Leica: Centennial Lens Stories
Leica's Time Travel Through a Century was published for the company's 2025 centennial. The larger timeline places Leica products alongside a century of photography and world events; four of its chapters focus specifically on landmark lens families and the optical advances behind them.
Lens Milestones
| Year | Lens or family | Official article | Surface & Stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | APO-Telyt-R 180mm f/3.4 | Sharp-Eyed Newcomer | — |
| 1966 | Noctilux 50mm f/1.2 | Breathing New Life into Light and Shadow | — |
| 1959 | Summilux 50mm f/1.4 | Developed for Brighter Times | — |
| 1953 | Summicron 50mm f/2 | The Lens of New Beginnings | — |
The table names the first lens associated with each milestone where Leica's chapter discusses a family name rather than printing a complete model designation. Surface & Stop links are limited to the same historical generation, not a later lens carrying the same name.
The complete Leica centennial timeline also covers cameras, photographers, and the company's broader history.