Leicapasion Posted January 12 Share #1 Posted January 12 Advertisement (gone after registration) Any manual or sales brochure?. 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! 2 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/418516-a-rg-lewis-photo-marine-ii-for-leica/?do=findComment&comment=5738317'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 12 Posted January 12 Hi Leicapasion, Take a look here A R.G. Lewis Photo-Marine II for Leica.. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
pgk Posted March 11 Share #2 Posted March 11 I worked for R G Lewis around ~1980ish. I saw one once as a customer brought one in to discuss with the manager who had been with R G Lewis when they were sold new. I was responsible for giving all the existing spares to Ocean Optics (then in Lilliwhites in central London). These housing were built in the late 1950s I think, and were tested in Lulworth Cove by an employee in a diving suit and scuba gear (pre-Health and Safety diving days!). I don't know how many were made but only a few I would guess. Castings like this may be economic in small batches (I've heard that ~25 is viable). If you want more info pm me. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted March 11 Share #3 Posted March 11 3 hours ago, pgk said: I worked for R G Lewis around ~1980ish. I saw one once as a customer brought one in to discuss with the manager who had been with R G Lewis when they were sold new. I was responsible for giving all the existing spares to Ocean Optics (then in Lilliwhites in central London). These housing were built in the late 1950s I think, and were tested in Lulworth Cove by an employee in a diving suit and scuba gear (pre-Health and Safety diving days!). I don't know how many were made but only a few I would guess. Castings like this may be economic in small batches (I've heard that ~25 is viable). If you want more info pm me. A friend of mine, in Limerick, Ireland, had one of these, but it went into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of County Clare and he never saw it again. He showed me a photo of it when I visited his home about 3 years ago- see below 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 will ask him whether he still has a manual for it. William 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! I will ask him whether he still has a manual for it. William ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/418516-a-rg-lewis-photo-marine-ii-for-leica/?do=findComment&comment=5770724'>More sharing options...
pgk Posted March 11 Share #4 Posted March 11 9 minutes ago, willeica said: A friend of mine, in Limerick, Ireland, had one of these, but it went into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of County Clare and he never saw it again. He showed me a photo of it when I visited his home about 3 years ago- see below ..... Intrguingly its numbered 650! This would be a huge run for an underwater housing so I suspect that numbering didn't start at 1😁 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted March 11 Share #5 Posted March 11 (edited) 33 minutes ago, pgk said: Intrguingly its numbered 650! This would be a huge run for an underwater housing so I suspect that numbering didn't start at 1😁 Leicapasion's item is No 693, so not too far away. My friend also had this Hans Hass device for use with a Rolleiflex. 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! My friend also asked me about this undersea photographic device which was being examined by an international group of diving photographer friends. This had been used by a French diver called Frederick Dumas, who was a friend of Jacques Cousteau. They were wondering if it was for an LTM Leica, but I could not get clear enough dimensions to determine that at a distance. I suggested that they should locate an LTM Leica and see if it fitted. It is rigged up below with a digital camera, which looks like a Leica Digilux. I have other photos, but these are enough to describe the device, which I did not physically see or handle. Another device used by Dumas definitely contained a French Foca camera, which was a sort of Leica copy with different dimensions. The conversation sort of fizzled out a year and a half ago, but I will ask him about it again when I approach him about the R G Lewis manual. My real reason for visiting my friend before was to see his extraordinary collection of cine cameras which included some Braun models that might have been used at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He had a treasure trove in his house and two veteran Renault cars from before WWI in his garage. William Edited March 11 by willeica 4 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! My friend also asked me about this undersea photographic device which was being examined by an international group of diving photographer friends. This had been used by a French diver called Frederick Dumas, who was a friend of Jacques Cousteau. They were wondering if it was for an LTM Leica, but I could not get clear enough dimensions to determine that at a distance. I suggested that they should locate an LTM Leica and see if it fitted. It is rigged up below with a digital camera, which looks like a Leica Digilux. I have other photos, but these are enough to describe the device, which I did not physically see or handle. Another device used by Dumas definitely contained a French Foca camera, which was a sort of Leica copy with different dimensions. The conversation sort of fizzled out a year and a half ago, but I will ask him about it again when I approach him about the R G Lewis manual. My real reason for visiting my friend before was to see his extraordinary collection of cine cameras which included some Braun models that might have been used at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He had a treasure trove in his house and two veteran Renault cars from before WWI in his garage. William ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/418516-a-rg-lewis-photo-marine-ii-for-leica/?do=findComment&comment=5770742'>More sharing options...
willeica Posted March 13 Share #6 Posted March 13 On 3/11/2025 at 10:05 PM, willeica said: A friend of mine, in Limerick, Ireland, had one of these, but it went into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of County Clare and he never saw it again. He showed me a photo of it when I visited his home about 3 years ago- see below 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 will ask him whether he still has a manual for it. William My friend passed on his manual, spares and accessories to someone in Barcelona who had acquired a similar housing. All he has left is this document. William 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted March 15 Share #7 Posted March 15 Advertisement (gone after registration) It has now been proven that the Dumas underwater housing had been converted for use with a Leica IIIa or IIIb. I had been asked to send dimensions, which I did, but I also suggested that it would be best if this were physically checked at the location of the device. This has now been done. See photo below. 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! This converted device may have been used by Jacques Cousteau. The Dumas device had originally been designed for a 16mm cine film camera, possibly a Gun Sight Aiming Point (GSAP) camera. I've sent some details to our colleague Paul Kay (pgk) who knows much more about these things than I do. William 2 Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! This converted device may have been used by Jacques Cousteau. The Dumas device had originally been designed for a 16mm cine film camera, possibly a Gun Sight Aiming Point (GSAP) camera. I've sent some details to our colleague Paul Kay (pgk) who knows much more about these things than I do. William ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/418516-a-rg-lewis-photo-marine-ii-for-leica/?do=findComment&comment=5772103'>More sharing options...
nf3996 Posted March 25 Share #8 Posted March 25 One of these is coming up for sale at Chiswick Auctions on 31 March, but no manual or sales brochure - see here. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted March 25 Share #9 Posted March 25 20 minutes ago, nf3996 said: One of these is coming up for sale at Chiswick Auctions on 31 March, but no manual or sales brochure - see here. Showing the classic signs of remaining unwashed after submersion in salt water and resulting electrolytic corrosion due to the use of disimilar metals. If this was a modern housing it would be considered worn out and worthless! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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