Leicavit

[derleicaman]

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6 minutes ago, willeica said:

Bill, I've had a SCNOO go on me and I have had it repaired. They are, however, 'camera' sensitive' and you need to send away the camera that you are going to match with it. The camera I originally had it with no longer works properly (now needs a pull and a third)  with it, but I have found another camera in my collection which works perfectly with it. I have found that matching winders (of various kinds) and cameras is not as straightforward as it seems. The cause is often that the camera has been repaired, but has not been put back together to full factory specifications.

William 

William, I know exactly what you are talking about. My two MOOLY motors are very sensitive in this regard. I have had one of them matched to a camera for over 25 years. That reminds me, I am missing an arm for one of them. Do you have any leads for these. I have visited Ottmar in his shop, and he is able to repair the MOOLY and has extensive parts for them, but I forgot to ask him about a spare arm.

The original Leitz Leicavits are also very particular about the camera they are matched to. The new Leicavits and Tom's Rapidwinder aren't so finicky.

The most imposing and noisy are my SL and SL2 MOT motors. I think we should put a video up on Youtube of one of these beasts in action. I don't have my M4M with New York Motor any more, so I don't remember what that one sounds like!

 

[spydrxx]

Let me start by saying I've never had nor used a Leicavit. However, in the late 1950s I bought a Ricoh 500 rangefinder 35mm camera with their "triggermatic" winding...essentially a base mounted trigger advertised to be faster than winding knobs of the era (including Leica), and able to capture action faster than movie camera frames. It took getting used to, and the advertised speed could probably be achieved only with a lot of practice. I still use that camera occasionally, with its quirky trigger action, but found the more modern film advance lever almost as fast, with a little practice. If you are using a Barnack body without a trigger wind, I think a Leicavit might be an interesting accessory if you're into action shots. Another alternative is some of the Nicca bodies (Barnack  style screwmount but more advanced features IMHO) have a film advance lever like the M3/M2 bodies. I've only recently begun to use one I acquired, and I think I like it a lot. 

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[Capuccino-Muffin]

Extremely useful.

I top 3/FPS easily.

[pippy]

On 8/18/2021 at 3:06 PM, spydrxx said:

...Another alternative is some of the Nicca bodies......have a film advance lever like the M3/M2 bodies. I've only recently begun to use one I acquired, and I think I like it a lot. 

Would that be a late-model III-F, or the III-L, Spydrxx?

I have a couple of the earlier Niccas (one 'Nicca Camera Works'; the other 'Nicca Camera Company')  and I must say these later ones do look to be excellent cameras.

Philip.

[spydrxx]

Hi Pippy - it is the "Tower" branded Nicca which was sold thru Sears Roebuck Company in its prosperous days. Has a back door like the M3/M2 bodies as well as a film advance lever. - picture below. It is almost immaculate, and seems to work fine, a little more crisp and louder shutter than my Leicas though.

 

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[zeitz]

On 8/16/2021 at 5:33 PM, derleicaman said:

The most imposing and noisy are my SL and SL2 MOT motors. I think we should put a video up on Youtube of one of these beasts in action. I don't have my M4M with New York Motor any more, so I don't remember what that one sounds like!

The SL2MOT and the M2M with New York motor sound like the typical Nikons with a motor drive.  Most Leica users would consider them loud, but that is what speed sounds like from the mid-50's until the late-70's.  When I bought my M2M and New York motor a couple of years ago, both had to go to Don Goldberg for CLA and overhaul.

Nothing is as bad as the Leica Winder M4-2 which kicks back on your hand like a mule.  I understand that the kick-back can be tuned out., but the M4-2 is hard to open.  I consider the M4-2 to be one of the worst products Leica ever released on the public.

[jc_braconi]

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Useful on LTM for sure due to the reloading system on M also if you use a 35mm lens and under set on the hyperfocal and auto speed.

[250swb]

I think I missed the point of the OP's original post in assuming it was about the M Leicavit, but my thoughts that it is pretty useless still stand. But reading through the thread of course I now see the case for the Barnack Leicavit is strong. Leica haven't been great at rapid winders or motors of any sort, the kickback from the M4-2 still resonates with me as well. But as a recent convert to a SYOOM Leicavit I think it makes a big difference, not just for speed but I'm also thinking about using the camera in the winter with gloves on, it's a dream!

[pippy]

4 hours ago, spydrxx said:

Hi Pippy - it is the "Tower" branded Nicca which was sold thru Sears Roebuck Company in its prosperous days. Has a back door like the M3/M2 bodies as well as a film advance lever...

Very nice it is too!

There's not a whole lot of accurate info about Nicca on the web and the stuff which I found that WAS accurate and informative seems to be elusive! I believe your camera is a version of the Nicca III-F called the Tower III-S which - if I'm correct(!) - is slightly confusing as there was a much earlier Nicca model which was, itself, called the III-S and, oddly enough, in between that model and the Nicca III-F Tower III-S there was yet another another Nicca model called the Nicca 3-S...

Whereas your Tower III-S (?) has a lever-wind both Nicca III-S and 3-S models were equipped with traditional 'Barnack-style' wind-on knobs.

Philip.

[spydrxx]

8 hours ago, pippy said:

Very nice it is too!

There's not a whole lot of accurate info about Nicca on the web and the stuff which I found that WAS accurate and informative seems to be elusive! I believe your camera is a version of the Nicca III-F called the Tower III-S which - if I'm correct(!) - is slightly confusing as there was a much earlier Nicca model which was, itself, called the III-S and, oddly enough, in between that model and the Nicca III-F Tower III-S there was yet another another Nicca model called the Nicca 3-S...

Whereas your Tower III-S (?) has a lever-wind both Nicca III-S and 3-S models were equipped with traditional 'Barnack-style' wind-on knobs.

Philip.

The pictures I've seen of the 3-S and III-S don't have a flip up rear film door, but rather the Barnack style of film loading. and the rear film door of mine has a film reminder dial and chart. I've guessed over time that my model is actually a Tower 5-L/Nicca 5-L as the pictures of those bodies, especially the rear and lever wind match mine exactly.

[pippy]

4 hours ago, spydrxx said:

The pictures I've seen of the 3-S and III-S don't have a flip up rear film door, but rather the Barnack style of film loading...

Hi spydrxx! Yes; I was actually suggesting the III-F in my earlier post (I was still wrong and additionally there appear to be - according to some sources - both III-F and 3-F models!) rather than either of the 'S' cameras but having googled the 5-L I can see that you are absolutely correct. I'm sure you will have seen this page yourself but for anyone else who find themselves curious about your (rare!) Nicca/Tower here's an interesting page from the www;

https://www.cameraquest.com/nicca.htm

Some high praise indeed!

I really ought to make the effort out find out more about the Nicca brand. Along with Leotax they seem to be superb pieces of engineering.

Philip.

Edited January 21, 2022 by pippy

[Rona!d]

I love my Leicavit on the MP when shooting portraits. That is the only situation for quick rounds since I don´t shoot classic car races anymore with my MP.

The big advantage at portraits is, that I don´t have to take the camera away from my eyes to use the standard thumb lever (which would hit my eye when the camera is close to the head).

And the "Vit" isn´t slow, 3 shots in 2 seconds with ease. No leaked or empty batteries, no worries.

Also love the mechanic feel and sound.

Never thought about being a collectable although it´s the nice looking LHSA version.