To commemorate the centenary of the Leica I camera, Leica has recently launched its first in-house 35mm black-and-white film—MONOPAN 50, paying homage to film photography. Since the debut of the Leica I in 1925, it has fundamentally transformed photographic technology and established the 35mm format as the industry standard. Although the film was primarily produced by other brands at that time, people still commonly referred to it as Leica Film.
This high-resolution Leica MONOPAN 50 film offers an extended sensitivity range, capturing a unique image quality that evokes memories of early 35mm film photography. The mono in its name stands for Leica's classic Monochrom digital black-and-white camera, while pan refers to the full-color specification, and the number 50 represents the ISO value.
The MONOPAN 50 boasts an ultra-high resolution of 280 lines per millimeter, combined with full-spectrum sensitivity to light waves up to 780 nm, resulting in exceptional sharpness and color reproduction. Its achievements resonate with the philosophy championed by Leica’s Oskar Barnack: small negative - big picture, a principle that also paved the way for the birth of the Leica prototype.
The MONOPAN 50, which features a low sensitivity of ISO 50/18°, pays homage to the early days of Leica photography. It's especially compatible with high-performance Leica lenses like Noctilux-M, Summilux-M, and Summicron-M, allowing for stunning wide-aperture shots even in bright light, creating that distinctive Leica bokeh effect. With its extended spectral sensitivity, this film is also perfect for infrared photography and boasts excellent filter response characteristics, enabling the use of Leica color filters to add striking contrast and dramatic effects to your photos.
MONOPAN 50, produced in Germany, is perfect for landscape, architectural, urban, and travel photography. It’s compatible with a variety of black and white developing agents, giving you greater control over the presentation of your images. The Leica MONOPAN 50 will soon be available at Leica boutiques and authorized dealers worldwide, with a suggested retail price of $108 HKD.
