A man inspects a camera lens, technical drawings lie on the table.

The Art of the Leica M-Lens

03/11/2021
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The whole is more than the sum of its parts

Peter Karbe

The M-System stands for exceptional photography - with M-Lenses playing an essential part in it. Each M-Lens has its very own character, just like the numerous people who work on it.

 

Peter Karbe perfectly represents this “non-quantifiable human element” at Leica. He and his colleagues at the department of optical engineering are responsible for the evolution of the M-System and the M-Lenses. They are laying the foundations so that new M-Lenses can be produced from a unique combination of high-technology and craftsmanship. At the Leica headquarters in Wetzlar, he gave us an insight into his work.

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"We are very proud of what our colleagues are creating here."

The properties of the M-Lenses are: compactness, light intensity, imaging performance and robustness. Each of these aspects has specific design requirements. It is therefore not easy to keep all four in balance.

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“An M-Lens is an investment with a future.”

All M-Lenses built since 1954 can be combined with any M-System camera. This mix of backward compatibility and longevity means that M-Lenses are being passed down from generation to generation.

Discover all M-Lenses

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“This challenges us to look for solutions that didn’t exist before.”

To evolve a lens also means to give it more power. But despite the higher imaging performance, the compact M-Lenses must not exceed a certain size - otherwise the entire system will no longer work.

Read the full interview with Peter Karbe

M-Photographers have a different perspective. Due to the shorter focal lengths of the M-Lenses, photographers have to take a different viewpoint to the action. As a result, their pictures become more dynamic and look like they were “torn from real life".

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“Creativity starts in the mind.”

The fast M-Lenses make it possible to use depth of field as a special design tool. The photographer learns how to set accents, direct the viewer's gaze and thus tell stories without using words.

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"The M-System educates photographers."

The M-System shapes the way the photographer sees the world. It improves his photography, just as a fountain pen improves his handwriting. Even though the M-System can be challenging at the beginning, after some time you won't want to go back.