Puzzled over a IIIa

[David Hughes]

In one of Ivor Matanle's books there is re-printed a War Office's advertising.

Here's a typical advert from 1942:

And here's Kodak recycling spools, backing paper etc:

Just to give a taste of wartime restrictions etc in Great Britain.

Regards, David

 

[Mael]

It looks like the speed selector has cams for an accessory flash mechanism like i.e. the good old Geiss Synchron

The Geiss synchron has a special accessory dial that you fix upon the regular speed dial.

Pictures courtesy of dirapon.be

 

[colyn]

my experience w/ these cameras (and a lot of M3's as well) is that in many cases the 1/1000 setting is imaginary anyway. I've owned a lot of Leicas where there just wasn't much difference between 1/500 and 1/1000, if any. A good CLA is usually required to get the top shutter speed going, and even then what I usually end up w/ is 1/600 to 1/750 anyway, not even a half stop difference.

I would agree with this if the camera is in bad need of a CLA but my IIIc which has not been serviced since 1998 is running at 1/992nd at the 1/1000th setting. 1/500th is 1/502nd. The other speeds are also well within range..

I also have 2 IIIa's which are also well within speed range. Not the 1/600 1/750 you mention..

 

[greyelm]

It looks like the speed selector has cams for an accessory flash mechanism like i.e. the good old Geiss Synchron

The Geiss synchron has a special accessory dial that you fix upon the regular speed dial.

Pictures courtesy of dirapon.be

My speed dial is about the same height as a normal dial so I can't figure how the cam would link to an adapter. My other thought is could it be for use with a coupled light meter (as with the M3)?

 

[Luddite Frank]

I wonder if that "Cammed" shutter speed dial was from a Leitz external flash syncronizer such as the VACU ?

The numbers look like Leitz script...



Regarding the Geiss-sync, I have a Hako "Hako-Syn" add-on external sync that looks very similar in my III kit; have never tried it out.

 

[xayraa33]

Your are on to something Frank !
you are jogging my memory.....

Now I say that camera has been fitted with the "CAVOO" shutter speed setting
dial, all part of a flash synchronization device which Leitz devised for its
pre IIIf screw mount Leicas. The cam was designed to work with a device
(yes...coded "VACU" by Leitz) which fitted over the normal shutter release
button. As the shutter dial turned, the cam initiated the firing of
a flashgun plugged into this "VACU" device, just my ten cents again.

 

[Steve B.]

Yes, the cam lobed shutter speed dial is part of a CAVOO flash synchronizer sold between 1951 and 1953 for the IIIc and earlier cameras - there were several varieties of speed dial to suit the various models of camera. It was similar in principle to the Geiss Kontakt shown in Mael's note above; as the shutter speed dial rotated, one of the lobes would close a switch on the VACU which was attached to the shutter release. Here is a photo of my IIIa with a CAVOO. In the photo, the CAVOO shutter speed dial is lying on the top plate. One would remove the regular dial and replace it with the CAVOO dial. I suppose it would be very easy to lose the original after that. That doesn't answer why your IIIa only has a 1/500 top speed on the dial though, since, as in the photo, a 1/1000 dial was readily available. Also, I would hazard the guess, that your flash synch connector behind the accessory shoe, was not a Leitz installation, and is only capable of X synch, as for electronic flash, while the CAVOO could be used with long delay PF type flashbulbs.

Regards,
Steve Busch

 

[greyelm]

I found this link (French) that shows a cam dial like mine and attributes it to the VACU system

http://www.summilux.net/avis/LeicaIIIb.html


I will have to wait until I shoot a roll off to see if the built in sync works with electronic flash.

 

[greyelm]

Are you sure there is no 1/1000th? Try setting the shutter dial past 500, it might engage somewhere over there. In which case, the shutter dial has been replaced with a III shutter dial instead of a IIIa dial.

If not, everything is possible... even a mixup in the Leica book, although that seems unlikely.

I've just looked at the speed dial again and I can move it past the 500 setting and it does engage although it seems to sit a little higher than the 500 point (is this normal for the 1000 point?). The shutter fires but my ear isn't good enough to tell if it sounds faster than 500. Yet another thing to test when I shoot a roll (I am currently waiting on a Summitat 5cm/f2 to arrive).

 

[colyn]

I've just looked at the speed dial again and I can move it past the 500 setting and it does engage although it seems to sit a little higher than the 500 point (is this normal for the 1000 point?). The shutter fires but my ear isn't good enough to tell if it sounds faster than 500. Yet another thing to test when I shoot a roll (I am currently waiting on a Summitat 5cm/f2 to arrive).

At the 1/1000th setting the dial will sit higher. This allows the closing curtain cam to engage the 1/1000th closing curtain latch..

 

[greyelm]

At the 1/1000th setting the dial will sit higher. This allows the closing curtain cam to engage the 1/1000th closing curtain latch..

So it looks as if I do have a IIIa (as per serial number) after all and the cammed speed dial is just missing the 1000 inscription.

Thanks for all the input, it has been very interesting

Malcolm

 

[sqjaw]

Do you have a IIIIa? Can I buy it? Must be the rarest of all Leicas.

Erik.

Erik: I'll sell you 9136 Leica if you want but, your going to have to wait awhile for me to deliver it, not selling my 1936 Model III [LOL]