Leica CL and Visoflex

[luigi bertolotti]

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This question emerged in the customer forum, but is intriguing for me and I know that THIS is the right area of the forum to deal with: speaking of CL, I was sent by link to a page of Cameraquest site dedicated to CL (I navigate sometime on this site, but never saw this pages) : here, I found this statement :

 

"The CL can be used on the VISO, a special shutter release arm was made for it "

 

I do not pretend to be a real Leitz historician, but have read tons of books about Leitz gear, and DO NOT REMEMBER to have ever read anything about this "special release arm". Really it did exist ? Was it a standard Leitz catalogued and coded part ? Can someone tell me something about ?

[jc_braconi]

"The CL can be used on the VISO, a special shutter release arm was made for it "

 

I do not pretend to be a real Leitz historician, but have read tons of books about Leitz gear, and DO NOT REMEMBER to have ever read anything about this "special release arm". Really it did exist ? Was it a standard Leitz catalogued and coded part ? Can someone tell me something about ?

Hi Luigi you miss this one !

Regards

JC

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[luigi bertolotti]

Hi, JC, and thanks for the post : I have only one of the three massive volumes of Lager (given my passion, the "lenses" volume)... is this the only quotation ? If so, an hand made device as written, so not a standard item... the Cameraquest page was a little misleading.

 

Thank You again

 

Luigi

[jc_braconi]

Luigi,

this is the only doc. I found about, at least for the moment.

Regards

JC

[zteil]

First excuse me for revitalizing this old thread.

 

I just bougt a Viso-Arm as I own an Viso 2 with missing arm. The arm did fit to the Viso but not to any Leica M39 or M. I know there  are at least 4 versions (M39, M, M5 (builds higher) and for the Viso3). The arm direkts to a shutterrelaese very close to the Viso-Finder.

So I tried with the CL and helas I own this speciality. Looks as that an original arm ist cut in halfs and welded together in an different angle and then repainted.

 

Never seen this before.

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[willeica]

First excuse me for revitalizing this old thread.

 

I just bougt a Viso-Arm as I own an Viso 2 with missing arm. The arm did fit to the Viso but not to any Leica M39 or M. I know there  are at least 4 versions (M39, M, M5 (builds higher) and for the Viso3). The arm direkts to a shutterrelaese very close to the Viso-Finder.

So I tried with the CL and helas I own this speciality. Looks as that an original arm ist cut in halfs and welded together in an different angle and then repainted.

 

Never seen this before.

 

A rarity indeed. Your arm looks different to the one in Lager's book, which is said to be 'hand made'. Your Visoflex II seems to have the non return mirror like my one which is in LTM mount. The weight and size of the Visoflex, however, really defeat the whole purpose of Leica cameras, like the LTM and CL models, which are intended to be light and compact 'carry anywhere' cameras. The only applications where I would see them as being useful would be 'non walkabout' ones such as close ups or with large telephotos mounted on tripods. The Visoflex really swallows up the little CL.

 

William

[luigi bertolotti]

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First excuse me for revitalizing this old thread….

 

 

Not excuse !!  Being the initiator of it, I tend to take this as a honor…  And am still here 11 years after (and JC too…  )

Really an odd item… and the look is the one of an original Leitz arm… but as you say the sign of welding is clear : by any evidence a finely made DIY job : a good find anyway.

Edited September 14, 2018 by luigi bertolotti

[zteil]

Thanks for the acclaim. I was used to work a lot with my first Leica , a Ig with Viso and Hektor 135-head  in the field, handheld. The CL holds the Viso quite well , of course on a tripod over 135mm. Only issue, the windinglever is quite close to the 90-degree-finder, but that will do better with the chimneyfinder of Viso3 or even with the higher build Viso3 90-degree-finder.

[wlaidlaw]

Thanks for the acclaim. I was used to work a lot with my first Leica , a Ig with Viso and Hektor 135-head  in the field, handheld. The CL holds the Viso quite well , of course on a tripod over 135mm. Only issue, the windinglever is quite close to the 90-degree-finder, but that will do better with the chimneyfinder of Viso3 or even with the higher build Viso3 90-degree-finder.

 

Does that arm still pull out and rotate out of the way for mounting the Viso II, like the standard one does? 

 

Wilson

[zteil]

Yes, just rotates like the normal one. It is necessary to flip it  over  to mount it.