{"id":11704,"date":"2026-09-04T05:03:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T03:03:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2026\/09\/04\/leicas-new-summicron-66mm-f2-is-a-tribute-to-a-military-lens-m-shooters-have-never-been-able-to-buy\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T05:03:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T03:03:17","slug":"leicas-new-summicron-66mm-f2-is-a-tribute-to-a-military-lens-m-shooters-have-never-been-able-to-buy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2026\/09\/04\/leicas-new-summicron-66mm-f2-is-a-tribute-to-a-military-lens-m-shooters-have-never-been-able-to-buy\/","title":{"rendered":"Leica\u2019s new Summicron 66mm F2 is a tribute to a military lens M shooters have never been able to buy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tThere will only be 660 of them made, which still makes it far less rare than the original.<\/p>\n

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When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Leica has announced the Summicron-M 66 F2, which it says is a \u201creinterpretation\u201d of one of the rarest M-mount lenses ever made: the Elcan 66mm F2, which was specially designed for the US Navy\u2019s use in \u201ccovert reconnaissance photography.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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According to Leica\u2019s press release, there were only around 200 copies of the original lens, designed by Dr Walter Mandler of Ernst Leitz Canada in the late 1960s, ever made. Its spy-centered origins also explain the odd focal length; it was designed to balance providing maximum resolution and contrast, without being too big. It\u2019s not hard to imagine why the US Navy and its allies would want that in the midst of the Cold War.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Leica<\/span><\/figure>\n

The new lens contains several references to its lineage. Leica says the aperture ring turns in the opposite direction from a typical M-lens \u2013 you twist it left to stop down, instead of right \u2013 and the distance scale is military-spec. It will also be a limited edition; the company is producing 660 of them, which will have their serial number engraved on the front ring. The first lens, 001, will be auctioned.<\/p>\n

Optically, the lens has 6 elements in 5 groups, and can focus on subjects as close as 1m (3\u2032 3\u2033) away. It has a 9-bladed aperture. Leica says that, at F2, it will have \u201cdistinctive\u00a0rendering\u201d with \u201csoft bokeh\u00a0and high contrast,\u201d while providing \u201cmaximum resolution\u201d when stopped down. You can see some samples taken by Mike Chudley and provided by Leica below, though it\u2019s hard to critically examine a lens\u2019s performance based on JPEGs that have gone through an unknown editing process. Thankfully, Leica has also provided MTF charts.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
Talking about the Hugo 66mm T2.1, Leitz Cine says of the original Elcan 66mm: \u201cWhile considered extremely sharp for its time, the images match remarkably well with the strong character of the modern day HUGO lenses.\u201d Strong character indeed.<\/figcaption>Leica<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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The lens weights 456g (16.1oz), and is around 60mm (2.4\u2033) long. It has a 49mm filter thread and, unlike some other premium Leica lenses, has a screw-on hood, rather than an integrated one.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the first reinterpretation of the lens that we\u2019ve seen. Leica\u2019s movie-focused sister company, Leitz Cine, sells the Hugo 66mm T2.1<\/a>, which is also based on the Elcan. However, that lens is designed for PL and L mount, is much larger and has geared focus and aperture rings designed to make life easier on a movie set.<\/p>\n

Leica says the Summicron-M 66 F2 will be available starting September 3 for $10,900. While that\u2019s a hefty sum for an F2 lens<\/a>, even by Leica standards, it\u2019s a pittance for what you\u2019d pay for one of the originals, assuming you were even able to find one (which is apparently no small task<\/a>). One went up for auction in 2020<\/a>, with a starting price of \u20ac40,000, though it ended up going unsold. Similarly, every listing of the cine version of the lens that I found had a \u201cContact Us\u201d button instead of a price, essentially saying that if you have to ask, you can\u2019t afford it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Manufacturer Samples<\/h2>\n
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Loading gallery\u2026<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Leica Summicron-M 66 F2<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Specifications<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\tQuick Specs\t<\/h2>\n
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Lens Type<\/dt>\n
Prime lens<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Zoom range<\/dt>\n
N\/A<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Fisheye<\/dt>\n
N\/A<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Perspective control<\/dt>\n
N\/A<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Macro<\/dt>\n
N\/A<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Mirror<\/dt>\n
N\/A<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Max format size<\/dt>\n
35mm FF<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Minimum Focal length (W)<\/dt>\n
66 mm<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Maximum Focal length (T)<\/dt>\n
66 mm<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Max aperture (W)<\/dt>\n
F2<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Min aperture (W)<\/dt>\n
16<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Aperture ring<\/dt>\n
Yes<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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No. of diaphragm blades<\/dt>\n
9<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Aperture actuation<\/dt>\n
Mechanical<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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No. of elements<\/dt>\n
6<\/dd>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
About the Author: <\/span>Mitchell started taking pictures at 10 and hasn\u2019t stopped since. It\u2019s been a wide-ranging adventure, spanning a wide variety of genres and locales, and occasionally dipping into fascinations with video and filmmaking. They honed their technical knowledge doing documentation, programing and QA, writing for The Verge, and just generally messing around on the computer to see what breaks.<\/div>\n
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