A winder for the rapidwinder.

["captyng" <captyng@vtx.ch>]

There was discussion on rapidwinders recently. Certain LUG members may
therefore be interested in the following non-Leitz item.

Automate your rapidwinder! For photographers who feel that using the
Leicavit involves unbearable physical effort, Camcraft, 1408 Baskerville
Avenue, Madison 4, Wisconsin, USA, offered in 1961 for US$ 300,-- a
motorwinder for the Leicavit. The Camcraft N-5's black motorhousing is
fixed under the Leicavit. A battery driven electric motor moves the
Leicavit's handgrip back and forth and the motorhousing has a handgrip
attached to its bottom to avoid further fatigue. The Camcraft N-5 offers
single shots as well as rapid serial shots: 36 pictures within 10 seconds.
At the end of the film, the motor stops automatically. Speeds between 1/30
and 1/1000 can be set on the Leica-M. The Leica-M's shutter release button
and the Camcraft N-5 release are in sinc thanks to an external coupling
device: will progress ever stop? The Camcraft N-5 accepts different types
of batteries and remote firing is possible. 

Certainly a great new aquisition for the Leica-M Museum of the Bizarre and
the Unusual (with items like the 90mm/f2.2 LTM Thambar with bayonet
converter, Fred Ward's soft release, the Contax-G Hologon 16mm/f8 converted
to M-mount, the Novoflex Leinik-M, the Super-Angulon 21mm/f3.4 with
goggles, the Benser specials, the OROLF LTM revolver and other
non-mainstream M-gear).

Gerard Captijn.