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

[johannielscom]

@erik, hahaha, I admit I'm pretty thrilled about it. Your post-1955 conversion was an inspiration to me, awesome camera!
This was expensive for me but it just sat there for weeks on end, with 25+ people following it and nobody pulled the trigger, in the end I had to buy it and eat noodle soup for a few weeks 😀

The engraving error and also the newer shutter speed dial on the old mechanism makes it more interesting imho. It lines up at 1/40th but not slower than that

Johan, I think second from the right, 63028 is the same as yours (apart from the fact that it has no strap lugs!)?

I see yours does not have an H on the end of GMB. Is this an error or something to do with Germany's complex post war past?

Scan-130412-0004 by dralowid, on Flickr

@Michael, I love that scan of your conversions top plates! To one day find a black paint conversion to IIIa syn like your camera on the left would be so awesome too

 

[jszokoli]

Don't know if you guys saw this but a late conversion of a very early camera.

Yes, just 4 digits...

 

[johannielscom]

Ow, that is nice too... Early serial converted to II syn, pre-1955... very very pretty! Is it yours?

 

[jszokoli]

Yes, picked it up a few years ago.


What clues leads you to say pre 1955?

Joe

 

[Dralowid]

...I hope all these conversions are somewhere in the 'conversions' thread too!

 

[jszokoli]

That four digit Leica II was my second screw mount Leica, I had hoped that it would cure my screw mount GAS, but it did not work.

Here is another conversion. (yes they are both in the conversions thread)

A later camera, converted quite early. That camera has no viewing port on the back, but has screws on the end of the body like early cameras. Low nickel winding knob was retained.
Joe

 

[David Hughes]

I think the object is too large for that. Why then the big, fixed screw on the left?

However, I guess you are right that it is not a stereo sliding bar. But it looks like the stereo sliding bar in Lagers second book more than anything else.

Erik.

That big screw could be taken from a U/S ERC and the thing could be a one-off. Or it is big to make it easier to tighten? You never can tell with Leicas as so many firms made bits and pieces for them, R G Lewis f'instance.



Regards, David

 

[johannielscom]

Yes, picked it up a few years ago.


What clues leads you to say pre 1955?

Joe

The small lettering in Ernst Leitz. Past 1955 (when the M3 was launched) the cameras all were engraved all capitals, ERNST LEITZ.

Lovely camera!

 

[Erik van Straten]

There is practically no "official" information on these conversions. This is rather strange, as they are not rare at all. There seems to be no registration from the factory on them, but they kept their original serial numbers. This is why many misunderstandings have arisen. Many people think that they were made in the period that is indicated by the serial number.

Most of these conversions are early Leicas (period 1930/1940) that received a flash-synch mechanism. This happened somewere in the 1950's, when flash became popular. That is also why most of them do not have long speeds.

Many are in black, but there are chrome ones too.

At Leitz there was a small production line that produced these conversions.

My favorites are the conversions without flash synch. These cameras are usually extremely smooth and work very nice with a SCNOO.

This is a Leica II with strap eyelets. Is it a conversion too?

Erik.

 

[Dralowid]

Just remember that you can find cameras that have been converted/updated more than once.

 

[Forest_rain]

I just bought this Canon III the other day for $60. I intended it to be my "beater" model I could use to take hiking or on rougher trips so I wouldn't have to worry about it. I was kind of bummed to find out you have to trim the film leader, and this model doesn't have flash sync. But I guess you guys are dealing with this kind of stuff as well.



But I realized I don't even use flash most of the time, and I bought and LED light that I can mount on the cold shoe instead of a flash that should suffice. I find that people are often shocked by flash at night, or can get annoyed by it blinding them. So I thought I'd experiment with an LED anyways. The LED has a diffuser attached and comes with flash gels, adjustable color temperature and brightness, all for $20. Plus I can use it for video and use it with my webcam during my online teaching sessions. It's interesting how restrictions force you to "get creative" and make you use your brain, so maybe it's a good thing.


The same person also sold another Canon III that just went for $100. So I guess I can't complain.


Looks like a nice camera nonetheless and I'm looking forward to trying out one of these older models (currently using a Canon 7 with all the bells and whistles).

 

[johannielscom]

An LED instead of flash, never thought of that...
nice Canon, happy hiking and shooting!

 

[Mr_Flibble]

I've had a couple of RoBoT-to-Leica Adapter lying around for years, but never used one beyond a few frames on an M-E with a 7.5cm Tele-Xenar.
Cleaned the glass of this CZJ 32.5mm f/2.8 Tessar so thought it was time to test this setup 🙂
As there is no RF-coupling I might as well put it on a Leica I (model E)

 

[Erik van Straten]

Good idea! Looks great! I always wondered why Leitz did not make a version of the Leica IA with a fixed Elmar 35.


Erik.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

I'd need to look it up, was the Elmar 35 design ready when the Model A was standard?

 

[Dralowid]

Good idea! Looks great! I always wondered why Leitz did not make a version of the Leica IA with a fixed Elmar 35.


Erik.

I thought they did and think I have seen one. The viewfinder has a larger front element...or...am I thinking about LEDRI (interchangeable non standardised)?

 

[Erik van Straten]

The earliest Elmar 35mm f/3.5 lenses were available in 1930 for use with the non-standardized Leica C. They were matched to a camera (and had the three last digits of the number of the camera engraved). They must have been ready before 1930.

I have a "thick cam" version with the focusing release at 11-o'clock.

Erik.

 

[Dralowid]

That ties in with my references. My memory of a hockey stick 35mm must be wrong.

The non standardised camera codes were: LEOMU with 5cm Elmar, LEFER with 13.5cm Elmar, LEDRI with 3.5cm Elmar and LEVIR with 5cm Hektor.

I've only observed non standardised cameras and their original matched lenses from a distance due to their value. Ones that have been converted/standardised are quite easy to find.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Yes, it is a pity because with a 35mm f/3.5 lens on the 1A a FOFER is hardly necessary and the viewfinder of the 1A is already a 35mm finder - why, nobody knows - therefore a Leica 1A with an Elmar 35mm f/3.5 would have been extremely useful.


Erik.

 

[Dralowid]

I used to use a CV 21/4 on a I. I discarded the big CV viewfinder and just guessed. It worked for me.