# List of Leica Camera models
Leica Camera AG and its predecessor, the [Ernst Leitz](https://www.edgepedia.org/ernst-leitz) workshop of Wetzlar, Germany, have produced a line of 35 mm and medium-format cameras since 1925, organized into successive systems: the screw-mount (Barnack) cameras, the M rangefinders, the R single-lens reflexes, and the current digital M, SL, Q, APS-C, S, and compact families.[1](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First model | Leica I, Leitz's first 35 mm camera in serial production, debuted at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1925[2](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en-US/years/1925) |
| First built-in rangefinder | Leica II, 1932[3](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en-US/years/1932) |
| Last screw-mount model | Leica IIIg, produced after the M bayonet series began in 1954[4](https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1217712) |
| M3 production | Around 83,500 cameras, including 1,500 made at Leica's Canadian branch in Midland, Ontario[5](https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/cameras/film-cameras/the-hidden-meaning-behind-the-3-in-the-legendary-leica-m3-revealed) |
| First digital Leica | Leica S1 (1996), a high-resolution scan camera with a Kodak CCD sensor[6](https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/news/these-are-the-cheapest-leica-cameras-that-you-can-buy-today-but-should-you) • [27](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en/years/1996) |
| First digital full-frame rangefinder | Leica M9 (2009); the M (Typ 240) was the first M with a CMOS sensor[7](https://leica-camera.com/en-BE/press/70-years-of-leica-m) |
| Current M flagship | M11 family (M11, M11-P, M11-D, M11 Monochrom) with a 60-megapixel Triple Resolution sensor[7](https://leica-camera.com/en-BE/press/70-years-of-leica-m) |
| Newest M model | Leica M EV1, announced 23 October 2025 as the first M-Camera with an integrated electronic viewfinder[8](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/2025-10/Press-Release_M_EV1_Oct_2025_enGB.pdf) |
## Screw-mount era (1925–1957)
The original Leica I was presented by the entrepreneur Ernst Leitz II at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1925, using 35 mm film to expose 24 × 36 mm frames.[2](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en-US/years/1925) In 1930 Leica launched its first camera with a bayonet mount and three interchangeable lenses, and the Leica II of 1932 added the first rangefinder, enabling fast, precise focusing; seven interchangeable lenses with standardized mounts were available at that time.[9](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/2025-02/Press-Release_100-Years-Leica-I_The-Debut-at-the-Leipzig-Spring-Fair_EN.pdf) The Leica III followed in 1933.[1](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en)
The III line was subdivided through the 1930s and 1950s into models IIIa, IIIb, IIIc, IIIf, and IIIg, all built around the same basic design: a small aluminum body with brass top and base plates, a horizontal cloth shutter, and bottom-loading film transport through a removable baseplate.[10](https://usedcameratracker.com/blog/leica-i-ii-iii-explained) Flash synchronization arrived late, only with the later IIIf models in 1954.[4](https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1217712) The Leica IIIg was the last of the screw-mount Leicas, manufactured after the M-series bayonet cameras had already been introduced in 1954; it has a more sophisticated viewfinder showing automatic frame lines for 50 mm and 90 mm lenses.[4](https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1217712) • [11](https://www.pentax-manuals.com/manuals/service/screw_mount_leicas.pdf)
## The M-System (1954–present)
The M3, presented at Photokina in 1954, set standards with its combined bright-line viewfinder and rangefinder and its bayonet lens mount; the "3" referred to the number of bright-line frames reflected in the viewfinder.[7](https://leica-camera.com/en-BE/press/70-years-of-leica-m) • [12](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/pm-54616-M-Broschure_2014_fr.pdf) Its framelines covered 50 mm, 90 mm, and 135 mm lenses and changed automatically when a lens was mounted.[5](https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/cameras/film-cameras/the-hidden-meaning-behind-the-3-in-the-legendary-leica-m3-revealed) The film-era M line continued with the MP (1956), M2 (1958), M1 (1959), M4 (1967), M5 (1971), the Leica CL (1973), M4-2 (1976), M4-P (1980), M6 (1984), M6 TTL (1998), M7 (2002), and a revived MP (2003).[12](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/pm-54616-M-Broschure_2014_fr.pdf) The M6 featured integrated exposure metering, and additional MP models were tailored to press photography.[7](https://leica-camera.com/en-BE/press/70-years-of-leica-m)
