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Leica Screw Mount Cameras:

User Buyer's Guide

In the US, Leica's original rangefinder series (1930-60) are usually called 'screw mounts' or 'LTM' for Leica thread mount. According to a friend in Japan, they are often called 'Barnack Cameras' after the Leica's designer/inventor Oskar Barnack. Keep in mind this page is Leica specific, not discussing the many other cameras using Leica screw mount.

Positives & Negatives, Peculiarities, Pre-War/ Post War, Chronology,

Point of View:

This Not-So-Objective Buyer's Guide is for the user, not the collector. Rare models and variations are not mentioned here. There are a ton of collector's books for that. This page is for the person who, for whatever reason--nostalgia, love, or insanity--wants to shoot pictures. I highly recommend an older edition of the LEICA MANUAL which covers these cameras in great detail. This great series covers virtually all the accessories and will prove to be invaluable to you. Editions were published from the middle 30's to the early 70's. Note this guide is confined to Leicas only and does not cover any of the various Leica copies.

50mm F2 Collapsible – Serial Number 1303973; 50mm F2.8 Elmar – Serial Number 1494986; 50mm F2.8 Elmar – Serial Number 1551423; 85mm F2 – Serial Number 6401994; 135mm F4.5 Hektor – Serial Number 1737254; Leica M Digital Cameras. M-P Chrome Body Only – Serial Number 4906950; M (240) Black Body Only – Serial Number 4808492. Strictly limited to 1,640 pcs, made in 1994 to commemorate 40 years of leica m. The set combines the beautiful m3 design with the advantages of m6 features including the internal light meter, film loading and angled rewind knob, with a special 50mm f/2.8 elmar in a beautiful presentation box. One of the cameras included here, Leica serial number 150, began life as an ultra-rare Leica I (Model A) with 50mm f/3.5 Leitz Anastigmat lens and us now a gorgeous black finished Leica IIIa UMBAU—still a rare and valuable collector’s item but probably worth a lot less after the conversion.

Elmar 50mm 3.5 Lens

Positives and Negatives: Aesthetics Vs Photo Opportunities

Barnack Cameras are the ultimate 'retro technology' status symbol. style, style, style. Of course if anyone asks how fast the camera works, just pull out your sequence of Formula One race cars at 200 mph taken with your 8 fps Nikon F5. Watch their eyes roll as you tell them the pics were taken with your knob wind Leica.

Barnack Camerashave a Mechanical jewel like quality and feeling of hand made craftsmanship which even the M mount cameras do not have. These cameras have all kinds of machined gadgets and do-dads which your put your modern injected plastic wonder to shame.

Barnack Cameras have a certain nostalgic history about them. The Leica Screw Mount cameras, more than any other established not only photojournalism, but 35 mm Photography.

Barnack Cameras are small, especially with a collapsed 50/3.5 Elmar. A camera is just a useless money pit if its too big and heavy for you to take it with you.

Barnack Cameras can give great results while offering a wide selection of lenses and accessories.

Idiots don't use them. Snobbery, ain't it great?
The Negatives: That's a GREAT question, glad you asked.
- Parts are getting scarce (but still available). The scarcest part is probably RF mirrors.
- Loading them correctly is a bitch(no pain, no gain)
- No TTL meter (only sissies use TTL) But there is the new Voigtlander VC meter
- The later M cameras have better lenses which can't be used on the earlier screw mount cameras. (A Big Thank You to the Leitz Marketing Dept)
- From an ease of use standpoint, you are limited to lenses 135 mm and shorter, unless you want to tackle the awkward and obsolete Visoflex system. It effectively turns your elegant Leica Rangefinder into a very awkward and outdated single lens reflex. I don't advise it, but many people actually learn to live with its limitations after several decades of practice-- kind of like Bob and Gloria, my next door neighbors.

All of that being said, you have to be kind of crazy to want to shoot with these cameras, but its a pleasant kind of insanity.

Peculiarities: a little bit eccentric

Metering: good news

Of course there is no built in TTL meter in the screw mount Leicas. Worse, there has never been a really good clip on meter for the Barnack cameras, until Cosina-Voigtlander decided to introduce one in late 1999. For most photogs, this new meter will be a must have for their Barnack cameras. Please see separate profile.

Film Loading: Easy is not the word.

As Elegant as they are, Leica Screw mounts are difficult to load. It's very easy for the beginner to futz around five minutes or more just to load the film. This is how I do it:

Remove the Lens
Set the shutter to T to keep the shutter open
Remove the film spindle from the camera by pulling it out.
Pull out the film leader, and insert into the film spindle's film lip. This can sometimes take a bit of doing, and is why I advise removing the spindle.
Wrap the film several times around spindle.
Holding the film cartridge and the film spindle in both hands, insert them into the camera body at the same time.
Look into the film gate and make sure the film is positioned evenly in the gate. If it is not, use your thumb to position it.
Turn the rewind knob to take up the tension inside the film canister.
SLOWLY turn the film advance, watching to make sure the film sprocket catch properly on the film sprocket spindle.
AFTER all of the above and you have seen that the film is advancing, continue to advance the shutter so that it will close.
Reset the shutter speed at the fastest shutter speed.
Put the baseplate back on the camera.
Advance and trip the shutter twice, making sure that the rewind kno

Leica Elmar 50mm Serial Numbers