German brands all over the globe have always had an outstanding reputation in terms of high quality standards; the Leica Cameras are for sure no different in this regard. It is a German company that manufactures cameras, lenses, rifle scopes, microscopes, and ophthalmic lenses. The company was founded in March, 1914, by Ernst Leitz, after the company produced the first successful 35mm camera called the “UR-Leica”, which was invented by Oskar Barnack at Ernst Leitz Optische Werke, Wetzlar, Hesse, Germany. The first Leica Camera was intended to be a compact camera for landscape photography, particularly for mountain hikes.
Over a hundred years past since the first camera was produced by the brand, it is now one of the most well known and by far one of the best choices for professional photographers, or photography enthusiasts in general. However, as beautiful as the cameras are themselves, its history is also tale worth knowing. Until 1923, the company had to undergo several model iterations until Oskar Barnack could convince Ernst Leitz to make a pre-production of 31 cameras to be tested by professional photographers themselves. Although the prototypes of the camera received mixed opinions, Ernst Leitz decided in 1924 to go ahead and officially produce the camera in the market. This decisive step forward by Ernst Leitz turned out to be huge success as the ‘Leica I’ was highly appreciated and loved at the Leipzig Spring Fair.
Since then, the company has progressed greatly and has produced unavoidable trendsetting cameras and lenses such as, Leica Q2, Leica SL2, Leica M10-P, and many more. A lot of camera manufacturers now build models based on the Leica Rangefinder design, which include the Leotax, Nicca and early Canon models in Japan, the Kardon in USA, the Reid in England, and the FED and Zorki in the USSR. The company now has 10 plants in 8 countries, and distribution partners in over 100 countries.
Having known its accomplishments, a question often arises as to what has made Leica the brand it is today. It has consistently proven itself to have a superior built as compared to any other camera in the market, and has also repeatedly offered incredible quality glass for its cameras, making it the best in the industry. Moreover, it has been well known by photographers for creating unique photographs, in particular for the beautiful texture the camera produces of the unfocused regions in the picture. Furthermore, these cameras are very well built and feel great in the hand.
Although Leica cameras are comparatively more expensive than the rest of the cameras in the market, with the Leica M9 camera along with a 28mm f/2.8 lens costing approximately 8,790 Dollars, with what the camera has to offer to its users, it is for sure worth the money.
Adding on to what makes the brand such a good choice for photographers, it is by far the best choice for outdoor photography. Due to its light weight, with the Leica lens weighing almost 4 times and 5 times less as compared to a Canon lens and a Nikon lens, respectively, and the fact that the shots can be taken instantly rather than having to work with menus and electronic controls to set aperture and shutter speeds, makes its shots 10 times faster than any other camera in the market, thus offering 10 times the opportunity to capture the ideal and desired shot.
A few of the best Leica cameras in the market today according to CHIC ICON:
Leica Q2: This compact full frame camera offers its users a picture quality of 47.3 Megapixels. It has been beautifully engineered and offers superb picture quality.
Leica SL2: This mirrorless full frame camera is a tailor made choice for professional photographers. It offers its users a picture quality of 47 Megapixels, has got superb resolution, high speed continuous shooting, has got a video resolution of 4K, and has got a beautiful design and interface.
Leica M10-P: Although at the bottom of the list, this rangefinder full frame camera is certainly no less than the other two at the top, as it offers its users a picture quality of 24 Megapixels. Just like any other camera made by the brand, this one as well has a high quality construction, provides its users a quiet performance, and has got a classic rangefinder design.
