Some new lenses are designed to fill an obvious gap in a camera bag. Leica’s Summicron-M 66 f/2 begins with a more unusual proposition: bringing an obscure chapter of optical history into the hands of contemporary photographers.
Product photograph: Leica Camera AG.
An uncommon focal length returns
Leica announced the lens on September 3, 2026, as an addition to its Classic Line. It reinterprets the Elcan 66mm f/2 developed by Dr. Walter Mandler at Ernst Leitz Canada in the late 1960s. According to Leica, the original was commissioned for the U.S. Navy and produced in a run of approximately 200.
The new version retains the unusual 66mm focal length and an optical design based on its predecessor, with updates for modern production. Leica is limiting the release to 660 lenses.
Character is part of the attraction
Leica describes a rendering that combines contrast with soft background blur. Those are the manufacturer’s characterizations; they should not be mistaken for the findings of an independent optical test.
The handling details are distinctive, too. The aperture ring turns in the opposite direction from a conventional M lens, and the distance-scale engraving draws on the original design. Familiarity with another Leica lens therefore does not mean every movement will feel immediately familiar.
For a photographer, the interesting question is what this focal length encourages them to see. It sits between a standard 50mm view and the longer lenses commonly chosen for portraits, inviting a deliberate approach to working distance, background and the space around a subject.
A collector’s release with a photographic purpose
Leica announced worldwide availability beginning September 3, with a European price of €9,850 including VAT. Regional pricing and remaining stock will vary.
Scarcity explains the collecting interest, but it cannot determine whether the lens suits an individual photographer. The strongest reason to use an unusual optic remains the pictures it helps create. Prospective owners should look closely at representative image files and consider whether its field of view offers something they would actually use.
Source: Leica Camera AG, “New: The Leica Summicron-M 66 f/2,” September 3, 2026.