Digital M models began with the M8 in 2006 and the M8.2 in 2008. The M9 of 2009 was the first digital full-frame rangefinder camera, followed by the M9-P (2011), M Monochrom and M-E (2012), the M (Typ 240), the first M with a CMOS sensor and the first series-produced model without a window for illuminating the viewfinder frames, the M-P and fully mechanical M-A (2014), and the M10 from 2017.[12](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/pm-54616-M-Broschure_2014_fr.pdf) • [7](https://leica-camera.com/en-BE/press/70-years-of-leica-m) • [1](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en) The current M11 generation comprises the M11, M11-P, M11 Monochrom, and the display-less M11-D (2024), all built on a Triple Resolution sensor offering 60, 36, or 18 megapixels.[7](https://leica-camera.com/en-BE/press/70-years-of-leica-m) • [1](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en) In October 2025 Leica introduced the M EV1, the first M-Camera with an integrated electronic viewfinder, using the M11's 60.3-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and a 5.76-million-dot EVF.[8](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/2025-10/Press-Release_M_EV1_Oct_2025_enGB.pdf) • [13](https://leica-camera.com/en-int/photography/cameras/m/m-ev1-black/technical-specification)
## The R-System SLRs (1964–2009)
Leica's single-lens reflex line began with the original Leicaflex (1964–1968), which introduced the R bayonet mount, followed by the Leicaflex SL (1968) and SL2.[14](https://leica-journal.com/eras/r-slr) • [15](https://classic.leica-camera.com/en/Leica-Systems/R-System/Cameras/) Leica's United States website later announced the end of the R-series.[16](https://www.leica.pt/leica-a-history-of-success/?lang=en)
## Digital transition and the S-System
Leica's first digital compact line, the Digilux, appeared in 1998, and the D-Lux compact series followed in 2003.[1](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en) The M8 of 2006 was the company's first digital system camera, using a Kodak-developed CCD APS-H sensor with 10.3 megapixels.[6](https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/news/these-are-the-cheapest-leica-cameras-that-you-can-buy-today-but-should-you) In 2009 Leica released the M9, the compact X1, and the S2, the first model of the medium-format S-System.[1](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en) The S-System was conceived from the ground up as a purely digital medium-format line; the current Leica S3 carries a 64-megapixel Leica ProFormat sensor with sensitivity up to ISO 50000 and medium-format Cine 4K video.[17](https://leica-camera.com/en-US/photography/s)
## Current systems: SL, Q, APS-C, and compacts
**SL-System.** Leica introduced the mirrorless full-frame SL-System in 2015, combining photography and videography; the current models are the SL3, SL3-S, and SL3-P.[18](https://leica-camera.com/en-US/press/new-leica-sl3) • [19](https://leica-camera.com/en-int/photography/cameras/system-cameras)
**Q family.** The fixed-lens full-frame Q-Series also launched in 2015. The third-generation Q3 uses a Summilux 28 mm f/1.7 ASPH. lens, described by Leica as the fastest on a compact full-frame camera, and on 26 September 2024 Leica added the Q3 43 with a new APO-Summicron 43 f/2 ASPH. lens; a Q3 Monochrom completes the family.[20](https://leica-camera.com/en-US/press/new-leica-q3-43) • [21](https://leica-camera.com/en-US/photography/q)
**APS-C line.** The Leica T of 2014, milled from a solid block of aluminum, was the first camera of the APS-C system and the origin of today's L-mount.[22](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en/years/2014) It was followed by the TL2 and the CL, both announced with 24-megapixel APS-C sensors in November 2017 and both made in Germany.[23](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/downloads/146270/Press%20information_Leica%20APS-C%20System.pdf)
**Compacts and instant.** The D-Lux series has run from the original D-Lux of 2003 through the D-Lux 8, the current compact, which pairs a Micro Four Thirds 17-megapixel sensor with a 24–75 mm equivalent zoom.[1](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en) • [24](https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/best-leica-camera) Leica also produced the Sofort instant camera (2016) and its hybrid successor, the SOFORT 2.[1](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en) • [25](https://leica-camera.com/en-int/press/leica-celebrating-100-years-leica-i)
## Recent additions
The model list has grown quickly in the mid-2020s. The M11-D arrived in 2024, and one of the 100 M11-D "100 Years of Leica" anniversary sets is the millionth Leica M-Camera ever manufactured.[1](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en) • [25](https://leica-camera.com/en-int/press/leica-celebrating-100-years-leica-i) The Q3 43 followed in September 2024, and the M EV1 in October 2025 opened a new segment of the M-System.