The Man Who Changed Leica

Almost anyone who has had their ear to the rail regarding photography, and especially Leica, is certainly familiar with Dr. Andreas Kaufmann.  Dr. Kaufmann is responsible for lifting up Leica and moving it to where it is today.  In 2004, Dr. Kaufmann and his brothers invested in Leica.  He candidly shares his early experiences in Leica, as well as the challenges that he and Leica faced early on.

Throughout the interview, you can tell how passionate Dr. Kaufmann is about Leica.  He has poured his heart and soul into Leica.  He’s responsible for building the Leica complex in Wetzlar, Germany, and the facility is really amazing with a new portion of Leica Park to open soon, along with a hotel and a very large educational facility. 

Dr. Kaufmann describes his vision of Leica as somewhere between two poles: traditional and revolutionary.  That is such a great description of where Leica is today.  You can see that many of the cameras are influenced by the cameras of the past, but with the innovations of today’s technologies. Leica sometimes does things because they think they should do it, which accurately describes the revolutionary aspect of Leica. 

During the interview with Dr. Kaufmann, I have to admit I have never met anyone who is so in touch with the products of his own company, as well as being so knowledgeable about the products being created.  The key here is that he also is quite aware of who Leica’s customers are, and throughout the years has never lost that understanding, thus producing products that the Leica enthusiast desires.

I’d like to thank Dr. Kaufmann for taking time out of his very busy schedule to sit down with me.  I look forward to picking our talk up the next time we visit.  I have been invited to the opening of Leica Park this fall, and I am also looking forward to my next visit to Wetzlar, Germany.

The Interview Video (37:15 min.)

Kevin Raber
March 2018