Odd Leica II

[Malcolm M]

Last Sunday I was tempted by an early Leica II (serial no. 7xxxx) at a camera fair. It had a very odd shutter speed dial, lacking the usual knurled grip. This made it virtually impossible, except for those with Mole grips where most folk have fingers, to change the shutter speed. The vendor said that appeared original, and had come across another one on the interweb, but had no explanation for this curiosity. Can anyone on RFF explain?

I saved my money. "How many Leicas does one man need?" is another question.

 

[Dralowid]

I would suggest that it might have been a dial modified to act as a flash sync. The dial becomes a sort of cam that hits a unit in the accessory shoe as it spins to make contact.

Someone will be along with a name, they one I am thinking about was not Leitz.

 

[Dralowid]

A bit like this one, though this is different from the one I was thinking about:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/135177841429?_skw=flash+contact+device+for+old+leica&itmmeta=01KJZF11W9WW0FX8JZGEN27MZV&hash=item1f793a2b15:g:Qf8AAOSwUhhmrkTO&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA4GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xDwPqw1JCgy5iodZgLWHTQcJ78ynIzatmqUEkYV0iRyMgTsMNx8JWQViPlcqOuKptN1jG%2FgijDUtsvN0lJUwr7usB14NPw3q1EIhdgXFRslnWU9h4JNYUGxm1v8fJ8tRUF5EW8MKKViR4D45fZ0LjLLilY6T4QVkSH9xS3oD5cyQkj51Nj7KfYDZ4v2xYwx2kzKdLpQHh8ncmmRR%2BrmkhnTaaRsL7mhbIEQUcdzSGOorYntZ62teg%2BTQD7jQNcL1VWcDtZ6z6aOj5VzqQO68s9E%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6CehO-XZw

 

[Dralowid]

One name I now remember is 'Hakosyn flash syncroniser'

Also, see p2 of this thread:

Thread 'Puzzled over a IIIa'

Mar 26, 2010

I've just received my first Leica which according to the serial number (212055) is a 1936 IIIa. It has been ?factory converted to flash sync under the accessory shoe but the shutter speeds only go up to 500 with 20-1 and T to 20 on the front dial.

I have read the IIIa has a speed of 1000, so could mine have had a replacement shutter speed mechanism fitted when the sync was installed?

I am looking forward to running a roll through it soon although I will have to use my FSU Jupiter-8 as I haven't got a Leitz lens yet.

• greyelm
• Replies: 31
• Forum: Leica Screw Mount Bodies and Lenses

 

[Coldkennels]

I would suggest that it might have been a dial modified to act as a flash sync. The dial becomes a sort of cam that hits a unit in the accessory shoe as it spins to make contact.

Someone will be along with a name, they one I am thinking about was not Leitz.

I assume you're thinking of the VACU/CAVOO dials.

I have a couple of them; I bought a Leica Ic with one on, found it works surprisingly well, and bought one for my III from DAG. Here's the one on my Ic:



The sides are quite smooth but the pointed nubs do give you a fair bit of purchase to change the shutter speeds.

Apparently this was the first implementation of the idea, though:



(Photo lifted from LEITZ VACU)

That does look a hell of a lot smoother, but it's more obviously a post-production addition to the camera, while I can see the total dial replacements easily being thought of as a standard part. I didn't even notice the dial on the Ic when I bought it - it only became obvious when I first went to actually use the camera!

 

[Dralowid]

Yes, that's it!