
Introduced in 1933, the Leica III was Leitz's response to the introduction of the Zeiss-Ikon Contax. Basically built on a modified Leica I body - the Leica II set the mold on what was to become the Leica III. The Leica II shown above is spartan by modern standards, but it is ever capable of precision photography, albeit with seven very old-fashioned shutter speeds to choose from.


By the 1950'ies - more than one Japanese camera maker would also slavishly copy the design after the German patents became null and void at the end of Worlda War II. Even Leica's all-new IIIc in 1940 didn't tamper with basic architecure or shape of the original Leica II. To say Oskar Barnack's rendition of the Leica II was an iconic design is almost an understatement. The Leica II on the other hand - has a design firmly rooted in age of steam engines. The Contax resembles a streamlined brick. Although both were introduced in the same year, they are very different cameras. The viewfinder and rangefinder apparatus utilize separate eyepieces - one for the rangefinder apparatus, which is magnified - and - a second optic that is centered between the two RF windows, which is used to compose the photograph.Ĭoincidentally, Zeiss Ikon introduced their first Contax in 1932. Form follows function on a Leica screw mount camera of this iconic design. The architecture and shape of the Leica II came to represent the essense of 35mm rangefinder photography for more than 20 years. The raised top cover for the viewfinder and rangefinder optics of the Leica II are what easily distinguishes it fromm a Leica I. It's rangefinder apparatus allowed the photographer to focus the Leica II without any guess work.

Lenses now featured a focusing cam that protrude from their base to interact with rangefinder mechanism built into the camera. The Leica II of 1932 introduced a built-in rangefinder focusing apparatus that coupled to a removeable LTM lens.

Leitz of Wetzlar, the parent company of Leica. In truth, the success of 35mm film in becoming a serious photographic format was in a large part courtesy of a not so large German microscope firm, E. Although Leica has in the past made a wide variety of optical products - such as binoculars and microscopes - the name is also synomymous with rangefinder cameras. Leica is a name that is synonymous with the birth of 35mm photography. Leica Screw Mount Cameras - the 1930's through the 1950's - This page was written by Andrew Leica Screw Mount Cameras - the 1930's through the 1950's Leica Screw Mount - LTM Rangefinder Cameras
