Giuliobigazzi Posted December 8, 2018 Share #1 Posted December 8, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello, I wonder if anyone is able to identify this case? Came with a Leica ia. I’ve seen these with the strap going round the base of the camera but not riveted like this. I think the hole may have be added later too. It has no velvet lining. 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! Quote 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/292126-leica-ia-case-identification/?do=findComment&comment=3643851'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 8, 2018 Posted December 8, 2018 Hi Giuliobigazzi, Take a look here Leica ia case identification. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
willeica Posted December 8, 2018 Share #2 Posted December 8, 2018 Firstly, cases for Leica were made by a number of parties and variations abound. Even cases supplied by Leica can vary from one batch to another. The ETRIN which looks like a binoculars case was the most common one supplied with the I Model A. This looks like an ESNAR which was a common case for LTM models with the 50mm Elmar for many years. Early cases did not have a screw in holder at the bottom, but had a strap going across the bottom. Some like an ESMIT ( for a separate rangefinder in the top) that is in my collection has a little shoulder strap as well to hold the camera in. I also have a very similar case with a strap going across the bottom and a screw in holder as well. It may be a later version of the ESMIT. The case shown above looks like a later ESNAR with the screw in holder removed. I have a large number of Leica ever ready cases (perhaps 20 or 30) from the ETRIN onwards, including ones for the SCNOO and the SYOOM (Leicavit) and no two of them are alike. I keep promising myself that I will sit down someday and try to identify them all definitively. William 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pecole Posted December 9, 2018 Share #3 Posted December 9, 2018 Well, I did not verify, but the images I have in the archives of my Fontenelle collection mention : "Very first case offered by Leitz for the Leica I, without other "fixture" than the rounded opening in front. Coded ESNEL". I believe I still have this case in a box somewhere in my garage… I also had an earlier (1927?) model with the neck strap fixed to the case by rivets, but I couldn't charge the images (JPG normal) for some strange "digital" reason 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! 1 Quote 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/292126-leica-ia-case-identification/?do=findComment&comment=3644267'>More sharing options...
Giuliobigazzi Posted December 9, 2018 Author Share #4 Posted December 9, 2018 (edited) Thank you your collective knowledge, the camera is a 1928 model so you could be right. There are no other river holes in the case and the base hole is off centre so I’m pretty sure is a later addition Edited December 9, 2018 by Giuliobigazzi Pressed send by accident Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reini Posted December 9, 2018 Share #5 Posted December 9, 2018 I also have a very similar Everready Case with sewn straps.Fits very well for Leicas without eyelets and long times. Only without LEICA embossing. 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! Quote 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/292126-leica-ia-case-identification/?do=findComment&comment=3644327'>More sharing options...
Pecole Posted December 9, 2018 Share #6 Posted December 9, 2018 Yours, Reini, is definitely not Leitz-made (see notably the "star" engraving on the top closing). I have a very similar one, also with a screw opening in the base. Here are the images. 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! 1 Quote 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/292126-leica-ia-case-identification/?do=findComment&comment=3644461'>More sharing options...
willeica Posted December 9, 2018 Share #7 Posted December 9, 2018 Advertisement (gone after registration) ESNEL (post war version was ESNAR - sorry for getting them mixed up above) and ESMIT here. The OP's version is like an ESNEL with the screw removed. Earlier versions did not have a screw, but some had a shoulder strap as shown below. I have a lot of cases which were not Leica issue (whatever that was, as I suspect that they used outside suppliers and there are many variations). William 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! 1 Quote 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/292126-leica-ia-case-identification/?do=findComment&comment=3644530'>More sharing options...
willeica Posted December 9, 2018 Share #8 Posted December 9, 2018 Clearer view of shoulder strap on ESMIT. William 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! Quote 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/292126-leica-ia-case-identification/?do=findComment&comment=3644531'>More sharing options...
