Tag Archives: Leitz

once upon a time in Canada

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. A few years after the second world war ended, Ernst Leitz established a factory in Midland, Ontario. At this subsidiary factory cameras were assembled from Wetzlar parts, manufactured, and lenses were assembled, manufactured and designed. In our journal, issue … Continue reading →

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minicams and interchangeability

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. The 35mm cameras were off and running in the late 1920s. Leitz touted their Leica as a precision camera and set out to compete with the physically far bigger cameras of the day, claiming that a small negative could … Continue reading →

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the keepers of night

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Since photography began there was always some means to keep the plates or film protected from the light.  When the Leica and its competitors arrived. Leitz made a very heavy and elaborate reusable cassette that opened only in-camera as … Continue reading →

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and to cap it off …

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Dust and dirt everywhere! How can you keep it out of camera bodies and lenses? Easy, cap the openings! Since the early days of photography, caps have been used to keep out dust and dirt when the camera or … Continue reading →

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hardly ever

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. In the late 1950s, I bought my Exakta VX IIa complete with an “ever-ready” case. Like many youths of the day, we called these “never-ready”cases since the camera couldn’t be used until the case was opened. When the box … Continue reading →

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up close and personal

Posted on May 17, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. I took this shot in October 2014 with a century old Zeiss licensed, Krauss made Tessar 35mm f/3.5 at f/22 after looking at the soil sample under a Leitz stereo microscope using 12.5x, 50x, and 100x magnification. The Tessar … Continue reading →

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bakelite beauties

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Leo Baekeland was born in 1863 in the Belgian city of Ghent. As a professor of physics and chemistry, he and his wife visited American universities in 1889 and he joined the photographic firm of E and H T … Continue reading →

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pus ça change

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. It is said that the more things change, the more they are the same. Like the Zeiss Sonnar lens for example. Larry Gubas in his massive text “Zeiss and Photography” shows the Sonnar as it was initially sold in … Continue reading →

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getting a leg up

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Robert

Toronto.  Over the years there were many kinds of camera supports. The early studio supports were massive wooden boxes, usually with four legs. When cameras were used outdoors we soon saw the traditional three legs – tripods – first of … Continue reading →

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just give me a ring …

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. With the sudden burst of growth in the minicam industry, major players like Leitz and Zeiss produced a large variety of lenses, camera models and attachments to make their little marvels suitable to tackle almost any photography job imaginable. … Continue reading →

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