Leica LTM When did the "O" leave the flange?

[landsknechte]

I haven't found any hard and fast dates for the disappearance of the "O" marking from the lens flange of earlier Barnacks, just a couple of websites that say "mid 30's". Does anyone know anything more concrete?

 

[ZorkiKat]

...when they ran out of lens mounts with "O" engravings?🙂 I have a Leica III from around 1933 whose lens mount flange still bears that mark.

 

[Nikon Bob]

You might find an answer in one of James L Lager's reference books if you have access to them. I don't have contact info for him but you may be able to get an info request passed through TomA ( Abrams Rapidwinder).

Bob

 

[landsknechte]

I've got a 1939 III that has it, and that's what prompted the question. Everything I've seen says mid-30's, and it's appearance seems surprisingly late.

 

[ZorkiKat]

My two other III Leicas (from 1935 and 1938[?]) have no 0 marks on their flange mounts. Another Leica II which I serviced- and this is definitely from the latter half of the 1930s - also had a non-0 flange.

 

[laptoprob]

My IIa ('37) does have an 'O' marking. It is the third camera of a run of 1500.
So they were mixing parts up? Discovered a box of marked flanges?