Leica inheritance

[Robert Ivy]

I just inherited an older Leica and have no clue as to what it is? It has Leica on the top with a D.R.P. below the name. The serial nos. is 9510184.
The lens has is a collapsable lens with the outer ring marked Tiffen Series #6 Adapter Ring Summitar R 2 Made in the U.S.A. Shutter seems to work.
Any help in this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanx, Bob

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Lucky *******! LOL The one you have is called a Barnack Leica. That's the older style Leicas that use screw-mount lenses. They're called Barnacks because the man who invented them was named Oscar Barnack. There were a lot of different Barnack models (and the name Barnack isn't on the camera....they weren't called that when new...collectors have named them that to distinguish them from the later M-series cameras that use bayonet mount lenses). I'm not sure what model you have....we'd have to see a photo to be sure.

 

[Nando]

Is there a typo in the serial number?

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I think I may have been wrong in my earlier post. I thought the ones that had DRP below the Leica name were Barnacks, but I am seeing M3's online with the initials.

Does your camera have a seperate viewfinder and rangefinder (two view-ports in the back) or just one view port were you see a combined range and viewfinder? If it has two viewports, it is a Barnack. One viewport, it is an M-series. Show us a photo.

 

[George S.]

Is this serial number taken from the top plate of the camera body? That serial number puts it as an M3 from 1959. Is "M3" stamped just before the serial number?

The "Tiffen" and "Made in the USA" writings are on the adapter ring which is attached to the front of the lens and is an after accessory, not part of the original lens. You must tell us what the front of the lens says.