The Leica M camera will be 70 years old next year: the Leica M mount was introduced in 1954 with the Leica M3 (Wikipedia). Going even further back in time: in 1923, Barnack convinced Ernst Leitz II to make a preproduction run of 31 cameras to test. In 1924 Ernst Leitz decided to produce the camera. The official introduction was at the 1925 Leipzig Spring Fair as the Leica I (for Leitz camera). This makes 2024 an even more important year for Leica (Wikipedia).
Here are the first rumors on what to expect next year:
- Leica is planning a major release for the next generation of M cameras to coincide with 70 years of the platform, so don’t expect anything major to be announced until next year (2024).
- Three cameras will be released in a variety of finishes, including one that has never been used before.
- The 70th-anniversary event will also mark the release of the next generation of Leica watches.
- Thanks to the success of their line of legacy lenses and the newly released Leica M6, the company is now considering new designs based on pre-M cameras but with M-mounts.
Previous coverage on the history of Leica can be found here:
History of Leica (video) and “20 fascinating facts you didn’t know about the camera maker”
The history of Leica: from 35mm rangefinder camera to the Huawei P20 triple lens smartphone
