Cameras/Leica
Advertisement
Question
I inherited a Leica D.R.P No. 480383 with a Summitar lens no.
702009. Can you tell me what model this is? Do you know where I can find
a manual? Thanks!
Hello,
You have a Leica IIIc, a classic 35mm coupled rangefinder camera, made by Leitz of Germany in 1949. This is a fairly common model. Leitz sold over 130,000 of them between 1940 and 1951. A truly excellent post-war example, complete with an appropriate Leitz 5cm normal lens (your Summitar fits that bill) would sell for around $250 these days. You can find a manual for sale on this web page:
http://www.craigcamera.com/ib_l.htm
Scroll down the page to item #LEI-422 for a reasonably priced copy of the manual. Have fun!
Best wishes,
David Silver
Related Articles
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:
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.