Leitz Cine is adding a 40mm T1.5 lens to their increasingly popular Leitz HUGO series of prime lenses for cinematography, named after the engineer Hugo Wehrenfennig, creator of the iconic Leica M bayonet mount.

This much sought after focal length – 40mm – brings the set to 14 total lenses ranging from 18mm to 135mm, continuing its initial goal: to bring Leica M photography optics with their rich colors, artful flares and rounded image field firmly into the world of professional cinematography. M lenses have been renowned for over a century as the photographer’s choice to capture the moment, interpreting the world in a way that tells a unique story in a single frame. HUGO lenses expand the magic to moving images.

Building on the popularity of the Leitz M 0.8 series, the HUGO lenses take their name from the engineer Hugo Wehrenfennig whose work for Leica Camera (then Ernst Leitz GmbH, Wetzlar) included creating the iconic Leica M bayonet mount still in use today along with many of the early M series lenses.

The Leitz HUGO series has caught the imagination of cinematographers around the world searching for a look that brings character and softness to modern digital sensors without the compromises found in older lenses. The glass in most HUGO lenses comes from Leica’s M rangefinder lenses and exhibits a similar gentle field curvature with a fall off toward the corners that brings the viewer toward the center of the image. While a 40mm does not exist in current Leica optics, it was created with support from Leica Camera’s designers to ensure on-brand performance.

“The 40mm is a classic focal length in cinematography,” said Rainer Hercher, Managing Director of Leitz Cine. “As soon as we released the HUGOs it was the most requested focal length to add, and we are happy to fulfill this need in the market for more Leitz glass.”

The lenses in the HUGO series offer a few surprises for intrepid cinematographers, including the 66mm T2.1 and the 50mm T1.0. The 66mm uses the same design as the fabled Leica ELCAN “Spy Lens” from the 1960s/70s, one of the most rare lenses ever produced by Leica. The 50mm uses the glass of Leica’s 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux-M, an iconic lens in the Leica Camera pantheon of optics.

The Leitz HUGO 40mm lens is scheduled to be delivered in Q4 of 2025 with preorders open now.