Launch date of the Leica II (Model D)

[roydonian]

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Does anyone know the date in 1932 when the Leica II (Model D) for formally announced/launched?

 

I'm wondering when the conversion scheme that added a rangefinder cam to lenses originally purchased in uncoupled form was first started. Is it possible that dealers were tipped off to return lenses they had in stock for upgrading even before the rangefinder-equipped camera was announced?

 

Best regards,

 

Doug

[antoninus]

Hi Doug. There are several good sources available to provide an answer to your question. I must also say that there are controversies among collectors with regard to the reliability and accuracy of some of these sources. Here I am relying primarily on "Leica: A History illustrating every model and accessory" by Paul-Henry van Hasbroeck, and some contemporary newspaper articles.

 

The Leica II was first exhibited to the public at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1932 which opened on March 6th, according to old newspaper articles. The camera went into mass production on February 1 under the direction of August Bauer and began with serial number 71200. The first cameras subsequently underwent some changes that generated several variants of the Model II (D) including a decrease in the size of the speed dial and in the housing beneath the speed dial from the "lavatory seat" depression, to a flat more angular configuration. Other changes include elimination of a built-in yellow filter in the rangefinder window.

 

Regarding their marketing strategy and whether the company notified dealers, I can only speculate unless someone has a direct source of information. It's clear that Leica anticipated introduction of later models and wished to accommodate interchangeability of parts when they eliminated the depression beneath the speed dial. This was done to permit slower speed cams in the III and IIIa models. Similarly, Leica designed the II(D) to permit upgrading of earlier models encouraging owners of Leica I and I Interchangeable Lens models to send their cameras in to the factory to have them modified into the II rangefinder model.

 

Although many dealers and professional users may have learned of the impending Leica II introduction, my sense is that it was through unofficial contacts with the factory. There was tremendous competition between Leica and the other manufacturers back then, most notably Zeiss. The Leipzig fair was, as such fairs are today in the computer and cell phone industry, a desire to have a new model appear suddenly with great fanfare and publicity. Note that the mass production of the Leica II began on 1 February, whereas, the Leipzig Fair opened about a month later on 6 March where the new D Model was officially announced. This provided a lot of time for rumors and anticipation to generate in the public.

 

I hope some of this helps answer at least part of your questions. David Tomei

[roydonian]

Thanks – that was really useful. While sitting around yesterday waiting for one of those horrible good news / bad news phone calls, I tried to keep my mind busy by writing a first draft of a little article for my local Leica society’s magazine. I dipped into my bookshelves to try to find the Leica II launch date, but never thought to try van Hasbroeck’s book.

 

Best regards,

 

Doug

[sabears]

If you are interested the full story with photos of the first specimen (Leica museum), unpublished anecdotes etc. was told on n.77 (feb.2011) of Classic Camera (italian) magazine.

 

cheers.

[antoninus]

If you are interested the full story with photos of the first specimen (Leica museum), unpublished anecdotes etc. was told on n.77 (feb.2011) of Classic Camera (italian) magazine.

 

cheers.

 

Is there a way to get a copy of the article? I'd love to read it. David

[sabears]

I have the magazine and I had the article translated, very, very interesting. I think you can ask the back issue here

Fotografia.it - Il primo portale della fotografia.

 

This is an image of the cover of the magazine with the first Leica II camera belonging originally to the " Leica Museum" (also published in the "PROTOTYPE LEICA" by Lars Netopil - Publication by LEICA HISTORICA Germany )

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[UliWer]

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... The camera went into mass production on February 1 under the direction of August Bauer and began with serial number 71200. ...

 

The Leitz sources differ. The "Tagebuch für Leica-Änderungen Leica Montage I" ("Diary of changes for the Leica" which was written at the production department of Leitz) published in 10/2010 as a special edition of the magazine "Vidom" by the Leica Historica e.V. has the following entry for August 1931:

"Erste Lieferung mit autom. Kupplung ab 71200, gleichzeitig mit ausziehbarem Rückwickelknopf".

(First delivery with automatic coupling from no. 71200 at the same time with retractable rewind knob).

 

"Automatic coupling" and the retractable rewind knob are two charactistics of the Leica II and the serial number 71200 corresponds with the serial number generally known as the starting number for the II. So production started half a year before Feb. 1932.

 

The next entry in the diary is: "Diese Nummern 71225-71249 sind noch ohne autom. Kupplung für England geliefert." (Nos. 71225-71249 were delivered to England still without automatic coupling).

