Leica LTM WWII era double Leica rig

[landsknechte]

Just for sheer strangeness, I thought I'd share this picture. Apparently of a WWII German military photographer's rig.

 

[radiocemetery]

That's pretty wild. He also has a pistol in his boot in case someone tries to take his Leicas away. Where did you find this photo.? Do you have a link?

Steve

 

[landsknechte]

It was posted on another forum. I think it's from a book by Neil Kagen titled "Greatest Photographs of World War II", but I'll confirm and let you know.

Interesting to note that the pistol is a Mauser C-96, which was quite antiquated at that point and was never officially adopted by the German military. I'm also curious as to whom the other soldier (with the decidely non-German looking boots and leg wraps) was.

 

[VictorM.]

Someone at the factory may have been paying attention...

 

[LeicaTom]

That top photo was a German "tandem" base mount used during the war, it`s more like photographic "overkill" and it`s rare as chicken`s teeth, I`ve seen this once before in Germany like 20 years ago
*notice* that it`s a (flip) style like soliders do with carbine and SMG magazines when they tape them together etc.

Cameras seem to be IIIa`s or IIIb`s with a 35 Elmar and a 50 Summitar or Elmar

Tom

PS: As for the Mauser C-96 "Broomhandle" - weapons like this were employed all over the Eastern Front, (it could have been the schnellfuer version - that was often used by the SS) the C-96 was pretty much a "cult" weapon and the 9mm version was used by the German`s till the end of the war
And often troops had to make due with what they had or found and with fresh frontline supplies getting harder and harder to acquire after 1943, handguns of all different types were put into service

The Germans had their own versions of the Browning High Power and 1911A1 Colt`s in service with them as well on a illregular basis

 

[Ducky]

The description says they operate simultaneously, only the shutter speeds and lenses would be diferent. I don't think they were flippable.

 

[landsknechte]

The description says they operate simultaneously, only the shutter speeds and lenses would be diferent. I don't think they were flippable.

The version that appears in the ad wouldn't be, but he's talking about the one in the pic with the soldier.

 

[Ducky]

The version that appears in the ad wouldn't be, but he's talking about the one in the pic with the soldier.

Ah, yes, I missed the offset lens placement. Either way, it's an interesting rig.

 

[Matthew Allen]

That's really neat. Let's see, we've got 2 focal lengths, full frame, metal body... It's like a much sexier Canon 1Ds Mk III.

Matthew

 

[shadowfox]

Just for sheer strangeness, I thought I'd share this picture. Apparently of a WWII German military photographer's rig.

Cooool!! where can I get the "grip" ??
I want to do this with my iiic and FED 2

 

[burninfilm]

Cameras seem to be IIIa`s or IIIb`s with a 35 Elmar and a 50 Summitar

I may be "nitpicking" a little too much here, but the WWII tandem setup doesn't appear to me to be outfitted with a 50mm Summitar. The presence of the long focusing lever and flatter mount would seem to indicate that this lens is a 50mm Elmar. The other camera, having the accessory finder fitted, does appear to have a 35mm Elmar. Just thought I'd mention that.

Germany actually utilized just about any source of arms manufacture that they could find. They even utilized the factories from occupated areas, such as the MAB factory in France (where they procured the Modele D), or the FN factory in Belgium (where the GP35 or "High Powers" camera from).

 

[Mr_Flibble]

I've seen the photo pop-up on the WW2-re-enactment proboards War Photography topic.

If you throught reloading a single Barnack was bothersome......

 

[Spider67]

Another possibilty: The photographer is Soviet as they also used broomhandles and their PJa also used Leicas. The Mauser broomhandle was also used in the Russian Army in WWI in large quantities (althogh never officially adopted) and found its way to the soviet Army.
That's a pic for a photoarcheologist,

 

[Harry Lime]

Hmmm, anyone want to guess a date?

I would say pre 1942-43.

Can anyone id the boots of the non-German soldier? Leggings went out of style after the first few years of the war, as uniforms moved away from their WWI origins. Later in the war I think you still saw leggings with Italian and some eastern European troops, but they were no longer widespread.

Looks like a 3.5/50 Elmar and 3.5/35mm Elmar with VIOOH finder.

And yeah, reloading must have been a PIA, but then again people didn't shoot machine gun style back then. 72-80 shots would have lasted a while.

