Curious Leica in Amateur Photographer

[earleygallery]

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I bought the AP this week as I noticed it had an article about the Barnack Leica's - it was just such an article in AP that lead to me buying my first Leica lllf 24 years ago.

 

Anyway, I wasn't expecting to read about anything I didn't already know, but they mention and have a photograph of a single shot camera, code OLEYO. Its like a circular tub, with a 5cm Elmar mounted on the front with a leaf shutter on the front of the Elmar. The lens isn't fixed and there's a shoe on top for fitting finders/rangefinders.

 

I guess it would be used to test a film, clip a frame off, shoot and process to judge speed/processing time or whatever?

 

Anyone know more about this one?

 

I've also found this on Google 1935 E. Leitz Single Exposure Housing (OLEYO)

 

LEICA: OLEYO Single Exposure Housing

[Guest Bernd Banken]

just look over the fence;)

 

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-sammler-historica/68702-24x36-planfilm.html

 

The forum member @DDM has treasures in his cave........

 

Cheers

Bernd

[earleygallery]

Unfortunately I don't read German! Fascinating though.

[Guest Bernd Banken]

James,

 

there is nothing special, only the explanation that one lens has a Compur leaf shutter (very rare) and the film must be a single sheet film 24X36 not the common movie version with holes which we know for decades.

One shot - straight into the wet darkroom......

[earleygallery]

Thanks for the info.

 

Now, that would make for an even more challenging One challenge next year!

[jc_braconi]

Hi James,

This one, of my own, is coded OLIGO

[earleygallery]

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Have you used it JC ? What was its original purpose?

[lars_bergquist]

Have you used it JC ? What was its original purpose?

It was for taking single pictures when you couldn't be bothered with the usual 36 roll or even less—as in thechnical and scientific applications.

 

The old man from the Age of Hypo

[jc_braconi]

Have you used it JC ? What was its original purpose?

 

No, I never use it, I have a lot of film holder disk.

It was used by professional photographer for single exposure (especially for identity photos), you can use all the M39 SM with E36 front lenses for the IBSOR shutter and with univ. viewfinder VIDOM, VIOOH or spec. one for the lens.

[Dáithí]

I am not sure what the original purpose was buy my dad was a Leica fan from way back. I still have his Leica II with an 50mm f2.5 Hektor. Dad was an avid hobby photographer, not a pro but was a full time US Army Signal Corps photographer during WW II. Since Leica's were hard to come by during the war for obvious reasons Dad used his personaly owned Leica a lot instead of the cameras the army provided.

 

The first camera I used was my Dad's Leica and I used to read his Leica manual. There was a picture of the single shot Leica in the manual and I could not figure out the need for this. He told me Army movie photographers used them to make test shots to test lighting and exposure before going through a large reel of movie film. I have no idea if commercial movie people did the same. I think they used primarily b&w film for movies as Kodachrome was apparently in short supply during the war. My dad's office also rationed out the Kodachrome for units in the European theatre and apparently units were always pleading for more Kodachrome.