Leica I - I need some information

[Film Hunter]

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Hello all , bought this black beauty of Leica i few years ago , and today will go for a walk and a new film with me , perfectly working condition, but i,m just curious about this : why the Elmar plate is cut away a small piece?

Thank you and stay safe and take good pictures!

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[250swb]

I think it's because your camera has been modified to take interchangeable lenses. Originally the 'cut' section would have been in-line with the lower edge of the top plate and the lens fixed in place.

[Film Hunter]

Thank you 

[nitroplait]

It has obviously lived an eventful life, starting as a Leica I in 1930 - if I read the serial number correctly.

I wonder if some of the more knowledgeable members could comment on the standard conversion this camera has gone through. It looks a bit "rough" (lacking a better word) if it was done by Leica - for example, wouldn't they have rehoused the lens?

[jerzy]

camera has been converted but not at Leica, third party conversion. Lens comes from IA (as well 2 screws for hockey stick indicate that it was IA once), screws for fixing the lens mount to the body have been soldered (orange arrow). Flat part of lens mount was originally at the top, focus knob position at infinity was 11 oclock.  Black ring has been machined and thread was cut on  the lens mount. Thread is not M39, it must be less. By adding black ring the distance to the film plane incerased and to compensate it the lens tube must have been shortened to get proper focus. 

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[willeica]

1 hour ago, jerzy said:

camera has been converted but not at Leica, third party conversion. Lens comes from IA (as well 2 screws for hockey stick indicate that it was IA once), screws for fixing the lens mount to the body have been soldered (orange arrow). Flat part of lens mount was originally at the top, focus knob position at infinity was 11 oclock.  Black ring has been machined and thread was cut on  the lens mount. Thread is not M39, it must be less. By adding black ring the distance to the film plane incerased and to compensate it the lens tube must have been shortened to get proper focus. 

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You will recall, Jerzy, that a number of Elmars from I Model As, which had been standardised and which we had examined, had short lens barrels, presumably for this very reason. I agree about the unofficial nature of the modification here.

William