early leicaflex red scale lens question.

[lockesboy]

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Hello,

 

looking for information on a red scale lens on an early leicaflex, the camera and lens date to 1965, the lens is a Leitz Wetzlar 50mm Summicron 1 cam with a red scale, is this lens rare? I have never seen one before for this model with a red scale!

 

Any information would be much appreciated,

 

sincerely,

 

Ian.

 

just realised totaly in the wrong place, my apologies, mods please move to the correct forum, thank you.

[ismon]

Ian,

All black lenses (both rangefinder and reflex) were engraved in red and black on their distance scales. In 1968, with the introduction of the Leicaflex SL and its 2-cam lenses, the red was changed to yellow for better visibility. The yellow was similarly used on all black rangefinder lenses as well. The change was unannounced and largely unnoticed. A red scale on a black lens usually means it was produced prior to 1968. Sorry, neither rare nor collectable, just nifty.

[lockesboy]

Hi, you are probably right, From memory the lens is from 1965, fitted to the original series 1 Leicaflex also dated the same year, I think mine is from the first batch produced, the speed dial on the camera is also red, but a friend of mine has the same model, about the same year with a yellow speed dial on the camera and yellow on the lens, anyway it was just out of curiosity really, my leicaflex by the way is totaly as new, there is not a mark on it and the same for the lens and case, I have a 3a which is 74 years old and looks like new and a few other more modern Leica variants, R3/R4/RE, I love leica, lol.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ian.

[luigi bertolotti]

Hi, you are probably right, From memory the lens is from 1965, fitted to the original series 1 Leicaflex also dated the same year, I think mine is from the first batch produced, the speed dial on the camera is also red, but a friend of mine has the same model, about the same year with a yellow speed dial on the camera and yellow on the lens, anyway it was just out of curiosity really, my leicaflex by the way is totaly as new, there is not a mark on it and the same for the lens and case, I have a 3a which is 74 years old and looks like new and a few other more modern Leica variants, R3/R4/RE, I love leica, lol.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ian.

 

So, WELCOME TO THE FORUM !!! We hope to see you many times... the "Collectors & Historica" is definitely a fine place for people like you...

[lockesboy]

Thank you for your kind words, there is something about owning a Leica that you just dont get with another camera manufacturer, I must own in excess of 30 cameras and without a doubt in my mind my favourites are the Leica models, I actually like the older models better, to day I cleaned an old Elmar 4/90 screwmount lens and it came apart with no trouble and was very easy to clean, the other week I started to clean a modern Summicron 50/2 and decided after just removing the bayonet mount, black metal cover and the small ball bearing I had had enough, so I put it all back together, I have an R4 here that I need to remove the shutter speed dial to access the contacts for the program selector, when in P mode the metering goes down due to either dirt or a bad connection on one of the electrical conections, so if anyone knows how to take that apart and would like to share, then that would be most welcome, I just got this one today, totaly mint in the box, even the strap has not been used, the camera is dry though and needs a CLA and new light seals and it will be OK.

 

all the best from Sweden,

 

Ian.