Wow! Leaf-shutter Leica

I wonder who bought this model over the other Leicas available at that same time?

Someone who wanted slow shutter speeds and was a leaf shutter enthusiast perhaps?

Cheaper to buy and ease of flash sync could be the reason too.
 
I remember reading that this was one camera Benno Thorsch (former part-owner of K.W. and later Studio City Camera Exchange) regretted not buying when he had the chance. When a guy who ran a camera shop for five decades has only seen one example (pre-internet of course) you can rightly say it's a rare camera.
 
Would have been cool if Leica made that lens in screw mount with a release attachment that would allow high speed sync on a focal plane shutter camera.

The release would open the focal plane shutter at a slow speed, and then fire the lens' shutter. It would totally work and would be super sweet...
 
Would have been cool if Leica made that lens in screw mount with a release attachment that would allow high speed sync on a focal plane shutter camera.

The release would open the focal plane shutter at a slow speed, and then fire the lens' shutter. It would totally work and would be super sweet...

With their so called «Leica M5 Automatic» prototype, they were planning exactly that in the early 1960s, but having a bayonet mount, cf. here:

Leica M5 Automatic anyone?

(Then, «Automatic» meant: having a cross coupled light meter, not necessarily an «Aperture priority» or a «Shutter priority» automatic or something like that.)
 
Would have been cool if Leica made that lens in screw mount with a release attachment that would allow high speed sync on a focal plane shutter camera.

The release would open the focal plane shutter at a slow speed, and then fire the lens' shutter. It would totally work and would be super sweet...
Pretty much how it works on the Leica S if you opt for the leaf-shutter lenses... 🙂
 
I wonder who bought this model over the other Leicas available at that same time?

Someone who wanted slow shutter speeds and was a leaf shutter enthusiast perhaps?

Cheaper to buy and ease of flash sync could be the reason too.

Shutter controlled flash sync was only introduced after WWII, long after the Modell B had been discontinued, so that cannot have been in their mind. The Compur Leica catered to users that needed times between 1/20 and 1s.
 
Would have been cool if Leica made that lens in screw mount with a release attachment that would allow high speed sync on a focal plane shutter camera.

The release would open the focal plane shutter at a slow speed, and then fire the lens' shutter. It would totally work and would be super sweet...

With their so called «Leica M5 Automatic» prototype, they were planning exactly that in the early 1960s, but having a bayonet mount, cf. here:

Leica M5 Automatic anyone?

(Then, «Automatic» meant: having a cross coupled light meter, not necessarily an «Aperture priority» or a «Shutter priority» automatic or something like that.)

Shutter controlled flash sync was only introduced after WWII, long after the Modell B had been discontinued, so that cannot have been in their mind. The Compur Leica catered to users that needed times between 1/20 and 1s.


Yes, exactly. And now I recall what I forgot to mention: (in 1954 probably) LEITZ did offer a «Compur Summicron», a rare thing, cf.:

http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.Object?inC=WLPA&inA=20130930_1754&inO=32
 
Red Dot have one for sale at £5999 and one at £2999.

Leitz apparently made 638 of the dial set type and 969 of the ring set version. A total production of 1607 makes them way more common than a Leicaflex SL MOT which sells for around £200-£300.
 
I already have two working rangefinders that I don't use, so I'll pass on this one.

Leica collectors should be swarming around it, I wonder why not? Are Leica collectors a thing of the past, like coin and stamp collectors?
 
Red Dot have one for sale at £5999 and one at £2999.

Leitz apparently made 638 of the dial set type and 969 of the ring set version. A total production of 1607 makes them way more common than a Leicaflex SL MOT which sells for around £200-£300.

Ah, but if they are locked up in someones collection, then they are not quite as available to the market, are they?

PF
 
Pretty much how it works on the Leica S if you opt for the leaf-shutter lenses... 🙂

Thats a really cool feature. I didn't realize they were offering it for the S. I have the 75mm L.S for my Pentax 645 which I really enjoy. In use it is a quite a commotion because of all the opening and closing and flipping, but it works great. To be fair the P645 with any lens is quite a commotion ...

Yes, exactly. And now I recall what I forgot to mention: (in 1954 probably) LEITZ did offer a «Compur Summicron», a rare thing, cf.:

http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.Object?inC=WLPA&inA=20130930_1754&inO=32

Amazing! I had no idea they made this. They should resurrect this lens! If they can bring back the 28mm Summaron they can do this one for sure.
 
Going back to demand, it's high around Christmas for almost everything but the bills come in in January. Then spring comes and people feel a bit more optimistic and aren't yet getting the money sorted out for the summer holidays and so it goes on and around.

Regards, David
 
Would have been cool if Leica made that lens in screw mount with a release attachment that would allow high speed sync on a focal plane shutter camera.

The release would open the focal plane shutter at a slow speed, and then fire the lens' shutter. It would totally work and would be super sweet...

They did make at least prototypes of a leaf-shutter Summicron in LTM, that works pretty much as you have described.

http://photo.net/leica-rangefinders-forum/00MiJs


ETA I see that this has already been mentioned. Oops.
 
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