Giuliobigazzi Posted December 9, 2018 Author Share #9 Posted December 9, 2018 Looking at the hole in the base again, I’m now thinking it may indeed not be a later amendment. On these early cases, do the screw in holders just screw through the case into the camera or are they secured in place like the later cases to prevent from falling out?if this hole is genuine the holder I guess may have fallen out Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pecole Posted December 10, 2018 Share #10 Posted December 10, 2018 Right, Giuliobigazzi : my photo shows a case where is for a free screw (illustrated on the second photo. But the case is not Leitz, and I do not believe - at least, I never heard about or saw - true Leica cases were ever offered with not fixed screws. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabears Posted December 10, 2018 Share #11 Posted December 10, 2018 (edited) This is a never used "new in box" case. I was present many years ago when the case was unwrapped (it was still packaged). As you see we have a hole on the bottom, but the screw was not found in the box. 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! Edited December 10, 2018 by sabears 1 Quote 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/292126-leica-ia-case-identification/?do=findComment&comment=3645014'>More sharing options...
Giuliobigazzi Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share #12 Posted December 10, 2018 How very interesting, maybe they sold the holder separately? Or could it be that it was idea was to use the camera in case on a tripod? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted December 10, 2018 Share #13 Posted December 10, 2018 I recently received what appeared to be another later version of the ESMIT ( it came with a 1930 Close Focus I Model A) with a screw holder (the one I showed above has no such holder, but it has the illustrated shoulder strap instead) at the bottom beneath the wrap around strap ( ie going under the case). I believe that I also have an ESNEL (or copy of same) like this. This illustrates that the screw in holder appeared before the early wrap around strap disappeared. The case shown by Giuliobigazzi above does not have the wrap around strap and if it came with a IIIa it is likely to be a later case. I have not tried to remove any screw in holders from my cases, but it should be possible to do this. The reason for its removal could relate to a different size of retaining screw being required for the camera, which may have been different to that in the case. One of these days I will try to classify my large collection of Leica ever ready cases. As I stated above, no two of them are exactly the same. Determining what is and what is not a Leitz case may be difficult, as cases by other manufacturers were also marked Leica or Leitz and in some cases with both. I am fairly convinced that these were supplied by Leica dealers or, in some cases, by Leica itself. William Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giuliobigazzi Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share #14 Posted December 10, 2018 The boxed case sabears illustrates is the closest to mine I’ve seen so far, although in much more used condition.What case or date it may be who knows, but I can only guess 1928 like the camera it came with.The interior too is the same, red velvet in the nose and the brown covering on the base inside. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted December 10, 2018 Share #15 Posted December 10, 2018 What was throwing me on this one was the hole in the bottom, which was a later feature, but looking again at the box shown by sabears above I see that it is a plum colour as opposed to the later red colour. This was the colour of the very earliest Leica boxes. This led me to check again with von Einem's book and it does seem that this below was the very first ESNEL before the straps underneath or the shoulder straps were added. A rough translation of the text below is 'The first listed in the catalogue is the ESNEL ready case without a locking screw bottom and with riveted straps'. It would seem that some people may have added a locking screw later as the case lacked the safety of a bottom strap or a shoulder strap which appeared later. It would seem then that a hole was drilled to take a locking screw at a later date. It will be noted that this one does not have a hole in the bottom, but it seems to be the same case. I would add yet again that craft items such as ever ready cases do show a wide degree of variation and it is very difficult to be precise about 'versions' etc. William 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! Quote 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/292126-leica-ia-case-identification/?do=findComment&comment=3645130'>More sharing options...
Pecole Posted December 11, 2018 Share #16 Posted December 11, 2018 Finally, I succeeded in transforming the original image of the first ESNEL in my collection archive (from BMP to JPG format), and to charge it. Seems similar to the illustration in von Einem's book. 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! 1 Quote 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/292126-leica-ia-case-identification/?do=findComment&comment=3645455'>More sharing options...
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