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Leica I and bag question


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Hi!

I bought a Leica I of a local auction the other week and it came with some accesories that I have not been able to fully indentify.

The camera seems to be a Leica I (A) (48187), it's in pretty bad condition, hazy lens, sticky and very dry shutter (it does fire though). There is actually still a film (partially exposed) in it, and judging from box it seems to be dated February 1963, and I would actually guess that this is about the time the camera was last used. It needs a proper cleaning and service to be able to work again, but it was still a quite interesting find.

Now to my question, with the camera came also an bag of accesories, does this bag have a Leica code? Is there any good book on early Leica bags?

The viewfinder I believe is a WINKO of early model. The measuring tape seems to be contemporary but non Leica. Also the leather bags do need some love to be useful again.

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Here is an overview of the contents of the accesory bag:

The filter (yellow) also seems to be of quite early type, but I have not identified it completely.

Where these accesory bags sold with contents or empty?

 

Br

Joakim

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The camera is from 1930 and actually looks pretty good, it may need a clean lube and adjust, but the top plate should clean up nicely. A little brassing adds to the character. The case with the snap on the front, ETRIN, holds the bare camera and a double film container and rangefinged, which you do not show. The eveready case, snap on the rear is, ESNEL code, with neck strap.  How is the camera held in the case? The strap typically runs under the bottom, but not here, so perhaps modified.The lever for advance or rewind is set to rewind, so the wind knob should turn freely with out advancing the shutter.

There appears to be a delayed shutter release, you might check to see if it says "Direct" on the top. The filter is early and correct for this year. The tape measure in leather case is not leitz.

The 1931 factory catalog shows the cases available at that time.  Laney, (The Collectors Guide) devotes 9 pages to Leitz cases. Both availabe on line, the first is low priced if a reprint, the second has become  a little collectible.

You have a nice treasure.

 

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Thank you very much Alan for your useful information!

Ah, the famous ETRIN, I was just assuming it was for accessories. All the bags need a lot of love, but I'll try to find some leather specialist for it.

Here are some more pictures of the ever-ready case, the camera is just "pressed in", there is also a little pocket with tables for f and shutter times.

You were right about the delayed shutter release also; it does say direct. It's very rusty inside so I guess it's useless, and I also assume, not worth restoring?

Unfortunately, the rangefinder is missing, maybe the owner never bought it (considering that there was a measuring tape in the set), but I will try to find it anyway. In the camera was to my surprise not the Agfa film from 1963, but instead a Kodachrome, since they are no longer developed, I guess it just makes a nice piece in the bookshelf :).

For the whole set including auction fees I paid about 400€. I guess I will need to invest an equal amount to get it up and running again but should definitely be worth it. This auction house specializes in old furniture and quality painting, but every 1-3/times per year they get some Leica gear which tends to go at reasonable prices.

 

Joakim

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One part of the "snap" is missing on the rear for the ever-ready case, does anyone have some good picture of it? Maybe I can get a leather specialist to make a new one for me.

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2 hours ago, mmx_2 said:

One part of the "snap" is missing on the rear for the ever-ready case, does anyone have some good picture of it? Maybe I can get a leather specialist to make a new one for me.

Your ever-ready case is a very interesting one  : it is in fact the first ERC for the Leica (1927), with no other camera securing than the rounded part around the lens and a fixed strap. I had one in my Fontenelle collection, and already published the photos here in the Forum. But for your facility, I will repeat the publication here, including the aft part, and I add an image of the second model with the loose strap going around the case, but still no securing screw.

Frankly, if you can find a good leather worker who makes a new "snap" with the aid of my images, it is definitely worth doing it. Congratulations for your "find", including the ETRIN case, the aluminium twin-cassette holder (first model), the early WINKO (large eyecup) and its leather bag. All is valuable collection material.

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The filter is a screw-in yellow FIRHE. And Alan Mcfall is wrong in saying about the strap "..so perhaps modified" : the earliest ESNEL had a fixed strap (see above) and it is only in 1930/31 that the "running under the bottom" strap appeared. And as for securing the camera, I also gave an explanation, but it is only when a securing screw was added (third version) in 1932 that the accidental fall was definitely avoided.

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8 hours ago, Pecole said:

The filter is a screw-in yellow FIRHE. And Alan Mcfall is wrong in saying about the strap "..so perhaps modified" : the earliest ESNEL had a fixed strap (see above) and it is only in 1930/31 that the "running under the bottom" strap appeared. And as for securing the camera, I also gave an explanation, but it is only when a securing screw was added (third version) in 1932 that the accidental fall was definitely avoided.

Thank you Pecole! Your pictures and information from your former collection is absolutely fantastic! If you have the time and effort, I would love to see it as a book (maybe already made?).

Thanks again!

 

Joakim

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14 hours ago, mmx_2 said:

Thank you Pecole! Your pictures and information from your former collection is absolutely fantastic! If you have the time and effort, I would love to see it as a book (maybe already made?).

Thanks again!

 

Joakim

Thank you for your appreciation, mmx_2. But sorry to disappoint you : there is no project of a book, and I am too old (86) to even think of it. The only possibility is to disseminate my archives - when definitely checked - by some electronic media, with authorization of free use. And that could happen quite soon.

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I took Alan's advice and got a copy of the 1933 catalogue. Well worth reading and full of wonderful "accessories"!! On page 32 there is another bag that caught my attention, it’s marketed as “The case for the lady” and the code is ETKAL. Now, does anyone have some pictures of this bag? I tried both google and the forum search function but without success :(

 

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2 hours ago, mmx_2 said:

I took Alan's advice and got a copy of the 1933 catalogue. Well worth reading and full of wonderful "accessories"!! On page 32 there is another bag that caught my attention, it’s marketed as “The case for the lady” and the code is ETKAL. Now, does anyone have some pictures of this bag? I tried both google and the forum search function but without success :(

 

Have you seen this earlier thread where a number of rare cases were shown, including some of my own ones?

 

You could spend a lifetime collecting Leica cases of various kinds. I have never seen that 'case for the lady'. I suspect that if was as nice as it looks in the drawings that many of them were 'assigned to other duties'.

William

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On 6/10/2020 at 12:51 AM, willeica said:

Have you seen this earlier thread where a number of rare cases were shown, including some of my own ones?

 

You could spend a lifetime collecting Leica cases of various kinds. I have never seen that 'case for the lady'. I suspect that if was as nice as it looks in the drawings that many of them were 'assigned to other duties'.

William

Thank you Will for the links!! Very interesting!!

I totally agree about bags, it’s absolutely incredible how many variants they made in the past. It would actually make a very interesting, although somewhat special, book.

”The Story of the Leica bag”

The title being a bit self ironic given the fact, how popular this topic is even today😄😄

Edited by mmx_2
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