Ernst Leitz II
The second son of Ernst Leitz I, he became head of the E. Leitz optical company on the death of his father in 1920, and remained in charge until his passing in 1956, when his sons Ernst Leitz III, Ludwig and Günther then shared control of the company. Experimenting with making a portable camera at least as early as 1911, Ernst Leitz II (1870-1956) expanded the optical company's production to include cameras, using the name Leica, an abbreviation of Lei(tz) ca(mera), and adapting employee's Oskar Barnack (camera) and Max Berek (lens) designs to manufacture the Leica 0 of 1925. Known as an enlightened administrator, sportsman, father and excellent company owner, Ernst II is also credited with the design of the universal viewfinder - VIDOM. He was also known as Ernst Leitz, Jr. and Ernst A. Leitz (on patents)
- Forum discussion
E. Leitz Photographic Patents by Ernst Leitz II
- 1934 JAN 06 - COMBINATION DISTANCE METER AND TELESCOPE RANGE FINDER
- 1934 JUL 16 - CONCENTRICALLY ADJUSTABLE OBJECTIVE DIAPHRAGM (see image above)
- 1935 AUG 06 - PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA (View Finder - Range Finder)
- 1959 AUG 25 - VIEW FINDER with Robert Eckhardt
- 1960 JUL 11 - COMBINED VIEW AND RANGE FINDER FOR CAMERAS with Wilhelm Stein
- 1962 AUG 24 - RANGE FINDER AND VIEW FINDER FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERAS with Wilhelm Stein
- 1967 APR 13 - CENTER FOCUSING PRISM BINOCULAR AND RETICLE with Helmut Becker, Kurt Jensen and Walter Rinker (see Trinovid 8 x 40 B)
