Best ever Barnack?

[Retro-Grouch]

Why, Oskar! Of course!! 🙂

Or, for those of us who prefer cats over people, the late Mr. B.

 

[hap]

I have one! A black paint one with chrome furniture, a post war modification.

My black paint II with chrome knobs does not have a VF mod. However, I have a III which is nice. As much as I like the II, at my age the III is better.
The IIIc and IIIF have magnification operation via a lever underneath the rewind knob.

 

[Coldkennels]

The IIIc and IIIF have magnification operation via a lever underneath the rewind knob.

That's not "magnification". That's for focusing the rangefinder - it's a diopter adjustment.

 

[Erik van Straten]

My black paint II with chrome knobs does not have a VF mod. However, I have a III which is nice. As much as I like the II, at my age the III is better.
The IIIc and IIIF have magnification operation via a lever underneath the rewind knob.

There are II's with 1:1 focusing, usually post war re-mades.

 

[Dralowid]

So...would it be correct to say that any camera that has diopter adjustment also has rangefinder magnification and any camera without diopter adjustment (like an unmodified II) doesn't have rangefinder magnification?

 

[Erik van Straten]

The IIIc and IIIF have magnification operation via a lever underneath the rewind knob.

No, they don't. The lever underneath the rewind knob does not change the magnification, it only focuses the rangefinder for the human eye that is looking through it. The magnification of the rangefinder on the III, IIIc, IIIf and IIIg is always 1.5x.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Interesting finding from old price lists - chrome Leicas costs more then black models. And now black ones usually going for higher prices.

Yes, because they are more rare. Film Leicas nowadays are collector items.

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (color-skopar 50mm f2.5) leica lll

Amsterdam, 2021

 

[WoodallP]

So...would it be correct to say that any camera that has diopter adjustment also has rangefinder magnification and any camera without diopter adjustment (like an unmodified II) doesn't have rangefinder magnification?

Just this afternoon looked at two black Leica IIs in two different shops. One had no diopter adjustment and when compared with a IIIc had less magnification. The other had a diopter adjustment and although I didn’t have a comparison it seemed 1.5x. The latter was a 78XXX so 1932 but it did not have the “O” on the mount and it did not have the back “window” so I think it had been back to the factory.

 

[Shac]

For what it's worth, I just looked at my II which has the rangefinder diopter lever and also my IIIc. To my yeye the image size in the viewfinders seemed about the same (i.e. no obvious differences), as did the rangefinder images. My II S/N is 829XX and has the "O" on the the mount.

 

[WoodallP]

For what it's worth, I just looked at my II which has the rangefinder diopter lever and also my IIIc. To my yeye the image size in the viewfinders seemed about the same (i.e. no obvious differences), as did the rangefinder images. My II S/N is 829XX and has the "O" on the the mount.

I think that this confirms what I saw. If you have the diopter it is 1.5x. The view through the non-diopter II was very different to the IIIc. The lack of the “O” may just mean the factory changed the mount. I will be able to say more as I bought it!

 

[Erik van Straten]

Just this afternoon looked at two black Leica IIs in two different shops. One had no diopter adjustment and when compared with a IIIc had less magnification. The other had a diopter adjustment and although I didn’t have a comparison it seemed 1.5x. The latter was a 78XXX so 1932 but it did not have the “O” on the mount and it did not have the back “window” so I think it had been back to the factory.

The first can be a post-war conversion from a Leica l into a Leica ll or from a Leica ll into a Leica ll "new style". Was the engraving on top old style or new style? Often the early II's had a yellow filter built into the rangefinder. Why nobody knows. I would choose (for a user) the second one.

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (summar 50mm f2 coated) leica ll

Amsterdam, 2018

 

[hap]

No, they don't. The lever underneath the rewind knob does not change the magnification, it only focuses the rangefinder for the human eye that is looking through it. The magnification of the rangefinder on the III, IIIc, IIIf and IIIg is always 1.5x.

I am corrected. Thank you

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (heliar 50mm f2) leica m2

Amsterdam, 2024

 

[renguney]

M6 TTL 0.58 with Zeiss Biogon 35mm. HP5

 

[Coldkennels]

gelatin silver print (heliar 50mm f2) leica m2

Amsterdam, 2024

M6 TTL 0.58 with Zeiss Biogon 35mm. HP5

...seems like a pretty loose definition of "Barnack" on a couple of these posts.

 

[renguney]

...seems like a pretty loose definition of "Barnack" on a couple of these posts.

I'm so sorry I just saw the last post and shared it, it was my first post. I tried to delete it but I dont know how to.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I'm so sorry I just saw the last post and shared it, it was my first post. I tried to delete it but I dont know how to.

LOL. Don't sweat it too much. I applaud the impulse to share work of which you are proud. You'll get it right next time and we will look forward to seeing more from you. Excelsior!

 

[renguney]

This is a ''Barnack'' picture. Taken with a black dial IIIF and a Voigtlander Color Skopar 35mm f2.5 lens
I don't remember the film stock really, but probably Fomapan 100.
Taken in Antalya, Turkey.
It's the only camera I use majorly, seenable in my profile picture. My everyday shooter IIIF for the last 3 years. My first film camera, and I adore it.