{
  "id": 3501026,
  "title": "Kamerahersteller: Wie sich Leica immer wieder neu erfindet",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/kamerahersteller-wie-sich-leica-immer-wieder-neu-erfindet",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-26T11:46:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/technik/it-internet/kamerahersteller-warum-fuer-leica-tradition-und-fortschritt-gleich-wichtig-sind/100218417.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Wetzlar, a city known for its glassworking skills since the 17th century, continues to refine lenses for various applications, from eyeglasses to camera objectives. Leica Camera AG, initially founded in 1869 to produce microscopes, has recently embraced a new technique that diverges from this tradition. At their Wetzlar production line, workers press glass blanks into specific lens shapes using tungsten carbide molds. This process, involving 700 degrees Celsius and high pressure over time, forms an aspherical lens shape calculated by engineers on computers. The first product using this technology is the Noctilux M-35, a high-performance lens priced at approximately 9,000 euros, reported Jan-Helge Staasmeyer, head of tool manufacturing. He emphasizes that the new lens is both lighter and more compact than its predecessors without compromising light intensity. The company's pricing and prestige reflect Leica's brand identity, known for compact cameras housed in leather and metal, and a photographic aesthetic that enthusiasts seek: high detail fidelity, precise color reproduction, and characteristic background softness. However, nostalgia alone is insufficient. To maintain this appeal, the manufacturer must continuously reinvent itself technologically, especially in an era where smartphones have become the primary camera for many. Andreas Kaufmann, a majority shareholder and chairman of the supervisory board through his investment firm ACM, acknowledges the necessity of developing the right products to preserve the brand's appeal. He adds that \"technological leaps\" are required periodically to achieve this.",
  "summary": "Leica hat eine treue Fangemeinde und stand trotzdem einmal vor der Pleite. Wie Mehrheitseigner Andreas Kaufmann die Marke immer wieder neu erfindet – und was er von Leica-Parfüm hält.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}