Cameras/Leica Camera Question
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Question
David, I hope you can help me. I have a older friend who has a vintage Leica camera in mint condition. He got it in the early forties ('41, '42) in Germany. But he does not have any of the paperwork on it, nor can he remember the model. On the top it says "Leica D.R.P. Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Germany" SN# 499611.
Can you determine the model of the camera from this information, or do you need more info and maybe a picture?
Thanks,
Mike
Hello Mike,
From the serial number you've provided, your friend has a Leica IIIc, a coupled rangefinder 35mm camera, made by Leitz of Germany in 1950. Obviously his memory is a bit off on the year he acquired it. This was a very common model, and Leitz sold over 130,000 between 1940 and 1951. The post war versions tended to suffer from poor chrome and other problems, due to a lack of high quality resources for German industry, but by 1950 they were pretty much up to speed. Leitz was introducing a new model, the Leica IIIf, that year, but they continued to assemble the IIIc through 1951 because they had so many parts that needed to be used. Today a truly excellent example, with appropriate Summitar or Elmar 5cm lens, should sell in the $300 range.
Best wishes,
David Silver
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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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