Tag Archives: Leitz

saddle soars

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Leitz was on a roll with its accessory viewfinders complementing the squinty single focal length one built into the Leica. During WW2, cradle or saddle versions were released (1943). The version for the 9cm lens was called a SOOUT. … Continue reading →

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come here, you little rascal …

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Robert

Toronto.  … I pictured my mother saying as I ran out of the kitchen. When I was born, the movie short ‘Our Gang‘ or ‘the little Rascals’ was popular in movie houses. Leitz began marketing the Leica mid 1924. The … Continue reading →

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what the heck?

Posted on January 13, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. Around 1931, Leitz decided to make their tiny Leica an interchangeable lens camera and produced the first few new focal length lenses. Within a year, the Leica’s film to lens mount distance was standardized and thereafter any screw mount … Continue reading →

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more on making it better

Posted on January 12, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. When Leitz made special enlarging lenses, the first such lens was the VAROB made from about 1933 through 1939. Some people considered the VAROB lens an Elmar lens in a special barrel for use on an enlarger. Others, like … Continue reading →

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Dail M for …

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Robert

Toronto. … Dr Mandler. The late Walter Mandler was a world renown camera lens designer. The link takes you to his eulogy by Rolf Fricke. This eulogy was published in volume 5-2 of the PHSC newsletter in May, 2005. Dr … Continue reading →

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a Johnny come lately

Posted on December 3, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Introduced in 1924, the Leica by Leitz was a flat out success. Two years later, in 1926, its competitor, Zeiss formed the Zeiss-Ikon group to rationalize the German photographic Industry. By 1932, the first Zeiss Contax reached market – … Continue reading →

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name game

Posted on November 18, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. Shortly after the Leica was first marketed, Leitz standardized the lens-to-film distance and offered a group of interchangeable lenses suitable for any camera. To compete with the Johnny-cum-lately CONTAX by the mighty Zeiss factories, Leitz looked to others to … Continue reading →

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three for the money …

Posted on November 13, 2023 by Robert

Toronto. … and four to go,  as the old rhyme says.  And by go we mean drop by our November 19th Estate Auction. One of the lots will be a Leica III just waiting for a new home. This little … 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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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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