Film made in Germany: Leica unveils Monopan 50 for Leica M6 and the like
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Leica I, which made 35mm photography acceptable in 1925, the camera specialist from Wetzlar has unveiled a new film called Monopan 50. As the name suggests, it is a monochrome film with a light sensitivity of ISO 50.
The very low light sensitivity is intended to not only enable finer grain, but also to allow photos to be taken in daylight with a larger aperture in order to achieve a shallower depth of field. Leica Monopan 50 is sensitive to light up to a wavelength of 780 nanometers, i.e., right into the infrared spectrum, which leads to greater contrast in landscape shots, as the sample photos below show.
Leica Monopan 50 is manufactured in Germany and is said to be particularly suitable for landscape, architecture and travel photography. Leica also recommends using it with its own color filters. It is unclear whether Monopan 50 is a new development or a new edition of an existing product; DPReview speculates that it could be Adox HR-50 since the specifications are almost identical and Adox already manufactures film in Berlin.
Price and availability
Leica Monopan 50 will be launched on August 21, 2025. The film costs $10 dollars per roll, placing it in the mid-price segment.
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