Do you care about your cameras history?!

Hi,

Well, you could ask Leitz. They are nice friendly people but you'll probably have to be patient because manual records can't be looked at quickly or cheaply. It looks the sort of job that Leica could organise volunteers to do (and, perhaps, digitalise them as well).

Another problem is that people didn't always send stuff back to Leitz/Leica, just as they don't these days. Having done it once I know why...

Regards, David
 
I try to find out as much as possible about my grandfather's leica.

And one day I will make the same tour as my grandfather with the same camera: going to Japan via the trans siberian railway.

Would you share some of the photographs your grandfather took in the thirties?
Last year I took my father's Rollei to Japan. It is so beautiful to travel through Japan.
Here is some photo I took in Miyajima:

Miyajima * 宮島 von strichcode auf Flickr
 
It were made in 1991 (have papers) after withdrawal from Afghanistan when Soviet regime already had gone belly up after exhausting war, so not the case. Interesting if they had any desire to carry another metal brick to take pictures when any distraction would make them into Cargo200 much sooner.
Troops carry cameras, they have since WWII, and if you're not under fire why not take some pictures.

Also, don't be too sure that it hasn't seen human rights abuses because it was made in 1991. The Chechen wars in the 90's (1994-1996 and 1999-2000) were quite bloody as were several other wars when the Soviet Union collapsed. And don't underestimate the Russian mob for doing terrible things.

If you're worried about this kind of thing, make sure you know the full history of your camera or else only buy new. I'm glad I'm not worried 'bout these kind of things, makes my live a lot easier!
 
Would you share some of the photographs your grandfather took in the thirties?
...
Hi Stefan,
the photos are not digitalized yet, it's on the agenda for the next weeks.
I'm still looking for a non-destructive way to remove the contact-prints from the album, it's a bit tricky to scan the complete album.
I can give you a note, if it's done.
Best, -h
 
I have a Leica IIIc stepper and summitar which both date from 1940. I would be curious to find out more about its history. A camera is just a tool, so it wouldn't bother me who owned it or what it was used to photograph. History always interests me.
 
Hi Stefan,
the photos are not digitalized yet, it's on the agenda for the next weeks.
I'm still looking for a non-destructive way to remove the contact-prints from the album, it's a bit tricky to scan the complete album.
I can give you a note, if it's done.
Best, -h

This would be great! Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Stefan
 
Have you tried photographing the contact prints? It means holding them flat and careful lighting or filters to avoid reflections but might be the easiest or least destructive.

Regards, David
 
Troops carry cameras, they have since WWII, and if you're not under fire why not take some pictures.

Also, don't be too sure that it hasn't seen human rights abuses because it was made in 1991. The Chechen wars in the 90's (1994-1996 and 1999-2000) were quite bloody as were several other wars when the Soviet Union collapsed. And don't underestimate the Russian mob for doing terrible things.

If you're worried about this kind of thing, make sure you know the full history of your camera or else only buy new. I'm glad I'm not worried 'bout these kind of things, makes my live a lot easier!

Best not to point fingers at any nation. Most country's troops have done things to be ashamed of and we don't want to start a name calling war.

Regards, David
 
When one talks about the history of a certain camera, and where it's been, and what images have been captured by it, I'm always reminded of the "Pearl Harbor Brownie" hoax that went around a few times (and the more recent "foxhole" camera hoax). Talk about manufacturing history. So the provenance of any camera is usually suspect from the get go, unless someone can vouch for the veracity of the owner.

PF
 
People get a bit muddled over their history. I had one once that came with a history that was, sort of, half right but what I was checking it against was the official diary of the army unit involved. At some point in its ex-ebay history it performed before even being made...

Regards, David
 
PF, I was an EW, out of Pearl Harbor.

On the history, I have another interesting story. I bought an early leica IID, with a Hektor 50mm lens. Actually, it had been upgraded by the factory to a II, it was actually an earlier camera. That was commonly done. Inside the leather case was a name. I researched the unique, uncommon name, and found it was an educated surveyor who lived in the Western US during the period the camera was made. So perhaps it was a very special graduation present, before he went to his adventures.

Personally, I can't fathom the worry about wartime (any way) Soviet, German, Japanese, American, British, French, etc. cameras. The talk about "oh my...what if it was used to record MEAN, EVIL stuff??!!" is ludicrous. An object is an object. It doesn't carry with it any bad Juju or anything. You are not "honoring" the previous 1, 2, or 3 owners by now owning it yourself. And if you worry about that sort of thing, you should not walk on European streets, talk a walk in the woods, or own just about anything from the past 5,000 years. Because wars occurred, atrocities occurred, and bad stuff happened on every foot of ground on earth at some point during human history. The metal, wood, and glass of a camera didn't do it.
 
