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Cameras/Leica Wetzlar

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Expert: - 6/17/2007


Question
Hi,
i got a old camera Leica DBP #318720 from my grandpa. I don't want to resell it but I ask myself what is the value of the camera (just very rough). Just that I know how careful I have to be ;-) I'm amateur black-white photographer with basic knowledge (with newer analog-cameras, but I have problems to find out which buttons effect what... So I would be very glad if you could recommend me also a source where I can find further information (web preferred, but also books).
Thanks a lot
NiK

Answer


Hello,

What you have there is a Leica II (also known as a Leica Model D), a high quality 35mm camera, and according to the serial number it was made by Leitz of Germany in 1939.  This is a very common model, with over 50,000 sold between 1932 and 1939, but it's historically significant as the first Leica to come equipped with a coupled rangefinder to aid focusing.  A truly excellent example, with an appropriate Leitz normal 5cm lens (an Elmar or Summar) would sell for about $350 today.  If you want to use it, you simply need an instruction book, and you can find one at:

 http://www.craigcamera.com/ib_l.htm

Scroll down to item #LEI-460 and you'll see you can get a nice copy of an original manual for only $20 plus postage.  Highly recommended for your enjoyment of the camera AND to make sure you don't damage it!

Have fun!

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:

http://www.photographyhistory.com


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