Leica Camera AG will enter the film market next year with MONOPAN 50, a high-resolution, black-and-white 35 mm film developed to mark the 100th anniversary of the original Leica I. The ISO 50 film offers 36 exposures and is the first Leica-branded roll to reach retail shelves, reflecting the company’s roots in creating the 35 mm format for still photography in 1925.
Engineered and manufactured in Germany, MONOPAN 50 promises an exceptionally fine grain structure and resolving power of up to 280 line pairs per millimeter. Leica says the film’s super-panchromatic sensitivity extends to about 780 nm, allowing strong infrared response when used with color or infrared filters. The low ISO encourages wide-aperture shooting with fast Leica optics such as the Noctilux-M, Summilux-M, and Summicron-M, enabling shallow depth of field even in bright conditions.
Leica positions the new stock for landscape, architectural, cityscape, and travel work, but notes it can be processed in any standard black-and-white developer. Vintage-inspired packaging nods to early Leica film canisters while underlining the brand’s centennial observance.
MONOPAN 50 will reach Leica Stores and authorized dealers worldwide on August 21, 2025, at a suggested price of $10 per roll. The company says the film complements its Monochrom series of digital cameras by giving photographers a traditional medium that leverages Leica lenses’ optical performance in large prints and high-resolution scans.