NYCV Posted October 9, 2024 Share #1 Posted October 9, 2024 Advertisement (gone after registration) I am trying to figure out what the model is for this camera, any ideas? It has a circular cap that unscrews from the back. serial number # 66418 Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/413431-need-help-identifying-this-vintage-leica-rangefinder/?do=findComment&comment=5650335'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 9, 2024 Posted October 9, 2024 Hi NYCV, Take a look here Need Help Identifying This Vintage Leica Rangefinder. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Anbaric Posted October 9, 2024 Share #2 Posted October 9, 2024 I don't think that hole on the back like a second lens mount was standard issue on the Leica I! Has is been converted for some special purpose? Is that a focus check plug in the vulcanite of the rear cap, suggesting it was made from the original rear body shell? Does this camera have a functional shutter? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCV Posted October 9, 2024 Author Share #3 Posted October 9, 2024 49 minutes ago, Anbaric said: I don't think that hole on the back like a second lens mount was standard issue on the Leica I! Has is been converted for some special purpose? Is that a focus check plug in the vulcanite of the rear cap, suggesting it was made from the original rear body shell? Does this camera have a functional shutter? Camera shutter works as normal , back cap has a small plastic infrared looking dot Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCV Posted October 9, 2024 Author Share #4 Posted October 9, 2024 1 hour ago, Al Brown said: Well, I can chip in with the first clue: it is not a rangefinder. According to s/n the body belonged to a 1931 Leica I LENEU The lens should be a LELEL. Thanks for info Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrogallol Posted October 9, 2024 Share #5 Posted October 9, 2024 (edited) Never mind the camera. That Leitz New York Wollensak lens is a very desirable item. They were only produced in the late 40's when Leitz New York could not get Elmar lenses from Germany. Wollensak provided the glass to be fitted in Leitz lens mounts. Edited October 9, 2024 by Pyrogallol 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted October 9, 2024 Share #6 Posted October 9, 2024 Very odd! Is there any sort of film pressure plate on the other side of that ‘cap’ ? My guess is some one off modification by someone who wanted to do macro photography, possibly they had made another cap with a ground glass screen? Not a Leica option though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anbaric Posted October 9, 2024 Share #7 Posted October 9, 2024 Advertisement (gone after registration) 34 minutes ago, NYCV said: Camera shutter works as normal , back cap has a small plastic infrared looking dot Infrared? Do you mean it's dark red and transparent? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCV Posted October 9, 2024 Author Share #8 Posted October 9, 2024 16 minutes ago, earleygallery said: Very odd! Is there any sort of film pressure plate on the other side of that ‘cap’ ? My guess is some one off modification by someone who wanted to do macro photography, possibly they had made another cap with a ground glass screen? Not a Leica option though. no pressure plate on the cap , I think you are correct it had to be modified for a special use.. to me it looks as it was modified at the factory.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCV Posted October 9, 2024 Author Share #9 Posted October 9, 2024 2 hours ago, Al Brown said: Well, I can chip in with the first clue: it is not a rangefinder. According to s/n the body belonged to a 1931 Leica I LENEU The lens should be a LELEL. What is the difference between Leica 1 and LENEU model ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCV Posted October 9, 2024 Author Share #10 Posted October 9, 2024 17 minutes ago, Anbaric said: Infrared? Do you mean it's dark red and transparent? Correct . dark red transparent [ size of a pencil eraser ] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted October 9, 2024 Share #11 Posted October 9, 2024 24 minutes ago, NYCV said: no pressure plate on the cap , I think you are correct it had to be modified for a special use.. to me it looks as it was modified at the factory.. I very much doubt that was a factory mod, someone’s personal project. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted October 9, 2024 Share #12 Posted October 9, 2024 The LENEU was the I Model C This looks like it has been modified for periscope use like this Royal Navy Reid from the 1950s. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! I was offered one once, but did not purchase it - I have a similar Royal Navy Reid with no hole at the back. I think I may have material somewhere about how this worked, probably in a Zoom talk by Tim Goldsmith to PCCGB about the John Vincent Reid Collection. If you Google, you might find out how this worked. I imagine that the camera was connected from the back end for view/focus and from the front for taking. How the film was handled is another matter. William 2 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! I was offered one once, but did not purchase it - I have a similar Royal Navy Reid with no hole at the back. I think I may have material somewhere about how this worked, probably in a Zoom talk by Tim Goldsmith to PCCGB about the John Vincent Reid Collection. If you Google, you might find out how this worked. I imagine that the camera was connected from the back end for view/focus and from the front for taking. How the film was handled is another matter. William ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/413431-need-help-identifying-this-vintage-leica-rangefinder/?do=findComment&comment=5650616'>More sharing options...
