Leica 111a

1936

E. Leitz G.M.B.H.

Wetzlar

Germany

Lens:

f2, 5 cm Summar, iris diaphragm to f12.5, marked in continental stops. Screw mount. Serial no. 285854 (1936).

Shutter:

Focal-plane speeded 1 - 1/1000, Z. Speeds are varied by delaying the second blind.

Construction:

Vulcanite covered metal body.

Format:

36, 24 x 36 mm exposures on 35 mm cine film held in standard cassette, film is re-wound into cassette.

Focusing:

Helical to 1 metre.

Attributes:

Coupled rangefinder, swing prism type, double image. Direct-vision (lens/lens) view-finder.
Auto-stop on film-advance coupled to shutter. Film-advance tensions shutter. Exposure counter.

Serial Number:

202928 (1936) .

With:

f4.5, 20 cm Telyt in reflex housing. Iris diaphragm to f36. Focus to 3 metre. Introduced 1935. Silver lettering. No accessory shoe on reflex housing. Fixed magnifier. Serial no. of housing: 2203. Serial no. 272502 (1935).
f6.3, 2.8 cm Hektor, iris diaphragm to f25. Focus to 1 metre. Introduced 1936. With lens cap. Serial no. 357317 (1937).
f4, 9 cm Elmar. With lens cap. Serial no. 320997 (1936).
Telyt Lens hood; Lens cap to fit on reversed hood, rear cap; Double cable release; Yellow filter 2. Marked Telyt Screw fitting; Instructions. German text. d. December 1935.
Leather case for Telyt lens, reflex attachment, filters and cable release.
Lens cap.; 10" cable release.; 3 cassettes in tins.
Adjustable lens hood. For 3.5 cm - 13.5 cm lenses. Introduced 1933.
Filters, A36 size: Yellow 0. In red box; Yellow 2. In red box; Green 2. In red box; Graduated.
Universal view-finder. In red box.
Angular finder.
13.5 cm sports finder. In red box.
Intermediate ring. For fitting Elmar close-up lenses on a Summar. Introduced 1936. Version with silver lettering.; Close-up lens 1.; Close-up lens 2. In red box.; Close-up lens 3. Silver lettering.
Close up apparatus (Setting device). For use with supplementary lenses 2 and 3. Comprises: Collar, 4 legs, 4 extension rods. With instructions "Hilfs-Gerate" d. July 1936. German text. Some Leica negatives taken with the device.
Optical near focusing device. For 5 cm Summar lens. Scale of magnification: 1:6.5 - 1:17.5. Introduced 1936. Automatic parallax correction and view-finder adjustment. For distances between 3.5' - 17 ⅜".
Rapid winder. In red box. Introduced 1936.; Ever-ready case for camera with rapid winder.
Pamphlet on Leica near focus attachment. English text d. Aug 1938. Pamphlet on Leica cassettes. German text d. Oct 1935.; "Directions" German text. d. Aug 1935.; Leitz General catalogue 1936.; "Leica Zubehor" pamphlet. German text. d. Sept 1936. Covers accessories.; Red box for lens.; A number of Leica negatives.
Outfit case.

The 111a is similar to the 111 but has a higher top speed of 1/1000. It was often advertised with the f2 Summar as a speed combination. The 111a continued to be made until 1950. The price was £43 with a Summar lens.

Some frames of the negatives with this example show vignetting characteristic of the Summar at full aperture. Subjects include Kew Gardens, portraits and Oxford.

With the BEOOY three settings are possible:

Lens no. 3 and camera lens at 3 ½ feet, object size is 5" x 3 ⅜".
Lens no. 3 and camera lens at infinity, object size is 6 5/16" x 4 1/4".
Lens no. 2 and camera lens at 3 ½ feet, object size is 8 ½" x 5 ⅝".

With the addition of the extension legs (BETAB) an additional setting of:

Lens no. 2 and camera lens at infinity, object size is 12 5/8" x 8 7/16".

The legs are marked with yellow and white rings for the Summar for the Elmar lenses respectively.

The optical near focusing device allows the standard lens to focus down to 17". In use the lens is secured to the unit by its bayonet, the focusing mount of the lens is not used. A supplementary lens is aligned over the rangefinder window and a mask aligns in front of the view-finder window. The latter automatically adjusts for parallax but in use is not very precise due to the small finder window. The unit was produced for other standard lenses and in either chrome or black/nickel finish.

The Rapid winder (SCNOO) replaces the base plate of the camera. A trigger shaped finger grip is pulled across the length of the base which rotates the film-advance spindle. The ever-ready case attaches to the camera by a bayonet surrounding the open/close lever for attaching the camera base.

The 20 cm Telyt was the first telephoto lens for the Leica, mainly used in conjunction with the Reflex Housing (PLOOT). The PLOOT has a manually operated mirror - pressure on the release raises the mirror, when the pressure is removed the mirror drops back. For vertical exposures the unit can be rotated 90°. Later models had a mirror lock, accessory shoe and removable finder.

Code Names:

ADKOO -

Camera.; FINOT - Cable release.; FILCA - Cassette.; FIHEL - Yellow filter 0.; FIPOS - Yellow filter 2.; FIGAM - Green filter 2.; OBEN - Graduated filter.; 7348c - "Directions".; 7586c - "Leica cassettes".; 7652 - Pamphlet on Leica Near focus attachment.; 7335c - "Leica Zubehor".; VMCOO - Intermediate ring.; ELPRO ELPIK ELPET - Close-up lenses 1 2 3.; BEOOY - Setting device.; BETAB - 4 extension rods.; NOOKY HESUM - Optical near focusing device.; ETGUS - Outfit case.; VIDOM - Universal view-finder.; WINTU - Angular finder.; SEYOO - 13.5 cm sports finder.; SCNOO - Rapid winder.; EPZOO - Ever-ready case for camera with rapid winder.; FIKUS - adjustable lens hood.; OTPLO - 20 cm Telyt.; PLOOT - Reflex housing.; POOCI - Telyt filter.; 7555b - Telyt instructions.; EMTOO - Telyt case.; ELANG - 90 mm lens.; HOOPY - 28 mm lens.; SUOOQ - 28 mm view-finder.

References & Notes:

BP 479453/1938.; BJA 1936, pp.268, 514.; Leica Cat. 1936.; Hasbroeck, Leica

Early Photography