Leitz Fibla – c1929 bubble level
Toronto. Back in 1929, Leitz had a hit on their hands with the new Leica 35mm camera. Accessories helped photographers use the new minicam for things not otherwise possible or at least not in an easy manner.
A couple of tripod adaptors were offered to let photographers take portraits with the tiny marvel and to take panorama pictures using a series of click stop tripod heads that let the camera circumnavigate its surroundings.
To be most successful at portraits and panos, the camera had to be absolutely level. This challenge was solved by yet another accessory – a tiny bubble level that slipped into an accessory shoe (flash shoe in later years). The FIBLA was first offered in black enamel (1929-1936). In 1936, to match the new chrome cameras, the tiny level was recoded as DOOLU and offered in both black enamel and chrome.
