Leicaflex: Leica Enters the SLR Era

By the early 1960s, single-lens reflex cameras from Nikon and Canon were taking over professional photojournalism. The SLR's through-the-lens viewing made telephoto and macro work practical in a way the rangefinder could not match. Leica, whose reputation rested entirely on the M rangefinder, needed a response.

The Leicaflex, launched in 1964, was that response — and it was late. Nikon had been selling the F since 1959. The Leicaflex was well-built and optically excellent, but its metering was basic and its feature set behind the competition. Leica worked through successive SL, SL2, and eventually the R-series bodies over the following decades, developing a capable R-mount lens library, but the company never recaptured the professional SLR market the way it dominated the rangefinder world.

For collectors, early Leicaflex bodies are interesting pieces of engineering history. The R-system was discontinued in 2009. Its lenses, however, are now adapted onto mirrorless cameras by a dedicated community who value the optical quality of Leica R glass at relatively accessible prices.