 

Other important documents about the Leica II are published in the book "Barnacks erste Leica" by Heinz-Günter Kisselbach Lindemanns Verlag, 2008 on p.70ff. First of all there is a reprint of the manuscript by Barnack for a Leitz brochure for the Leica II - unfortunately undated. On page 75 you find a reprint of the brochur's title "Die neue Leica - Mit automatischer Scharfeinstellung für alle Leica Objective" (The new Leica - With automatic focussing for all Leica lenses) from February 1932. The brochure has a greenish colour the second brochure with the same title from June 1932 looks brownish.

 

So from these dates it seems clear that production started already in August 1931 and the advertising in February 1932 - obviously for the Leiziger Messe in March, though it may be possible that some brochures were spread some days earlier. -

 

Those official documents don't tell us if dealers were told in advance that the uncoupled Leica I models could be upgraded. Perhaps there were inofficial ways of communciation - though we have to remember that at those times it was much more difficult to spread news than today. A newsletter for dealers was only introduced by Leitz after the second war. Therefore the "Messe" was much more important than the Photokina is today, as dealers had to travel there to get the real news about new products.

 

It is interesting to compare the manuscript by Barnack and the official printed brochure. The brochure had most of Barnack's text about the new camera. But it left out one important part which is still a cause of frequent debates in this Forum about current Leica cameras:

Barnack wrote, that the current Leica I would be continued and could be upgraded with the new coupling. Then follows the part which was left out in the brochure. In my translation:

 

"For the future we will pay special attention that everything which will be introduced new for the Leica must adapt optimally so that even the oldest number can be upgraded without restrictions. That means that a Leica bought once will maintain "his" (sic!) value forever."

 

This was a very bold promise by the Leitz chief constructor - but Leitz didn't dare to publish it. I think they were wise to leave out this statement. A certain former Leica CEO, Mr. Lee, some years ago made the same statement in public about the M8 and a future full-frame sensor almost with same words as Barnack - and had to leave the company some weeks later.

 

It is just my speculation, but I think there were some debates at Leitz about Barnack's idea of eternal upgrading and this might be a reason that they didn't give any words about the upgrading in advance before they could influence the message with an official brochure.

[antoninus]

The Leitz sources differ. The "Tagebuch für Leica-Änderungen Leica Montage I" ("Diary of changes for the Leica" which was written at the production department of Leitz) published in 10/2010 as a special edition of the magazine "Vidom" by the Leica Historica e.V. has the following entry for August 1931:

"Erste Lieferung mit autom. Kupplung ab 71200, gleichzeitig mit ausziehbarem Rückwickelknopf".

(First delivery with automatic coupling from no. 71200 at the same time with retractable rewind knob).

 

"Automatic coupling" and the retractable rewind knob are two charactistics of the Leica II and the serial number 71200 corresponds with the serial number generally known as the starting number for the II. So production started half a year before Feb. 1932.

 

The next entry in the diary is: "Diese Nummern 71225-71249 sind noch ohne autom. Kupplung für England geliefert." (Nos. 71225-71249 were delivered to England still without automatic coupling)."

 

....

Excellent background and clarification of some history. That's why I sited van Hasbroeck's book because I think the internet is full of apocryphal information regarding the history of Leica (among other things), and faulty information takes on a credibility on the internet that is often undeserved. At least I wanted to let people know from where my information came.

 

I compliment your post and the fact that you clearly include attributable sources and not just personal opinion. Since I began working on my web site, I realized that I do not want my site to be another tool for propagation of misinformation which I view as the greatest fault on the internet.

 

David Tomei

[philipus]

On page 75 you find a reprint of the brochur's title "Die neue Leica - Mit automatischer Scharfeinstellung für alle Leica Objective" (The new Leica - With automatic focussing for all Leica lenses) from February 1932. The brochure has a greenish colour the second brochure with the same title from June 1932 looks brownish.

 

Thanks for the wealth of very interesting information in this thread.

 

I have been wondering what colour my copy of the above-mentioned brochure is - given the date on the back, it is the green one, right? Was the green, February version also green on the back? Mine is definitely not green on the back.

[FPangrazi]

That's nice to see the photos that I ran to the Leica prototype is used for the magazine!I had the honor of photographing in January 2010. For two days I could have it all for me! Thanks.

Fabrizio

[FPangrazi]

I prototipi Leica II

 

My Leica Historica

[FPangrazi]

In my blog "My Leica Historica" the ​​images of two prototypes Leica II