Leicavit for fast shooting Leica screw-mount cameras
Toronto. Film had a great run in photography, lasting over a century from Eastman’s roll film for his pivotal ‘Kodak” camera in the late 1880s to the APS (Advanced Photo System) early in the 1990s that drifted into early this century overlapping the start of the digital era.
However, this post is about another camera mechanism – a way to speed things up for the photographer. In the 1930s, companies like Leitz used a mechanical wind-up base (MOOLY) to auto wind and cock the shutter after each exposure. This was the precursor to electric motor drives (late 1930s into the early post war years).
Sitting in the middle were gadgets like the Leicavit which allowed rapid winding and cocking of the shutter all by hand (press the shutter button to shoot). These gizmos died out when lever wind rather than knob became common.
One company in Dusseldorf created many camera models with the name Robot. These cameras had built-in springs to move the film on and wind the shutter after each shot.
While we can’t say you will find such cameras, or mechanical or electric motor wind bases at our 2025 events, we can say you will spot items that will augment your photography collection. And coming fast is our famous fall fair on October 19, 2025. Check out PHSC News issue 25-7 for details.
