Tag Archives: Leica

you can call me Max

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. As you know, a camera needs a lens to capture an image. Leitz had just such a lens designer. In 1912 according to Dr Kingslake in his 1989 book, “A History of the Photographic Lens“, a young Dr Max … Continue reading →

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an Oscar for design

Posted on September 25, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. In 1914, a young German visited NYC. He brought along a tiny experimental ‘device’ that looked nothing like the cameras of the day. He took photos like the one at left with the people on the street oblivious to … Continue reading →

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it ain’t no Leica

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Like many 1940s, and ’50s 35mm cameras in contemporary ads, Clarus touted quality comparing the camera indirectly to a Leica, but far less costly. Like the famous little camera manufactured in Germany by Leitz, Clarus was small, compact, chose … Continue reading →

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the why and wherefore

Posted on June 21, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Hands down, Leitz had a winner on its hands when they launched the Leica M series with the flagship M3 model in 1954.  The M series covered the issues professionals had with the screw mount Leicas. Design of the … Continue reading →

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down to the life size

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Most 35mm film cameras limited close up subjects to a metre. The Leica M series with a Summicron could focus down to 20 inches. Most cameras used extension tubes or auxiliary lenses to capture subjects closer than a metre. … Continue reading →

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brave new camera

Posted on January 2, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. In the 1920s after losing the great war (WW1), Germany suffered a massive bout of inflation and depression. The Ernst Leitz optical house in Wetzlar had mainly made microscopes, objectives, eye pieces, accessories, and the occasional other optical item … Continue reading →

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rapide, Henri le Leica

Posted on November 2, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. My good friend, George Dunbar, discovered a very well illustrated  bio of that famous French street photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson. George writes, ”  A wonderful bio of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s amazing career was published in 2014 (Henri Cartier-Bresson, Here and Now….by Clément … Continue reading →

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time gentlemen please

Posted on October 18, 2022 by Robert

Toronto.  For decades companies would rebadge fancy watches for sales staff and other folk, As a youth, I bought a Bulova Accutron which is a mechanism driven by a tuning fork in turn driven by a transistor. Companies like Amanda … Continue reading →

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book covers

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. There is a saying – you can’t tell a book by its cover. In the early days of miniature cameras, it was the same for model type. For example through-out the screw mount era, Leitz cameras were all ‘Leicas’. … Continue reading →

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the perfect bid

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Robert

Toronto. This post is courtesy of Sonja Pushchak. It involves a bid in an Austrian auction reported in a British society’s newsletter (Tailboard). The post title is a riff on the movie, “The  Perfect Storm” were the forces of mother nature … Continue reading →

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