Pecole Posted January 11, 2011 Share #1 Posted January 11, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Two cameras we had in the Fontenelle Collection remain half-mysterious, and both Jim Lager and Dennis Laney are either silent or vague about same. The first one is a Leica Ig without slow speeds or flash socket, serial number 924562. Laney does even not mention this variant, and Lager only says "This type undoubtedly saw use in the industrial/medical field" (without illustration). In VIDOM nº 15, page 13, Rüttinger says that 100 such cameras were produced for use on Reprovit IIa. We also found references to serials 924514, 924518, 924563, 924559, 924525 and 924521 sold at Cornwall auctions between 1984 and 1986, and to nº 924534 in an Italian collection (Romanzi). Just note that 514 to 563 makes exactly 50, but other lower or higher serials can emerge. Our second camera was a MD-looking, M1-allocated serial number 979697. This "hybrid" lacks the M1's viewfinder, and both M1's and MD's flash socket and type engraving. It is definitely based on M1, first because the first MD dates from 1964 and bears 1102501 serial number (M1 starts at 950001), and second because it lacks the special vertical slot on the right side of the film frame support, typical of the MD's registration strip possibility. Here again, the two reference authors are of very limited help.Lager says that "somewhat unusual M1's occur between 980300 and 980400, with no viewfinder nor M1 engraving". He adds that these serial are registered as "Sonderausfuhrung" (special fitting) in Leitz records. As for Laney, he is even shorter : "Examples are known with M1-allocated serial number but with MD top-plates". The 980300-400 batch does not meet our nº 979697, and we have discovered at least two other serials close to ours : 979700 illustrated in VIDOM nº 29, page 11, and 979718 sold at Cornwall auction in September, 1985. Based on the above data, and given the fact that both our Ig and M1 serials are quite close, we suggest that both special cameras were intended for the same use. And this same use could logically be on Reprovit IIa. Any comment or supplemental information ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 11, 2011 Posted January 11, 2011 Hi Pecole, Take a look here Fontenelle archives 43 : special "Reprovit" M1 and Ig ?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
telewatt Posted January 12, 2011 Share #2 Posted January 12, 2011 The MD/Reprovit IIa came out later, but you had Reprovit II (ROXUM) 1960... I worked as a photographer in a big Hospital in the 80's and we had a lot of Reprovits and medical endoscopie cameras mostly MD/MDa and some MD-2...the order of cameras was not one or two, it was 20 or 30 ...so I think a lot of special order cameras are out there ... regards, Jan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted January 12, 2011 Share #3 Posted January 12, 2011 the order of cameras was not one or two, it was 20 or 30 ...so I think a lot of special order cameras are out there ... regards, Jan I already saw some of these M1=>MD. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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