Summicron-M 66 f/2, black anodized finish

A secret, finally revealed.

The Leica Summicron-M 66 f/2 brings one of the most intriguing lenses in Leica history into the present. Its story begins in the late 1960s, when Dr Walter Mandler developed the Elcan 66 mm f/2 for a classified US Navy commission. Built for discreet reconnaissance and produced in a run of only around 200 examples, the original was designed to combine exceptional resolution with a fast aperture and a remarkably compact form.

Now reinterpreted for the Leica Classic Line, this strictly limited M-Lens preserves the unusual 66 mm focal length and distinctive character of its predecessor while updating the optical and mechanical design for contemporary photography. The result sits beautifully between a standard lens and a classic portrait focal length, delivering natural perspective, gentle compression and precise subject separation.

Why you’ll love it

• A truly distinctive 66 mm perspective: enjoy a natural-looking field of view with a subtle telephoto effect—ideal for portraiture, reportage and considered everyday photography.
• Beautiful rendering at f/2: the wide maximum aperture combines high contrast with soft, harmonious bokeh, helping your subject stand clearly away from the background.
• Exceptional detail when stopped down: outstanding resolution reveals fine texture and structure, making the lens equally compelling for architecture, landscape work and close observation.
• Reinterpreted from a legendary Elcan: its optical concept draws on the extremely rare 66 mm lens designed by Dr Walter Mandler for covert US Navy reconnaissance in the late 1960s.
• Limited to 660 lenses worldwide: every lens carries its own three-digit special-edition number on the front ring and is supplied with a certificate of authenticity.
• Authentic mechanical details: the aperture ring turns in the opposite direction to a standard M-Lens, while the distance-scale layout and refined engravings recall the military original.
• Compact, all-metal construction: precision-made in Germany, the lens measures approximately 60.1 mm long and balances naturally on a Leica M camera.
• Made for the M-System: the Leica M bayonet includes 6-bit coding, with straightforward manual focusing from 1 m to infinity.

66 millimetres, by design

The original lens’s unusual focal length was not chosen for novelty. It was the optical solution to a demanding brief: maximum resolving power, a bright f/2 aperture and a compact, unobtrusive body. At 66 mm, the Summicron-M offers a fresh photographic space between the familiar 50 mm and 75 mm perspectives—close enough to feel intimate, yet with just enough compression to bring calm and focus to the frame.

History in every detail

The front ring carries the current optical calculation number B1047, the material number and the lens’s individual special-edition number, echoing the coded engravings of the historic Elcan. A small ‘60’ marking on the barrel continues another precision-optics tradition: it denotes the individually measured actual focal length of 66.0 mm.

Specifications

What’s in the box?

• Leica Summicron-M 66 f/2 lens
• Lens cap
• Rear lens cap
• Screw-on lens hood
• Certificate of authenticity

A rare chapter of Leica history, reinterpreted for today. Strictly limited to 660 individually numbered lenses worldwide.