I have buyed a strange screwmount leica

[alechino]

Mi è capitata una strana leica a vite ( I have buyed a strange screwmount leica)

ser 35122 (1930) ma dovrebbe essere una leica 1 senza telemetro (it should be leica 1 - without rangefinder) , invece questa ha il telemetro e pure i tempi lunghi (but it has rangefinder and also slow times)
Anche il caricamento è per me nuovo, dal momento che il rocchetto NON è estraibile... (Also loading camera is strange for me, because take-up spool doesn't move ) sono riuscito comunque a caricarla (but I succeded to load leica)
I tempi sembrano ok, ed anche tutto il resto, bella la smaltatura vecchio stile...(All times seem ok, and all seem ok, old style enamel is very fine)

[doubice]

Hello Mauro,

Your camera started out as a Leica Model I and was indeed produced in 1930. Leitz however, used to offer Leica owners upgrades of their older models, to bring them up to models that were current at the time the upgrade was requested.

The Leica that you show is an upgrade into a Leica Model III - indicated by the slow speed dial, rangefinder and a top speed of 1/500s. Model II would have lacked the slow speeds, while a Model IIIa would have added top speed of 1/1000s. The Model I would have come with an Elmar 3.5/50mm lens, so the Summar that you have on the camera must have been a part of the upgrade or, was added at a later time. Judging by the Summar's serial number, it is from 1937 production and was most probably added to the camera during the upgrade.

Not too many of these upgrades survived, particularly those done before the war - you have a relatively rare camera, in what appears to be very nice condition.

All the best,

Jan

[luigi bertolotti]

Nothing to add to Jan statement: a "factory converted" Leica I became Leica III : very fine, and rather rare...5-digit s/n... I saw think 4 or 5 items of this kind in the last 5 years about (navigating the principal marketplaces). Keep with care, take some shot, and if the Summar does not satisfy you, throw it away and mount an Elmar: differently from the camera, the depicted Summar is a very common and undervalued item, in that version (chrome, retractable)

[Philippe D.]

Originally Posted by luigi bertolotti

and if the Summar does not satisfy you, throw it away

NO ! Sell it to me for a very low price.
I also take gifts.

[alechino]

Originally Posted by Philippe D.

NO ! Sell it to me for a very low price.
I also take gifts.

It's a splendid example of summar, absolutely clear lens, no scratches...
I love the particular effect of summar , wide open
Mauro

[Philippe D.]

Originally Posted by alechino

I love the particular effect of summar

YES Mauro, me too.
It's one of my favorite lens to produce some beautiful effects you can't even get with totoshop.

[hektor]

Originally Posted by doubice

Not too many of these upgrades survived, particularly those done before the war - you have a relatively rare camera, in what appears to be very nice condition.

All the best,

Jan

Dear Jan,

The most unusual upgrade is my "IIa". Yes I know; there never was such model, however have a look at the picture. The archivist at Solms looked at their records for me, which state "wurde übrigens am 18 Okt 1929 nach Frankfurt geliefert".

The camera has factory fitted flash synchronisation and the lens-cap is the style fitted to A36 lenses after 1951. The service department has been unable to locate its records of the period, so I am yet to find out what were the instructions for the upgrade and what was actually done. I also don't know whether it has a 46-215 "15er" or 46-216 "16er"shutter.

The strangest factor to my mind is the retention of the original uncoated 1929 lens cell and its installation in a chrome 1950s mount, rather than buying the latest "red-scale" lens. It is also the pre 1930 short Elmar as fitted to the Leica I prior to the recomputation and colour correction around 1930 when as a result the lens became a few millimetres longer.

As you can see from the condition, the camera had very little if any use after the upgrade. Maybe the owner died when he got the bill!

