The World Of Leica At The Leitz Park

[Leica Sport Optics]

Discover the legend – close enough to touch

The new Leica Camera AG headquarters complex at the Leitz Park in Wetzlar is another milestone in the history of the company. In February 2014, we completed our move to the ultra-modern manufacturing and administrative complex.

One of the exciting features of the new headquarters is that many parts of it are just waiting to be explored. You can delve deep into the history of Leica Camera AG, take a look behind the scenes of the legendary Leica factory concept and visit our constantly changing exhibitions.

World of Leica Experience

Leica has returned to Wetzlar, Germany’s home of optical engineering excellence, and warmly invites you to experience the Leica legend with all your senses at the new company headquarters in the Leitz Park. Just a 40-minute drive from Frankfurt, this fascinating theme park offers Leica enthusiasts, fans of photography and visitors from around the world exciting insights into the world of Leica. It is open to the public, is barrier-free and there’s no need to book in advance. The focus is on photography. The events programme at the Leitz Park offers exclusive exhibitions, talks and signings by internationally acclaimed photographers. In the new company building, visitors can look on as Leica products are manufactured and assembled. An exhibition of historical cameras, lenses and sport optics products, a Leica Galerie and a Leica Store, the works restaurant and a cafe are the perfect ingredients in making every visit to the Leitz Park a wonderful day out. Visit us today – we look forward to seeing you.

LEICA TOUR
Take a unique journey through the history of Leica. A guided tour of the Leitz Park and the World of Leica Experience takes around 90 minutes and lets you both discover everything about the history of Leica and experience the art of its production. It is your opportunity to enjoy a personal introduction to the World of Leica and the creation of Leica products. To take a look behind the scenes of lens production, camera assembly and how binoculars are made, closer than ever before.

LEICA GALLERY
The fascination of pictures
At Leica, pictures are at the heart of everything we make and do. That’s why the Leica Galerie is one of the high points of any visit to the World of Leica. Let yourself be inspired and carried away by constantly changing exhibitions featuring exceptional works by famous photographers and artists.

History can be written – or photographed. For 100 years now, famous photographers from around the world have been capturing once-in-a-lifetime moments with their Leica camera. Moments that remain unforgettable.

Perhaps the most famous of all timeless, iconic photos can be seen in our film. So go on a journey through time with Leica. With impressive pictures that you can rediscover every time you view them. And which you will never forget.

A picture is worth a thousand words – and yet can take our breath away. When it shows endless joy. When it documents unimaginable suffering. When it brings us closer to untouchable legends. Or when it saves the blink of an eye for eternity. With their Leica, throughout 100 years, photographers have been capturing such moments. And we have been looking inward for a moment.

On 14 August 1945, the day Japan surrendered in the Second World War, Alfred Eisenstaedt documented the feelings of joy experienced by an entire nation in just a single photo.

LEICA HISTORY
More than a century of milestones
Explore the past and present of Leica and optical manufacturing with the ‘Made in Germany’ seal of quality. In this exhibition, visitors will find milestones in the history of Leica products, rarities and collectors’ pieces, as well as a permanent display of Leica Sport Optics products.

Leica Gallery Wetzlar
At the Leica headquarters
For Leica camera AG, the move to the Leitz Park in Wetzlar is a return to its roots and a step into the future with new headquarters. The Leica Gallery Wetzlar has also made itself a home here, and is inviting visitors to explore the constantly evolving facets of the world of photography.

THE LEICA FACTORY
Take a look behind the scenes
Enjoy a view of our manufacturing and assembly facilities through one of the three panoramic windows. The Leica Factory manufactures lens elements, complete lenses and cameras. Touchscreens provide detailed information about the elaborate processes that go into the making of Leica cameras.

Experience nature – direct and intense

Whether you are a curious viewer or a committed nature observer – with Leica’s binocular line, your observations will be even more intense. Discover the benefits of our binocular lines including the Ultravid, Trinovid, Duovid and Monovid models, and experience maximum flexibility with our digiscopes. Capture the moment forever with our spotting scopes systems, as Leica is one of the few premium manufacturers offering all you need for digiscoping from one brand.

