Leica Camera
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| Aktiengesellschaft | |
| Industry | Photography, Digital Imaging, Still cameras, SLR cameras, DSLR cameras, binoculars / monoculars, binocular telescope, laser rangefinder |
| Founded | Germany (1914) |
| Headquarters | Wetzlar, Germany |
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Key people
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Dr. Andreas Kaufmann (Chairman, Board of Directors), Oliver Kaltner (CEO) |
| Products | cameras, photographic lenses, binoculars and other optical equipment. |
| Revenue |
 € 365 million
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Number of employees
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1600 |
| Website | www |
Coordinates: 50°32′35″N 008°23′25″E / 50.54306°N 8.39028°E
Dr. Andreas Kaufmann (Chairman, Board of Directors),
Leica Camera AG (pronounced [ˈlaɪka]), is a German optics enterprise and manufacturer of Leica cameras. The company is known for rangefinder cameras though they have also produced viewfinder and reflex models. The earliest Leica prototypes preceded WWI, but marketing did not commence until the mid 1920s. The Leicas were innovative, by orienting the image frame sideways on the 35 mm film as opposed to the cine-camera tradition of across the film-strip. The cameras were compact with collapsible lenses, for hiking and biking. The rangefinder feature was added with the Leica II in 1932, and in that year both rangefinder and viewfinder cameras became available with interchangeable lenses. In 1933 the Leica III offered slow speed shutter controls and a fast 1/1000th shutter speed, and various iterations of the III (a,b,c,d,f,&g) series became the flagship models and best sellers into the late 1950s. Further iterations of the models I and II were offered, but did not sell well.
Prior to WWII Leica and competing Contax cameras from Zeiss Ikon were considered to be the finest 35mm cameras, but post-WWII the companies faced competition from Soviet and Japanese copies. Through the 1950s Japanse quality and innovation, along with low pricing, devastated the European camera industry. Leica emerged as the leader of high-end niche cameras, with the finest rangefinder cameras. However, the advent of reflex camera technology made rangefinders somewhat obsolete, leaving Leica the leader in a diminishing market segment. Despite never fully embracing reflex viewing or consumer digital production, Leica has remained a notable brand into the 21st Century.
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Wikipedia