The Leica I revolutionised the world of photography at the Leipzig Spring Fair a century ago. As the first series-produced 35mm camera, it opened up a whole host of new possibilities with its compactness and versatility. To celebrate this historic event of 100 years of Leica, six major anniversary events will be held around the globe.
Leica M11 100 Years of Leica “Wetzlar Germany”
The highlight of each event is the presentation of an exclusive Leica M11 special edition, engraved with the name of the city where it is held. Each special edition will be available in that country only, in a limited edition of 100 cameras. Now, to mark the anniversary celebrations in Wetzlar, the Leica M11 100 Years of Leica “Wetzlar Germany” is making its début.
The special edition has a range of unique features that make it a true collector’s item. The special engraving on the top plate spells out “Wetzlar” in combination with the traditional “Leica” script. Its glossy black paint finish, inspired by the historical M-Cameras, creates a distinctive patina over time.
The combination of silver-chromed control elements such as the shutter release, the on/off switch, and the ISO and speed dials are decorated with elaborate cross knurling — an unmistakable feature reflecting the individual story of every camera.
The Leica M11 100 Years of Leica “Wetzlar Germany” is available now in Leica Stores in Germany. The recommended retail price is €9,500, including VAT.
The Leica M11 100 Years of Leica “Wetzlar Germany” is now the fourth special edition, following anniversary events with product presentations in Dubai, Milan, and New York. More limited editions of 100 cameras are set to follow: “Shanghai China” and “Tokyo Japan”, due to début at anniversary events still to come in China and Japan this year.
100 years of Leica M11-D Special Set
This special set includes two lenses that are unique and historically significant: the Leica Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 ASPH and the Leitz Anastigmat-M 50 f/3.5 — a modern interpretation of Leica’s first camera lens from 1925, the Leitz Anastigmat 50 mm f/3.5.
This M11-D anniversary edition honours the Leica I, paying homage to the original 1925 model in terms of both design and materials. Its top and baseplates are crafted from solid brass and feature a high-gloss black finish.
The eyelets for a carrying strap have been omitted, along with the red Leica logo, in keeping with the design of the Leica I. The nickel-coloured anodised controls — including the shutter release, on/off switch and exposure time setting wheel — are made from aluminium and incorporate the Leica I’s classic cross knurling.
The conical collar encircling the shutter release, the semicircular shutter release button and the genuine leather covering with its notably textured finish — reminiscent of early Leica cameras — all incorporate authentic design elements from the original model. Additional refined details, including the “100” logo on the hot shoe cover and the white “Ernst Leitz Wetzlar”.
The D-Lux 8 100 years of Leica
The distinctive design language and nickel-coloured accents of the D-Lux 8 100 years of Leica edition pay homage to the Leica I.
The camera also features black leatherette covering, textured similarly to Leica M-Cameras, and incorporates a conical collar around the shutter release button as well as cross knurling on the camera’s top control elements. The compact camera’s minimalist aesthetic has also been refined by omitting the thumb rest, the model name engraving on the top plate and the signature red Leica logo. The “100” logo embellishes the hot shoe cover, serving as an additional stylish design accent.
Leica D-Lux 8 100 YEARS OF Leica RRP: £1,600 | €1,850 incl. VAT.
The Sofort 2 — 100 Years of Leica
A hybrid instant camera also features a distinctive anniversary design, incorporating exclusively elegant details. Available solely in black, the Leica SOFORT 2 100 Years of Leica presents details to celebrate the centenary, including a nickel-coloured lens cap, a sleek glossy black frame for the photo output and the distinguished “100” logo adorning the camera’s top plate.
Leica SOFORT 2 100 Years of Leica RRP: £425 | €495 including. VAT
The Trinovid 10×40 100 Years of Leica
The legendary Trinovid 10×40 binoculars are being reissued as a special edition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Leica I, with only 100 units available for purchase.
With hand-polished black anodised housing, premium and resilient leatherette covering, and nickel-coloured accents with cross knurling, it integrates harmoniously into the “100 YEARS OF LEICA” design concept. In place of the traditional red Leica logo, the “100” logo takes pride of place on the front of the lens barrel. A matching binocular bag and carrying strap round off this special set.
Leica Trinovid 10×40 100 Years of Leica RRP: £2,350 | €2,750 including VAT.
The Photo Book Celebrating the Centenary: 100 Leica Stories
The new “100 Leica Stories” offers fascinating insights into Leica’s history. Leica is showcased for its distinctive role in historical events.
The book features renowned Leica photojournalists, presenting some of their most iconic photographs. The stories behind the photographs are revealed.