HUNTING
See more, experience more

Leica products are made for people who want to experience their environment with immediate intensity – rather than from a distance.

That’s why our homepage has become even more service-oriented and detailed. Find out which Leica product to choose for each type of hunting or read about the advantages of our riflescopes, binoculars and spotting scopes. What they all have in common is that they are built with exceptional craftsmanship to the highest quality standards and boast brilliant optics with precise mechanisms. They are capable of withstanding maximum stress and have been built to provide years of unrivalled high performance.

Leica Ballistics programme

The Leica ballistics programme performs calculations for the Geovid HD-B (including download of data), the ballistic reticles of the Leica riflescopes as well as the rapid reticle adjustment (BDC) of the Leica riflescopes.

This allows the calculation of the target range for almost any kind of ammunition, taking into account many parameters relevant for hunting, such as sighting-in distance, the height of the sight line, temperature and height. For Leica riflescopes with ballistic reticle or rapid reticle adjustment (BDC) you can calculate and print tables for distance as well as click value. In addition, you can calculate individual ammunition loads for the programming of the Geovid HD-B and download the data on a microSD-card.

BDC – Bullet drop compensation

The BDC lets you adjust the reticle to various shooting distances. Using the calibrations, the reticle can be set so that the exact impact point is guaranteed on the target. The BDC is easy to use and functions with absolute precision in all weather conditions.

Direct Dial
With a “direct dial ring”, Leica’s BDC works even more quickly and intuitively. Simply replace the standard engraved ring with a ring featuring range information, and start selecting the precise shooting distance. With 12 different rings to choose from, you can pick the best-fit one for your caliber and load.

 

[JGRaider]

Can you explain to us why Leica is the only alpha maker who commands premium prices for it's products, but does not offer a lifetime transferable warranty here in the USA?

 

[wesheltonj]

They are Leica, they don't have to.

 

[Ray B]

It's something to do with status. When I was in college a friend was in a photography class and used a Leica M3. She was short on time to complete her project so I dashed around campus with my Nikon FTn and shot a roll of film. She processed, printed and turned it in- getting an A. In a later quarter I took the same class, same professor, same style of photographs of the same campus, same processing and printing equipment. I got a B. The professor knew that the girl was using a Leica rangefinder while I was using a Nikon SLR (much less status). He never learned that the album she submitted wasn't taken with a Leica. So goes the vagaries of equipment status.

 

[rinehart0050]

I'm a fan of Leica products- they've always had impressive performance and quality.

The factory tour sounds interesting. any special coordination needed to organize a tour?

Thanks for sponsoring AH!

 

[wesheltonj]

While his reviews are generally looked down upon, this is quite amusing:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/leica/leica-man.htm

 

[Ray B]

Just read the review. Ha Ha Ha. the Leica Man. If he wanted the best, as it claims, he'd skip the Leica and get a Hasselblad.

 

[wesheltonj]

Just read the review. Ha Ha Ha. the Leica Man. If he wanted the best, as it claims, he'd skip the Leica and get a Hasselblad.

You know that Leica now makes a Medium format Camera to compete with Hasselblad. It comes with Leica lens, not those fake Zeiss lens that are really made by Hasselblad.

Personally, I love the Red Dot - own 9 Red Dot products, and 3 Zeiss.

 

[Ray B]

wesheltonj./ any with digital backs?

 

[wesheltonj]

None, still stuck in the film age. Only one Leica Camera, the rest are sports optics. With cameras 2 Nikons, an F and F4, Nikonos IV & V.

 

[Ray B]

I have a few digitals but if I'm serious about the photograph I breakout the Hasselblad and Nikons. It's disheartening that technology with digital cameras would have undermined the film & film developer industry such as it has. I used to be able to get 35mm film developed locally and had several options for the 120- now there're only a few options. Go to any event and what do you see? People taking "pictures" with their "phones". I suppose when "ray" guns are perfected to a hand-held shoulder fired size the old fashioned bullet and gunpowder implements we use now will become antiques.

