Leica Introduces MONOPAN 50 Super-Panchromatic B&W Film

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Leica I and its pioneering role in establishing the 35mm format, Leica Camera is releasing its first-ever branded 35mm film. Leica MONOPAN 50 is an ultra-fine-grain, super-panchromatic black-and-white film offering exceptional resolution, tonal range, and creative flexibility. MONOPAN 50 with be available starting in late August, but Leica has been nice enough to provide a large variety of sample images and details on the film ahead of release.

Ultra-Fine Grain and High Resolution

MONOPAN 50 delivers an exceptional resolution of up to 280 line pairs per millimeter, designed to pair perfectly with Leica’s high-performance lenses. This makes it ideal for fine art printing, large-format enlargements, and high-resolution scanning.

Super-Panchromatic Sensitivity with Infrared Capability

With extended spectral sensitivity reaching up to 780nm, MONOPAN 50 is highly responsive not just to visible light, but also to near-infrared wavelengths. Throw on an IR filter and try it out for landscape, architectural, and creative infrared photography.

Creative Flexibility with Filtration

With its extremely wide spectral sensititivy MONOPAN 50 is optimized for use with a full range of color filters — including yellow, orange, red, green, and blue. Add a contrasty punch with an orange or red filter, or lighten up foliage with a green.

Classic Aesthetic with Modern Precision

The ISO 50 speed encourages wide-aperture shooting, allowing photographers to take full advantage of Leica lenses such as the Noctilux-M, Summilux-M, and Summicron-M in bright conditions. Beautifully rendered depth of field and the signature Leica look — even on film.

Designed for Leica Lenses

True to Oskar Barnack’s vision of “small negative — big picture,” MONOPAN 50 is engineered to maximize the optical performance of Leica M lenses. It’s a natural companion to modern Leica rangefinders and vintage screw-mount cameras alike.

Vintage-Inspired Packaging

To complement the film’s nostalgic appeal, Leica MONOPAN 50 will be offered in four distinctive packaging designs, each evoking the pioneering era of 35mm photography. These collectible boxes pay homage to Leica’s design heritage while adding a tactile, visual element to the film-shooting experience. The film canister inside is the same, so don't worry if you get one box or another. Just like Leica has done with some of the re-issue lenses, they are really leaning into the vintage vibes here.

Recommended Developing

Note that in addition to these developer specs, you'll need to be careful if having your Monopan 50 processed at a photo lab. If they use an automated machine with IR sensors inside, you might risk film fogging or streaking. Be sure to ask the lab to make sure that Monopan is processed completely IR-free.

Press Release

New: MONOPAN 50 – the new black-and-white 35mm film from Leica

To honor a century of 35mm photography, Leica Camera AG is introducing a high-resolution black-and-white film with enhanced spectral sensitivity.

Teaneck, June 18, 2025 – The Leica I transformed photography when it made its debut back in 1925, establishing the 35mm format as the new industry standard. The compact format swiftly gained traction, with retailers and photographers commonly referring to it simply as “Leica film,” even though the 35mm film packs used with the Leica I originated from manufacturers like Kodak, Agfa, or Perutz.

To celebrate the Leica I’s centenary and pay homage to 35mm photography, Leica Camera AG is unveiling its first true Leica 35mm film: MONOPAN 50 black-and-white film, offering 36 exposures.

Honoring the origins of 35mm photography and its distinctive aesthetic, Leica is introducing its high-resolution MONOPAN 50 film, featuring an extended spectral range. The name MONOPAN 50 is derived from its components: “mono,” “pan,” and the number “50.” “Mono” refers to Leica’s renowned Monochrom series, a line of digital black-and-white cameras first introduced in 2012. “Pan” denotes the film’s outstanding panchromatic properties, while the number “50” represents its ISO rating.

Leica MONOPAN 50 features an ultra-fine grain, delivering an impressive resolution of up to 280 line pairs per millimeter. With super-panchromatic sensitivity up to 780 nm, it ensures remarkable sharpness and an exceptional tonal range. The film encapsulates Oskar Barnack’s vision of “small negative – big picture,” the very principle that gave rise to the original Leica. With its refined specifications, the black-and-white film is perfectly suited to Leica lenses, showcasing their remarkable optical performance, particularly in high-end large-format prints and detailed scans.

Back in Barnack’s day, most films had low sensitivity. Leica has embraced this historical context in its choice of ISO 50/18°. With high-performance Leica lenses like the Noctilux-M, Summilux-M, and Summicron-M, the film’s low sensitivity enables wide-aperture shooting, rendering the distinctive Leica bokeh – even in bright lighting conditions. Thanks to its enhanced spectral sensitivity, the new Leica black-and-white film is also ideal for infrared photography, demonstrating exceptional responsiveness to filtration. As such, MONOPAN 50 pairs seamlessly with Leica color filters. This enhances photographs with striking contrast and dramatic aesthetics, granting photographers greater creative freedom in their compositions.

Produced in Germany, MONOPAN 50 is particularly well-suited for landscape, architectural, cityscape, and travel photography. The film is compatible with all black-and-white developers and guarantees complete control over black-and-white photography, ensuring the highest degree of detail. Its vintage-style packaging evokes the pioneering era of 35mm photography, while its outstanding specifications encourage photographers to carry forward this legacy by creating impressive images.

Leica MONOPAN 50 will be available worldwide in Leica Stores and through authorized dealers starting August 21, 2025. The price for the Leica MONOPAN 50 is $10 USD.