Leica is releasing a revamped version of one of its classic Cold War “spy lenses” for the first time since the original lens was originally launched 60 years ago.
The Summicron-M 66 f/2 lens was originally released by Leitz Canada as the Elcan 66mm f/2 in the late 1960s and primarily used by the US Navy and other militaries and intelligence agencies.
Only 200 examples of the lens were ever made.
Leica said the new lens is based on the original’s design but has been “optimised and adapted to meet today’s standards”.
The Summicron-M 66 f/2 is being produced in a limited run of only 660 copies.
Leica said in a press release: “Originally designed at Ernst Leitz Canada for the US Navy by Dr Walter Mandler in the late 1960’s, only around 200 units of the Elcan 66mm f/2 were produced, making it one of the rarest lenses in the Leica M-System, and giving it special optical and historical significance. To honour this lens, Leica Camera AG is presenting a reinterpretation of it by expanding its Classic Line with the new Summicron-M 66 f/2.
“Even before the Elcan 66 mm f/2, Dr Mandler was already regarded as a leading authority in optical design, having developed a bespoke lens for covert reconnaissance photography in response to a US Navy commission. According to Dr Mandler, head of development and vice-president of Ernst Leitz (Canada) Ltd in Midland, Ontario, at the time: ‘The Naval Intelligence Service wanted a lens that looked like any other but delivered an unparalleled level of resolution.’
“The unusual focal length of 66 mm was no coincidence, but rather the result of striking a precise balance between maximum resolution, fine contrast rendition and a compact design. This extraordinary, rare spy lens, with a purely military history, embodies one of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the Leica M.
“Historical accounts also suggest that equipment of this type found use beyond its original US Navy commission, among Western allied partners during the Cold War. Many Elcan 66mm f/2 lenses are also associated with the Leica KE-7A, the special military variant of the Leica M4. Together, camera and lens formed compact sets for discreet photography in situations where exceptional detail was essential.”
Such was the lens’s specialist nature that were originally “supplied with an instruction manual that explained how to destroy the camera and lens in the event of capture”, Leica said.
“Striking in retrospect, this detail reflects the sensitivity of the assignments for which the equipment was created, while the lens itself remains remarkable for the optical performance that made such use possible.”
The Summicron-M 66/2 is available to order now and will cost £8,410 in the UK.
The first example of the lens, with the serial number 001, will be auction at the Leitz Photographica Auction in Wetzlar, Germany, in November.
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