Whether it is Henri Cartier-Bresson’s celebrated rendering of a man jumping over a puddle at Gare Saint-Lazare train station, Alexander Rodchenko’s “Girl with a Leica”, or Ilse Bing’s self-portrait, these images form an essential part of the 20th century’s visual legacy.
Yevgeny Khaldei’s historic depiction of the moment the war ended at the Reichstag in Berlin, Robert Lebeck’s poignant “The Sword Thief” marking the close of the colonial era, or Marc Riboud’s powerful anti-war photograph of a young woman facing down the American National Guard — the catalogue of remarkable historical moments captured through photography is extensive.
The book also includes images taken by fearless photographers who document catastrophes and environmental disasters: Sebastião Salgado’s haunting images of the burning oil fields in Kuwait, Marco Cortesi’s stark visual testimony from Chernobyl, and Dominic Nahr’s powerful reportage on the Iraq war all demonstrate the Leica’s unwavering role as a faithful recorder of history.
In a surprise extra, William Fagan’s “Swiss Roll” story, which appeared first in Macfilos and generated world-wide interest, is featured as one of the 100 stories of the century. We were disappointed that Macfilos was not mentioned in this episode in the book.
The book 100 Leica Stories will be released in Germany on 26 June 2025, and will be available internationally from 14 July 2025. It will be offered worldwide through Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store, the LFI Online Store and authorised retailers. The recommended retail price is £50.00 | €70.00. The British price is net, since books are not subject to VAT.
| Macfilos: The Swiss Roll Saga | Learn about the Leica Centennial |
| Leica Society International | The Leica Society (UK) |
| Leica Fellowship (UK) | Leica Cameras |
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Interesting that the Leica AG firm, which produces Leica cameras, owns the ‘Leitz’ name and not the ‘Leica’ name. I saw all of these new products at the Leica 100 Years Celebration in Wetzlar this week. Peter Karbe told me that the ‘nouveau’ Anastigmat has 4 elements, but the blueprints for the Anastigmat, which I have shown here several times, appear to show a lens with 5 elements in 3 groups. I discussed several other things with Peter including why 43mm with the most recent Q3? He also gave us a nice talk on rangefinders and he confirmed that the M rangefinder has not really changed since the M2. I will do a piece for Macfilos on the auction where some records were broken, most notably a new world record price for an M camera.
I am pleased that my Swiss Photos piece has appeared in the Leica Centenary book, but this was not a surprise for me as I was asked for material some time ago. However, I did not see the piece itself until I was handed a copy of the book last Wednesday. Be assured that the editors were told about the article appearing first on Macfilos and were given links to the relevant articles on this site. Don’t let this oversight put you off this book which is one of the best compendiums of stories on the history of ‘The Leica’ and ‘Leica Photography’ that I have seen. 8 editors and an ‘editor in chief’ worked on this project. Anyone interested in the history of Leica should have a copy of this book.
William
I thought the safari M11 was the last version Leica is going to pull out of M11 series, but I was wrong. I like the M11-d special version the best but it is not available on its own looks like and I’m not a 50mm primary user.
The absence of strap lugs is a killer for anyone who actually wants to use it rather than collect.
The knurling on the dials and aperture ring is truly gorgeous. Also the Leitz Wetzlar engraving on the M11-D’s shutter release.
Good ‘they’ bought the Leitz name a couple of years back!
The photograph of the D-Lux 8 100 edition is very curious. Has anyone else noticed that the zoom lever, concentric with the shutter release on the standard camera, is omitted? Since there must be a way of operating the zoom (unless they’ve gone ultra-wesentliche and decided the lens isn’t zoomable) they must have enabled zoom on the lens ring.
This is something they said they couldn’t do. Here at Macfilos we have heavily criticised Leica for hobbling the hitherto excellent step zoom and lens ring controls for the zoom. They said they had omitted these features in the interests of simplicity. I think they simply forgot, or (even worse) left the simplification job to someone who had never used the D-Lux 7 or previous models. I have asked Leica to comment on methods of operating the zoom on this special edition. Maybe it’s a manual push-pull job, as with “heritage” collapsible lenses.
Mike
Mike, when you look closely at the top of this camera, the letters W and T are visible, so if I am not mistaken one has to rotate the button in which the release button sits to be able to zoom in/out.
René
Thanks, René. I hadn’t seen. But, coincidentally, here is the reply from Leica PR which has just come it:
The zoom still functions the same way – you just push or pull the wheel towards the W (Wide) or T (Telephoto) to Zoom out / Zoom In. The wheel has grip so functions very well without the need of the lever on the standard D-Lux 8.
It seems to me that this arrangement is even more fiddly than using the lever. But don’t know if I will ever get the opportunity to handle this camera.
Mike