Leotax - surprised by high quality

[fotobiblios]

I've acquired 2 Leotaxes and have been very impressed with these 50 yr old instruments.

Maybe I struck lucky, but these have had no recent service yet both work perfectly, all chrome, nickel and leather(ette?) without blemish, all actions super smooth.

I'm no Leica expert and have never owned one, but the post-war screw mount Leicas I have handled have been lovely instruments but far from free from blemishes.

I got the 2 Leotaxes from different continents. both have slow speeds and the film reminder on wind-on knob, both have very solid cast bodies and a one-piece (pressed?) top/front. one has speeds to 1/500th and the other to 1/1000th. both have numbers 251xxx. both say Leotax, Leotax Camera Co Ltd and seem to have no model id.

Why did I get them? -- chasing Konica lenses - one was fitted with the collapsible Hexar 50mm f3.5, the other with the Hexanon 50 f1.9 -- seems these lenses sell for less when fitted to the wonderful Leotax than when sold alone. By the way the lenses are well made -- especially the 50mm f1.9 smooth as silk, excellent machining and plating, however, I've not tested them yet. Googling Leotax, seems to get references to such lenses as Topcon and Fujinon being fitted (both excellent, I hear) but not Konishiroku/Konica which were also sold separately and with the Chiyoda (sp?).

Any info welcome

fotobiblios (Danny, Sheffield, UK)

 

[anoldsock]

Just curious, what's the difference between the Hexar 50mm f3.5 and the equivalent Elmar or Industar?

 

[fotobiblios]

The hexar is similar optically and mechanically to the elmar or industar (ie 3 group, 4 element tessar - type), (this is the most common of all optical designs)but when you get down to detail it depends on positioning of diaphragm, quality of manufacture, tolerances and coating type as to what the results would be. (Price also depends on rarity and peceived desirability). There are plenty of Hexars built into konica cameras or other optical equipment, but the Leica thread mount is rare(ish).

 

[xayraa33]

Just curious, what's the difference between the Hexar 50mm f3.5 and the equivalent Elmar or Industar?

one is made in japan, the other in germany and the last in russia.
seriously though, they are all Tessar based lenses that give more or less similar preformance.
you would be hard pressed to know what lens shot what photograph.
some can argue that the quality control is better on the german and japanese lenses, but I own some I-22s that are very good indeed.

 

[xayraa33]

I've acquired 2 Leotaxes and have been very impressed with these 50 yr old instruments.

Maybe I struck lucky, but these have had no recent service yet both work perfectly, all chrome, nickel and leather(ette?) without blemish, all actions super smooth.

I'm no Leica expert and have never owned one, but the post-war screw mount Leicas I have handled have been lovely instruments but far from free from blemishes.

I got the 2 Leotaxes from different continents. both have slow speeds and the film reminder on wind-on knob, both have very solid cast bodies and a one-piece (pressed?) top/front. one has speeds to 1/500th and the other to 1/1000th. both have numbers 251xxx. both say Leotax, Leotax Camera Co Ltd and seem to have no model id.

Why did I get them? -- chasing Konica lenses - one was fitted with the collapsible Hexar 50mm f3.5, the other with the Hexanon 50 f1.9 -- seems these lenses sell for less when fitted to the wonderful Leotax than when sold alone. By the way the lenses are well made -- especially the 50mm f1.9 smooth as silk, excellent machining and plating, however, I've not tested them yet. Googling Leotax, seems to get references to such lenses as Topcon and Fujinon being fitted (both excellent, I hear) but not Konishiroku/Konica which were also sold separately and with the Chiyoda (sp?).

Any info welcome

fotobiblios (Danny, Sheffield, UK)

The Leotax was one of the best built Leica copies that ever was made in Japan.
Yes, the Chiyoca was a rarish short lived Leica copy that used a Hexar lens, that was made as an enlarging lens first.

http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/copies/chiyoca.htm

 

[fotobiblios]

Hi Xayraa, (nice gallery)

Thanks for the link to the pacific rim page on Chiyoca -- however I would be surprised if they're right on the derivation of the Hexar lens as their early enlarger Hexars were mostly 3 element f4.5 lenses - the 75mm being the most common - at that time (1947 onwards) they, Konishiroku, were making many 4 element 50mm Hexars to fit on the fixed lens Konica rangefinders (later 50mm f2.8) - the Konica 50mm f3.5 enlarging lens I know is the excellent Hexanon-E 6 element 50mm f3.5 from the '70s. Koni also had a long running series of very high definition graphic arts Hexars - now sought after by large format users. I'd be happy to learn more.