[L39UK]

Hello HEKTOR,
I have just found this thread from 2007 and noticed that you have a similar converted camera like mine.My camera started off as a Leica 1A in 1929 in fact the first camera produced in 1929 and has been converted to the same specification as yours in the early 1950's.It seems that this is quite a rare conversion as most were converted to 111's with slow speed dial.
I notice you quote yours as a model "11a" is this the official name for this conversion?
My camera is serial number 13301* (Whatever the star means with this camera I do not know but it normally meant that a duplicate number had been issued by Leitz).
Kindest Regards,
William

[earleygallery]

Originally Posted by luigi bertolotti

and if the Summar does not satisfy you, throw it away

OK I know its mis-quoting! But a good Summar is a rare find these days. I was lucky to find one recently (I have another typically poor example). It's a superb lens, used in the right conditions.

[telewatt]

Originally Posted by hektor

Dear Jan,

The most unusual upgrade is my "IIa". Yes I know; there never was such model, however have a look at the picture. The archivist at Solms looked at their records for me, which state "wurde übrigens am 18 Okt 1929 nach Frankfurt geliefert".

The camera has factory fitted flash synchronisation and the lens-cap is the style fitted to A36 lenses after 1951. The service department has been unable to locate its records of the period, so I am yet to find out what were the instructions for the upgrade and what was actually done. I also don't know whether it has a 46-215 "15er" or 46-216 "16er"shutter.

The strangest factor to my mind is the retention of the original uncoated 1929 lens cell and its installation in a chrome 1950s mount, rather than buying the latest "red-scale" lens. It is also the pre 1930 short Elmar as fitted to the Leica I prior to the recomputation and colour correction around 1930 when as a result the lens became a few millimetres longer.

As you can see from the condition, the camera had very little if any use after the upgrade. Maybe the owner died when he got the bill!

The updates where very usually....here some sides of the "Update-Katalog"...

The change of the Elmar is very clear...A new one was 148,-- DM and the change costed 40,-- DM, and was nessersary for the rangfinder ..the coating was not done......missing money? .... .the prise for coating 27,-DM + 16,-DM lens cleaning...
Leica-Umbau-1.jpg

Leica-Umbau-3.jpg

This are only two sides of the eleven sides Katalog....

regards,

Jan

[luigi bertolotti]

Originally Posted by earleygallery

OK I know its mis-quoting! But a good Summar is a rare find these days. I was lucky to find one recently (I have another typically poor example). It's a superb lens, used in the right conditions.

Yep, my advice to "throw away" (figurately, of course, a Leitz lens is never to be trashed... ) was in case of it reveals to be a "poor" one, which is a frequent find... a clear/unscratched Summar is really fine to use.

[luigi bertolotti]

Originally Posted by telewatt

The updates where very usually....here some sides of the "Update-Katalog"...

The change of the Elmar is very clear...A new one was 148,-- DM and the change costed 40,-- DM, and was nessersary for the rangfinder ..
Attachment 77984

Attachment 77985

This are only two sides of the eleven sides Katalog....

regards,

Jan

Thanks for posting the "upgrade matrix" page... I wonder if the just started "perpetual upgrade" program for M8 shall bring to something similar...

[telewatt]

Originally Posted by hektor

Dear Jan,

The most unusual upgrade is my "IIa". Yes I know; there never was such model, however have a look at the picture. The archivist at Solms looked at their records for me, which state "wurde übrigens am 18 Okt 1929 nach Frankfurt geliefert".

l!

..out of my list it should be a "II syn"...includes the 1/1000 sec automatically....

regards,

Jan

[telewatt]

Originally Posted by luigi bertolotti

Thanks for posting the "upgrade matrix" page... I wonder if the just started "perpetual upgrade" program for M8 shall bring to something similar...

... ..leica goes the old way...

regards,

Jan

[jc_braconi]

Originally Posted by alechino

Anche il caricamento è per me nuovo, dal momento che il rocchetto NON è estraibile... (Also loading camera is strange for me, because take-up spool doesn't move ) sono riuscito comunque a caricarla (but I succeded to load leica)

Deve venire fuori, in caso prenda de le picolle pinse a becco rotondi ricoperte con un po di nastro adesivo per non segnare il roccheto.