[Leica] Early 35mm cameras

[feli2 at earthlink.net (Feli)]

That's why I said "pretty much".  ;-)

All of these cameras are based on motion picture film and yes, there 
were earlier
cameras  than the Leica that used it, but there is a big difference 
between this:

http://www.cameraquest.com/leicaa.htm

and something like this:

http://www.cameraquest.com/Sico%20Early%2035.htm


Feli



On May 27, 2005, at 10:28 AM, Lawrence Zeitlin wrote:
> =========================
>
> Close, but no cigar.
>
> There were a number of 35mm still cameras using perforated movie film 
> prior to the Leica. The first patent for one was issued to Leo, 
> Audobard, and Baradat in England in 1908. The first full scale 
> production camera was the Homeos, a stereo camera, produced by Jules 
> Richard in 1913. It took stereo pairs, 18x24 mm, with two Tessar 
> lenses and was similar to a primordial Stereo Realist. It was sold 
> until 1920. The first 35mm big seller was the American Tourist 
> Multiple, also appearing in 1913. It contained a 50 foot magazine with 
> enough film for 750 half frame exposures and could be fitted with an 
> f2.8 Steinheil lens. The camera cost $175 in 1913. By today's 
> standards that's the equal of a $3000 Leica. The camera was advertized 
> as containing enough film for a full European tour. Of course WW1 
> started the year after the camera was introduced and that pretty well 
> killed grand tours to Europe.
>
> The first camera to take full frame 24x36mm exposures seems to be the 
> Simplex, introduced in the U.S. in 1914. It took either 800 half frame 
> or 400 full frame shots on 50 ft. rolls. The Minigraph, by Levy-Roth 
> of Berlin, another half frame small camera was sold in Germany in 
> 1915. The patent for the Debrie Sept camera, a combination 35mm still 
> and movie camera was issued in 1918, but was not marketed until 1922. 
> Finally the Furet camera, made and sold in France in 1923 took full 
> frame 24x36mm negatives and was the first cheap small 35mm camera to 
> look vaguely like today's models.
>
> Although Oskar Barnack designed his prototype camera around 1913, the 
> first experimental production run of ur-Leicas (Serial No. 100 to 130) 
> did not take place until 1923. Full scale production of the Leica did 
> not begin until 1925.  By that time there were at least a dozen other 
> 35mm cameras available. The success of the Leica was attributed by 
> contemporary photographic writers, not only to its small size and to 
> the precision of its construction, but to its relatively high price 
> which established it as a "prestige" item among both photographers and 
> people of fashion.
>
> Larry Z
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
________________________________________________________
feli2@earthlink.net                     2 + 2 = 4                      
www.elanphotos.com


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