Cameras/My Uncles Leica
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Hi David- My uncle from Germany passed this Leica 35mm camera down to me over 30 years ago and I was hoping to find some info about it. Where is the model number and I also have an etra lense that is maybe a zoom-it's cone shaped- how it that used. the lense on the camera say Summarf+5cm 1:2 no322036. The top of camera has a serial no 201152. My x took pics with it over 10 yrs ago and they came out nice. I would like to try and use it,Thank you so much
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Hello Victoria,
Serial number 201152 is a Leica III, a traditional 35mm coupled rangefinder camera, made by Leitz of Germany around 1936. This is a very common model, with over 76,000 units sold from 1933 to 1939. An excellent clean complete working example with a proper matching Leitz 5cm normal lens (such as a Summar) should sell for about $250 in today's collectible camera market. The lens you describe as "cone shaped" is most likely a 1930's Elmar 10.5cm f/6.3 which is a short telephoto or portrait lens, not a zoom lens. It's an interesting collectible that brings another $150 by itself. Although this camera might have been used over ten years ago with some success, I strongly recommend against wasting any time or money trying to use it now. In this age of auto-everything digital photography, using an old mechanical film camera like this is neither intuitive or rewarding. Just the opposite, there are so many special little skills and bits of traditional photographic knowledge necessary to use it, I guarantee the process will only serve to frustrate you. The other issue is that ANY Leica camera that has sat unused for a decade or more is no longer going to work properly. Leica cameras MUST be used regularly and correctly, or they freeze up, attract internal mold, and certain parts actually deteriorate from lack of "exercise". The cost to completely restore a Leica III to full working condition is more than the camera is worth. Truthfully, you're sitting on a collectible item, NOT a usable piece. It appears to be in good cosmetic condition, and that's more important to a collector. I strongly recommend you sell it. If you forward this message to me at the e-mail address below, with a couple more pictures of the camera and the extra lens so I can properly evaluate everything, I will gladly help you find a buyer who will both pay you a very fair price and preserve the camera for generations to come. This is really the best for everybody involved, including the camera itself. Whether it ever gets used again or not, the point is that it should not be locked away and forgotten for another decade, during which it will only lose value. I look forward to hearing from you...
Best wishes,
David F. Silver - President
International Photographic Historical Organization
silver@photographyhistory.com
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David Silver
Expertise
I'm an expert on all types of antique, classic, and contemporary cameras, as well as the general history of photography. Everything from ancient box cameras to modern single-lens-reflex; from simple Kodaks to sophisticated Leica and Nikon; from glass plates and roll film to movie and 35mm. I can identify and appraise them, explain how they work, and offer insights on their restoration and care. I can also provide historical background on vintage cameras and equipment, and guidelines on their purchase and sale.
Experience
I've been a professional photographer and a student of the history of photography for nearly 30 years. During that time my collection of vintage cameras and photographic paraphernalia has grown beyond 2000 significant pieces. I've published nearly 70 articles in the field, including 16 in the popular "Buying Classic Cameras" series for PHOTO SHOPPER MAGAZINE from 1995 to 1997, I'm currently a contributing editor for CAMERA SHOPPER MAGAZINE and McKEOWN'S PRICE GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAMERAS, and I've written numerous entries for WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA. Portions of my collection have been displayed in museums and special exhibits in the past two decades, and many of the items were photographed as illustrations for books. In 1985 I founded the International Photographic Historical Organization (InPHO), which eventually evolved into its intended purpose as the best first resource for information on the history of photography. I'm also a founding member of several e-mail forums dedicated to specialized areas of photography, and I'm the moderator of the Internet Directory of Camera Collectors (IDCC), which remains the largest and most successful such group in the world. For more information about the International Photographic Historical Organization and its many services, please visit its web pages at:
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