 

[LeicaTom]

I may be "nitpicking" a little too much here, but the WWII tandem setup doesn't appear to me to be outfitted with a 50mm Summitar. The presence of the long focusing lever and flatter mount would seem to indicate that this lens is a 50mm Elmar. The other camera, having the accessory finder fitted, does appear to have a 35mm Elmar. Just thought I'd mention that.

Germany actually utilized just about any source of arms manufacture that they could find. They even utilized the factories from occupated areas, such as the MAB factory in France (where they procured the Modele D), or the FN factory in Belgium (where the GP35 or "High Powers" camera from).

Who`s care`s what the lenses are.....Elmar`s or whatever, the rigs pretty kool looking, that`s all that counts

Tom

 

[Harry Lime]

That's no Summar with the black cap. It's a 35mm Elmar or 28mm Hektor, although I highly doubt that it's the Hektor. The 28mm was a mediocre performer and uncommon.

The Summar doesn't have a flat plate at the base of the focus mount. The Summar as a raised base, with a round edge. The 35 Elmar has a flat base like the 50 Elmar. The rigid Summar has a flat base, but obviously this isn't one.

Summar:
http://www.ritzcam.com/catalog/images/Leica3-225.jpg

Summar rigid:
http://www.leicatime.com/SummarRig186343onLeicaIII.jpg

3.5/35 Elmar
http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/leica/sm/smpix/cblk.jpg

28mm Hektor
http://www.cameraro.com/shopimages/tessar/0130030000112.jpg



Also the infinity lock on the Elmar is quite big.

 

[landsknechte]

Hmmm, anyone want to guess a date?

I would say pre 1942-43.

Can anyone id the boots of the non-German soldier? Leggings went out of style after the first few years of the war, as uniforms moved away from their WWI origins. Later in the war I think you still saw leggings with Italian and some eastern European troops, but they were no longer widespread.

Looks like a 3.5/50 Elmar and 3.5/35mm Elmar with VIOOH finder.

And yeah, reloading must have been a PIA, but then again people didn't shoot machine gun style back then. 72-80 shots would have lasted a while.

Leggings weren't that uncommon, they were worn through most of the war by American troops. They just laced up the side instead of wrapping around the leg like a giant ace bandage. Heck, the German's introduced thier version of leggings in the middle of the war.

The more I look at it, the more I'm beginning to think the soldier with the legging is Italian. That's starting to look like the only real thing that makes sense.

It looks like it has a hinge near the top (from the point of view of how the camera is oriented in the photo), where the two cameras could swivel apart sort of like the blades of a pair of scissors. There's a strip in there between the base plates of the two cameras, and perhaps each camera could be swiveled out to access the baseplate individually. If there was enough of a lip around the top of the camera to hold it into place when inverted, then it would be relatively easy to swing it open and get in there to change the film.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

The photo is also on a site of SS-kriegsberichter photos

If I were to venture a guess about the the figure with the puttees, I think he might be a Russian prisoner of war.

From what I can gather the image above is only part of a photo, but I've not been able to find the complete photo yet.

 

[Harry Lime]

Leggings weren't that uncommon, they were worn through most of the war by American troops. They just laced up the side instead of wrapping around the leg like a giant ace bandage. Heck, the German's introduced thier version of leggings in the middle of the war.

You're right about the US leggings, but like you said they weren't the bandage type. One of my uncles was hit in the calf in front of Cologne and the doctor claimed the the reason why he didn't lose the leg, was because he was wearing high boots, with two pairs of socks and US type leggings, which held everything together.

The more I look at it, the more I'm beginning to think the soldier with the legging is Italian. That's starting to look like the only real thing that makes sense.

You know, I was thinking the same thing...the boots sure look about correct. Italian boots looked a lot like hiking boots, with a prominent cap over the toe. The Italians were in Russia for a while.

It looks like it has a hinge near the top (from the point of view of how the camera is oriented in the photo), where the two cameras could swivel apart sort of like the blades of a pair of scissors. There's a strip in there between the base plates of the two cameras, and perhaps each camera could be swiveled out to access the baseplate individually. If there was enough of a lip around the top of the camera to hold it into place when inverted, then it would be relatively easy to swing it open and get in there to change the film.

This makes me think that it isn't something home made. It looks like it is well thought out and the construction is somewhat involved.

 

[bob cole]

WWII era double Leica rig

Just for sheer strangeness, I thought I'd share this picture. Apparently of a WWII German military photographer's rig.

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Here's more info , landsknechte, from Lager's Illustrated History, Vol. III Accessories...Leica called the Tandem outfit a TOWIN...

See also: http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/HMbook12.html#anchor870860