samiba Posted November 22, 2009 Share #1 Posted November 22, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello there, I have bought a Optimus Viewfinder inscribed for Leica, made in Germany. It has tubes on a revolver for 35mm, 50mm, 73mm, 90mm und 135mm. It also has dioptre settings for 0, +2, +4, -2, -4. Seems to be a sophisticated item. Has anyone information on this, when it was produced, which company was the producer, etc. Would be happy to receive information. Thanks, Michael Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/104539-optimus-viewfinder-for-leica/?do=findComment&comment=1126480'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 22, 2009 Posted November 22, 2009 Hi samiba, Take a look here Optimus Viewfinder for Leica. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
luigi bertolotti Posted November 22, 2009 Share #2 Posted November 22, 2009 Never seen or red of... I think it's a rather rare item, and interesting, too, for it seems a smartly engineered item: 5 focals in such a compact package is a fine assembly work. I think it can be dated before WWII, in the '30s... this for the reason that it has the 7,3 cm focal: the corresponding Leitz lens (Hektor 7,3 cm f 1,9) wasn't produced after WW : last 6 items are from '43 to '46, but mass production ended in '41, in practice, and it was a lens made in small numbers: I think is difficult that a 3rd party would have made such a VF at times in which the Hektor 7,3 was out of production Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
samiba Posted November 22, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted November 22, 2009 Thank you Luigi, your explanation really makes sence, as of the hint to the 73 mm Hektor. Before I had thought, that it was made some time in the 50ies, but you have proofed that to be wrong. I agree. Yes a rare and interesting item. It must have been made especially für export, because it is engraved "for Leica" and I bought it in the US. There is currently anotherone on ebay in GB, but faulty and with a much higher price. I will wait for more postings, as I hope to find out, which company produced it. Regards, Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted November 22, 2009 Share #4 Posted November 22, 2009 Well, it's possible it's a made in USA item... several "local" accessories were made in US when Leitz started to sell high number of Leicas in the USA; btw, during and after Wartime, Leitz New York made locally a multifocal Viewfinder, the IMARECT, at all similar to Leica VIOOH, with the 7,3 cm focal (and some of them also with the 12,7 cm = 5" mark, for the US made "Wollensak Velostigmat" 12,7 cm lens in Leica screw mount). It has to be noted that the VIOOH/IMARECT, thogh manufactured till '64, did retain the 7,3 marking only till 1949-50... after that, the 7,3 index was superseded by 8,5 for the then new Summarex 8,5 cm f 1,5. None of the Leitz multifocal viewfinders are of the "revolver" kind like your Optimus... the "revolver" design was used by Zeiss for Contax... but I do not know when they introduced it.. later, a revolver was also made in URSS for their Feds and Zorky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
samiba Posted November 22, 2009 Author Share #5 Posted November 22, 2009 Thank you Luigi for further information. The Optimus is marked "Germany" so it was made there. Regards, Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted November 22, 2009 Share #6 Posted November 22, 2009 It is of course a takeoff on the Contax 'revolver finder'. The reason why it had to be marked 'for Leica' is not only the 7.3cm focal length, which Contax never had, but that the Contax had a 8.5cm instead of a 9cm focal length -- just like the present Zeiss Ikon camera, in fact! There is a chance that the finder may have been made after the war. Are the glass surfaces coated? After all, Zeiss made this type of finder for the post-war Contax IIIa/IIa too. The old man from the Age of the Contax II (same year, in fact) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
samiba Posted November 22, 2009 Author Share #7 Posted November 22, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks Lars, I cannot yet give you information on the surfaces of the lenses but will be able after receiving the finder from the US during next week. Regards, Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsambrook Posted December 21, 2009 Share #8 Posted December 21, 2009 Only just noticed this thread ... I can't say who made it, but it was available in the UK back around 1959-1960 marked as "Diax" and (I think) "Steinheil". They turned up quite often secondhand, certainly up the 1970s after which - like much other RF gear - they appeared a lot less often. I guess whoever made them would engrave them according to the wishes of the firm ordering. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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