 

[rookhawk]

Great optics. Truly terrible customer service, forecasting, supply chain, logistics, dealer support, etc. I own many of their pieces, each one has a truly pathetic "Leica is so incompetent" story on how it finally got to me in the end after months of years of delay.

If swaro makes the same product, go with swaro. Nothing comes easy from Leica.

And yes, when confronted with why a scope is 30 months delayed, gets fabricated in Germany, shipped to USA, outsource assembled, shipped back to DE for QA and then back to USA for sale....they say "cause we're the best, we're Leica". When they have no ETA,don't know where they are in assembly, have no forecasts and break every promise along the way "we're Leica, we don't rush things".

They act like they're Louis Vuitton but they forget that there are 3 equal competitors that don't have any of these hang ups.

 

[wesheltonj]

They act like they're Louis Vuitton but they forget that there are 3 equal competitors that don't have any of these hang ups.

No, they act like they're Hermes. And by the way, you can buy a Hermes edition Ultavid Binocular. I would love to have one, but after purchasing a Geovid HD-B two years ago, I think my wife would kill me.

 

[JGRaider]

I never see Leica stuff come into our camps anymore except for the occasional Geovid. Seems most hunters are spending their $$$ on Swaro binocs instead, for good reason.

 

[Leica Sport Optics]

Leica Geovid HD-B Tested By Thomas Schreder The Conservationist

 

[Leica Sport Optics]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1394317810623941

 

[fiocchi]

There's not a single scope from zeiss, Leica, Schmidt, Steiner, doctor, nickel or swaro I would buy, even if held at gun point!

The only one of remote interest is swaro z3 3-9x36 1" but their reticle is much too fine and a thicker duplex would have worked.

Modern scopes are just over engineered to the point where it just looks a pathetic desperate attempt at creating sales.

What these makers don't realise is that hunters around the globe actually 'do' know what makes a good hunting scope,,so can scope makers PLEASE start making hunting scopes again!

Around the lines of:
Gloss paint
No bdc
Number 7 or duplex
No illumination
Small diameter ocular housing
Solid steel turret caps with positive click tracking 1cm/100m
1" tubes
No overly long tapering objective lens housings
Fixed power: 4x32 or 4x36, 6x36, 6x42, 7x50
Variable: 1.25-8x32, 3-9x36


I thought Leica had a lightbulb moment when they released news of the er5 1.5-8x32, but it seems impossible to find for sale, it's also pictured with plastic turret caps and no offer of gloss paint. Moreover, it should really be 1.25-xyz X32 to be useful at the lower end.


Can anyone tell me, is it just leupold left with a sense of what constitutes a real hunting scope?

 

[Ray B]

What these makers don't realise is that hunters around the globe actually 'do' know what makes a good hunting scope,,so can scope makers PLEASE start making hunting scopes again!

Seems a bit presumptuous to imply that you speak for all hunters. There are hunters that prefer to hunt with equipment based on technology thousands of years old and those that seek the newest and most advanced. The sector that you claim is only a small portion of the entire hunting population. If someone chooses to use a scope based on 1970 era production, find; but that same person should not belittle those that choose a Robin Hood era long bow or a 2017 laser equipped scope sight. Each has their place.

 

[Dr Ray]

Seems a bit presumptuous to imply that you speak for all hunters. There are hunters that prefer to hunt with equipment based on technology thousands of years old and those that seek the newest and most advanced. The sector that you claim is only a small portion of the entire hunting population. If someone chooses to use a scope based on 1970 era production, find; but that same person should not belittle those that choose a Robin Hood era long bow or a 2017 laser equipped scope sight. Each has their place.

Personally I like 3-9x40 or thereabouts.
I have a Swarovski on my 270 sako and I find it okay but it takes a while to get used to the fine cross hairs and the bars to indicate holdover fir distance etc.
I would prefer slightly thicker crosshairs.
The new type of engineered scopes are great but much of my hunting required acting fast so using dials etc is totally out of the question on most occasions.