Leica tales

[Clevenson2@aol.com]

Greetings All,
  I very much enjoyed Bill Dan's tale. I, too, am a Leica user/accumulator
(can't afford to be a collector).
  Over the last few days here in the Bay Area, I have had the opportunity to
get some stunning shots of fiery sunsets behind San Francisco shot with my
IIIc/viso I/Telyt 400 combination. From my neighborhood (about eight miles
east of downtown SF), using this lens, the city skyline fills the frame left
to right with the Bay Bridge in the foreground. Very nice!
  Anyway, I recently purchased the 400 as part of a beautiful outfit that
came in a fitted Leitz case containing the lens, viso I with PEGOO, the 400
sports finder, and double cable release (everything but a camera body; for
which there was a nice velvet-lined slot).  The price for the outfit was more
than I'd paid for any piece of camera equipment, but after a week of
deliberation I went to the bank and got the cash. I have no regrets at this
point.
  I bought the outfit from a guy I have seen for years, foraging at the local
swap meets. I knew him to be a "Leica Guy" and had bought little things from
him over the years.
  When I bought the Telyt outfit we chatted a bit and I learned that he had
been in the Polish underground during WWII and had been the custodian for
photographic equipment. They used German cameras for microfilming, etc. and
he maintained the equipment and actually used to fabricate copies of such
items as the various Leitz close-up attachments.  After the war, he worked in
a camera shop in one of the port cities and worked on the many Leicas brought
in for service.
  He is in his 70s now and spends his time going to estate auctions and swap
meets looking for Leica goodies. (He's been looking for the IIIg-specific
focuslide for a while if anyone knows where one can be found)
  There is no doubt that if one hangs around these fascinating devices long
enough, you hear some interesting tales.

Corey Levenson, Oakland CA.