Leica: “We believe that photography should be available to everyone”

Leica is a company founded in Germany 155 years ago, but in the 1920s it gained notoriety by introducing the first 35 mm compact camera. Over the years, it became a brand synonymous with quality, especially for professional photographers. That is why they surprised everyone when in 2016 they announced their first collaboration with the cell phone manufacturer Huawei. But. From 2022, the German brand made its alliance with the Chinese manufacturer official Xiaomiwhich has been revitalized this year with the launch of its new devices (Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Xiaomi 14T Series).

What is it that you are after? Leica? Why your interest in partnering with globally popular smartphone brands? The Commerce had the opportunity to participate in the first interview that Leica provides for media in the region, where Pablo Acevedo, head of Development and Engineering of the Cellular Division at Leica Camera, answers these and more questions.

—Why has Leica, a company with a long history in traditional photography, decided to focus on developing technology for cameras on mobile devices?

It is a natural decision considering the current situation. Mobile phones have become an essential tool for most people and, consequently, the most accessible way to approach photography. At Leica, we believe that photography should be accessible to everyone, and collaboration with companies like Xiaomi allows us to share our technology and story with a much wider audience.

—Could you tell us more about the alliance with Xiaomi? What motivated Leica to choose this particular company?

From the first meeting, we felt a great affinity with Xiaomi. Both companies share a passion for photography and the constant search for excellence in image quality. Xiaomi’s youth and rapid growth allow us to learn and adapt to new technologies at an accelerated pacewhile our experience and knowledge in optics and traditional photography bring unique value to the collaboration.

—In what specific aspects is Leica’s influence reflected in Xiaomi devices? What does Leica bring to this collaboration?

Our main contribution focuses on lenses, an area where Leica has a recognized prestige worldwide. We participate in the selection of the sensors, the optical design of the lenses, and in the fine adjustment of the image processing parameters. All of this is carried out in close collaboration with the Xiaomi engineering team, through an iterative process that includes laboratory tests and real-world scenarios. Only after rigorous evaluation do we award the Leica quality seal to a device.

—How does Leica ensure that the image quality on Xiaomi devices meets its standards?

The fine-tuning process is crucial to ensure optimal image quality. We work together with Xiaomi, conducting extensive tests covering more than 400 different scenes, including laboratory and real-life scenarios. We evaluate aspects such as sharpness, contrast, color reproduction, and low-light performance. This process is repeated until we are completely satisfied with the results.

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—How is the topic of video addressed in this collaboration?

Although our experience is mainly focused on photography, We also collaborate with Xiaomi in the development of video image quality. We define quality standards together, but in aspects such as image stabilization, we let Xiaomi, with its experience in real-time image processing, take the lead. We focus on color fidelity, contrast and sharpness in the final image.

—Aside from lenses and software, what are the main challenges Leica faces in adapting its technology to mobile devices?

Without a doubt, the miniaturization of components is the greatest challenge. Mobile phone lenses are significantly smaller than those of traditional cameras and are made from different materials. In addition, the sensors are much smaller, which means less light collection capacity. To counteract these limitations, We focus on developing optics that maximize light transmission and optimizing image processing software..

—What role does artificial intelligence play in the collaboration between Leica and Xiaomi?

For us, artificial intelligence is a tool to optimize photography capture. It is used to determine the best capture parameters in real time, considering lighting conditions and other factors. The goal is to help users get the best possible image without the need for manual adjustments.

—How does Leica see the future of mobile photography?

We believe mobile photography will continue to evolve in leaps and bounds, with constant improvements in hardware and software. It is possible that in the near future the image quality of mobile devices will become even closer to that of professional cameras. At Leica we will continue working to bring our experience and passion for photography to this new scenario.