| When the optics company from Wetzlar in Hesse brought its first 35 mm camera onto the market in 1924, the compact, reliable device was an instant success and soon went into large-scale production. It marked the birth of a new genre in photography and the Leica became a legend. The highly accurate lens made it a highly prized camera for professionals and ambitious hobby photographers. But when digital cameras began their world-wide conquest a decade ago, Leica stuck to film. That decision put the company in financial difficulties. But recently it has entered the digital business. Under its owner and new CEO, Austrian entrepreneur Andreas Kaufmann, Leica is focussing on new markets and target groups for a profitable future, as Andreas Hewel reports. |
