Leicavit information

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projectbluebird

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For many common Leica accessories, and some not so common, there are several sources of original information from leica. Either in the form of scanned user manuals or repair books, or copies thereof.

However, for the Leicavit winder there is little of this kind of information.

Most of what I've found online is in the form of comments from owners. Another source is when contrasted/compared to our own Tom A's rapidwinder.

Are there any user/repair manuals out there?
 
There's a reprint of the instructions in Jim Lager's 'Leica Literature' book on page 429. According to this publication, the Leicavit will fit all Leica cameras above serial number 400,000 with no modification required. In 1950 it cost $ 24.00.

I have one mounted to my IIIc/IIIf black dial self timer Sharkskin body (that's a mouthful!), and it works great. Don't know how much of the unit can go wrong, so don't know if there's a repair manual or not. I don't think the mechanism works in the same way as a SCNOO -- that is, the trigger makes use of a cloth ribbon to facilitate film advance / shutter cocking.
 
Vince Lupo said:
There's a reprint of the instructions in Jim Lager's 'Leica Literature' book on page 429. According to this publication, the Leicavit will fit all Leica cameras above serial number 400,000 with no modification required. In 1950 it cost $ 24.00.

I have one mounted to my IIIc/IIIf black dial self timer Sharkskin body (that's a mouthful!), and it works great. Don't know how much of the unit can go wrong, so don't know if there's a repair manual or not. I don't think the mechanism works in the same way as a SCNOO -- that is, the trigger makes use of a cloth ribbon to facilitate film advance / shutter cocking.
Click to expand...

Vince always has something KOOL to work with.....that Sharkskin IIIC/IIIFBD ST is a real oddity, very few ever converted that way and to have a Leicavit on it`s pretty neat 😀

Let`s see some camera porn Vince and add a Summarit and Hood if you have that combo? 😉

Tom

PS: One day I`m going to put a SCNOO C on one of my chrome 45' IIIC K`s ~ just have to find the case as well to go with it......😎
 
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It's a real pretty one too -- very clean indeed. Unfortunately I don't have a Summarit for it, but I do have an all chrome 90mm Elmar if that helps, or a 135/4 Elmar for added thrills. I'll try to post a shot of it later today.

Back to our friend's original query -- the Leicavit is really great, but boy they aren't cheap. As well, I always wondered if TSA would give you grief about that pointy blade-like trigger when going through the airport security. I've heard more than one story of that being used as a weapon back in the day.....
 
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Vince Lupo said:
It's a real pretty one too -- very clean indeed. Unfortunately I don't have a Summarit for it, but I do have an all chrome 90mm Elmar if that helps, or a 135/4 Elmar for added thrills. I'll try to post a shot of it later today.

Back to our friend's original query -- the Leicavit is really great, but boy they aren't cheap. As well, I always wondered if TSA would give you grief about that pointy blade-like trigger when going through the airport security. I've heard more than one story of that being used as a weapon back in the day.....
Click to expand...

Ahhh the "all chome" 90, yeah those are sweet, throw a VIOOH on top of that and that`s a picture 🙂

I used to have one of those equally rare "Sharkskin" 90`s back in the ole collector daze and a IIIG with a f2.8/50 and a Leicavit, about 20 years ago everybody was Leicavit nutz and the prices went from $500 to over $1,200+ ......now I don`t know where they are laying, but I know that they are not cheap!

Tom
 
I had a Leicavit on my III-f in the mid sixties. Back then a used one was going for about $25 and I think that new they were only about $50 each. The motion from the trigger was transferred to winding the film via a small version of a bicycle chain I think.

It was a cool looking device but in reality you could wind as fast by just running your finger against the knurling of the wind knob. I never did see the logic of using them on the M2 and MP. If you were shooting with multiple cameras the triggers just got in the way, and I was always afraid of stabbing myself with one of them. I did get a Benser Baseplate which was a useful device but made the camera too big and heavy when it was carrying even one lens.. It wouldn't fit over a Leicavit and made film changing a hassle so that went also. For the most part these things seem to be invented by people with too much time on their hands, turn out to be pretty much useless in the field, and then end up in the collection of somebody with more money than sense.
 