A further general thought... I think I would be much more interested in the history of a well-worn camera, that had obviously taken LOTS of photos, than a pristine example that lived in a closet or drawer for 70 years...

Pristine is nice, but worn stuff has a history and story to tell...
 
People get a bit muddled over their history. I had one once that came with a history that was, sort of, half right but what I was checking it against was the official diary of the army unit involved. At some point in its ex-ebay history it performed before even being made...

Regards, David
Dear David,

Quite. And the fantasies (including the ones you make up yourself from the whole cloth) are often much more interesting than boring old truth. Especially unverifiable "truth". Or even someone else's unverifiable fantasies.

Cheers,

R.
 
PF, I was an EW, out of Pearl Harbor.

On the history, I have another interesting story. I bought an early leica IID, with a Hektor 50mm lens. Actually, it had been upgraded by the factory to a II, it was actually an earlier camera. That was commonly done. Inside the leather case was a name. I researched the unique, uncommon name, and found it was an educated surveyor who lived in the Western US during the period the camera was made. So perhaps it was a very special graduation present, before he went to his adventures.

Personally, I can't fathom the worry about wartime (any way) Soviet, German, Japanese, American, British, French, etc. cameras. The talk about "oh my...what if it was used to record MEAN, EVIL stuff??!!" is ludicrous. An object is an object. It doesn't carry with it any bad Juju or anything. You are not "honoring" the previous 1, 2, or 3 owners by now owning it yourself. And if you worry about that sort of thing, you should not walk on European streets, talk a walk in the woods, or own just about anything from the past 5,000 years. Because wars occurred, atrocities occurred, and bad stuff happened on every foot of ground on earth at some point during human history. The metal, wood, and glass of a camera didn't do it.
Or indeed American, Chinese or anywhere else.

I realize you have covered the point already, which made me all the more surprised that you decided to single out "European".

Cheers,

R.
 
Or indeed American, Chinese or anywhere else.

I realize you have covered the point already, which made me all the more surprised that you decided to single out "European".

Cheers,

R.

I have no clue what you are talking about. Unless Japan was part of Europe at some time?

"...Personally, I can't fathom the worry about wartime (any way) Soviet, German, Japanese, American, British, French, etc. cameras. ....[goamules]"

Or did you mean my part about "...walking on European streets..."? It's called brevity and creative writing, it was an example. I wouldn't use American streets as the example, because we've only had Europeans here a few hundred years, though there was plenty of brutal Native American violence for thousands of years on this continent before we got here. I didn't mention China, because their history of violence was not as familiar as all the World Wars, Genocide, and state-sponsored brutality of most European countries in the 20th century. The bad juju per square foot is just denser in Europe. But every rock, river, and spot of peat worldwide should have "bad medicine" because it probably had evil committed on it. Worry or guilt of having a camera that was in WWII is insanity in the making.

Here is a quick overview, in case you've forgotten. Interestingly, after the war many Germans "forgot" or "didn't know", but this tells a different tale: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...orded-conversations-German-prisoners-war.html
 
Nikon camera history rangefinder that is

Nikon camera history rangefinder that is

A lot of interesting comments here. Thanks. I have a nikon s3 rangefinder that was bought this year. An original. Have searched sites including the head bartender's. The only production dates if correct, are from 1958-61. Could be wrong. Anyway, how can I find out the year my camera was made?
It has a cloth shutter and what I have read is that it's an earlier version. Any advice would be appreciated as to where to find that info. Incidently,
Have been reading about Bob Jackson, he used an S3 to photograph Lee Harvey Oswald being shot by Jack Ruby.
Thanks,
News shooter
 
I had a Leica M2-S for a while, that was a camera sold to the US Army during the Vietnam war. I would have liked to know if it had seen action and who the Army photographer was who used it. I'm a history nut, so I like to know the history of my older cameras because I like to imagine the time in which they were used.

On a slightly different note, I think I would pass on a camera that I knew was used for something I found disturbing. As an example, years ago I used to do "Quickdraw", which were these fast draw contests with old Colt Single Action Army pistols (never using live ammunition). Anyway, I found a beautiful pistol at a gun shop in Ohio and just before I purchased it, the shop owner told me it was a suicide gun, that the previous owner had committed suicide with it. I immediately declined the purchase. I know it's just a piece of steel, but that would have always bothered me and I would have had no joy in using it. I think the same would apply to a camera.

Best,
-Tim
 
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