An unusual camera incorporating a manually operated periscope that is lowered into the light path for focusing, the finder is used for composing. It was aimed at the medium price bracket or as a second body for Leica owners. The original model had a brown pigskin covering which was quickly replaced by black leatherette. Later the top and bottom plates were left in a bright aluminium finish instead of being blackened. The lens was available coated or uncoated on the original model. An improved series of cameras started in 1957 with the Model 3. The cost in 1953 for the model with a coated lens was £32.19.6.

Accessories prior to the Model 3:

• Finders for 85, 90, 100, 105, 135 and 150 mm lenses.
• Lens hood.
• Extension tubes, these came in a set comprising: 52, 34, 26 and 18 mm. An extra 10 mm ring was sold separately.
• Focusing adapter, this is short tube the length of the camera body with a focusing screen at one end and screw thread for the lens at the other. There is also tripod socket on a rotating ring.

A microscope adapter was introduced but probably after this period.

Lenses:

• f1.9 45 mm Lumax.
• f4 100 Lumar.
• f3.5 50 mm Lumar.

The finders other than the 50 mm are not optical, they consist of a tube, a sighting hole cut at one end and a rectangular mask at the other. The length of the tube determines the field of view and varies according to focal length.

Lens hood/filter fitting is 28.5 mm, another of 42 mm fits the f1.9 lens and 100 mm lens.

Reputedly around 200 calf skin models were made, the known serial numbers would suggest a few more, the lowest number being 1976, the highest 2410. Early black top models have serial numbers in the 3000 range, later they have numbers in the 500,000 range. Lens numbers for both the calf and black top models are in the 2000 to 4000 range.

The second, all black, model is best thought of as a transitional model between the calf skin and the silver finish models. There are a number of minor differences found on the second model:

• Early models have the name engraved on the top-plate, later it is on the periscope.
• Shutter speeds are at first engraved on the top-plate, later they are on an aluminium ring.
• Early examples have the flash contact as fitted to the pigskin model, later a normal PC contact is fitted.
• The shutter release surround changes.
• The black body covering varies.
• The finish of top of the rewind knob changes, engraving on the film-advance and rewind knobs is sometimes more prominent than on others.