Leica LTM Show off your Leica I/II/III/LTM Camera

[Erik van Straten]

Leica III, Color-Skopar 50mm f/2.5, Tmax400.

Erik.

 

[Dez]

Eric, I continue to be amazed by your images. You manage to make even a simple product shot of a camera on a plate look beautiful.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[Erik van Straten]

Thank you, Dez.

I've tested the camera, works well:

Leica IIIc, Summar 50mm f/2, Tmax400.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

I forgot to upload a picture of the back. The vulcanite is still in good condition. The color of the vulcanite matches exactly the remains of the paint.
The release guard looks a bit strange, but I've found out that it is correct for the period.

Erik.

 

[LeicaTom]

Oddly enough a great deal of the late 1942 Grey (non bearing) cameras HAD partial Red Curtains, could be that this camera had them and they were replaced or just didn't have them at all.

Nice find Erik, hope you keep using it.

I sold all my prize clean Grey paint K cameras, to buy my 1957 VW Beetle, I still have some chrome K cameras, but I do miss having a Grey camera around, just something about that RLM -75 Violet Grey paint (Luftwaffe) that makes that camera look so good.

Tom

P.S. Erik your camera also has an interesting shutter collar, it's the 1942 ONLY style that was used on many of the cameras that were shipped EAST like to Occupied Czech and Bulgaria, funny the collar looks like the Canon one would later in 1951......

 

[Erik van Straten]

P.S. Erik your camera also has an interesting shutter collar, it's the 1942 ONLY style that was used on many of the cameras that were shipped EAST like to Occupied Czech and Bulgaria, funny the collar looks like the Canon one would later in 1951......

I first thought the original guard was lost and a Canon was put on.

On page 244 of Lagers illustrated guide II 1978 however camera 387246K is pictured with the same guard and in Van Hasbroeck they can be seen too.
I didn't know these cameras were exported to the east. That explains perhaps why it is so much used, doubtless after the war.

Erik.

 

[LeicaTom]

I first thought the original guard was lost and a Canon was put on.

On page 244 of Lagers illustrated guide II 1978 however camera 387246K is pictured with the same guard and in Van Hasbroeck they can be seen too.
I didn't know these cameras were exported to the east. That explains perhaps why it is so much used, doubtless after the war.

Erik.

Well, the export destinations were of countries that Germany occupied of were part of the Axis.
Leitz had stores/depots in Czechoslovakia (the Germans called it something else during the war Protectorate something?) and Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, it was something like the same in France and Holland during the war, Dutch dealer cameras as many know were sometimes stamped "NL" and the countries I've mentioned all received Leitz contracts for cameras, just they weren't engraved or stamped with anything.

Even Japan had a Leitz dealer in Singapore during WW2, but these shipped/contract cameras are extremely rare, (I found 2 of them, before that sold for stupid money) they didn't have any Japanese Army markings, but their history of travel was the most interesting......though the Indian Ocean via German U-boot.

The Eastern cameras also had a strange base plate, which was the "dog-leg" emboss style of the 1940/41 Red Curtain cameras, BUT a round lever like the post 1941 cameras (this was 100% due to war shortages), while shortly everafter your camera was made with Grey paint, while the chromium needed to plate was all used up at the factory.

Erik, you should post a picture of the bottom of your camera.....

Tom

 

[Erik van Straten]

Here you go, but I don't think it is the "dog-leg" style.

The countries you mean were called Protectorat Böhmen und Mähren. The other one was the Generalgouvernement: Poland and the Soviet Union.

I can imagine that in Böhmen (Bohemia) were Leica-shops, but not in the Generalgouvernement, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania, except in the capitals Warsaw, Sofia, Budapest and Bucharest. These countries were regarded by the Germans as their back garden. Many Germans lived there, however. The later generations kept their German identity.

Thank you, Tom, for all your very interesting information.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Altough it is a simple device, I love the Weisu 35mm finder.

Erik.

 

[HuubL]

What a beauty that IIIc Erik! Congrats!
Is that a "grey paint" WEISU?

 

[Erik van Straten]

Thank you, Huub, no, that's a chrome WEISU. I also have a black one.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica IIIc grey with Elmar 50mm.

Erik.

 

[LeicaTom]

Here you go, but I don't think it is the "dog-leg" style.

The countries you mean were called Protectorat Böhmen und Mähren. The other one was the Generalgouvernement: Poland and the Soviet Union.

I can imagine that in Böhmen (Bohemia) were Leica-shops, but not in the Generalgouvernement, Hongary, Bulgaria and Romania, except in the capitals Warsaw, Sofia, Budapest and Bucharest. These countries were regarded by the Germans as their back garden. Many Germans lived there, however. The later generations kept their German identity.

Thank you, Tom, for all your very interesting information.

Erik.

Erik,

Leica's were SOLD in all the countries I mentioned, the proof's on the Leica ledgers at the archive, I've owned Bulgarian issued Leitz Xenon f1.5/50mm lens and Romanian issued gear as well.

What's written on the ledgers is nothing compared to the cameras that were smuggled all over the world during WW2.
The Leica, like the Parabellum Luger Pistole, was one of the most coveted German manufactured items, loved and hated everywhere at that time.

Good to see your shooting with the camera still,

Happy Shooting,

Tom

 

[Erik van Straten]

the proof's on the Leica ledgers at the archive

Tom, can these ledgers be consulted by mortals?

Thank you,

Erik.

 

[Dralowid]

Even original split rings on the lugs, very nice.

By the way, I have many, many negatives in this condition and in those days I didn't do it on purpose!

Michael

Scan-130330-0038 by dralowid, on Flickr

 

[samsnch]

After two years of shooting film, I finally got myself a Leica IIf, fresh CLA + new leatherette.

Still saving for Leica glass though, so for now I'm using the Industar-22; still a beauty and makes amazing shots too, even if it sounds blasphemous *cough cough*

 

[finarphin]

Industar

Industar

After two years of shooting film, I finally got myself a Leica IIf, fresh CLA + new leatherette.

Still saving for Leica glass though, so for now I'm using the Industar-22; still a beauty and makes amazing shots too, even if it sounds blasphemous *cough cough*

I have an Industar lens. It fits on my Leica IIIf and on my Lumix DMC-G5. It's a pretty good lens: a lot better than I thought it was going to be for $15. It gives things a kind of old-fashioned look.

 

[Montag006]

Yikes!!!
That's a beautiful IIf Samsnch!

It doesn't help my fighting with IIf GAS.....

Any chance of you posting some of your photos?

David

 

[Therobbstory]

Cheap camera, cheap beer by TheRobbStory, on Flickr

Picked this guy up on Craigslist yesterday for a song. IIIf with 5cm Summarit. Lens has some cleaning marks, dust and haze. I'm going to take it to my local repair magician and see if it's worth saving.

Came with a handful of filters, Leitz bulb flash, and leather case. I'm pretty happy to be back in the screwmount game!

 

[Mr_Flibble]

My rapidwinder and motor-drive Leicas. The IIIa-IIIf conversion on the left was purchased many moons ago from Johan. The SCNOO is the one he talked about in the repair topic with the metallic blade spring instead of the cloth strap.
The IIIb and MOOLY are a recent purchase.
The IIIb is probably a bit of a FrankenLeica with several replaced parts, presumably repairs after someone dropped it. The lens mount has the "0" marking at the twelve o'clock position for instance.