my new black leica ii d

buzzardkid said:
Erik,

does the Leica II-specific case have a detachable top, or no top at all?
Click to expand...

It doesn't have a detachable top. The top is fixed. After some hesitation I removed it. With the top the case is for me unusable. One could say: use a Leica III case! However, these do not fit the Leica II really well as there is room for the strap eyelets. They are a little bit too big for a II.

Erik.
 
Sorry to resurrect a dead thread but I just got this little chap working. It's a 1935 II with a Summar 5cm 2 that's in suprisingly good shape. It also has, I believe, a II specific case. I was looking for a hood for the lens but good god they're expensive....

Leica_1_zpsbff13c16.jpg


Leica_4_zpsbaafaa73.jpg
 
Congratulations!

Congratulations!

Hi toastno6,
Good to resurrect the dead !
Enjoy your IID. I don't know why, but this model is just fun to use.
It is challenging, but when it does work it is magic.

I find the IIIf easier to use, and its 1,000th speed is handy.
But the size and simplicity of the IID will always remain something special.
And it's small ;-0)
Best
Sumolux
 
Brand new-made alternative for a 36mm clamp-on hood for Summar, Elmar and what have you: eBay Item #170930063171.

USD 68, free shipping worldwide.

No connection to seller, just sayin' to help out the shootin' brothas an sistas 😀
 
johannielscom said:
Brand new-made alternative for a 36mm clamp-on hood for Summar, Elmar and what have you: eBay Item #170930063171.

USD 68, free shipping worldwide.

No connection to seller, just sayin' to help out the shootin' brothas an sistas 😀
Click to expand...

Hi,

Nice; I wonder/hope they do one for the 35mm (Ooops! I mean 3,5cm) one.

Regards, David
 
nikonosguy said:
It's taken damn near forever, but I finally found an original case for the iid and Scnoo winder

Just bought it. Seems the top is funky and my German is lousy. Can't figure out the high top
Click to expand...

The case in this ad is not to include a SCNOO, but a Leicavit. The case is not for a II, but for a IIIc or IIIf.
The high top is meant to include a VIOOH universal finder.

You better send it back because the text of the ad does not fit the case.

Erik.
 
Nikonos guy,

I have several screw-mount Leicae, including a couple of black III's and a black II.

I like having all the period-correct kit with the various bodies, but for a user case, I settled on the bottom-half of a III-g case...

The top cover had been removed ( or perhaps torn-off at the "hinge-flap" ), so it was fairly cheap on e-bay. The good thing is the strap-rings: they are solid metal rectangles, secured to tthe leather case with steel loops, which in turn are rivetted to the case.

In other words, VERY sturdy and secure.

I have a padded modern nylon strap hooked-onto this case, and use it on whichever LTM I am shooting. My everyday LTM is usually a well-worn 1934 Leica III.

There is a little "wiggle-room" in the III-g case, as it is designed for the slightly-longer III-c/f/g bodies... but the tripod screw in the bottom keeps the early small Barnacks anchored.

I do have the "correct", short-snout ever-ready case for my 1932 II, but it needs a new shoulder strap.

I have learned to distrust the original 1/2" wide leather straps... I've had too many fail suddenly, sending a valuable camera into free-fall...

So, there's one option for a reasonably inexpensive user case...

You'll get many opinions on how to carry a barnack - many folks prefer their "naked"... but I prefer to have mine protected by a case, to protect from bumps and scrapes.

Good luck in your searching !

Luddite Frank
 
I have been using a Crumpler "pleasure dome" medium camera bag and it works great for me.
Usually have a Barnack type in it but even an M will fit and still have room for a meter and another small lens. Very compact and good protection too.
 
Luddite Frank said:
I have learned to distrust the original 1/2" wide leather straps... I've had too many fail suddenly, sending a valuable camera into free-fall....
Click to expand...

Frank,

I have seen strap failures too - normally for other people. My own experience was slightly different.

The original case for my 1930 II is (probably) the one from when it was made as a Model 1 (it was converted to a II later) - the big problem is that there is no screw into the tripod mount, so it wasn't a strap failure that launched the camera, but the weight of the lens turning the whole body & case upside down while I was distracted. The camera landed on the lens (Komura 35mm) hard enough to distort the filter ring and pop the vulcanite off the body (ouch!).

The lens has been straightened so that filters still mount OK, and nothing was knocked out of alignment. The body is a user anyway and was not damaged other than losing the covering. A nice lizard skin from Aki Asahi has rectified the situation nicely.

Suffice to say that, while I kept the original case, I now have one that has a tripod screw as well, although in better condition throughout the case, it does need a new strap......
 
Last edited:
John,

That is a horrifying tale, indeed ! 😱

I was not aware that the earliest cases had no anchor screw... 😱

Thank goodness nothing was seriously damaged.


A number of years ago, I was on a steam-train excursion to historic Jim Thorpe, PA (aka Mauch Chunk), and I had taken along one of my black 1933 Leica III cameras, with period lenses, etc. in a period ERC ( strap loops under the bottom ).

I was strolling along the streets, taking in the historic architecture ( Mauch Chunk was once referred to as the "Switzerland of America", due to being nestled in very steep, narrow gorges), when all of a sudden, the strap broke between the ERC and the adjusting buckle - not at a hole or obvious stress / wear point - and all crashed to the street before I could catch it. 🙁

Thank goodness nothing was seriously damaged - a few abrasions on the lens, top of the camera body - but that experience put me off using un-restored cases with narrow straps, no matter the brand.

This is why I really prefer the -g series Leica cases, with their metal strap attachments & reinforcements.

Regards, 🙂

Frank
 
Frank,

I had a good look at my "new" case last night. At first glance it looks really good, but closer inspection shows the real truth.

All the stiching needs replacing - the slightest pressure started it splitting, a bit like a zipper without a puller 😱 The strap is OK on one side, but the other is secured by a stitch right trough the case - the strap is actually broken through!

Oh well, the leather is good and replacing the stitching is not a major job (finding the right sort of thread could be interesting though) and the strap rivets are accessible so can be drilled out to allow replacement with a new strap ( iahve a donor length of stightly wider leather somewhere). I could even install something like the -g series lugs on the case to prevent any future issues.

I think this is a project for a cold winter's night, when there is nothing else more pressing, once I have gathered together the thread and replacement rivets / lugs 🙂
 
After a few near disasters I think old cases are a risk not worth bothering with and over they years they do destroy a black camera's paint finish.

By all means attach the bottom half to your camera with the screw but use the camera's lugs, not the case.

OK, OK, if you have an unmodified I or II you can't do this...
 
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