Lens cap question

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I am looking for a chronological list of Leica caps for the A36 lenses as I want to know which is correct for my various Elmars, Summars etc. In particular, which came first, chrome or black bakelite, when did they replace the flat black-painted caps or did they co-exist? If so which lenses would have come with black plastic caps. My latest acquisition is an immaculate nickle Summar which arrived on a black III in its original case with a chrome cap. I had always thought the chrome caps were post war but I would be happy to be proven wrong. Thanks, Simon

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[ismon]

Simon,

You are delving into a rather vague area. Leica made lenses in nickel finish, then also offered them in chrome, and finally in 1936 only in chrome. Obviously they must have come with lens caps, but there is scarce mention of them in their catalogs. In 1933, the ORIFT was mentioned as a front cap for the Elmar with filter attached. By 1936 there were the ORVZO and ORVZOCHROM (A36) listed. One would suppose that in order of chronology, the black painted brass was for the nickel lenses, the chromed brass for the chrome lenses. Bakelite had been around since the first Elmax. God only knows when it became available as lens caps.

[M9reno]

I am looking for a chronological list of Leica caps for the A36 lenses as I want to know which is correct for my various Elmars, Summars etc. In particular, which came first, chrome or black bakelite, when did they replace the flat black-painted caps or did they co-exist? If so which lenses would have come with black plastic caps. My latest acquisition is an immaculate nickle Summar which arrived on a black III in its original case with a chrome cap. I had always thought the chrome caps were post war but I would be happy to be proven wrong. Thanks, Simon

 

Simon - how far have you gotten with this investigation? Anyway, how does the cap in this picture strike you and other members as to date, authenticity, etc?

 

It has also been pointed out to me that the accessory shoe (square) is not original to this Leica I (Model A), sn 25599 - that seems right, from what I've seen. Any additional deductions anyone could draw from that fact?

 

Thanks in advance!

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[doubice]

This is a cap that most probably came with that camera originally and is historically correct for the Model I. However - it used to be black enameled and somebody sanded it down to brass.......

 

Best,

 

Jan

[M9reno]

Many thanks. At the risk of diverting the thread from caps, what about the accessory shoe? I see that Peter Loy is currently selling another Leica I (Model A) with a square shoe (this one inscribed "Germany"). This one was clearly for export (see London dealer's mark), but the s.n. apparently is illegible.

 

http://www.peterloy.com/stock-list.php

 

Hasbroeck (Leica: A History Illustrating every model) despite saying that the round shoe for this model saw no variation, just a few pages later shows an example of one with a square shoe. (By the way, he also illustrates a very similar cap to the brass one above, towards the end of the part of the volume dealing with Leica LTMs. This is from memory, so forgive my lack of page references for these, please.)

 

Anyway, I am confused about the shoe question. Searches on the web only seem to throw up further contradictions on the matter.

 

Perhaps it is safest to conclude that we don't have an accurate picture of original feature variants on Leica I by 1929-30? Or categorically that all examples of Leica I(A) with a square shoe are simply the result of later modification?

[M9reno]

PS: Hasbroeck references are: p. 146 (fig. 97), upper right - BRASS CAP

p. 50 (fig. 26b): Leica I (A) with square shoe (?)