Back to the Leotax -- anyone using one??

Danny

 

[xayraa33]

thanks.
here is a site on the Leotax that features the last model made,the rare Leotax G.
I had a chance to buy a broken one in 1989 and it was the first and last G I ever saw.

http://www.cameraguild.jp/nekosan/leotax.htm

 

[M. Valdemar]

The Simlar 50mm f1.5 you find on some Leotax cameras is excellent.

It's NOT a Sonnar copy as are most other 50mm f1.5 lenses of the period. It's optimized for portraits at wide apertures and built like a tank. Made by Tokyo Kogaku.

 

[furcafe]

I have 3, 2 of which are working (an S & a T2). They are indeed of high build quality, especially the earlier S, which is hefty like a pre-WWII Leica. My S came w/the 50/1.5 Simlar that M. Valdemar mentions, but mine needs to be collimated/adjusted, as it front-focuses by a significant amount @ close distances; works fine for landscape, etc., though. Valdemar is correct that the Simlar is not a Sonnar variant; IIRC, the Simlar, like the original Voigtlander Nokton, is a unique design that doesn't fall neatly into either the Planar/Summarit or Sonnar categories.

Back to the Leotax -- anyone using one??

Danny

 

[xayraa33]

I wish that Leotax was more common in North America.
unlike Nicca, Leotax never had a major retailer market these under the house label.

 

[bbgen]

Me too, I have to acknowledge that Leotax is the best Leica copies I have. Compared to the Tower I have, it is a true gem.

 

[David Murphy]

I have a rather rare Leotax S that Don at DAG whipped into shape. It has a mint Simlar 5cm F3.5 collapsible. This lens produces very good images for a four element lens and is beautifully made.

I once resold a Leotax D and I must say it was the most impressive bottom loading Leica I've every handled as far as solidity was concerned -- absolutely beautiful.

 

[xayraa33]

Was the G or the Elite the last and best of the series of back loaders?

The G was the last but not the best as far as QC goes.
Liquidators of the bankrupt Leotax had different contractors assemble leftover Leotax G parts to maximize the return on their money.

 

[Bill58]

The G was the last but not the best as far as QC goes.
Liquidators of the bankrupt Leotax had different contractors assemble leftover Leotax G parts to maximize the return on their money.

So--the "Elite" was the very best and one the later made?

 

[xayraa33]

So--the "Elite" was the very best and one the later made?

the Elite was a late model and very well made, but the G was the latest and last Leotax ever made.

 

[bmattock]

The Simlar 50mm f1.5 you find on some Leotax cameras is excellent.

It's NOT a Sonnar copy as are most other 50mm f1.5 lenses of the period. It's optimized for portraits at wide apertures and built like a tank. Made by Tokyo Kogaku.

aka Topcon?

 

[David Murphy]

Here's some shots of my S with a Summitar mounted. This is followed by some photos taken with the S and the Simlar 3.5cm/3.5 (ISO 200 color print film). The performance is decent, but not breathtaking. These images however have been degraded by digitization, compression, etc. however.

 

[richiedcruz]

I just got a Leotax from KEH yesterday. It is a T2. What amazed me was not the excellent build quality, but the BL in the finder, with what I supposed were parallax correction notches, and the gold colored rangefinder which I think will be easier to see in the dark than the grey one in my IIIC's.
If only I had known about this thread, I would have taken a picture of it before I dropped it off for a CLA.

Richie

PS I am also amazed that I was able to pick up my Leotax for less than my Canon IVSB : )

 

[rogerchristian]

I have owned a Leotax, Nicca and eventually an NRIII (~50 made, had #42). The Leotax and Nicca were a long time ago, had I only know how 'valuable' they would become, I would have held on to them. The advantage of retro-vision.

 

[Bill58]

Anybody wanna buy a very nice, Leotax Elite, PM me.