Good points Al, and I'll admit that the Leicavit is a bit cumbersome to use when shooting vertically -- much like a Canon VT. Horizontally the winder works great, and I think in terms of 'speed' it would probably work better than the index finger across the knob approach -- I say that only because if your right hand is devoted to clicking the shutter, your left hand is free to operate the trigger and they can work in concert with each other. Mind you, I don't think you're necessarily going to be using your screw mount Leica to shoot a fast breaking news story, but I do stand to be corrected on that point. This is coming from a guy who has a Leicavit, a SCNOO, a MOOLY and a MOOLY-C!

I guess the screw mount version of the Leicavit isn't the same as an M version?
 
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No difference at all, except size, between the screw and M versions.

You could get a good rythm going between your left hand and your trigger finger. At the same time you lost your ability to track focus with the left hand, as well as steady the camera when using a slower shutter speed.

The original MP came with one but not many pros bothered to put one on their M2 bodies. The MP was a modified M3 made in very limited numbers. A few people had their M4 bodies modifiied to work with a 'vit. Canon made both their V and VI series bodies in both trigger and thumb lever versions but by the time they introduced the 7 they'd given up on the trigger wind. Nikon put their efforts into motor drives, not triggers. I can't think of any company that ever made a trigger advance SLR.
 
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LeicaTom said:
Ahhh the "all chome" 90, yeah those are sweet, throw a VIOOH on top of that and that`s a picture 🙂

Tom
Click to expand...

Okay, here it is. Leica IIIc (serial number 4765xx) / IIIf black dial self timer sharkskin conversion with a 1950 50mm f/3.5 Elmar (serial #8346xx), and the famous Leicavit. Fairly mint, and works great. I thought the 50mm Elmar looked better than the 90mm Elmar for the photo.

BTW - complete aside here - I can never figure out how to post large photos in my replies, only the little thumbnails in the 'manage attachments' section, and then they end up as little photos when you click on them. Anyone care to share the secret????
 

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Vince Lupo said:
Okay, here it is. Leica IIIc (serial number 4765xx) / IIIf black dial self timer sharkskin conversion with a 1950 50mm f/3.5 Elmar (serial #8346xx), and the famous Leicavit. Fairly mint, and works great. I thought the 50mm Elmar looked better than the 90mm Elmar for the photo.

BTW - complete aside here - I can never figure out how to post large photos in my replies, only the little thumbnails in the 'manage attachments' section, and then they end up as little photos when you click on them. Anyone care to share the secret????
Click to expand...

Clean Clean.......looks Clean with the Elmar, I love the Elmar too, great looking camera!

Vince with the large photos, just got to your photo carrier, click copy on the photo you want to share and then in a thread here just click paste, and bingo!

🙂

Tom
 
Let me try this....


Can't get it. Is there a way to do it by simply copying from your hard drive, or do you need to upload it to something like Flickr?

Sorry, I'm stupid.
 
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One more time...

Leicavit-1.jpg
 
You asked for it! Thanks for the help on this little frustration in my life....I can sleep easier now.

Yes, that is one nice clean outfit. I even managed to find an ever ready case with the cutout on the bottom for the trigger wind. Just gotta start using the darned thing more!
 
And just to add to the mix the sharkskin is the scarce horizontally striated pattern. The only example of this that I've handled is my imaculate IIc to IIIf conversion bought from Henry Simpson in the US a couple of years ago.
 
Vince,

Magnific😎!

Regards,
RLouzan

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WTT: Set of 4 brand new leather straps for 5cm Elmar f3.5 (See classifieds.)

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Vince Lupo said:
One more time...

Leicavit-1.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Yes I finally cracked the 'big photo posting' code! Many thanks.

The camera came from KEH a couple of years ago, believe it or not, and the Leicavit (with box!) came from my good buddy, little Sammy Shoshan of Classic Connection. Don't remember where I got the lens from, but it's period correct and is very clean. I also have a nice VALOO lens hood for it. Just need a clean VIOOH to complete the ensemble. Didn't know about the vertical/horizontal sharkskin -- would be interested to hear more about that.

I don't use it very much, but it's one of those things in which you want to use it more, but if you do you might muck up the condition of it, but if you don't use it then the mechanical condition can degrade. On the horns of a dilemma, as they say!
 
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My Leicavit rig. Took it out for my daughter's track meet. I use it, but use the M3 more.

IIIfElmarvit.jpg


Attached are two photos from that meet.
 

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