Wilhelm Stein

Wilhelm "Willi" Stein (1906-1976) was the principal designer of the M-series. He began his career in engineering as an apprentice with the Iron & Steel Works of Buderus in his home town of Wetzlar. In 1936, he moved to Ernst Leitz GmbH. Barnack, who initiated and supervised the development of the original Leica, died in January of that year. This left a gap among the remaining engineers. Ludwig Leitz recognized Stein's talents and gave him an opportunity to make contributions with the company's design group.

Some credit Stein with the improvement of the focal plane shutter which Barnack invented in 1924. He was not drafted into the German Army but instead was sent to secret military development installations. After the second World War, Stein was made the head of Leica's design department.

(from LHSA's VIEWFINDER Vol. 27, no. 1 - courtesy of Paul Taylor

E. Leitz Photographic Patents by Wilhelm "Willi" Stein

• 1936 FEB 12 - DEVICE FOR LOADING FILM CASETTES
• 1936 AUG 08 - CAMERA SHUTTER MECHANISM with Ludwig Leitz
• 1950 FEB 09 - CURTAIN SHUTTER CAMERA WITH FLASH SYNCHRONIZING DEVICE with Friedrich Gath
• 1951 JAN 17 - COMBINED EXPOSURE METER AND CAMERA
• 1951 AUG 28 - TIMING MECHANISM FOR CAMERA FOCAL PLANE SHUTTER with Hugo Wehrenfennig
• 1952 JUL 23 - FLASHLIGHT (sic.) ATTACHMENT FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS
• 1954 MAY 06 - CAMERA (M3 Figures 1, 2, 3, 4)
• 1960 JUL 11 - COMBINED VIEW AND RANGE FINDER FOR CAMERAS with Ernst Leitz II
• 1962 AUG 24 - RANGE FINDER AND VIEW FINDER FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS with Ernst Leitz II