[20](https://leica-camera.com/en-US/press/new-leica-q3-43) • [8](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/2025-10/Press-Release_M_EV1_Oct_2025_enGB.pdf) Leica has also extended finishes across the range, giving the M11-P, Q3, and D-Lux 8 an in-house metallic-gray option alongside special editions such as the M11-P Safari.[26](https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/cameras/leica-debuts-metallic-gray-finish-giving-its-m11-p-q3-and-d-lux-8-cameras-a-classy-new-spin) Collector interest remains strong: in May 2011 a Leica built in 1923 sold at auction for $1.9 million, one of the most expensive cameras in history.[16](https://www.leica.pt/leica-a-history-of-success/?lang=en)
## References
1. [Leica Century Time Travel, Leica Camera AG](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en)
2. [Leica Century Time Travel: 1925](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en-US/years/1925)
3. [Leica Century Time Travel: 1932](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en-US/years/1932)
4. [Leica IIIg Camera with 50mm Lens, National Museum of American History](https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1217712)
5. [The hidden meaning behind the '3' in the legendary Leica M3 revealed, Digital Camera World](https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/cameras/film-cameras/the-hidden-meaning-behind-the-3-in-the-legendary-leica-m3-revealed)
6. [The cheapest Leica cameras you can buy in 2026, Digital Camera World](https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/news/these-are-the-cheapest-leica-cameras-that-you-can-buy-today-but-should-you)
7. [70 years of Leica M: tradition, perfection, innovation, Leica Camera AG](https://leica-camera.com/en-BE/press/70-years-of-leica-m)
8. [Next Milestone for the Leica M-System: Leica M EV1 press release (October 2025), Leica Camera AG](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/2025-10/Press-Release_M_EV1_Oct_2025_enGB.pdf)
9. [Leica is celebrating 100 years of the Leica I, press release (February 2025), Leica Camera AG](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/2025-02/Press-Release_100-Years-Leica-I_The-Debut-at-the-Leipzig-Spring-Fair_EN.pdf)
10. [Leica I, II, and III Explained: Every Model From the Original to the IIIg, Used Camera Tracker](https://usedcameratracker.com/blog/leica-i-ii-iii-explained)
11. [Section 12—The Screw-Mount Leica](https://www.pentax-manuals.com/manuals/service/screw_mount_leicas.pdf)
12. [Le Système Leica M fête ses 60 ans, brochure (2014), Leica Camera AG](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/pm-54616-M-Broschure_2014_fr.pdf)
13. [Leica M EV1 Technical Specification, Leica Camera AG](https://leica-camera.com/en-int/photography/cameras/m/m-ev1-black/technical-specification)
14. [The R SLR Era, Leica Journal](https://leica-journal.com/eras/r-slr)
15. [R-System Cameras, Leica Classic](https://classic.leica-camera.com/en/Leica-Systems/R-System/Cameras/)
16. [Leica – A History of Success, Leica Portugal](https://www.leica.pt/leica-a-history-of-success/?lang=en)
17. [Leica S-System, Leica Camera US](https://leica-camera.com/en-US/photography/s)
18. [New: Leica SL3, Leica Camera US](https://leica-camera.com/en-US/press/new-leica-sl3)
19. [Leica System Cameras, Leica Camera AG](https://leica-camera.com/en-int/photography/cameras/system-cameras)
20. [NEW: Leica Q3 43, Leica Camera US](https://leica-camera.com/en-US/press/new-leica-q3-43)
21. [The Leica Q Family, Leica Camera US](https://leica-camera.com/en-US/photography/q)
22. [Leica Time Travel Through a Century: 2014](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en/years/2014)
23. [Press information: The Leica APS-C System (November 2017), Leica Camera AG](https://leica-camera.com/sites/default/files/downloads/146270/Press%20information_Leica%20APS-C%20System.pdf)
24. [The best Leica cameras in 2026, Digital Camera World](https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/best-leica-camera)
25. [Leica is celebrating 100 years of the Leica I, Leica Camera AG](https://leica-camera.com/en-int/press/leica-celebrating-100-years-leica-i)
26. [Leica debuts metallic-gray finish on M11-P, Q3 and D-Lux 8, Digital Camera World](https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/cameras/leica-debuts-metallic-gray-finish-giving-its-m11-p-q3-and-d-lux-8-cameras-a-classy-new-spin)
27. [Leica Time Travel Through a Century: 1996](https://timeline.leica-camera.com/en/years/1996)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Communications and everyday technology › Phonographic and magnetic recording media › Phonograph and gramophone machines and origins › Phonograph machines and origins — overview*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
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