Leitz (Leica) camera company
This is a Leica Model B, a 35mm camera made by Ernst Leitz GmbH of Wetzlar, Germany between the years 1926 and 1941. The Leica Model B was the second model in the Leica series and is the only Leica camera ever made which uses a Compur leaf shutter. Two…
This is a Leica CL a 35mm rangefinder camera designed by Ernst Leitz, but made by Minolta in Osaka, Japan between the years 1973 and 1976. The Leica CL was the first of several cameras produced through a partnership with Minolta as the two companies worked together, Minolta to gain…
This is a Leica M5, a 35mm rangefinder camera made by Ernst Leitz GmBH in Wetzlar, West Germany between the years 1971 and 1975. The Leica M5 was the company’s first metered rangefinder, and the first ever rangefinder camera with TTL metering. In addition to its metering system, the M5…
When Oskar Barnack completed the first Leica prototype in the mid 1920s, his goal was to make a high quality compact camera that could make high quality images using double perforated 35mm film. At the time, the idea of a mass produced 35mm camera was one that nobody was thinking…
For this, the 68th episode of the World’s Number One Open Source Film Photography Podcast, the gang invited our friend and film photographer Johnny Martyr to share with us his love of Leicas. As is the case any time the topic of cameras made by everyone’s favorite Wetzlar based company…
This is a Leica IIIg, a 35mm rangefinder camera produced by Ernst Leitz Wetzlar in Wetzlar, West Germany between the years 1957 and 1967. The IIIg was the last version of the original screw mount Leica to be released and was the successor to the IIIf adding several new features…
One of the greatest stories I’ve heard while collecting and researching old cameras is how one of the greatest cameras ever made was created. The story goes that in 1911, a Zeiss employee named Oskar Barnack was recruited by his friend and former colleague, Emil Mechau to work for a…
Screw Mount Leica II and IIIs were the most copied camera design in history, perhaps even the most copied THING in history. While counterfeit versions of Coach handbags, Rolex watches, and Nike shoes have been extremely common for decades, what makes Leica copies unique is that unlike most other luxury…
This week on episode 22 of the Camerosity Podcast, we welcome special guest Dan Tamarkin of Tamarkin Camera in Chicago, Illinois to regale us with many tales of his life selling Leicas. Originally started in 1971 by his father Stan, Tamarkin Camera has been one of the most trusted Leica…
When someone asks the question “What is the ‘best’ 35mm rangefinder ever made?”, a great number of responses will likely include either the Leica M3 or the Nikon SP. The reason for these two models on the tops of so many people’s lists is that they are both very good…
For the past couple of months I’ve been working on a new and comprehensive guide that shows how to differentiate between fake and genuine screw mount Leicas. As I was finished up that article, I noticed it had grown to over 4500 words and the words of Stephen Dowling rang…
There’s a saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and when it comes to prestige products like handbags, watches, and cameras, there are whole industries of companies looking to counterfeit those products and sell them as the real thing. For cameras, the most commonly imitated examples are screw…
