Tom A FILCA help

[colyn]

The cassette on the left...is it or is it not a genuine Leica Filca? Note the curved lock arm as compared to my known Filca on the right.. The nipple is also slightly different in shape. There are no markings on this cassette except for the "Z" on the top of the inner shell..


filca by Colyn's fotografs, on Flickr

 

[Livesteamer]

The cassette on the left is the earliest one for the Leica 1a cameras. The right one is a FILCA. Save the early one and sell it to someone like me with a Leica !a. Joe

 

[Tom A]

Joe is correct. The very early Leica cassettes had this "hook" on them - rather than the straight spring of the LTM FILCA. Yours is quite rare as the spring seems intact. Often users have cut off the spring as it tends to bend and jam in the camera.
The solution is siple - just get a Leica 1 or A and use it. Far more interesting than selling the cassette - great excuse too,

 

[colyn]

Joe is correct. The very early Leica cassettes had this "hook" on them - rather than the straight spring of the LTM FILCA. Yours is quite rare as the spring seems intact. Often users have cut off the spring as it tends to bend and jam in the camera.
The solution is siple - just get a Leica 1 or A and use it. Far more interesting than selling the cassette - great excuse too,

Thanks Tom.

The cassette is in good working order. Since it locks in the open position too it does not work well in my daylight loader. I have to pre cut and load in the darkroom..

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

That raises an interesting point as the early Leica was called "The Leica" in most magazines of that time. Later on the "Standard" appeared but Tom A is in the USA and they may call things different names there. I like "The Leica" for my 1926 one but a compromise might be "A Leica"... ;-)

And in the 40's they were being called something like "Leica camera with Elmar lens, non interchangeable" when sold off as second-hand in the classified advert's.

Regards, David