Announcement suddenly
LEICA CAMERA AG announced that they launch 135 ( 35mm ) black and white monochrome film named MONOPAN 50 in Aug 2025. 2025 is the 100 anniversary year for Leica. It is the 1st time for us to hear about Leica brand analogue film.
In SNS, the rumor has it that the film might be repackaged HR-50 by ADOX. It means OEM supply. Then the price must be relatively higher than ADOX’s…..
So …. I shouldn’t buy MONOPAN 50 but ADOX HR-50? …… Yes, I would like to buy both MONOPAN 50 and ADOX HR-50. Because I fully respect both companies who kept Analogue film culture.
In follow Youtube Video by Mr.Jamie Keith show the visiting scene at Leitz Park. One of the interest thing of this video is that we can see the lab tour scene of Darkroom. Yeah, I understood that Leica Camera AG is also using Jobo as film development tank. Then, of course, the enlargers are Focomat. Then at the 1st portion of this video, Keith-san is showing the instruction print of film paper box. The way of writing is look like very resemble ADOX’s. But in the print, the listed apartures are 0.95, 1.4, 2.0 and 2.8. Yes, from these figures, I imagine Noctilux, Summilux and Summicron.
Even if the price is higher, after they really launch, I surely buy MONOPAN 50. My home’s location is walking distance from Leica Store Kyoto. Therefore I asked them if Japan citizen also can locally buy the new film or not. In last weekend, they didn’t provide me the clear answer, just saying, “The plan in Japan is not clear yet. When available, we inform.”
Why I want MONOPAN 50?
Even if higher price, ( even if OEM supply from ADOX, although it is still rumor base at this moment in July 2025 ), why I want to get it?
Analogue Leica M
The 1st reason is that I respect LEICA always and still continue the usage of Leica M3 as the partner of weekend photo walk and travel. In my case, I was falling love into the taste of Black and White monochrome photography world in 2009. Then I purchased the used Leica M3 in 2011. I came across a lot of monochrome photograph in the world, shooting with B&W film by myself too. In that time, majority of professional photographers are changing the job tools from Analogue to Digital. The film price is going higher and higher. Analogue camera price at used camera stores are going down and down. This situation seemed to be very good, since the analogue photo shooting fan as beginner can collect various tools for darkroom with reasonable price. So I gradually seriously enjoy the analogue camera shooting and printings in darkroom which was weekend lab at bathroom. But recently Canon and Nikon, Japan’s major camera producers completely stopped the production of film camera. The film price reached quite higher range, which young analogue film camera fans can’t buy easily with their pocket money. Actually I also use Digital Cameras, Leica M11 Monochrom and Nikon Z7II. But I never forget about Leica M3 and Hasselblad 503CX. Still I enjoy the shooting with them and darkroom operation at my home lab. However many of Camera fan left from analogue photography world. Even a lot of people don’t buy the digital camera any more. Just shot with smart phone. During such situation, LEICA CAMERA AG announced nice new sales of 35mm film. Yes, I’m very excited about this nice news now.
I’m 59 years old now. 10 years ago, I thought that I was in final generation which we could enjoy both digital and film camera with limited variation and supply source of film. Even I predicted I might be not able to enjoy film camera shooting after 2025, since almost all analogue film makers was disappearing from the market.
Then nowadays, LEICA CAMERA AG still keeps the sales of analogue Leica M series, keeping that’s quite iconic M design. Respect….. Only this word remains in my case.
To set with Focomat
The 2nd reason is that I’m still keeping darkroom to enjoy printing with the traditional fiber based printing papers and Multi-grade filters. I really like the printing process with fiber based baryta printing paper. Shoot with Leica M3. Develop the film by myself. Create the print with Focomat I, II or Valoy II at my home darkroom. Then I put the printings on the wall in the living room of my home or join some Photo Exhibition. Such wet processing is really nice as weekend healing. It was not so easy to collect the enlargers of Leitz, which can still work well. I took over 10 years to get these 3 enlargers with good condition. Then now Leica Camera AG announced about MONOPAN 50 in the ongoing Digital cameral majority market situation. I’ve never imagined that the day, I can enjoy Camera, Film and Enlarger all from Germany, will come soon.
Therefore the 1st B&W 35mm film sales this time in the long history of Leica Camera AG is really fantastic and big surprise. I don’t mind if the film is OEM supply from ADOX or own. Important thing is that we can meet the obviously 1st 35mm Leica Brand B&W film.
Can’t wait till Aug 2025
Once I heard about the new sales of MONOPAN 50 as of Aug 2025, it is no longer possible to endure till the release date. Yes, now I would like to try the shooting and developing the film!! I don’t have any experience to shoot with ISO 50 film till now. I have shot with ILFORD Delta 100 & 400 Pro., Kodak TRI-X400, NEOPAN Across 100 and 100II, ADOX Silvermax 100, etc. As the practice before I buy the new film of Leica, I’m practicing with ADOX HR-50. I’ve never used such ISO 50 super-panchromatic film with high resolution and ultra-fine grain. Now I would like to say to myself, “Why you’ve never noticed about such nice film?”
The 1st trial with ADOX HR-50
Put the roll of HR-50 into my Leica M3.
We go along Kamogawa river near my home in the morning time under sunshine.
The 1st trial – with Yellow, Orange and Red filter
Then I shot the scene with filter and without filter. The filters are MC-Y2, MC-YA2 and MC-R2 The results are here. During the test, I checked with the exposure meter, Gossen Starlite2 and Gray card. It’s was morning time, the measurement result on Gray card and Gray tile room along the river was both same: f 8.0, 1/125sec as ISO50, regarding this measurement result as +/-0EV.
Film development condition with ADOX HR-DEV: 22deg.C (1+49) 11min
I thought that I can see more difference of the contrast on the sky aspect. But this time, the difference is not so strong. On this point I would like to reconfirm in other scenes.
Shooting example
In the remaining portion of the 1st roll of ADOX HR-50, I enjoyed the shooting along Kamogawa River. Here is the examples;
Furthermore trial plan with MONOPAN 50 and HR-50
- Shooting test with R72 filter
- Enjoy shooting in Kyoto and Hokuriku
- Printing with Focomat or Valoy II
- Film development with other developers instead of ADOX HR-DEV
To the next generation
I don’t know yet the serious intention of LEICA CAMERA AG. But, in my personal feeling, I want to believe that Leica intend to pass on the film camera and photography culture to the next generation. Yes myself also want that people after 100… 500… 1000 years later, they still see fine photograph taken with film camera. We still see analogue Leica M. The degree of my contribution might be very small. But in case of film, yes, I still can continue the contribution to use it and create the print from them.
