Leicavit

[JMF]

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On 10/27/2022 at 6:15 PM, rtai said:

I have been using Tom A Rapidwinders since they became available and now have a Leicavit on my MP. I am a left eyed user so the winder allows me to take successive shots without taking my eye off the finder. It isn’t about it being faster. It’s an essential accessory to me.

Did you find Tom A. Rapidwinder bulkier than the Leicavit?

Thx, JM

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[rtai]

6 hours ago, JMF said:

Did you find Tom A. Rapidwinder bulkier than the Leicavit?

Thx, JM

The Tom A Rapidwinder is slightly taller, more “industrial” and smoother, while the Leicavit also smooth though feels more complex.  The Leicavit has much better fit/finish, matches the camera perfectly as it should. I need to use the Rapidwinder for a few more years for a fair comparison. 

[a.noctilux]

Using the two types for a while, I can add:

- TA Rapidwinder a bit more weight 187g for Leicavit M 148g

- TA Rapidwinder is more comfort with larger "trigger" this is rounded type 4mm, better if use for long period not hurting digits

- the Leicavit M "trigger" is 3mm large and weird shape with "semi-round" (half round/half flat)

with better design to fold/unfold (not using dedicated lever of TA's)

-  Leicavit M is 14mm tall and 18mm for TA's which has two 1/4" tripod posts

- I added the Leitz famous "tulip" ( Tom A. refused to buy from Leitz this component, sold Rapidwinder without "tulip"), for easy film change

Anyway each one is Top design and much quieter than Motor-M

...

That's All Folks 👍

[rtai]

Ergonomically the Rapidwinder can’t be beat with the Rapidgrip attached. Holding the camera ready to shoot without the grip gets tiring very quickly. I am thinking about getting a leather case with a built in grip because I prefer not to have the camera around my neck when I am in the “zone”. So my take is that the Rapidwinder is more utilitarian and the Leicavit is prettier.

[thrid]

I shot with a black paint Leicavit for a few years and it saw some very heavy use. Eventually the transport mechanism failed and it was sent off for repair. It still works, but the lever doesn't really lock correctly in place anymore

Now, that is not a knock against the Leicavit. It really got hammered and wasn't designed for that kind of heavy duty use. Unless you are putting hundreds of rolls through your camera shooting events etc it is plenty robust. 

In hindsight I probably should have gotten a Rapidwinder instead. It's more industrial compared to the Leicavit. The Rapidwinder is taller and heavier, while the Leicavit is very elegant and has a lower profile. The Rapidwinder lever is more robust, but again we are talking about the difference between prosumer and pro gear. Tom A designed the Rapidwinder to be an indestructible piece of professional equipment, that could be serviced by the user with some basic tools and mechanical skills.

As far as use goes I really liked shooting with the Leicavit. You can keep your eye on the viewfinder while you advance and it is faster than advancing by hand. I don't mind the extra size and weight. If anything it feels good in the hand and balances nicely.

 

[thrid]

I actually just found her in a drawer and was reminded of how much I liked shooting with the Leicavit, under the right circumstances. It was too heavy and unnecessary for street shots, where you really only get one shot at making the picture anyways, but if you were shooting an event or in a controlled environment where you were following the action it was great. The worst thing I can say is that it made film consumption go up considerably...

That black paint is surprisingly resilient. It wore off on the corners, but it turned out to be very tough on the side panels. It's certainly not like what they used on the old black paint bodies that brassed if you looked at them sideways. A few years ago I tracked down what it was and can't remember exactly what it was, but I think its automotive. 

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Edited November 3, 2022 by thrid

[iPacific]

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The black chrome Leicavit 14450 is much more rare

[Huss]

I have the Leica Motor M, and frankly don't like it/don't use it.  I hate the way it kicks back through the shutter release.

But why would one pick a Leicavit device over it?  Using that would jerk the camera much more.    And I can't see it being quicker than the Motor M especially if you are trained on your subject.

Personally I love using the regular wind on lever, to me it is one of the pleasures of using a Leica M.

[romualdo]

On 11/1/2022 at 4:34 PM, thrid said:

Tom A designed the Rapidwinder to be an indestructible piece of professional equipment, that could be serviced by the user with some basic tools and mechanical skills.

My rapidwinder appears to be a sealed unit - what tools are required to open it ie gain access to the spring inside (my TAR came with a few spares)

I've had to put some alfoil under the circular closing device - at least I can remove that. The rapidwinder wan's sealing tightly with the camera body - the alfoil has helped (acting as a shim).

[earthmover]

Rapid winder for leica m2 m3

KEKS started offering brand new winder recently for M3/ M2 / M1 / MP(original) with one for M4(P) / M6 / M-P / M-A coming soon

[250swb]

3 hours ago, earthmover said:

Rapid winder for leica m2 m3

KEKS started offering brand new winder recently for M3/ M2 / M1 / MP(original) with one for M4(P) / M6 / M-P / M-A coming soon

All credit to KEKS for making something to fill a gap in the market, but you can still wind as fast with your thumb.

[archive_all]

18 hours ago, 250swb said:

All credit to KEKS for making something to fill a gap in the market, but you can still wind as fast with your thumb.

I would still like one knowing full well it's only for the look of it and winding faster is not a limitation for what I do.

[davidmknoble]

On 1/14/2025 at 5:02 PM, 250swb said:

All credit to KEKS for making something to fill a gap in the market, but you can still wind as fast with your thumb.

