Leica Rumoured to Revive Elcan 66mm f/2 as 660-Unit Limited Edition

Per Leicarumors, Leica is set to announce a new limited-edition Elcan 66mm f/2 on September 3rd, priced at around USD/EUR 9,000 with a run of 660 units. The original Elcan 66mm is a genuine rarity: a nine-element M-mount optic built by Ernst Leitz Canada around 1970-72, designed by Dr. Walter Mandler for U.S. Navy and NATO use, with fewer than 200 examples thought to survive. It has no matching M framelines and sits at a focal length Leica has never revisited in production glass. At 9k a pop and 660 units, this is firmly collector territory, though the Mandler optical pedigree means it will draw serious shooter interest too.