftheLeicaM-System,withitsbrilliantcombinedviewfinderandcoupledrangefinder,opened upvastnewhorizonsinreportageandartisticphotography.Intheeyesofphotographers,aLeicaMhasalways 1984 IntroductionoftheLeicaM6withselectivemeteringandanLEDdisplayintheviewfinder. beentheperfecttoolforcapturingthefascinationofamomentdiscreetly,silently,withouthesitation,andwith 1998 AnnouncementoftheLeicaM6TTLwithTTLflashmetering. perfectimagequality.Indeed,unsurpassedimagequalitywas,is,andalwayswillbethekeyfoundingprincipleof 2002 TheLeicaM7debutswithaperturepriorityexposuremodeanddigitaldisplayoftheautomaticallydeterminedshutterspeeds. Leica.Everyinnovationanddevelopmentsincethenhasbeenmeasuredbythisstrictcriterion.Withthelaunchof 2006 Leicapresentsthefirst,digitalrangefindercamera:theLeicaM8. theLeicaM8in2006,anewerainthehistoryofrangefindercamerasbegan:theM-Systemwentdigital.Then,in 2008 TheLeicaM8.2islaunched. 2009,LeicasetafurthermilestoneindigitalphotographywiththeLeicaM9.TheM9isthefirsteverrangefinder camerawithafull-frame24x36mmsensorin35mmformat,andisalsothesmallestfull-formatdigitalsystem 2008 Leicapresentstheworld’sfastestasphericallens:theLeicaNoctilux-M50mmf/0.95ASPH. cameratheworldhaseverseen.ItisnoexaggerationtostatethattheLeicaM9isthemostsignificantLeicasince 2009 Launchoftheworld’ssmallestfull-formatdigitalsystemcamera:theLeicaM9. thelandmarkLeicaM3of1954. 2 011 LaunchoftheLeicaM9-P,thesistermodeltotheLeicaM9. 08 I LEICAHISTORY LEICAHISTORY I 09 LEICA REPORTAGE LEICASUMMICRON-M75mmf/2ASPH.,ISO320,f/2.5,1/125s LEICAREPORTAGE Themostromanticworkplaceintheworld. Onlythecallsoftheseagullsdisturbthesilenceasthemorningsunbeginsitsdailybattleagainsttheseason’s heavycloakofmist.TheinhabitantsofVenicecallthiscity“LaSerenissima”–afondandreverentialallusionto itsmedievalstatusastheMostSereneRepublic–andonthisMarchmorningitseemstostillbesleeping.But thisisn’ttrueforallofitsinhabitants.Balancedlikedancers,AlviseandhisfriendTobiaareintheirboat,rowingit forwardswithrhythmic,powerfulstrokes.TheyglidepastthebeachesofthelegendaryLidodiVenezia,perhaps themostglamorousbeachresortintheworldduringtheBelleÉpoque.Onceaweek,thetwofriendsmeetfora sessionofmorningsport,Venetianstyle,beforeAlvisemakeshiswaytohisworkplace,notfarfromthefamous SaintMark’sSquare. AlviseCatulloRagazzois22yearsoldandoneofaround700gondoliers,apartofVenetianlifeasessentialtothe cityastheGrandCanalitself.Atjust18yearsold,Alvisefirstenteredtheeliteandancientguild.Likeallother aspiringgondoliers,hehadtofirstpassthegruelingentranceexamattheScuolaGondolieribeforehecouldbegin hisone-yeartraining.Attheendofthetraining,amastergondoliercheckseachcandidate’ssuitabilitybefore allowingthemtotakethefinalanddecisiverowingtest.And,ofcourse,onlythebestmakeitthrough,asAlvise tellsuswithawink,butalsowithanoteofpride.Thegondoliers’licensetocarrypassengersisissuedbythecity ofVenice–asithasbeenforcenturies–andislinkedtooneindividualgondola. Top:LEICAAPO-SUMMICRON-M75mmf/2ASPH.,ISO320,f/10,1/125s;bottom:LEICASUMMILUX-M35mmf/1.4ASPH.,ISO320,f/1.4,1/15s 12 I LEICAREPORTAGE OnthewaytohishomeintheSanPolodistrict,AlvisecrossesSaintMark’sSquare.Atthismorninghour,itis practicallydesertedandbathedinagoldenlightthatrevealsallitsbreathtakingmagic.Alittlefurther,closeby theRialtoBridge,hemeetshisoldteacher,AldoPagan,foramorningchatintheCantinadoMori.Thisclassic Venetianwineandsnackbarhasbeeninexistencesince1462,anditshistoricinteriorcreatestheperfectambiance forphilosophizingabouttheartofthegondolier.Aldo,whoalsohappenstobethegrandfatherofTobia,Alvise’s friend,workedasagondolierfor43years.Nowheispassionateaboutpassingonhisknowledgetotheyounger generation.AmonghisstudentsisGiorgiaBoscolo,thesolefemalegondolierinVenice.WithAldo,theycan discussthefinerpointsoftheirvocation–suchasLaMadonetta,themostdifficultcurveinVenice’snetworkof canals.Forgondoliers,itmeansmaneuveringthegondolathroughaninety-degreeintersectionbetweenCanale diCapesaroandtheCanaledelaMadonetta,withonlyacoupleofcentimetersofroomattheprowandstern. TheholesinthewallsoftheCasaLaMadonettabearsilenttestamenttothedifficultyofthisoperation. Asalways,thetimewithAldofliesby.AndAlvise’sworkdaystartsearly,withthefirsttouristsalreadywaitingto fulfillthedreamofatripinagondola.ButAlviseknowsthathehasoneoftheworld’smostromanticworkplaces: arealVenetiangondola.ItbearsthenameAlessandra,afterhismother.AndlikeeachoneofVenice’s425gondo-