willeica Posted October 10, 2024 Share #13 Posted October 10, 2024 8 hours ago, willeica said: The LENEU was the I Model C This looks like it has been modified for periscope use like this Royal Navy Reid from the 1950s. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! I was offered one once, but did not purchase it - I have a similar Royal Navy Reid with no hole at the back. I think I may have material somewhere about how this worked, probably in a Zoom talk by Tim Goldsmith to PCCGB about the John Vincent Reid Collection. If you Google, you might find out how this worked. I imagine that the camera was connected from the back end for view/focus and from the front for taking. How the film was handled is another matter. William At about 23 minutes in, Tim Goldsmith doubts whether the periscope Reids were real. That would not be surprising as 'Major Reid' was a Walter Mitty type and there was a lot of illusion and trickery as regards the whole Reid project. You need to watch this in full plus Part 2 to get the full flavour of the whole Reid business. https://www.l39cambase.co.uk/about_reid.php There is some interesting material here about a Kodak design with a viewfinder on top which would have allowed viewing while the camera was on the periscope and there are some photos here, but no hole in the back of a camera. https://catalogs.marinersmuseum.org/object/CL28506 The Imperial War Museum would be a good place to start looking for periscope cameras. William Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anbaric Posted October 10, 2024 Share #14 Posted October 10, 2024 13 hours ago, NYCV said: Correct . dark red transparent [ size of a pencil eraser ] Interesting, a bit like the frame number window on camera for paper-backed roll film? I suppose the film transport and take-up spool are normal for a 35mm Leica, as here? Do you have a photo from the bottom, with the bottom plate removed? I guess with orthochromatic film you could get away with a window like this even with 35mm, but I don't know what purpose it would serve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted October 10, 2024 Share #15 Posted October 10, 2024 22 hours ago, NYCV said: Correct . dark red transparent [ size of a pencil eraser ] Originally that was where there was an inspection port on early models for matching non standardised lenses using a ground glass screen. This would obviously not have been transparent. If this one is transparent and red there may have been some involvement with paper-backed 35mm film eg 828 film https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/828_film. Is it possible to have details of the film transport in this cameras, cassette and take-up spool etc? Pre-Leica there were also some paper-backed 35mm films and the variety may astonish some readers http://corsopolaris.net/supercameras/early/early_135.html. This camera is, however from 1931. 828 film appeared in 1935. William Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCV Posted October 11, 2024 Author Share #16 Posted October 11, 2024 17 hours ago, willeica said: Originally that was where there was an inspection port on early models for matching non standardised lenses using a ground glass screen. This would obviously not have been transparent. If this one is transparent and red there may have been some involvement with paper-backed 35mm film eg 828 film https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/828_film. Is it possible to have details of the film transport in this cameras, cassette and take-up spool etc? Pre-Leica there were also some paper-backed 35mm films and the variety may astonish some readers http://corsopolaris.net/supercameras/early/early_135.html. This camera is, however from 1931. 828 film appeared in 1935. William I was mistaken , the red dot is not transparent ... on the flip side of the screw on cap has a pressure plate ... Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/413431-need-help-identifying-this-vintage-leica-rangefinder/?do=findComment&comment=5652541'>More sharing options...
Anbaric Posted October 11, 2024 Share #17 Posted October 11, 2024 23 minutes ago, NYCV said: I was mistaken , the red dot is not transparent ... on the flip side of the screw on cap has a pressure plate ... Maybe just made from the original back, then, with the hole for focus checking that early models had now sealed. Is the thread diameter for the hole on the back the same as the lens mount on the front? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCV Posted October 11, 2024 Author Share #18 Posted October 11, 2024 screw on back cap also does screw on the front .. it is the same diameter as the lens 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted October 12, 2024 Share #19 Posted October 12, 2024 19 hours ago, NYCV said: I was mistaken , the red dot is not transparent ... on the flip side of the screw on cap has a pressure plate ... Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Looks 'normal' for 35mm. Is the writing inside the bottom plate legible? William Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCV Posted October 12, 2024 Author Share #20 Posted October 12, 2024 Writing inside the plate is not legible.. at this point I really appreciate everybody's input... any more thoughts let me know.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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