You can wind as fast as the mechanical system allows, but as one of the OPs said in 2020, you can use the Leicavit without removing the camera from your eye, which was the reason for its design.  I don’t know of anyone that can wind ‘quickly’ with the lever, while leaving the camera up to your eye, I sure cannot!  It has a place.

[250swb]

2 hours ago, davidmknoble said:

You can wind as fast as the mechanical system allows, but as one of the OPs said in 2020, you can use the Leicavit without removing the camera from your eye, which was the reason for its design.  I don’t know of anyone that can wind ‘quickly’ with the lever, while leaving the camera up to your eye, I sure cannot!  It has a place.

I think you've just invented a problem without testing your theory. I for one can wind quickly with my eye to the finder, as can many people, which is why when other camera manufacturers made devices to wind film quickly they were called motor-drives without any intermediate hand operated device. The M Leicavit is simply a carry over from the LTM version where it genuinely was difficult to wind quickly, and as with many LTM accessories they were remanufactured to be compatible with the new M range. Leica caught up with everybody else and the M motor came out in 1978 which puts the current (latest) Leicavit firmly in the nostalgia bracket. There are many photographs showing documentary photographers using Leica M cameras in situations where rapid winding could be said as essential, like war photographers etc. So here's a game for you, it's called 'spot the Leicavit' because they are very, very rare to see used in action.

 

[davidmknoble]

21 hours ago, 250swb said:

I think you've just invented a problem without testing your theory. I for one can wind quickly with my eye to the finder,

I appreciate your thoughts, but I have been shooting film cameras since 1980 - cannon, nikon and Leica.  It depends on many things.  More importantly, I have used both extensively.  I am sure you can wind fine without a Leicavit, mine live on my camera bodies, I dont’ use them all the time.  However, for the period of time you are winding the lever, and at the end of the stroke, your right hand is not supporting the camera as well (your thumb is well away) and you cannot press the shutter until you have let go of the winder as it is too awkward.

I never said it was like using a motor drive, but it works really well and the camera is still held by two hands steadily and my right hand is on the shutter ready to press again.

I’ve shot thousands of frames with and without a Leicavit.  You don’t need one, it isn’t required, but it’s a nice add on when shooting a quick situation that is changing rapidly.  It’s kind of like having a 24mm external finder in the hot shoe, it isn’t necessary as you can guess and get pretty close through the viewfinder, but its a good add-on if you want to be more exact.

Edited February 4 by davidmknoble

[250swb]

8 minutes ago, davidmknoble said:

I appreciate your thoughts, but I have been shooting film cameras since 1980 - cannon, nikon and Leica.

If that is supposed to be some sort of argument winner I'm sorry to say I beat you by five years, which I guess makes me right and you wrong by your own criteria.

Maybe you are holding the camera wrong, put your little finger underneath the camera to support it while winding. And don't let go of the winder, keep your thumb on it, this allows for you to make one sweep or two even faster half sweeps of the lever to wind the film on.

[davidmknoble]

@250swb, just curious, how many times have you used a Leicavit?

[250swb]

5 hours ago, davidmknoble said:

@250swb, just curious, how many times have you used a Leicavit?

Ah, another probing test question. I used it four or five times (so maybe twenty or thirty films) before I sold it. It cost £168 from the then Leica dealer in Sheffield Ron Harrison Cameras and I sold it for £260 so it was a good deal. 

But I bought it after quitting as a twenty year professional photographer (theatre, national news, etc.) so I was very much an amateur at the time and thought it would look nice on my MP. It did look nice but made the camera heavier and to my surprise it wasn't even faster, as I have said. I have a Leicavit for my Barnack cameras and it makes them massively faster so isn't the dead weight of the M model. 

If you want to continue my exam please fire your questions this way, maybe you want to know about my photographic education, or as a further test maybe how many Leica's I have? 

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Look here: Leica M

[davidmknoble]

16 hours ago, 250swb said:

If you want to continue my exam please fire your questions this way, maybe you want to know about my photographic education, or as a further test maybe how many Leica's I have? 

You know, I’ve been nothing but polite and your comments are really not called for and this mightier than thou doesn’t help people on the forum figure out answers to their questions.  You suggested I had created a problem without a theory, and I responded I’ve shot thousands of frames with both and I find it faster and physics suggests it’s sturdier as both thumbs remain on the camera.

You seem to be happy without one, and I’m happy for you!  You answered my question, with all your experience, you haven’t used it very much, so we’ll let others figure it out for themselves.

Happy shooting!

[250swb]

6 hours ago, davidmknoble said:

You know, I’ve been nothing but polite and your comments are really not called for and this mightier than thou doesn’t help people on the forum figure out answers to their questions.  You suggested I had created a problem without a theory, and I responded I’ve shot thousands of frames with both and I find it faster and physics suggests it’s sturdier as both thumbs remain on the camera.

You seem to be happy without one, and I’m happy for you!  You answered my question, with all your experience, you haven’t used it very much, so we’ll let others figure it out for themselves.

Happy shooting!

Actually I was thinking it was you that was being incredibly rude. You've insisted I'm wrong and it can't be right to disagree with you, and tested me with questions presumably to try and get to the point you can say I'm unqualified to have any opinion at all. Such is the internet because I can't think of another situation where you'd try that.

An now you try to misrepresent my point by suggesting I advocate taking one thumb off the camera while holding it in a normal fashion? If you have a finger and thumb holding the lens  and you have you have a thumb behind the film advance lever all the time while shooting that's two thumbs holding the camera, or are your thumbs somewhere else?