Unknow Leica Camera

[Enrico Annibale Ruggeri]

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I found in a collection this camera with Summicron 2.8 35mm but I have found no information about it on web, someone can help me please?

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[jaapv]

I do not pretend to know everything about Leica - there are far more expert members here - but I would be highly surprised if anything about this contraption except for the lens has any connection with Leica. Maybe for astrophotography through a telescope?

[pcgarner]

I agree. Nothing about it looks Leica except the lens.

[Enrico Annibale Ruggeri]

It seems using roll  film, there is still one film inside but I opened and I supposed I ruined it. The serial number 0358 means that it was not a single model.

 

[dg4mgr]

It's a Summaron lens, no Summicron. Can you tell what type of shutter is in there? I also doubt it is Leitz, the maker just used the Leica lens.

[dubois pierre]

Perhaps for an administration. I see électrics connexions in front of.

[Enrico Annibale Ruggeri]

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[jaapv]

The bayonet in front of the lens suggests connection to another optical device, hence my suggestion of a telescope. 

[dg4mgr]

Do you have pictures from the inner mechanism? I suppose there could be a motor for film advance and a magnet for shutter release just behind the "0358". Looks like a recording camera that could be operated by electric trigger. The Lens is from 1962. At that time, usually Robots and Contarexes were offered with options for electric remote operation. 

[jaapv]

Motor seems unlikely given that there is an advance lever. 

[sandro]

Is that really an advance lever, that looks like an advance lever? Could it be a camera used by police to photograph speeding cars, hence the large drum which looks like it takes a large roll of any kind of film.

Lex

[derleicaman]

This one is a head scratcher. At first I thought it might be related to the MD/MDa Post camera which also used the 35 Summaron. There is no way to adjust focus on this contraption, same as the Post camera. I don’t see a shutter release though. I agree that the bayonet on the front of the lens suggests attachment on to another device. Not sure how a wide angle would work with a telescope ocular. The three pin electrical contact on the front is puzzling as well.

[willeica]

13 hours ago, Enrico Annibale Ruggeri said:

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Definitely not a Leica, but it could have been made by Leitz. As has been said, there is no apparent means of changing focus, which is likely to have been set at infinity. Similarly with the aperture, I cannot see any means of setting this, manually at least. The large clunky wind on lever is likely to have been used just to load film into the large cassettes.  The first question is whether the size of the cassettes indicates the use of 35mm film. Are there spools inside which would take 35mm film or some other size. The electric contacts at the front would seem to indicate the presence of a motor. Is there some way of opening this item in order to confirm that? The number on the front '0358' could either be a serial number or a part number. I believe that it is a device used for some administrative or industrial process. It is too simple for use as a scientific device, as parameters cannot be easily changed. Definitely not an item for holiday snaps.

William 

[Enrico Annibale Ruggeri]

I was able to open it as you can see on second picture, after saving film inside that I shall try to develop (hope not empty).

First picture shows a screw, unscrewing it makes the camera eject (by a spring) a small cilinder, 

Roll films are 35mm. Roll cylinder boxes are interchangeble left-right.

Confirm to shutter button and not expose regulation (time and aperture)

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[luigi bertolotti]

Some device related to traffic lights ? Or to register from some instrument/meter (collateral to the well known Postkamera breed 🤔) ?

 

(Edit after seeing the above pics) : apparently, there is not a shutter in proper terms (*)... this can tend towards Jaap's hipotesis on Astrophotography, where xposures can be in the range of several  minutes

 

(*) What does exist along the axis of the lens ? Where the film does slide ? By logic, UNDER the metal plate with the "window" in pic #1)

Edited February 27, 2024 by luigi bertolotti

[Carlos cruz]

I’d still develop the film, probably only part of the image has been ruined. Pictures may give you some answers. I’d use some slow working developer.

[pgk]

Both bayonet plus the 3 contacts suggest to me that this camera would have been installed inside something. Could be an aircraft, road surveillance, or some strange and unusual requirement, etc.. Back in the past (lens looks like 1962ish?) time lapse was used sparingly because it was expensive and gear often looked a bit rough and ready, so its possible that it was for some application which required images to be shot at intervals and that the lens simply fitted the required specification for the images being captured. 

[dg4mgr]

Can you remove the film magazine by turning these latches?

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[derleicaman]

Thanks for posting more pictures. The Hammertone (Hammerschlag) finish is one used by Leitz in the early 60’s for scientific instruments, microscopes, the Focomat II enlarger, and 10 special Leica MD cameras with matching Visoflex.

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Hallo,

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[dubois pierre]

 

Here is this camera with unknown use on Catawiki.

https://www.catawiki.com/fr/l/81274005-leitz-per-strumenti-scentifici-leica-summaron-f2-8-35mm-appareil-photo-argentique