A N.O.S. 1944/46 Era Lyre-Shaped Flat Black Leitz VIOOH Universal Finder

[LeicaTom]

Just added this to my collection today.......

Here's some vintage Leica camera "Porn" Photos showing a N.O.S. 1944/46 Late Wartime/Early Postwar Leitz Lyre-Shaped Flat Black Painted VIOOH Universal Finder.

The Finder has the 73mm setting for the Hektor lens, parallax setting in meters and has the limited production use of Flat Black paint and was packed in that very simple terracotta colored cardboard tube.
(The paint is the same used on 1944 to 1946 era Elmar 9cm and Hektor 135cm lenses.)

This was the VIOOH Finder that was issued to the US Army along with the same style "Black Nose" Flat Black painted Finders, from May 1945 to sometime in 1946? ~ after that the Finders were serial numbered and had semi-gloss Black paint, dual measurements *meters-feet* etc.

I have a small collection of Wartime era VIOOH's now maybe about 3 or 4 different kinds of the Lyre-Shaped ones, like Filters they are something fun to collect that don't cost tons of money......

I found this at a small estate sale which was part of a camera kit a US Army Captain brought back home with him in ca. 1947. The Finder is unused and while this is not a really rare Finder, it's very hard to find in this condition, a clear and crisp Finder. 🙂

Enjoy!

Tom

 

[Vintage35]

I just got one with tons of use but still looks great, the Serial #3910, only 4 digits. I have read this might be early 1940's?

 

[Vintage35]

As mentioned in the above post I have the "straight side" VIOOH with a 4 digit serial number , #3910, I also see that it has the 7.3cm on the dial as well as, the parallax knob is in Meters only... any idea what year it is made?

 

[farlymac]

As mentioned in the above post I have the "straight side" VIOOH with a 4 digit serial number , #3910, I also see that it has the 7.3cm on the dial as well as, the parallax knob is in Meters only... any idea what year it is made?

Mine is like yours, number 2999.

That's a really nice looking catch, Tom.

PF