Leitz photography before the Leica

[alan mcfall]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

The need to record microscope images was present from the early days, and Leitz was basically a microscope company back then.  The "Camera Lucida" attachment could redirect the microscope image to a plane or table where it could be copied as a hand sketch.  Not a great solution, so Leitz introduced the microscope camera in 1886.  As was typical of the day, the camera was wood with a bellows and plate film held in wooden frames with doors. It is reported that the first cameras were 13 by 18 cm.   The first photo below shows the model  MA II, I  believe , with early name plate, prior to the condensor logo.  The MA II was introduced in 1905 and was still 13 by 18 cm.  The camera has an 80mm Summar, which has been reported as being introduced in 1902.

 

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!

 

The next photo below shows a later Leitz  camera that is marked MA 2, and is much larger at 24 by 24 cm.  I think it is later than the first one because it has the condensor logo, and I think the smaller 13 x 18 cameras came before the larger 24 x 24 cameras. An MA IV versions has been noted, but I am not sure when it was introduced.

 

 

  By the early 1920's Leitz introduced the metal microscope camera (CAFOT, MIKAN, MAKAM) using the MIKAS attachment. After the introduction of the Leica, we have the MIFILMCA.

Leitz certainly  also made some attempts at non-microscope plate photography with the KLAPP/MOMENT camera.

 

 It is difficult to find information about these early wood Leitz cameras, if anyone can help with additional information it would be appreciated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[willeica]

Can't help you directly, but these sites which I came across while researching Grubb lenses from the mid 19th century and, more recently, some early Kodak models have some interesting material:

 

http://www.microscope-antiques.com/camluc.html

 

http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/entry_C368.html

 

I note from the first site listed above that Leitz had been manufacturing drawing eyepieces, presumably from before they introduced the cameras shown above.

 

Dunk has some early Leitz microscopes and he may have information on attachments etc.

 

William

[willeica]

Just to add that there are some details about the 80mm Summar, which you mention above, in the Lens Vade Mecum which is available from the antiquecameras.net website:

 

http://www.antiquecameras.net/lensvademecum.html

 

 

William

[alan mcfall]

Revisiting this post, Leitz moved in the early 1920's to make microscope photography much easier than with the large wooded bellows camers they had made and sold for over 20-30 years. The next generation was the all metal plate cameras, I expect this transition was also possible because film had considerably improved. Available  in both a small and a large version, and usually marked Macca or Makam, the early versions had the small beam splitter telescope, and lower serial numbers, a black eye piece ring, and the early leaf shutter with air chamber.  The first photos shows the Macca with an original brochure.  The camera only was coded Macca, while the outfit including 2 plates, viewing glass and cable release was coded Micca.  The brochure is undated but the price is 120 Goldmarks and several places in the brochure the code is marked as   M  cca and the second digit, an "i" or an "a" could be added as needed. On my copy it is typed in. In the larger size the camera was Makam and the complete outfit was Mikam. I have a few of these larger cameras as they were made for over 40 years.  The smaller camera seems to have lost out to the  next generation 35mm  roll film camera versions , Leica Mifilca and after interchangeable camera lenses in 1931, the Mikas.  As a result, the small versions seem less common. With the Mikas version many different tubes and attachments were available. Probably some micro photo photographers desired the large format of the Makam.  Leitz did offer film packets ( 12 sheets) to be used in place of the plates. Most Leica camera literature does not contain information regarding these items and one must find scientific or microscope catalogs for information.

In the last phot I show a sticker that is on the brochure and an included microphotograph.  A blue Leitz logo with a number; and I was wondering if perhaps the Leitz museum used these to identify literature, or maybe an advanced leica literature collector had them made up for their use.  Has anyone noted these blue inventory stickers on any of their literature?

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!